My DIY Wet Tumbler - Too Fast?

[anonymouscuban]

Hey guys.

So I made this DIY wet tumbler from an old car wiper motor and some junk I had laying around in the garage. This is the first time firing it up. I've never had or seen a wet tumbler in action and not sure if this is spinning too fast. It will probably slow down a bit with the weight of brass and water, etc.

What do you think?

https://youtu.be/MFBao0IkHjw

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[Ajaxx]

Looks pretty fast but it might work try it out

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[rcslotcar]

Does look fast. Any paddles inside??

[SkyHawk]

I would not have direct driven it considering that speed. And the load on the motor and gear train is going to be substantial with the weight of shells and water. That gear train isn’t meant to handle much more than wiper blades.

I would have used the output on the wiper unit to drive a pulley for a belt. It will slow it down, reduce the load and give the power you need. Like a 2.5” or 3” alternator pulley. You will need a way to adjust the belt tension.

And for sure add some paddles in the bucket.

[MrElectric03]

I think the speed is fine. Are there agitators inside? Mine didn't work well until I added them.

[anonymouscuban]

I think the speed is fine. Are there agitators inside? Mine didn't work well until I added them.

I need to add some. This was a first run. Just testing it to make sure the motor and bucket are lined up right and to test the speed.

I think the motor has a lower speed but i can't get it to work. It has 5 wires. I have to play around with it more to see if I can figure out the low speed on it.

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[Sir Toast]

If you run it that fast, don't run it too long. You're going to do a whole lot of tumblin' in a short amount of time. Looks good though. Better than the crappy Harbor Freight tumbler that breaks in 30 minutes.

Nice job OP.

[SkyHawk]

If you do decide to try it direct drive, put an amp meter inline now to check the free load, and then again when you have agitators and a full bucket. I’d be curious how many more amps you end up pulling with a load of water, brass and media. You have to be careful not to fry the motor.

And if the load is substantial, hopefully that gear train is metal. When that motor gets hot it will send the heat right down the shaft to the pinion and then on to whatever gear the pinion is driving. You could take steps to keep the motor cool if you see a big draw and heat (fan or even a water coil).

[anonymouscuban]

I'm using a laptop power adapter that supplies 12v 5a. Won't the adapter limit the power draw by the motor?

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[SkyHawk]

I'm using a laptop power adapter that supplies 12v 5a. Won't the adapter limit the power draw by the motor?

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No, the motor will just fry the adapter if the draw it pulls is higher than 5a. So yes, the adapter will limit the power draw but it will also fry if the load is too great and exceeds the design limit of the power supply. The laptop power supply has a 5a max capacity, normally a laptop designed around that power supply isn’t going to get near that. But it isn’t a regulated 5a output. Most laptop power supplies are just large wall warts.

You could also simply use a 6v or 9v supply to lower the speed. But again, you are going to need some capacity. I would consider 2 x 6v batteries in parallel (hefty batteries, like UPS/alarm/emergency lighting or better yet golf cart), and something else to keep them topped off (or must recharge them when the cycle is done) - unless you have a good, regulated power supply.

Until you get an amp meter on it, you wont know what the draw is until you either do or don't see smoke coming off the laptop power supply.

[reverser]

Put a 5amp fuse inline please. Also, it is DC. If you want to spin it slower, just decrease the voltage a bit. Don’t go too low or you’ll lose too much torque. Tumbling is usually done at around 50 rpms. I think you’re running around 200.

If you want to increase torque and slow it down run pullies (bulky).

Interesting container. Check into the 6” SDR-35 PVC pipes at. Home Depot. You can get 2 feet for ~$9. I tumble .308 in it with no problem and it is QUIET. Like twice as quiet as the frankford arsenal tumbler.

[anonymouscuban]

The large PVC is a good idea. I'm gonna see how well the bucket works first. It's an old dog food bucket so it has a screw on lid with a gasket. Thought it would be perfect for this. I will also add the fuse in line to prevent any shorts.

What do you guys think of adding a speed controller like this?

DC Motor Controller, Yeeco DC 10-60V 12V 24V 36V 48V 60V DC Motor Speed Controller, PWM Stepless Brushed Motor Control, Variable Speed Control Generator Kit with Control Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G88D3Z9..._bnzrDb4PWVDRV

[bruce381]

what could go wrong just jump it to your car Battery fill with brass and water and stand back

[reverser]

You’ll get better torque with the pwm speed controller and a reduced duty cycle. I don’t see anything wrong with that product.

[protohyp]

how is the bucket connected to the motor?

If you're just using a bolt and washer you need something other than tightness to lock the system together otherwise the weight might just make the motor shaft spin in the bucket.

You'll probably need to reinforce the bucket too because if you just drill something into the plastic it may just shred the bucket but the motor probably doesnt have enough torque for that.