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Aluminum Polish

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Banjo

Just saw a tumbler in the HF online catalog. $59.99 and it is larger than mine. They also sell the polishing media. Look for it.

Bruce L

PS. Haven't started my test because it is 60f-70f and the GT is running fabulous.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Banjo

Just saw a tumbler in the HF online catalog. $59.99 and it is larger than mine. They also sell the polishing media. Look for it.

Bruce L

PS. Haven't started my test because it is 60f-70f and the GT is running fabulous.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks, I'll take a look.
I haven't given up on mine yet. I have a couple of mods I'm gonna do.
What's this GT stuff?? Ya think just cause it's a nice day an' you got a runnin LBC, you kin just go drivin?!!!
I need results!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif
Ah what am I saying... I'd have gone driving too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
OK OK I'll go out and set it up right now because it is dark now. The GT is running great, at 65mph on the freeway you can push the throttle down and get pushed back into the seat. Way better than the 78 head.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif
 
just taking a couple of guesses here as I've lived a sheltered life, and have never seen a parts tumbler in action. I reckon it functions in a very similar fashion to a laundry dryer, no? If so, then wouldn't it be a good idea to lay the tumbler drum on a set of casters so that the weight of the drum is not on the shaft of the motor? Additionally, you could probably make the drum belt driven so that the load on the shaft of the motor would be next to nil. By moving to a belt driven layout you'd have the added benefit of being able to change the gearing ratio between the motor and drum and thereby achieving a variable speed tumbler in which a low power motor could be used.
 
Well Nunyas ,you've just mentioned my latest plan. Im gonna take the heating unit out of an old dryer, install a smaller compartment in the original drum, route the motor through a rheostat to vary the speed, and viola! giant rock tumbler.
What I was trying to build was a "vibratory tumbler". In that setup the drum is mounted on springs, and the motor just has an offset weight in the shaft that causes the whole assembly to shake or "vibrate" It dosen't actually turn the drum, like a true "tumbler"
I've decided the vibratory tumbler needs a much faster motor than I have on it now, like a vacuume motor, and to be effective they all seem to use a "Jello mold" shaped bowl, which really dosen't work for the larger carb parts. I'm gonna keep tinkering with it, but I think the "drum tumbler" style is more suited for what I want to do.
Now I gotta find an old dryer..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
ah... well... glad I could be of assistance? ... erm... ok..
 
Banjo

Don't use and old dryer they have holes in the drum. Use a metal drum or container that can be laid on it's side. put two shafts (rollers) so the container can roll. Do put rubber bands on the edge to cushion the turning. you can turn the drum by turning the rollers the container is sitting on. That way you can vary the speed by changing pullies until you find the correct speed.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
 
Banjo

The experiment has started. The pot of one of the carbs from my daughter's Midget is in the cooker right now.

Bruce L

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angel.gif
 
LL, I intend to make a removable internal drum to fit in the original dryer drum. Probably a 5 gal. bucket with some small rubber baffles to keep things turning over inside. I'm thinking I could make several types of drums, big, small, sealed for liquids, etc....
It looks like I'll have a dryer to play with by the weekend. The whole thing shoulden't cost much more than $20 to get working.
I'd really like to see some pics of your setup. all the Vibratory polishers I've seen don't seem very suitable.
 
Banjo

I need to get some other type of media. The part of the carb that had no heavy oxidation was polished pretty well. I need to find a way to get rid of the heavyness before putting the part in the vibrater. I am going to shoot pictures of the machine and try to send them out.
 
Patton. Very possible. I think that setup requires a lot more tinkering. I think I need a more suitable motor, like an orbital sander or something.
Right now I'm on to my drum tumbler experiment. I just obtained a doner dryer. I have it all cleaned out of lint to ward off any fire hazard, and I'm planning my drum insert setup. I also need to override the timer mechanism. I'm taking picures of the whole process, so I can post them here, and If it works, the plans will be made into a Knowlage Base article.
I'm hopeing to get some more work done on it this weekend. I'll definatly keep y'all up to date.
 
OK OK I built the barrell tumbler out of an old dryer. After 7 hours in a drum of crushed walnut shells and jewlers rouge....
Nuttin. Barely any change to the finish.
On to plan "B"
I've got a load of hardware in there to see if it does anything to that. I'd hate to have built this all for nothing. I'm also gonna try coarser walnut shells. The stuff I got now is really fine.
I'm really dissapointed right now, but I'm gonna get a bench grinder with a buffer wheel for polishing . Oh well.
 
7 hours not long enough... With a media like walnut shells... your talking weeks before you see any change. Get some brass/copper BB's or something like that (and even then might take a few days. I only know this 'cause my wife spends months tumbling stones to polish them. Usually about 1-2 weeks with a course grit cutting powder, another 2 weeks with a medium grit, and then another 2 weeks with fine powder... Then either hand polishing, or 2-3 weeks with a polishing compund in the tumbler.

Yeah, I know.... I don't have patience for the sound of the tumbler going 24-7 for months, but if you want REAL results it'll take that!

And the stuf she uses for the cutting powder is more like fine metal shavings.
 
Yup, this is what I'm finding out. I can't keep a set of carbs for that long. people start gettting antzy when you have a 1 week rebuild for 3 months. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
I think a better option is offering a hand polish of the dashpots, fuel bowls, and caps for a nominal sum to cover my time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
Oh well, it was a fun project, and it works really well for cleaning up large amounts of rusty hardware. But I still need a coarser media.
Now I just need the Caswell copy-cad set... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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