"Tumbler" Dresses Up Metal Work

Tumbler Dresses Up Metal Work FARM SHOP Miscellaneous When blacksmith Brian Johnson finishes a custom metalworking job he likes to soften edges and polish the steel His homemade parts tumbler filled with waste from a metal punch press does just that It gives the pieces I make a nice burnished appearance before I clear coat them he says I made some pot and pan hangers out of steel strap and square stock for clients recently The tumbler took the sharp edges off and added eye appeal The tumbler drum which rotates at about 42 rpm s is fashioned from a 30-lb propane tank Johnson cut one end off û after first purging all gas from the tank û and remounted it with hinges and a latch It rides on steel bearings mounted at the ends of four arms made from square tubing A fifth bearing mounted to a rear arm rides against the tapered end of the barrel That fifth bearing helps to keep the tumbler from walking as it rotates says Johnson I covered the bearings with rubber hose material I think that along with the drive belt it helps hold down the noise Power to rotate the tumbler is supplied by a 1/2 hp electric motor A worm drive gear reducer transfers the power with more than enough torque to the drive belt I picked up a 20-in pressed steel pulley and cut out a hole roughly the size of the tank says Johnson I pounded it in place over the tank and it fit tight I ve never had to weld it or secure it in any way A 3/4-in belt runs from the pulley on the gear reduction pulley and around the tank pulley Belt tension is maintained automatically I mounted the motor and the gear reduction case on a steel plate and hinged one end of it to the frame says Johnson The weight is enough to keep the belt tight The tumbler is a lot lighter than it looks thanks to the square tubing frame Johnson says it weighs about 90 lbs when empty He estimates he has about $100 in it Most parts aside from the previously unused motor came from an area scrap dealer That included the perfectly good gear reduction unit that he got for scrap iron price Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Brian Johnson 16777 County Rd 75 N W Clearwater Minn 55320 ph 320 558-6898

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