- Thread starter AdrianH
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Maker
Most folk just call me; Orange Joe
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- 10,667
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- Keeler crater
I forgot to mention the deburring aspect.I've oft wondered if simple things like blasting media might be any use in a tumbler. Even simple sand, if run wet.
FWIW, wet sand doesn't work in a national geographic rock tumbler to polish bullet shells, dry sand was fine though
.
Maker
Most folk just call me; Orange Joe
- Messages
- 10,667
- Location
- Keeler crater
Just had a thought regarding making one of these, an old propane tank would make a decent container. To further cheapen it it could be hung from bungee cord instead of sat on springs. I may have to do some experimenting
Had more of a play today, fitted a door on the unit to stop it all falling out and filled with 10mm gravel. I had to see if the action works and here we have it:-
It needs guards on the motor section, could well just sheet it up and leave a door in one side.
Tempted to leave it running for an hour to see what falls apart?
I have an email out to a local'ish company for cost of ceramic media sloped triangle 6mm x 6mm around 25 to 30 kg and some general compound, but do not expect a reply until Monday.
Adrian
It needs guards on the motor section, could well just sheet it up and leave a door in one side.
Tempted to leave it running for an hour to see what falls apart?
I have an email out to a local'ish company for cost of ceramic media sloped triangle 6mm x 6mm around 25 to 30 kg and some general compound, but do not expect a reply until Monday.
Adrian
The gravel is also sandy or very bitty, it could do with washing the stone bits down to remove the sticky stuff from it.
I need to add the water drain to the bottom, in mine I think it will be in the middle due to the weights at each end. Even the few minutes I had it running showed how it cleaned the sheet in the tub.
Hope to get a bit more done tonight if I can.
Thanks for the compliments
Adrian
I need to add the water drain to the bottom, in mine I think it will be in the middle due to the weights at each end. Even the few minutes I had it running showed how it cleaned the sheet in the tub.
Hope to get a bit more done tonight if I can.
Thanks for the compliments
Adrian
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Here is the drain ready for the bottom of the tub, it has just under 10mm bore, so if I drill 5 or 6 mm holes in the tub, I should be OK to get the slurry through. It will go onto some 1/2 inch tube to drain, all I have at present is some either very large fuel, but suspect heater hose, if I can get some 12mm or 1/2" clear tubing I would be happier as it would allow be to see any build-ups in the pipe before it gets blocked. The drain is also shaped a bit so I can TIG it to the round bottom of the tub.
A bit of an under cut there, must be more careful, more filler!
Adrian
A bit of an under cut there, must be more careful, more filler!
Adrian
Little bit more today. Managed to get the 25Kg of ceramic media 10 x 10mm off-cut triangle and some PVC conveyor belting for the inside.
Could not get any media compound as they only sell it in 25 Litre tubs and I think that would last me out so need to either come up with a DIY solution or initially just use water.
Anyway here are a few more pics.
This showing the water outlet, it is tie rapped to the top frame.
End hole is sealed to stop the liquid coming out of the plate until I can find a thin 100mm O ring.
The media, hope it is worth it?
Cheers
Adrian
Could not get any media compound as they only sell it in 25 Litre tubs and I think that would last me out so need to either come up with a DIY solution or initially just use water.
Anyway here are a few more pics.
This showing the water outlet, it is tie rapped to the top frame. End hole is sealed to stop the liquid coming out of the plate until I can find a thin 100mm O ring.
The media, hope it is worth it?Cheers
Adrian
Again thanks for the compliment, but I would like to thank Wyn for showing his build, the idea is dam near identical, just with slight changes to suit my available materials, if anyone else decided to build their own,I guess they would look at both of these and change things to suit themselves.
The proof will come soon when I start to use the tub and see how long it takes to vibrate it self to pieces.
Adrian
The proof will come soon when I start to use the tub and see how long it takes to vibrate it self to pieces
.Adrian
wyn
Member
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- Cardiff
I was surprised how quick they clean stuff up. I had read that i might have to run the one i have for a couple of days to get any sort of result.
A couple of hours seems to do the job fine.
What i have been doing is using a pretty rough ceramic to get most of the rubbish off then swapping over to a different ceramic to get a better finish.
With the side door it only takes a minute or two for it to empty, then put in the other ceramic.
25kg of ceramic fits nicely in a 25l drum with the top cut off.
A couple of hours seems to do the job fine.
What i have been doing is using a pretty rough ceramic to get most of the rubbish off then swapping over to a different ceramic to get a better finish.
With the side door it only takes a minute or two for it to empty, then put in the other ceramic.
25kg of ceramic fits nicely in a 25l drum with the top cut off.
It is big enough but sometimes not always big enough. I guess I could have used a shot blasting cabinet for finishing of the bits but, I do not have a big enough compressor or space for the blast cabinet and the rest of the gear. So using it in anger now, have welded up some 1.6mm sheet to the base on the sides and back, the front side is still open until I get some hinges and catch.
Need some anti-vibration pads, the tar style, stick on variety similar to the type used in vans of old.
Definitely an ear defender area.
Adrian
It has been running for an hour and I went back in the workshop to see how it is going and I have had to power it down as the motor is getting hot.
It is only a fractional horsepower motor, so when cooled after tea with try again through a watt meter to see what the draw is, but guess an upgrade is required.
Need some anti-vibration pads, the tar style, stick on variety similar to the type used in vans of old.
Definitely an ear defender area.
Adrian
It has been running for an hour and I went back in the workshop to see how it is going and I have had to power it down as the motor is getting hot.
It is only a fractional horsepower motor, so when cooled after tea with try again through a watt meter to see what the draw is, but guess an upgrade is required.
Wendelspanswick
Member
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I like the idea but the noise would drive me potty, is there anyway of quietening it down?
Thought I would do an update on the tub.
I have replaced the fractional horse power motor with the 2 HP 3 phase motor I purchased off eSCHen. I already had the pulley adaptors for it when I got the pulleys, I had an idea I might need to do this. I also bought myself another VFD from Ebay. The units at under £80 for 1.5KWh. I have two now one on the mill and one for the tub. Watch out for the type you get, some are just VFD's some are VFD and PLC built in.
The latter is now on the tub and means that I can set the unit going and after a set time it shuts down, so I can set for 30 mins, 60 mins, 2 hours etc. It also has a relay output that I think can drive the liquid pump so I think I can have that on a timer as well. The downside is the manual is not that easy to follow.
The motor is taking just over 400 watts from the mains so around 1.7 Amps, measured it with one of the small Maplin meters one can buy.
The tub is now located in my inner workshop in the garage, and with all doors shut and away from the garage by few feet the noise is barley discernible. But all said and done it will not be run after 21:00 because by that time I am clearing up.
One other advantage of the VFD is it allows variation in the speed of the motor hence the vibratory frequency. Not sure what benefit this will be yet, but it is there if needs be.
I got 5 litres of compound for the process and if one uses too much liquid it soon becomes a bubble bath and one has foam going all over the place, so a good percentage of the stuff must be a detergent.
Last bit of Plasma cutting was 4 Lizards, used the flap disc on them to remove the kerf then a soak in acid to remove the mill-scale then a tumble in the tub, just had 30 mins but the edges are being de-burred or becoming less sharp, needs more time but not tonight.
Cheers
Adrian
I have replaced the fractional horse power motor with the 2 HP 3 phase motor I purchased off eSCHen. I already had the pulley adaptors for it when I got the pulleys, I had an idea I might need to do this. I also bought myself another VFD from Ebay. The units at under £80 for 1.5KWh. I have two now one on the mill and one for the tub. Watch out for the type you get, some are just VFD's some are VFD and PLC built in.
The latter is now on the tub and means that I can set the unit going and after a set time it shuts down, so I can set for 30 mins, 60 mins, 2 hours etc. It also has a relay output that I think can drive the liquid pump so I think I can have that on a timer as well. The downside is the manual is not that easy to follow.
The motor is taking just over 400 watts from the mains so around 1.7 Amps, measured it with one of the small Maplin meters one can buy.
The tub is now located in my inner workshop in the garage, and with all doors shut and away from the garage by few feet the noise is barley discernible. But all said and done it will not be run after 21:00 because by that time I am clearing up.
One other advantage of the VFD is it allows variation in the speed of the motor hence the vibratory frequency. Not sure what benefit this will be yet, but it is there if needs be.
I got 5 litres of compound for the process and if one uses too much liquid it soon becomes a bubble bath and one has foam going all over the place, so a good percentage of the stuff must be a detergent.
Last bit of Plasma cutting was 4 Lizards, used the flap disc on them to remove the kerf then a soak in acid to remove the mill-scale then a tumble in the tub, just had 30 mins but the edges are being de-burred or becoming less sharp, needs more time but not tonight.
Cheers
Adrian
