Experience with tumblers

[ROBBIE]

Wondering if a general tumbler from wallmart is just as good as more expensive for cleaning clad. What do you guys use in the tumbler to clean.

 

[~Alan~]

I 've had one for a while now, but would only use it to clean items with no historic value.
I've found it brings up old brass buckles very well.

 

[OkieDigger]

I have a cheepo dual drum tumbler that I use on my clad. I highly recommend you never use it on anything you like or want to keep.

 

[TerryEastTexas]

I bought one from WalMart 2 years ago and it still works well. I use it for common coins but any coin of value never use a tumbler.

 

[Krom]

Robbie...
I bought mine at a gem/jewelry/mineral store that charged me $80+ (boy... they seen ME comin')...!
I dare say, a Wal-Mart model is just fine. I only wish that I had done a better search before diggin' so deep into my pocket!
Get the cheap-o. You're trying to salvage money, not throw it away!
They all work the same... they simply tumble.

 

[Vlad]

They all work the same... they simply tumble.

I have to agree here Krom

 

[Krom]

...and if you happen to break a cheap one, it's easier to replace (unless you're spoiled on brand names).

 

[ROBBIE]

thanks for all the advise, a cheap one it is.

 

[johncooper]

Just a note about cheap tumblers. I have a tumbler I bought from Harbor Freight. It only lasted two months before the rubber belt wore out from a bad pulley. Took it back and got another one. This one lasted about three months before it went south, the plastic bushings for the rollers wore through and the rollers began to eat through the sheet metal. It was costing me about $10.00 in gas to get a replacement. I decided to fix it instead. After fixing it I decided I needed another tumbler and I too didn't like the prices of the ones at the rock shop. I built my own. It has roller bearings supporting the shafts and a heavy duty small motor that I got from salvage. There were several web sites that I used to figure out how to make mine.

 

[~Alan~]

A common mistake is to make the belt too tight. This puts a strain on the bearings and pulley.

 

[rcasi44]

I'd like to build a tumbler. If johncooper could post a picture of his that would be great. Also I'd like to see the links to some of the sites you mentioned. Rob

 

[tombraider2]

Harbor freight works great. Comes with extra belts. Cleaning January finds today. 2 hrs with Lil plastic beads.

 

[vmc1161]

I have two harbor freight ones, ones a single the other a double. I got them way back when this was first posted.

 

[stetam]

I have two harbor freight ones, ones a single the other a double. I got them way back when this was first posted.

20 years ago ....I use a Harbor Freight duel drum also.

 

[Fishincontrol]

I bought a Nat Geo hobby tumbler from a garage sale for 5 bucks. Works great.

 

[Mad Dog]

Got 2 of the dual drum harbor freight tumblers for $10 each at a local flea market. Still using the first one a couple years now, never had to change the belt.

 

[BobOso]

I have the 2 barrel tumbler from harbor freight, going on year 4, still works great. Clad in 1 barrel, pennies in the other, so the clad does not change color.

 

[hoser]

I have two tumblers. I have a single drum Lortone that is my primary tumbler and I made one years ago at work that works really well, I built it just for a project to do.

 

[gismapper]

I'd like to build a tumbler. If johncooper could post a picture of his that would be great. Also I'd like to see the links to some of the sites you mentioned. Rob

Somewhere on the interwebs there's a description of how to make a DIY tumbler from an old printer. That's what I did. It's ugly as sin, but it works pretty well. Got the printer for free when someone was throwing it out. All it cost me was a bit of time tinkering with it. Definitely not elegant, but definitely gets the job done. Have to get creative looking for containers to tumble in, but there are lots of options.

 

[njdetect]

My son and I would like to try cleaning some of the clad we found. We have a tumbler already- where do you purchase the media/beads to put into the tumbler? I have read aquarium gravel, plastic triangles from HF or plastic beads with some sort of soap and water. Any suggestions from experience? Just looking to clean up clad- not the "good" stuff LOL.