Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Needs Pictures Needs Pictures:  0
Picture(s) thanks Picture(s) thanks:  0
Results 1 to 12 of 12
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    999

    Default Tumble Sander...?

    saw this tonight while wandering around epay.
    http://cgi.ebay.com.au/TUMBLE-SANDER...QQcmdZViewItem

    I've had similar ideas in the past but never thought it would work.. I'd always hoped to build a machine to take some of the load off my poor right arm when it comes time to sand all the fiddly bit I tend to deal with.

    a quick google turned up squat.. any forumites ever seen something like this in operation, seems a piece of to put together.

  2. # ADS
    Google Adsense Advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Posts
    Many





     
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Sydney
    Age
    64
    Posts
    2,378

    Default

    Slow6,
    I think you may find that that there tumble sander is for polishing gemstones and it may be a bit harsh on your timber.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    999

    Default

    yeh that was my initial thought.. but I did find mention (cand find the link now) of a guitar maker using something similar.. bear in mind I'm not planning to dump a beautifully squared box in to a drum and have it pop out in one piece. I use a lot of scrolled shapes from hard woods like bluegum, ironbark bla bla.. routed edges with round off bit. sanding is really just a clean up b4 dumping the pieces into oil, fiddly bloody clean up tho.

    I'm thinking with the drum half filled with small (maybe 1/2inch) sqaures of sandpaper and maybe a bit of sand to fill it out and add a bit of weight??

    I dunno.. might just have to slink back into the shed and post the results when I make a mess.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Nowra
    Posts
    111

    Default

    Bleedin Thumb,
    I think that you will find that this for finish sanding toy parts and the like.
    Very slow speed so that the parts don't crash about , just tumble over each other.
    BobT

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Toowoomba Qld.
    Age
    64
    Posts
    2,792

    Default

    I have heard of woodworkers tumbling small parts (yes, like toys) and I think there is one featured in a FWW mag or book. By memory the guy put sawdust in as an abrasive.
    As an aside, a while back when sourcing stainless steel fittings for suspended artwork, I came across a specialist marine manufacturer, who finished many small metal parts with a shop-built tumbler. Different speeds and abrasives for different finishes, but he also had a side-to-side action, not a complete 360* rotation. He reckoned the tumbling not only gave a good even finish with little handwork, it also took off sharp edges and thereby reduced stress raisers.

    Cheers,
    Andy Mac
    Change is inevitable, growth is optional.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Sydney
    Age
    64
    Posts
    2,378

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by oldbob13 View Post
    Bleedin Thumb,
    I think that you will find that this for finish sanding toy parts and the like.
    Very slow speed so that the parts don't crash about , just tumble over each other.
    BobT
    Your right BobT,
    My apologies Slow6

    I must admit I had never heard of such a thing, and even now find it hard to grasp the concept of it working on anything other than crude ball(ish) type shapes.
    Thanks for the education.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    999

    Default

    thanks for the replys

    dont apologise BT I too find the concept dodgy.. hence never trying it.

    Andy.. I would never have thought to use sawdust as an abrasive, food for thaught. the only idea I had last night was that the inside of the drum itself might benefit from a bit of padding (maybe rubber) to stop the wooden parts knocking around on the sides. but that was also the thinking behind adding some sand... hoping that it would help buffer the pieces and provide a bit of grab to avoid flatter pieces just slidding around the bottom of the drum.

    I'm thinking with a few smaller drums on a knocked up rig I might have a go at a few ideas at once.

    cheers guys.. will post results if I get to anything decent.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Toowoomba Qld.
    Age
    64
    Posts
    2,792

    Default

    Yep, found it in the FWW book "Workshop Specialities" and the guy was using a tumbler for sanding dowels used as legs of furniture. Wooden drum, octangular, and was lined with carpet. He used sandpaper cut into strips as abrasive, I guess freely circulating. The 2 ends of the drum were pivoting on an off-centre axis, 180* apart, so the action of the drum flipped and each end alternated as 'up'. In simpler words, it didn't have a plain rolling action, like I think gem tumblers have.

    Cheers,
    Andy Mac
    Change is inevitable, growth is optional.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    3,096

    Default

    Tumble sanders are/were used in metal work a fair bit. The boss had his filled with small bits of scrap and offcuts, old nuts, and machine filings/swarf.
    Mostly used to clean up rusted items and for parts that had a complex shape and were a nightmare to grind. Also used to create a texture on certain items. We had different drums with different 'fillings'.... cast iron and steel for cast iron and steel, aluminium and steel swarf for aluminium, and so on. Also had a carborundum filled drum for 'polishing' items.

    We used to load the parts and let it run for a few hours or overnight, which I thought was better than making me do all the work.
    Cheers,
    Clinton

    "Use your third eye" - Watson

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/clinton_findlay/

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    999

    Default

    \I'd noticed a few references to metal work while seaching "tumble sander" Clinton.. along with a couple of photo's of some pretty knarly home made beasts.

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy Mac View Post
    Yep, found it in the FWW book "Workshop Specialities" and the guy was using a tumbler for sanding dowels used as legs of furniture. Wooden drum, octangular, and was lined with carpet. He used sandpaper cut into strips as abrasive, I guess freely circulating. The 2 ends of the drum were pivoting on an off-centre axis, 180* apart, so the action of the drum flipped and each end alternated as 'up'. In simpler words, it didn't have a plain rolling action, like I think gem tumblers have.

    Cheers,
    yep sounds good Andy the off centre axis and the carpet answer the major questions I had, in place of carpet I reckon thick rubber would be better.. but either way it sounds like a winner.. I'll have to start scrounging the tip again I think I still have a little solar set up that might even run it if I'm lucky.

    whehey... a new project

    I had swmbo on sanding duty today.. so now I think of it she should be in just the right mood to agree to me spending some $$ on the machine... I couldn't have timed it better if I'd tried.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Donnybrook ... sorta
    Age
    59
    Posts
    621

    Default

    Hmmm ... gets me thinking
    I might use the one I made up for polishing rocks for tumbling some sraps of wood as the women in this household would love some wooden beads for their "jewellery" making. Could possibly use the same silicon carbide grit as you do for rocks ... hmmm ... thanks for the fast idea slow
    Ramps

    When one has finished building one's house, one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one really needed to know in the worst way--before one began.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Launceston, Tasmania
    Age
    58
    Posts
    315

    Default

    I ahve a tumbler that is used for cleaning cartidges before reloading. You pust the shells in a contianer that is filled with rice husk and it vibrates and moves the shells around within the husks.

    Works a treat and nothing knocks about as it the shells are suspended int he husk. May work with small wooden items as well.

Similar Threads

  1. Belt Sander cheapest way to buy belts!
    By Shannon Nash in forum WOODWORK - GENERAL
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 24th January 2006, 09:14 PM
  2. Finishing sander & saw advice needed
    By Harry R in forum WOODWORK - GENERAL
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 24th January 2006, 11:50 AM
  3. Sanding floors with a belt sander
    By jimmyjames in forum FLOORING
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 29th August 2004, 11:45 PM
  4. Thinking of buying an Ozito BS-75 Belt sander.
    By Daniel in forum HAND TOOLS - POWERED
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 23rd September 2003, 01:40 AM
  5. What Sander to use?
    By 3Landerblue in forum HAND TOOLS - POWERED
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 17th July 2003, 07:02 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •