Vibratory Tumbler

Well, I just picked up this vibratory tumbler from Eastwood. My initial plan was to eliminate holding parts in front of my sand blaster for hours to get them ready for zinc, nickel or blackening.

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-hd-vibratory-tumbler-w-media-pushbutton.html

The price is not right thats for sure. But everything is frigging over priced these days.

The unit seems like it will last a few years, it is better than the harbor freight units but it is still mostly plastic.

The unit is moderately loud like about as annoying as a small washing machine on spin cycle cause all the parts are rattling around. So I put it behind the house to run.

First test I tossed in some bolts from my duster that I had already half *** sand blasted and after 24 hours they were the same. First media batch was green pyramids, red polishing media (both from eastwood) and some busted up porcelain dining plates.

The bolts and parts came out about the same as they went in basically. Issues observed was the red polishing media tended to pack inside small holes preventing the holes from getting any action (smaller sharper media needed). Second issue is the threads in the low points were not touched. So narrow small low spots or holes were not getting action.


Next test I stepped up the juice.

I had two hand fulls of lag bolts, regular bolts, nuts and large washers which were rusted to heck on one side or all over and or had about 4 thick layers of household paint gummed on from this big wooden box I build 3 years back and was sitting in the rain for like 3 years. So parts were gummed with layers of paint and also rusted to shi%.

I put in green pyramids, crushed up porcelain dinner plates (smashed up with a hammer) 2 cups of sand, quarter cup of generic draino, 4 teaspoons of generic diswashing liquid and 2 cups of water. Then let it run.

If a person could get their hands on caustic soda :rock: or oven cleaner and mix it with water this would remove paint as well.

18 hours later everything is close to spotless.

Attached is a picture of the after 18 hours washer that previously had one side rusted to hell and the other side with 4 layers of household paint. The friggin zinc coating is almost gone, the paint is gone, the rust is 97% gone.

After the batch is done (i am doing 24 hours) I chuck the stuff in a medium holes strainer and dip it in a bucket of water to remove the sand and detergents, then a garden hose wash, then i dump the media across a table and easily sort the parts out the media and re-use the remaining media. The sand and detergents waste I send to Al Gore on a pallet. I immediately submerge the parts in a bucket half full of denatured alcohol with a lid to prevent air from contacting them until i am ready to plate or coat them.

So now my plan is to prep parts for the sand blaster using the tumbler since the drain-o and detergent will obliterate paint and grease and the tumbling medias will remove majority of rust, the final sand blasting of little parts will go super quick. This means less ruined gloves and standing in front of the blasting cabinet. Then I will be using http://www.caswellplating.com/ electroless nickel and metal blackening. I will add more pictures soon.

If a person did not have a sand blaster I believe my second process followed by 8 hours with the media and 2 cups of vinegar followed by a good fresh water rinse would yield a part that could be plated or painted and would last

I prefer sand blasting as the final as the surface is roughened and the deep threads get more action.





So below is the second test batch result after 18 hours in the tumbler. I will post more pictures soon.