Ray builds big tumbler

September, 2008
by Ray Hill

For years now I have been wanting to make me a large tire tumbler. I had heard of such a thing and even saw a sketch of something like this recently on a web site some where.

Well, recently we acquired a large batch of Tampa Bay fossilized coral. The material is in large chunks and branch coral pieces. The sizes run from egg size to much larger than a softball. The material has a white chalky-like covering on the outside, covering the pretty agate material. So I start thinking that in order to sell this material, and make it look better than it does right now, I will have to clean this white chalky like coating off the pieces. And, knowing that I could not tumble these large chunks in my little rock tumbler, it just gave me the motivation I needed to go ahead and build one of the tire rock rumblers.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Here's a couple of photos of the tire tumbler.

As I was making the tumbler, I had to work out a couple of problems. One way I was getting some water dripping from the top of the tire as it is going around. I was able to solve this problem with a couple pieces of cut plywood and a threaded rod. Placing a cover over the tire opening on both sides prevents the water from coming out.

I used a quarter-horse electric motor. Four pillow-lock bearings. Two 3/4" diameter shafts. A little wiring and a pressure treated wooden frame. The tire shown here is one that had been thrown out. We picked it up and used it for this project.

Here's a couple of photos of the tire tumbler.

With the pieces of fossil coral that we have, I found that I can get nearly a five-gallon bucket of the chunks into my new tire tumbler at a time. I won't take the material all the way through the four stages of grinding, sanding, and polishing. I just want to get the white chalky outer covering off the coral pieces. Should do a nice job. I put the coral pieces in the bottom of the tire, added fine play sand as a grinding compound, and added water to within about an inch of the top of the tire opening. About two days in my new tumbler should do the trick.

You may want to try something like this.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Here's a couple of photos of the tire tumbler.

Ray Hill
Great South Gems & Minerals, Inc.
www.greatsouth.net
888-933-GEMS

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Great South Gems & Minerals, Inc. www.greatsouth.net 38 Bond Drive Ellenwood, Georgia 30294 USA 1-888-933-GEMS (4367) FAX: 770-389-8095