Right, I'm sure that's what they're called.

Tray with media that vibrates. Chuck stuff in, comes out polished!

Thanks very much

Simon

like a rock roller? Polishes gemstones. That would be a rolling drum, id imagine a tumble drier effect might be more efficient than a vibrating tray, but i might be wrong.

[Edited on 24/5/06 by JoelP]

Barrelling machine ?

edit link I use one like it at work for gold an silver its very good.


[Edited on 24/5/06 by big_wasa]

www.vibratoryfinishing.co.uk

these chaps were at macho6 last week

I've heard them called tumble polishers.

Various kinds - either a barrel rolling around, or what looks like half a tyre that vibrates. You choose the media according to the material you want to polish, and how quick you want it to happen.

It's the sort of thing that's fairly easy to make - the rotating drum type, anyway. Worth a Google.

David

i always planned to make one when i was younger (last year in fact! ). Never had the time though.

"TUMBLER"

they are also used to clean brass cases in shooting, they work a real treat and the media is sometimes crushed walnut shells if it helps

Reason I ask is one of our clients likes ALL his sculpture polished, and as most of it is cast bronze, it would be quite nice to get to a "finished" surface - ie all welding done and chasing finished, then chuck them into a tumber, left overnight and they're finished.

At the mo, we spend hours polishing, which is hard, dirty and very time consuming.

ATB

Simon

vibratory tumbler, ive seen some ali parts after they've been in and they looked amazing, the one i saw was simply half a tyre with an offset weight motor underneath.

We used to use one at the foundry for polishing zinc anodes after casting, throw them in with a bag of gravel and leave them all day. After the pebbles had been in for a week they used to come out perfectly round, brilliant catapult ammo. A cement mixer with the blades removed from the drum would do the same job.



[Edited on 24/5/06 by Peteff]

We have one at my work. It's used for cleaning / polishing the blades from the Gas Turbines that we overhaul! Its a great machine, saved us hours in our process and upped the turbine efficiency at the same time! I think we may soon be putting new blades through to improve the surface finish (which was very good anyway).
I have used it for various car parts and its excellent for that too.

Not very practical for home though i'm afraid! Its a bit more complictaed than a spinning drum with variuos different cycles to use for different effects although it probably is possible to create something with the same principle idea.