Affordable Rock Tumbler

youmagine

This is my budget-friendly rock tumbler designed specifically for polishing 3D printed parts, made with ColorFabbs metal-infused filaments (BronzeFill, BrassFill, CopperFill). You can also achieve a 'golden' sheen on standard PLA by tumbling the parts with brass screws. Building this tumbler should cost less than $40., making it significantly more affordable than commercial tumblers that offer similar functionality. The 110mm drum spins at approximately 22rpm - feel free to adjust the speed using different gear wheels (see note below). You can use any drum you prefer, such as old cans or PVC pipe couplings available in hardware stores, which work perfectly and are cheap. This tumbler is designed for either diameter of coupling: 110mm, 125mm, or 160mm (the latter not yet tested). The 110mm drum is large enough for most of my parts and should be your first choice. For those who prefer a rubberized drum, printing the inset with flexible filament is a good idea.