Can you build your own rock tumbler? Here's how!

I've assumed that if you're watching this video you know how to use basic tools. When I watch other rock tumbler build videos I often become hung up because I don't have the tools and/or the materials they're using. So, I explain, instead, the necessary components to making a tumbler, how to figure out what you need, and its approximate costs.
I've tried to make this video as beginner friendly as possible, but useful for any skill level. I hope you find this video useful and hope to hear if you're inspired to build your own, or even if you've built your own. Thanks so much for watching!
For the updated video, complete build, and material list with links check out:
• A COMPLETE guide to bu...

[@HenkJanBakker]

You do know what an expert is though? Somebody that knows more about one or more subjects than other people in a group. You built one so... you the expert.

[@kengensjewelry]

haha! Thank you. Now I just have to feel like one.

[@garymaylon2025]

I was always told that an expert was someone 50 miles from home.

[@ducatidarmah122]

The definition of an expert goes as follows. LOL. Ex = Old, has been. Spurt= Drip under pressure. Choose whichever you think suits best.

[@nigelkavanagh2048]

Great job sir! If you fit rubber door stops to the underside of the baseplate it will kill a lot of noise. 👍

[@kengensjewelry]

Good idea! Thanks for the tip.

[@joeyoungs8426]

Accu-Link by Jason Industrial makes those belts. I use them in all my power equipment. Well worth the cost in my opinion. Nice build, I’m impressed.

[@kengensjewelry]

Awesome! Thanks for the tip. I've bookmarked the site. I'm glad you liked the build.

[@Kötkylä]

Very nice project 👍

[@kengensjewelry]

Thank you! I'll be rolling up my sleeves next week and getting into building the next one.

[@whygowegabusch120]

Great video, thank you so much for the in depth explanation. I'm looking forward to upgrade our tumbling game.

[@kengensjewelry]

That's awesome! I'm glad we could help.

[@GaryFord-y3y]

Nice build.

[@kengensjewelry]

Thank you! I did make another one later, too.

[@tom_burleigh]

Great helpful video, thanks Ken. If you ever do a video building a super long drum, (long enough for polishing up bottles), you'll have covered all that I'm aiming for in my own self build tumbler plans. PS. I'm planning on shouting out to your: Can you tumble just any glass into sea glass? video. It inspired me to do a similar one; I've pulled a load of different types of glass out of rivers, old dumpsites, and gravel tracks, lots of variety and some well over a hundred years old. I'll put some modern glass into the mix too. It's going to be quite a while; I haven't started breaking the glass up yet, and only run the tumbler at night, and am using it for a few other video projects concurrently, so... months and months, and I know it's already your most popular video, so a shout out might not help much, but I'll shout out to this video too if I ever get around to building the dream tumbler. 🙂

[@kengensjewelry]

Thank you! Long enough for a bottle...now you've got my wheels turning. That would be fun. I've been meaning to do a follow-up glass video, but it sounds like you understand that there's a queue for tumbling videos. When I do the custom barrel video, maybe I'll try one long enough for a bottle.

[@garymaylon2025]

Thanks I’ll be looking forward to seeing the new video.

[@David-sw3on]

Great Job! I really enjoyed watching this.👍😉🇨🇦

[@kengensjewelry]

Thank you!

[@dreamlookautodetailingauto3353]

Nice of you to share & take the time to explain and make this video. I hear ya! There are some people that show their machine but don't want to give away any secrets on how they made their tumbler? Or anything else in fact. Why show a video on your tumbler if your not going to explain in detail how you made it? Parts, Dimensions, etc... I believe there are some out there just to brag & show what they have instead. You know people are going to ask questions on your build? And when they do ask, they shoot them down & say they can't give out any information on what they built!? Crazy...How does that look on the KZbin person thats trying to get Subscribers & likes for their videos? They have Subscribers because they love to tune in & answer their questions.

[@kengensjewelry]

I wholeheartedly agree. When I watch a DIY video, I'd like at least enough details to be able to Do It Myself. Which is also why I have a video that'll be coming up within the next few months that will have even more info on a full build for one of these. Thanks for the input! It's nice to find a like minded person.

[@dreamlookautodetailingauto3353]

@@kengensjewelry Looking forward to that video. Keep up the good work. 👍

[@Brian_the_Rockhound]

Broooo. That's an awesome machine. Such a great idea. I thoroughly enjoyed how you presented it. Awesome video

[@kengensjewelry]

Thanks so much!

[@Mick-k2h]

Cheers I'm collecting bits n pieces for a bottle tumbler ... so thanx for the vid

[@kengensjewelry]

No problem! They are simple and fun machines to put together.

[@jefftrag1956]

I read about how to make an industrial tumbler out of a rear axle of a big semi truck with the rims and tires in place. You want to cut an opening in the highest part of the rim to load rocks. The article said a cover is not needed but I always thought if I was going to do one I would have a hinged door sealed with inner tube rubber. The idea is to set up a motor geared down so the tires rotate slowly and all the rocks stay in the lowest part of the tire at all times tumbling over each other. Each tire can hold about 100 lbs of rocks and you have 4 tires going at all times each one with a different grit. Always use the same tire for the same grit. You rotate the rocks once a week and you have 100 lbs of polished tumbled stones each week. I have been wondering if you could use quartz sand as grit for the first stage to do the rough rounding off? I am posting this on all videos about rock hounding to spread the idea, if this is you channel and you do not like that let me know. The fact that the tumbling will all take place in a rubber tire should help keep the noise down. The rocks should never touch the rim. I have suggested to people that they make a soundproof shed just big enough to be practical so the noise will be minimized. Plus the rubber in a tire is thick and should absorb a lot of the noise. Also you should have a small fan on the motor to keep it cool. A high quality motor will be a must as it will run 24 hours a day. I am no expert but with the proper gearing the motor should not be under too much stress. I would sell the tumbled stones. Once tumbled, you grade them by quality and type. Some would be really valuable. I bet you could average $10 usd per pound with just good found material and more if you have high grade material. Definitely not for the weekend rock hound but if you sell stones or want to, what a cheap way to start. You could tumble other people's rocks for a fee or shares too. You could make one with car tires for a smaller scale operation. There has to be a lot of people with 30 year in the making, 3 ton pile of rocks out behind their house. With this they could see results from all that collecting.

[@kengensjewelry]

The axle and tire idea is great, but I would want a cover just to keep the rocks from drying out. Selling rocks is definitely determined by the market you sell them in and how fast you want them to keep moving. Good ideas, all in all. Thanks.

[@chrishince8947]

Fantastic build and video! Cement truck tumbler conversion video next?😃

[@kengensjewelry]

LOL!! I passed a huge motor the other day that was taller than me, and my brain instantly started thinking of the size of rocks I could tumble with that.

[@dreamlookautodetailingauto3353]

That is an awesome idea 👏! You better patten that quick! Even if the whole thing cost $500 it will be worth it in the long run. It will last a long time. Only thing you might have to change out over time are the bearings, belt, motor. Thats just to be expected. Great job, great creation.👍😎

[@kengensjewelry]

You're not wrong. The wear points will always need to be replaced. I'm just hoping they last! Gotta keep those stones tumbling.

[@Kötkylä]

Just made my first diy tumbler, This was helpful video 👍 I made 3 barrel tumbler first. Next one is bigger 😄👍 My rpm is about 35 now, little slow i think. But i think putting some rubber tube to shaft increase the rpm some.

[@kengensjewelry]

I'm glad it helped! Isn't it funny how the first one is big enough until it's built...then it's not?

[@stephaniem839]

SUPER helpful!!!! Thank you!!

[@kengensjewelry]

Awesome! Stay tuned, I'm currently building another tumbler and am going to show the complete build and step by step instructions.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Cool build! Might want to weld a quick brace on your uprights, that wobble might lead to failure. And you’ll want to step up to 12 pound barrels ASAP.

[@kengensjewelry]

I've been watching that wobble to see if it gets worse. So far it hasn't, but when I build the cabinet I'm definitely bracing that thing. There's always a need for more barrel space!

[@blitzkrueg07]

treadmill motors work great. and if you have the controller it can be variable speed.

[@kengensjewelry]

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.

[@rachaelb9164]

The pulley math is what stumps me. I want to build a cabinet tumbler similar to the one that MichiganRocks made.

[@kengensjewelry]

For sure! It took me a bit to figure out. The best thing I can recommend is download a pulley app and it'll walk you through everything you need to input. As long as you know your initial motor speed and final pulley size (which will be your barrel diameter) you can input different pulley diameters for the ones that are available to you and the speed you want your barrels to spin at. If it still stumps you just let me know and I'll walk through the math on a Friday's Rock! episode.

[@HenryLoenwind]

The math is actually really simple once you break it down. The first trick is to use the circumferences of the pulleys, not the diameter. Then: Let's say you have a motor running at 1 rpm with a pulley that has a circumference of 1 inch. Running this for 1 minute will pull 1 inch of belt through. Obvious, isn't it? The circumference of the pulley translates directly into belt length. So "belt pulled through per minute" = "circumference" x "rpm". If the motor turns the pulley twice as often, twice as much belt gets pulled through. On the shaft side, it's the same, just that we know how much belt must run through and the circumference, and want to know the rpm. So, we divide the belt length per minute by the circumference. For example, if we connect the "1 rpm, 1 inch" motor to a 3-inch circumference pulley, we get 1 / 3, i.e. 0.33 rpm. Combined, we get: "motor rpm" x "motor pulley circumference" = "belt length per minute" = "output rpm" x "output pulley circumference" I'll leave converting pulley diameter to circumference to you, there will be cake, um pi(e).

[@halnewell2007]

Perhaps you could provide (or sell) a tutorial on how to build the tumbler you show in this video. A parts list and construction diagram (probably using wood since there are more carpenters than welders!)

[@kengensjewelry]

You absolutely read my mind. I'm a carpenter and I'm going to be remodeling this tumbler within the next few months with wood and I'll do a more in depth video when I do.

[@KennyHanekamp]

Thanks for sharing. I am going to build one and I like the way you did this one. I would love to know where your dad found the motor. That is what I am looking for. Thanks Kenny

[@kengensjewelry]

Unfortunately, my dad doesn't even know where the motor came from. He gave it to my uncle years ago, he never used it, and it was found again when we were looking for a motor. He said he did find a similar motor online, but I don't know where, and honestly, I'm not sure he'd be able to find it, again. He knows just enough about using the internet to not break it. :)

[@KennyHanekamp]

Thanks for responding. I was hoping he remembered where he saw it online at. Thanks again.

[@ssteele1812]

There are a few videos on KZbin showing how to make pullies from plywood. My favorite is Matthias Wandel. If you want to refine the final RPM, you could look into that.

[@kengensjewelry]

That's a good thought, and with the slower speed of the motor a wooden pulley would last a long time. However, I'm so far very happy with the speed it's been turning. Thank you for the heads up!

[@jacknife10000]

You actually dont need to worry about pulley sizes at all. You just need either a variable speed motor or a variable speed controller that you just plug your motor into and then plug it into the wall and you can adjust to whatever speed you want. Theyre like 10 bucks

[@garymaylon2025]

A parts list would be outstanding.

[@kengensjewelry]

I am about a week away from releasing a video where I show the complete build of a new tumbler. The parts list will be almost identical to the list for the tumbler in this video, but I'll have more control over the content, and thusly a full parts list.

[@kerrywil1]

Great job thank you the math was not bad

[@kengensjewelry]

Thanks. Sometimes it takes a minute to get the math figured out, again. 😀

[@FeldwebelWolfenstool]

..an old pal of mine (R.I.P.) had his rock tumblers made from 6 foot sections of pipeline pipe, supported on old truck rear tandem axles driven by 10 hp electric motors. He had enough of them running to do 30,000 lbs. of rock at the same time. #1 Unanswered Question in the tumbler community: Why do I have to vent my barrels periodically? Well, he was the expert, and even he didn't know why....

[@kengensjewelry]

Now that's an expert! You're right about the venting. I get that stones will release gasses, but isn't there the same volume of it during tumbling as before tumbling?

[@user-wp6lh7rp2v]

​@@kengensjewelry stones wear as being tumbled wear material goes into solution...it is same volume. Pressure as other person mentioned may come out of some stones. Just vent every day on course cycle. Should be enough 90% of the time. Thank You..!

[@johnt4270]

If you over drive the speed you can use a voltage regulator to dial down the rpm to your desired speed, you can pick up a regulator at any Harbor Freight.

[@kengensjewelry]

I jus picked up a motor with and speed adjuster for my next build.

[@musicforsouls138]

Great Video Ken2. Very informative for the beginner. Just curious, do you plan to, or have you since put rubber or vinyl tubing on the shafts (to gain more traction)? Thanks

[@kengensjewelry]

No, I haven't, and I don't plan currently plan to. People more experienced than me say the rubber barrels themselves have enough traction, and so far the same seems to be true of the PVC barrels. If I"m losing RPMs due to slippage, I haven't noticed.

[@musicforsouls138]

I was thinking the same. It seems like you have sufficient traction, and you pick up a few more RPMs that way too... (shaft diameter is smaller) I think one mistake we sometimes make is not keeping the outsides of our barrels "tacky"- they tend to go glossy over time. Same with the shafts. It helps to rough up the soft surfaces with a light sanding periodically. Thanks for responding

[@kengensjewelry]

Always happy to respond. Thanks for mentioning the sand paper. I would have forgotten that.

[@kcrummel6873]

How did you attach those pulleys to your shaft is it with just a set screw or does it have a set screw and the key way also?

[@kengensjewelry]

These pulleys came with set screws. There weren't any key ways, which wouldn't have mattered on these shafts, anyway.

[@Rodsmokingstuff]

What size are the tumbler barells and do you know where to get the best deal on them

[@kengensjewelry]

I used standard three pound barrels, so they're 4.5" in diameter, not sure on the height. As for pricing I'm not sure. I haven't bought any in a while because I've been patching the ones I have.

[@dreamlookautodetailingauto3353]

I have usually seen the smaller pulley go on the motor shaft & the driven wheel is the bigger pulley? In reverse in what you have showing. Also, what is your center to center "bar spacing" (width) for the 3 pound barrels & 12 pound barrels? I believe lortone their 12lb barrel spacing at 5 inches. Is it different for bigger rods such as 3/4 inch?

[@kengensjewelry]

The pulley size difference is cause by the motor rpm. Most people seem to use a 1700 rpm motor, whereas mine was only 65 rpm, so I need the larger pulley on the motor. I think I used 3 1/2" as the spacing between the shafts. There is a balance between stability riding on the shafts and the barrels causing outward pressure from sitting too low. I just measured the center to center spacing on the Lortone and the HF tumblers that I already and copied that to my tumbler. I didn't really consider shaft diameter in the center to center calculation.

[@dreamlookautodetailingauto3353]

@@kengensjewelry that makes sense of your pulley for the 65 rpm motor. No problem on the rod shaft. Thanks for answering. 😎

[@austinharding9734]

Do you have links for all the parts that you got?

[@kengensjewelry]

Unfortunately I don't for this one. Most of the parts I were either stuff my dad and I had laying around or I ordered them off of Amazon. I will be making another tumbler from scratch soon and completely filming the process. I'll make sure to include a parts list and source list in that one.

[@karlharvymarx2650]

I didn't hear much after Ken 1 built it in a day. And he rested for the other 6 days? Or did he go ahead and make a planet of nice rocks on the 2nd?

[@kengensjewelry]

Hehe. He considered his part done and moved on. Actually, he's not very video-genic so it was a trick to get him in the video at all. I think half the reason he built it so fast was so that he wouldn't be recorded building it.

[@kcrummel6873]

How far apart is your roller bars?

[@kengensjewelry]

Sorry for the slow response, I was on vacation. The rollers on this unit are 2 3/4" center to center. I built a new tumbler that has them 3 1/4" apart. I made a video of the new tumbler that goes into much more depth on the dimensions. You can find it at kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6TWpn9jZbyEqNk It'll have all the parts, links, and dimensions.

[@daavecamidge8843]

Where did you get the basrrels

[@kengensjewelry]

My rubber barrels came off of dual barrel tumblers I had, but I mostly use my homemade PVC barrels now, since most of my tumbling is done in stage one.

[@kcrummel6873]

Does your motor run hot to the touch?

[@kengensjewelry]

That one did, yes, and it didn't take too long for the motor to burn out. I think part of it might have been the age and use of the motor before I used it. I've since remade the tumbler as seen here kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6TWpn9jZbyEqNk and it runs hot to the touch, too, and requires me to keep a fan on it 24/7. But as the days reach 90 degrees, it keeps on running strong!

[@kcrummel6873]

@@kengensjewelry what is the new motor, and where did you buy it? I have a 1/2 horse electric motor, runs hot to the touch. Also a little bit noisy, thinking I should mount it on a thick piece of rubber. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[@kengensjewelry]

The complete material list is in the updated video. The tumbler in this video is mounted on a metal plate, when I put it on a large piece of styrofoam the noise definitely went down. The motor I'm using now is very quiet and you can find it at: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CQ1LC6FY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@kcrummel6873]

@@kengensjewelry a sewing machine motor?

[@kengensjewelry]

lol. Yeah. Someone recommended an industrial sewing machine motor and they weren't wrong. It's been working like a dream.

[@isaaccp25]

How can I show you my tumbler mines homemade 12v I’d run the nuts for the barrels together

[@kengensjewelry]

Not sure how to see it, unless you post it to your channel in private and send me the link. I hadn't really considered putting the nuts together, but it makes sense to put the smallest areas of contact against each other.

[@isaacbocock]

@@kengensjewelry did you get a email from me

[@kengensjewelry]

No, I'm afraid not. You can try again at [e-mail]. I'm interested to see what you've made.

[@isaacbocock]

@@kengensjewelryhow much grit do you go through?

[@kengensjewelry]

@@isaacbocock I have the equivalent amount of about 22 3# barrels. By keeping the higher capacity PVC stage 1 dedicated I go through about 20-24 tablespoons of course grit. Probably about 24-32 tablespoons of stage 2 and 3 grit, and since I have the vibratory tumbler less than 2 teaspoons of stage 4.

[@coburnlowman]

Slide pvc pipe over your rollers to up size them. That'll get your RPM s up.

[@kengensjewelry]

Good idea. Thanks for the tip.

[@austinharding9734]

Technically you're the ken dynasty, sounds kinna chinese so sounds pretty legit, The Ken Dynasty

[@kengensjewelry]

Hehe. Gotta trademark that one. Might get more recognition than Ken Generations.

[@flynryan3053]

what rpm do you want? barrel that is

[@kengensjewelry]

For me, personally, I like about 40 rpm. That seems to be a great average speed for soft and hard stones. I think the industry standard is 48 rpm, while I've heard some home builders like their stage four speeds at about 25-30 rpm. Or, half their rough polish speeds.

[@austinharding9734]

jus slip him a bill under his door

[@kengensjewelry]

I would, if he wouldn't slip it back at me.

[@kellyhollingsworth6100]

That is a lot of grit.

[@kengensjewelry]

No lie there! I'll only be buying in 45 lb bags now.

[@caputdraconis999]

Awesome

[@kengensjewelry]

Thanks! I'll let my dad know, too.