HF 5lbs Vibratory Tumbler Media

[Norm01]

I already have a large blast cabinet but I am considering this unit for two specific tasks and I would like to hear from experience on media types for each task.

The first is cleaning and removing rust from small nuts and bolts. Manual says I can use aluminum oxide which I run in my cabinet and like however some consensus on the net is the media is to fine and will not tumble. Looking for input on this.

The second is to polish parts after zinc plating, the manual says walnut shells but it may leave an oily residue. I will chromate some parts after polishing, I could always acid dip but prefer to avoid all acids in my garage, again any input appreciated.

 

[Toothaker]

I have one of the HF 5lbs Vibratory Tumblers. I think the aluminum oxide will work fine - the thing doesn't tumble, it just vibrates. But that said, I've only used the walnut shells so far. I plan to get some more abrasive media. I don't know if the walnut shells leave an oily residue or not, because all the parts I've cleaned were already greasy and oily. They were a lot less greasy and oily afterwards.

One thing I had to do was replace the metric all thread rod that holds the bowl and top. Within an hour or two the wingnut vibrated the threads off the rod. My local hardware store didn't have metric all thread, and I went with 1/4-20 which is bigger than the one from the factory. I'm glad I did, because I've not had any issues since.

 

[danielbuck]

How small are the nuts/bolts?

the small 'resin' (or whatever) triangles will remove rust from nuts and bolts, but the hardware I was using was 3/8" at the smallest. It won't get all of the rust on the inside of the nuts, so probably best to run a chaser/cleaner tap through them after tumbling. Rust removal chemicals are also sold that you can mix into the abrasive material. I just use simple green to help cut the crud, mixed into water. You need to let it run for a long time, like overnight. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I'm going to be building a sound proofing box to put mine in.

Sorry, don't have experience with polishing platings, or using aluminum oxide. I do have a bag of aluminum oxide media, but haven't used it yet.

I have one of the HF 5lbs Vibratory Tumblers. I think the aluminum oxide will work fine - the thing doesn't tumble, it just vibrates. But that said, I've only used the walnut shells so far. I plan to get some more abrasive media. I don't know if the walnut shells leave an oily residue or not, because all the parts I've cleaned were already greasy and oily. They were a lot less greasy and oily afterwards.

I don't know about a 5lb, but I have a larger one and if you get the mixture of water/fluid and media right, it will definitely tumble around. Material will move from the outside down into the center and keep rotating around like that. Also doesn't work as well if it's too full, or not full enough (or too many heavy parts in there). There's a little bit of trial and error to get it working nicely.

Walnut shells are probably best used once the parts are already pretty clean. I believe they are more for polishing. You can also add a polishing compound to the mix too. I've not run walnut though.

When I first got it, I would run it dry. It works a lot better when you put water into the mix as well. (and some cleaner of some sort if you want).

 

[finn]

I bought one.

Like most HF products, it’s garbage compared to a commercially available industrial unit. The lid retaining knob vibrates loose, as discussed, and the lid gasket retention design is a joke. I glued my lid gasket on.

Also found a loose spring under the unit after running it for a few hours. Must have fallen out of the shaker mechanism.

The instructions tell you not to use it on sharp metal pieces because the plastic bowl will wear through...WTF?

There are several other hobby type vibratory bowls on the market, but I can’t tell if they are any better.

I had no expectations that the HF ******** would work as well as the commercial units our suppliers used to clean and debut parts in production, but I hoped it would do better than it did.

After a long history of buying the half assed stuff from HF and having to reengineer much of it and live with poor or mediocre performance, I’m done with them.

 

[Steve_P]

I bought one from Eastwood ~15 yrs ago and have used it a lot; it's a quality unit. You will wear the bowls but they last a long time.

Don't polish plated parts; you polish before plating to get a nice finish post plate. I primarily use a ceramic type media with water and a concentrated "tumbler fluid".

It's not worth fooling with nuts unless they're special- too cheap to buy new, and the tumbler media gets stuck inside small sizes and is a PITA to get unwedged

Edit - to be clear, I have the vibratory polisher, 10" bowl, never any issues. Yes, it's a slow process, think overnite or longer

 

[Toothaker]

How small are the nuts/bolts?

the small 'resin' (or whatever) triangles will remove rust from nuts and bolts, but the hardware I was using was 3/8" at the smallest. It won't get all of the rust on the inside of the nuts, so probably best to run a chaser/cleaner tap through them after tumbling. Rust removal chemicals are also sold that you can mix into the abrasive material. I just use simple green to help cut the crud, mixed into water. You need to let it run for a long time, like overnight. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I'm going to be building a sound proofing box to put mine in.

Sorry, don't have experience with polishing platings, or using aluminum oxide. I do have a bag of aluminum oxide media, but haven't used it yet.



I don't know about a 5lb, but I have a larger one and if you get the mixture of water/fluid and media right, it will definitely tumble around. Material will move from the outside down into the center and keep rotating around like that. Also doesn't work as well if it's too full, or not full enough (or too many heavy parts in there). There's a little bit of trial and error to get it working nicely.

Walnut shells are probably best used once the parts are already pretty clean. I believe they are more for polishing. You can also add a polishing compound to the mix too. I've not run walnut though.

When I first got it, I would run it dry. It works a lot better when you put water into the mix as well. (and some cleaner of some sort if you want).

Ah! I was thinking of the rock polishers, that had a drum that rotated, tumbling everything like a cement mixer. Yes, the media and the parts definitely move around inside the HF drum, tumbling.

 

[Norm01]

I bought one from Eastwood ~15 yrs ago and have used it a lot; it's a quality unit. You will wear the bowls but they last a long time.

Don't polish plated parts; you polish before plating to get a nice finish post plate. I primarily use a ceramic type media with water and a concentrated "tumbler fluid".

It's not worth fooling with nuts unless they're special- too cheap to buy new, and the tumbler media gets stuck inside small sizes and is a PITA to get unwedged

Edit - to be clear, I have the vibratory polisher, 10" bowl, never any issues. Yes, it's a slow process, think overnite or longer

Steve P, primary function is to restore small parts on old cars and carbs, so yes I want to save the original. Don’t really want brightener in my zinc tanks so I’d like to polish before yellow chromate for the few times I want a shiny yellow. Will require mostly dull yellow for what him working on.

 

[Steve_P]

When I do nuts I put them on a loop of rigid wire, like clothes hangar, or a smaller bolt with two nuts on the end to hold them on. Same thing with parts with holes that the media will fit and get stuck in - fill the holes.
You probably know, but AMK products has a lot of correct replacement hardware for 60s-70s cars if that's what you work on. Correct hardware is always difficult as the used stuff is often damaged or pitted.
If you want to brighten post plate, then walnut shells, but there is probably something like tiny plastic balls that would also work. Of course you are removing plating which is why I said pre-plate initially.