Vibratory tumbler media question

[bigd43606]

I have 500 small(.5" x .5" x .125") intricate 18-8 stainless parts. I need to round all external corners which are sharp now, to a .020" radius minimum. Just one took about 15 minutes with a Dremel tool, 500 that way is not an option. My thought is buying a cheap vibratory tumbler from Harbor freight and a small quantity of an appropriate media from McMaster-Carr, dump it all in and let it run. (Of course I would be testing with a few pieces to ensure results first)

Is this something that can be achieved with the right media?
What media and shape should I choose? I was thinking ceramic, but what shape and size?

Thanks,

 

[seber]

Pyramid shape will get into small areas but I'm not sure the HF tumbler will hold up to that. The HF unit is intended for cartridge brass and walnut shell. Generally a full load might weigh a few pounds.

 

[bigd43606]

Pyramid shape will get into small areas but I'm not sure the HF tumbler will hold up to that. The HF unit is intended for cartridge brass and walnut shell. Generally a full load might weigh a few pounds.

To be perfectly honest it just has to hold up enough to get the job done, at $65 its disposable

 

[bigd43606]

These are prototypes that fit in what will be an injection molded housing. Unfortunately the prototype housings are machined, and despite doing a great job on them the inside corners are not sharp enough. It's easier to dull an outside edge than sharpen an inside edge in this case.

 

[Steve_P]

.020" radius/chamfer is a huge amount of material to try and remove by this method; I don't see it happening unless you'll wait weeks or months. I have the Eastwood vibratory polisher and use a mixture of ceramic media and the plastic pyramids on fasteners and small parts; I don't notice any material removal after 8-12 hours. I'm sure I knocked .001 off the corners of a stamped part, but my bolts come out as functional bolts and not rivets.
Edit: I know this method is used in industry to "break" sharp edges on small stamped parts, but that's just an edge break so someone isn't easily cut, not a .020" chamfer.

 

[Dig Doug]

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[finn]

I have the large HF media tumbler, filled with the diamond shaped media the sell.

We used industrial grade tumblers in production to finish fuel injection components, and they did a good job, so I was disappointed with the HF machine. It’s not very effective, even for cleaning automotive fasteners and small parts like cast iron door hinges.

Don’t know if it’s “stroke” is too short, the machine is too light, or what, but I can’t recommend it.

I do know that at least one of the machines we bought for the fuel injection plant floor was purchased used. It was quite a bit larger, with a bowl maybe, from memory, 3 or 4 feet in diameter. No idea who the equipment vendor, or manufacturer was, but think they were based in South West Michigan, near Grand Rapids or Muskegon .

 

[RMERR]

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Jeez, I'm not even in the "show new tools" thread and you got me buying tools. I just ordered one of these. Been wanting something like this for a while. Thanks Dig Doug, damn you, but thank you.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Those cheap tumblers are for brass shell cases. You might be able to get a stronger unit with SS pins, some of the die hard reloaders like those for exceptionally dirty cases. But that might be tough get that much material.

 

[Steve_P]

We're all talking about two different things, tumblers and vibratory polishers. Granted, this is because both were used in the OP, but I assumed he meant vibratory...

 

[Beerhippie]

I'd think a used rock tumbler would be fairly easy to find. Get some SS tumbling media and Bob's yer uncle.