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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Loud Enough to Wake the Dead

Preface: This is an update to my original post on building a DIY Rock Tumbler.

Have you heard? It worked! Well, actually, it's not possible that you didn't hear. Or maybe I should say, I'm not sure I can hear right now.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Here's the final Hobo's Coffee Can Rock Tumbler (HCCRT) Mark I. I gave it that name because almost every component of the system is from scrap. Even the wood. I got that from a local construction site.

The frame for the can. The wheel in the back is used to brace the can as the whole assembly is held at a 30 degree angle. It's a rotating furniture wheel.


The can, nestled on its bed of wheels.


The complete final assembly, sans motor mount.

The end result was deafening. Here's just the drill. Like all drills, it makes a horrible racket.



Here's the drill attached to the can with some rocks in it.



WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU! WHAT WAS THAT YOU SAID?

Clearly, there needs to be an HCCRT Mark II. Either that or I need to move to a place where this thing won't be heard. Like Neptune.

For more inexpensive ideas, check out this week's Festival of Frugality. For more educational stuff, visit this week's Carnival of Homeschooling. The Common Room liked this post enough to link to it. It's a pretty cool blog. Check it our!

8 comments:

  1. I couldn't tell, is all that noise from the drill or the rocks in the tin? Isn't there supposed to be a slurry in the tim with the rocks. That would deaden some of the noise?

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  2. Anonymous5:12 AM

    The drill part==do you hold it for a week while the stones are tumbling???? Or did you rig up a holder somehow, if so how????
    CUL-Ann,Manton,Mi

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  3. Ann, thanks for the comment. I kind of strapped the thing down on the board. It didn't work well, but it was a lot of fun.

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  4. Anonymous10:18 PM

    the light dimmer idea was pure genius, i am using an old vaccum cleaner motor and couldn't figure out how to slow it down until i saw this. . .amazing.

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  5. Anon,

    Thanks so much for the compliment! It means a lot to me.

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  6. Well, I do not actually imagine it may work.

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  7. Anonymous5:35 PM

    What about trying some metal duct inside of some large pvc pipe? The metal duct would protect the plastic pvc and the pvc would absorb a lot of the noice, especially if you capped it.

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