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TOOLS How I line a Lortone 3A tumbler

When simply adding polymer clay beads, sandpaper and water into my Lortone tumbler barrel, I found the black rubber slightly yellows my beads. A few others have also reported similar problems when using a black rubber barrel tumbler.

Borrowing from some of the characteristics of my plastic kiddie tumbler barrel, I decided to modify a plastic container and insert that in the Lortone barrel. It protects the beads from discoloration and because I added some "ribs" to the container, it promotes tumbling, just like the kiddie tumbler.

The steps I took to modify the 32 oz. polypropylene container are advanced steps, which I cover here.

  Lining my Lortone rubber tumbler
 

Supplies:

  • 1 - 32 oz plastic tapered tub (PP or HDPE) with lid
    • base should fit just inside Lortone barrel
  • 1 - plastic clothes hanger
  • 4 - #2 1/4" brass wood screws
  • power sander w/ 80 wet/dry grit
  • drill w/ 1/16th drill bit
  • Xacto w/ #11 blade
  • scissors

Use scissors to cut enough height from the top of the container so it can it just short of the height of the inside lower ledge of the Lortone barrel.
  Use scissors to trim the outer area of the lid so the remainder can rest just on the lower ledge of the Lortone barrel.
  Since the container is tapered, it cannot fit all the way into the barrel. Make two vertical cuts in the sides of the container; from top to bottom (but not the base). The sides can then overlap a bit and then easily slide all the way into the barrel.

 
 

 Cut two straight segments from the plastic clothes hanger. The length of the segments should match the height of the plastic liner.

If the segments (to become the ribs of the liner) are round, you should use the sander to give a flatten side to the segments. They will be easier to attach to the liner.

Then you need to pre-drill the holes into the ribs; one hole 1/2 inch from the top and the second hole about an inch below the first one.

You should also very small cut holes in the sides of the liner where you want the screws to fit through.
 

 Attach the ribs on the inside, as shown in the diagram. Since the liner sides overlap more as it reaches the top, try to keep the screws near the top. This will allow the overlaping sides to cover the screws and protect the rubber barrel from the metal heads.

It is important how the sides overlap in relation to the rotation of the barrel. If the liner edges lead when rotating, this will allow the chips to work their way inbetween the walls. That would be bad. :(

Make sure they edges trail.

 

 
 
 

 This diagram shows the order of components:

  • Lortone nut
  • Lortone washer
  • Lortone metal lid
  • Lortone rubber lined sealer
  • liner lid
    • optional - add a sheet of sand paper that matches the grit of the chips you're using that's the same size as the liner lid.
  • liner
  • Lortone rubber barrel

There's nothing better than having a great tool when you need it.

Enjoy,
Desiree
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Last update to this page: 6 Aug 04. Send comments, questions or suggestions to Desiree McCrorey.