How to find a Tumbler?

I don't mean the spring loaded 9 year old bouncing across your lawn.

At work they used to have a room full of what looked like cement mixers, each full of water and rocks. You chuck in cast or forged material and the action of rocks & water rubbed off the flash, die mismatch etc. Different diameter rocks, down to sand, incorporated with rust resistant fluids made things pretty.

I'm looking for one to clean up an aluminum manifold. Lots of people are willing to sand blast, but that's more abrasive, even bead blast is tougher on the surface.

They 86'd the units at work, so where do I even begin to find one of these units?

Thanx, Dan

They sell little ones at hobby stores, but IDK about a big one.

http://www.amazon.com/NSI-26354-Rock-Tumbler/dp/B00000ISUU

Build one, or try this.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91907

This is actually more like it

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96923

Vibratory tumblers use different media for different jobs. De-rusting, flash removal and polishing. Just turn it on on forget about it for a while.

http://going-twice.com/listings/index.php?a=5&b=45 <--- Pratt and whitney surplus store

I know I sent a nice vibratory finisher there the other week(we're cleaning up the area). A big one with a good filtering system on it.. It should go cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-cu-ft-x-500-lbs-VIBRATORY-FINISHER-TUMBLER_W0QQitemZ390049860000QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad0c889a0 <--- this is like the one I got rid of....

Mmmm...... I thought you wanted one of these.

Appleseed wrote: Mmmm...... I thought you wanted one of these.

First thing I thought, too. Probably because of the batmobile thread in Off-Topic.

Where to look to hire one? Would a powder coat facility have one?

My intake manifold is very visible and very dirty. Where in the Yellow Pages should I look?

Dan

When I was growing up I ran the tumbler for a company. It wasn't ultrasonic, it was a tumbler.

Do you have access to a cement mixer? If so put the manifold in there, fill with river rock, the ones with the soft edges. You want enough to cushion the tumbling action of the manifold. Add water and laundry detergent. Let it tumble for 3o minutes or so.

Maybe?:

http://www.partsfinishing.com/deburring.php

Scroll down.

+1 on the cement mixer