6' x 4' Tumbler finally done

Wood flour will handle most skins just fine. 8)

Dont tumble Mule deer, pronghorn, or thick skinned, short haired bears more than 30min.

Beware long haired, thin skined, wooly bears! Tumbling too long will leave you with a bear full of matted fur!

Dont tumble fur bearers full of holes very long. EVERY single hole will be surrounded by matted hair.

Tumblers are a great tool to have,but they can also be your worst nightmare!

 

I've never had a problem with matting. I comb a little diluted downy fabric softener in the hair before tumbling. I tumble a lot of thick long haired bears and wolves here in AK and I will let them run for a lot longer than 30 min. I use corn grit and never have tried sawdust so I don't know if that has anything to do with the matting. I had a friend send me around 60 coyotes and bobcats that he had tanned himself and used course sawdust to tumble in an old dryer. They were matted and twisted up. I misted them all with downy gave them a quick brush and tumbled them for a couple hours. 75% of them came out clean and tangle free.

 

hi i love the tumbler you made can you tell me what to buy and where to get it for a motor and gear box and pulley i made the drum now iam stuck thanks jerry beaverpond 11@hotmail.com

 

Good info from Oldshaver.

 

Am very interested in making one also are you interested in selling or shareing you plans. I would like to know how you built your drum. Email: fireplug0416@gmail.com

 

Can I possibly get a copy of your plans. I'm in the process of having someone build me one and yours looks great

Wildwoodtannery@yahoo.com

 

Do u have or know where I can get plans to build a tumber like your thx rich

 

Wow!! This is awesome!!! I've been in the process of designing one myself. Would love to see some pics of the interior of it to see how you have it built. My email is scotiaskins@gmail.com if you wouldn't mind firing me an email. Again, wow!!

 

how big of a hide could you do? i need to do yaks that are 6 to 8 ft wide/long sometimes could come to 10x10 if it's a bull

 

what size motor do I need for a 55gallon tumbler? How do I reduce the speed to the proper rpm?

 

Get an old cloths dryer motor , be perfect for that size and it’s already geared low

 

1hp motor

 

I believe 1hp would be more then enough, not sure what hp a dryer motor is but I’m sure it will turn a 55 gal drum

 

it defiantly turns it but way to fast. How can I slow it down?

 

The cheating way is to put a dimmer switch on it , or regear it , small gear on motor big gear on tumbler , an electrician shop could probably slow it down. But if you got a motor with high rpm like a fan motor then it probably won’t work you need one with more torc not speed . If that’s the case then go with a dimmer switch to lesson the current

 

Thank you. I think i'm going to try to get a dryer motor

 

Out of curiosity I looked up dryer motors speed it was 1725 RPM same as most standard motors.

Not sure how they reduce the speed

 

Me either but we no they don’t run that fast , I know it’s in the wirering , I had a buddy explain it to me and I still didn’t understand, then he said it’s like a dimmer switch , you lower the current and in turn , slows the motor . It works and is cheaper then rewinding the motor