Good tumbler build

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Interested in building a tumbler.

Anyone build one and can share?

Pre built ones are ridiculously expensive for essentially a motor, threaded rods, wood, nuts and a micron screen.
Sounds like you're talking about something to produce sift/kief, not a trimmer right?

I found/tried a more reasonably priced tumbler for sift but it doesn't produce shit (like 1/3rd of the yield using same screen size) compared to running it manually so would not recommend it. I recently found some reasonably priced sieves on Ali Express and playing around to see if I can manage to automate the sifting. Not quite there but will share if I can get it working to vibrate the screens enough. The sieve screens are awesome though, I had a DIY screen but standing over it while sifting kills my back. With the sieves and a catch tray under it I can sit on the couch and run a bunch in an hour with no back pain.
 

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you're talking about something to produce sift/kief, not a trimmer right?

I found/tried a more reasonably priced tumbler for sift but it doesn't produce shit (like 1/3rd of the yield using same screen size) compared to running it manually so would not recommend it. I recently found some reasonably priced sieves on Ali Express and playing around to see if I can manage to automate the sifting. Not quite there but will share if I can get it working to vibrate the screens enough. The sieve screens are awesome though, I had a DIY screen but standing over it while sifting kills my back. With the sieves and a catch tray under it I can sit on the couch and run a bunch in an hour with no back pain.
Yeah a kief maker. I saw a diy online dude used wood disc ends with threaded rods to attach them together and wrapped the screen material around and used some ridiculously expensive motor. Dude said the motor was like 600. Everything else seemed reasonable.

Mind sharing the link for the sieves and your process?

Ive been pressing flower and while its good product the bag screens are 50 cents a piece and arent reusable. Ill still need bag screens most likely with kief but at 70-80% yields with kief ill use less bag screens.
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Yeah a kief maker. I saw a diy online dude used wood disc ends with threaded rods to attach them together and wrapped the screen material around and used some ridiculously expensive motor. Dude said the motor was like 600. Everything else seemed reasonable.
Yeah after seeing what the little tumbler yields like I wouldn't spend the money on a large unit, cost is ridiculous imo for personal use anyway. There's not enough agitation in the tumblers, the small unit I grabbed has a small variable speed motor and can be set to spin out of control, or all the way down to a pulse which worked about best as it "jerked" the tumbler on each turn. But even that was crap for yields, tried that with dimes, small marbles, nothing increased the yields to even close to acceptable compared to running it manually through a screen.

Here's the one I'm referring to that I tried, just don't recommend it. I've seen one much the same that they try and sell for $500! And I've seen some for $5k for commercial purposes.

https://pollenextractor.com/Shop/en/pollen-extractor-original/usa-pollen-extractor.html
 

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Yeah thats the brand I was looking at.

Seemed overpriced, but if it doesnt work as well its useless IMO.

Ive never made kief before. Do you have links to the sieves you bought? Have you documented your process?
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Yeah thats the brand I was looking at.

Seemed overpriced, but if it doesnt work as well its useless IMO.

Ive never made kief before. Do you have links to the sieves you bought? Have you documented your process?
Yeah no problem, see links below. I grabbed a sieve and a catch tray, I rarely smoke it and use it for edibles/coconut oil caps so the 177micron/80 mesh was good for me and produces well. They go up to 200 mesh which converts to 74 micron if you're looking for very fine smoking material. The catch tray is invaluable if you want to just chill on the couch and run sift. Not a bad setup for under $50, or you can add different screen sizes for different purposes.

Haven't documented the process but here's a quick list of how I run it:
  • Rough grind (think rough ground coffee) material
  • Freeze material at least 24 hours (I store mine in the freezer)
  • Spread ~1/3 ounce at a time on screen (put material back in freezer in between)
  • Card across the screen a few times (a credit card or the like works fine)
  • Re-fill and repeat
Sieves:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/R30...32819699896.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Catch tray:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-s...32759266221.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Mesh to Micron Conversion:
http://www.universalfilters.com/MMCC.html
 

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
What do you do with the leftover material? Cook with it?

Do the screens need to be cleaned periodically?

Damn 33 days to ship. May try to find something in America. Prob be more money.
 
Last edited:

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Yeah no problem, see links below. I grabbed a sieve and a catch tray, I rarely smoke it and use it for edibles/coconut oil caps so the 177micron/80 mesh was good for me and produces well. They go up to 200 mesh which converts to 74 micron if you're looking for very fine smoking material. The catch tray is invaluable if you want to just chill on the couch and run sift. Not a bad setup for under $50, or you can add different screen sizes for different purposes.

Haven't documented the process but here's a quick list of how I run it:
  • Rough grind (think rough ground coffee) material
  • Freeze material at least 24 hours (I store mine in the freezer)
  • Spread ~1/3 ounce at a time on screen (put material back in freezer in between)
  • Card across the screen a few times (a credit card or the like works fine)
  • Re-fill and repeat
Sieves:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/R30...32819699896.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Catch tray:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-s...32759266221.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Mesh to Micron Conversion:
http://www.universalfilters.com/MMCC.html
Coconut oil caps huh? I like the sound of that
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Coconut oil caps huh? I like the sound of that
Yeah they're really effective and easy to make with sift. Attaching the recipe I use for them. Only thing I do is bump the decarb time for the sift to 40 minutes if it's fresh sift as it maintains a bit of moisture and takes longer when it's fresh. I wouldn't go more than 100mg first time. I tested 160's on myself and a very large buddy, both of us were stoned for 16+ hours :shock:
 

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GroErr

Well-Known Member
What do you do with the leftover material? Cook with it?

Do the screens need to be cleaned periodically?

Damn 33 days to ship. May try to find something in America. Prob be more money.
I don't use the material left over as there's not much left in it after running it through. It could be used for cooking/butter but you'd have to increase the amount of material since it's pretty well spent.

They always quote long delivery times but I always get my stuff within a week when I order through Ali.
 

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Mine didn't but I did anyhow, never know where/how they're stored. As long as you dry them right away that's fine, specially before you've used them.

Edit: how long to get to you? nowhere near what they quote for sure.
About 21 days. Not bad. Especially for this time of the year.

Curious what did you use to wash them? Just water and dawn?
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
About 21 days. Not bad. Especially for this time of the year.

Curious what did you use to wash them? Just water and dawn?
Yeah I always have a bottle around just some dish soap and warm water, good rinse. Shook it off and towel dried it. Post up a sample when you get around to trying it :)
 

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Yeah I always have a bottle around just some dish soap and warm water, good rinse. Shook it off and towel dried it. Post up a sample when you get around to trying it :)
The ground up product that gets frozen i assume this is dried product?

Do you use a coffee grinder?
 
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