Operating instructions

9
Trouble Shooting
If you have questions regarding your Tumble-Bee, check on this page to see if we can
answer them. If your question is not on here and you need further assistance, please
e-mail [e-mail].
My barrel isn’t moving on the shafts.
If your barrel isn’t moving, take the barrel off the shafts and make sure the support shaft is spinning freely.
This is the main cause of rotation problems. Clean and oil the support shaft until it spins properly. If it is,
put the barrel back on the shafts and spin the barrel manually, giving your tumbler a “kick- start.” If it is still
not moving, the material you are tumbling is too heavy. Remove some of the material so your barrels rotate
properly. Remember not to exceed the capacity limit of 2/3 full.
My belt won’t spin.
This can be caused by the motor position being to far to the right causing too much tension on the belt.
Loosen the black thumbscrews and move the motor so the belt is loose. If the motor still doesn’t spin, then
test the motor without the belt. If it’s still not spinning, then the motor should be replaced.
My inner lid won’t seal correctly.
Be sure to wipe the inner lid and the edge of your barrel clean so material isn’t getting in the way of sealing
the inner lid. Your inner lid should sit correctly on the barrel.
My motor and belt spin but the drive shaft doesn’t.
You need to tighten the drive pulley. To do this, tighten the set screw that is on the drive pulley with the
allen wrench you received with your Tumble-Bee.
My belt is loose.
Adjust the motor following the instructions on page 8. There needs to be adequate tension but don’t tighten
the belt too tight or the motor won’t spin.
My barrel leaked.
This could stem from two reasons. Either the lids weren’t sealed properly or there was a gas build-up in
your barrel. Depending on the material you are tumbling, a chemical reaction could occur and form a gas
inside your barrel. This gas can fill up inside the barrel and cause the lid to pop off, thus spilling the insides.
Make a good habit of checking your material daily so you can relieve that gas build up when you open the
barrel for inspection.
My tumbler is noisy.
In general, tumbling is a noisy process and our non-slip timing belt design will be slightly louder than the
less efficient O-ring design. However, the tumbler noise (buzz) can be somewhat dampened by adjusting
the tension on the timing belt. You can loosen the motor thumbscrews and put some slack onto the belt,
but make sure not to do too much or else the belt will not properly fit into the grooved pulleys. Also, always
make sure everything is properly lubricated.