TOOL OF THE MONTH
Our very own Beach Boy Ralph Ferrand checks out Gunson’s vibratory tumbler!
Ralph enjoys some Good Vibrations! Oooh-err!
Ihave always wanted a big industrial vibratory tumbler along with a vapour blast cabinet; sadly, I have neither the funds nor the room in my workshop for either. One has to cut one’s cloth, I suppose!
When it comes to cleaning up rusty, painted bits I have the luxury of a glass bead blasting cabinet powered by a bad-ass eight horsepower compressor, and a big powerful bench-mounted polisher with an eight-inch wire wheel on one end. I am in the enviable position of having a better half, who has been ground down enough to merely raise her eyes with the clearly readable expression of: ‘At what point will he feel he has enough tools and motorcycles?’
She also knows in her heart of hearts that this day will clearly not come to pass whilst there is still breath in my lungs. That said, she did somewhat put her size fives down when I was toying with destroying her view of the fields by erecting a massive spray booth in the garden. It definitely helped her cause that I simply didn’t have the pecuniary wherewithal for such an ambitious project. Next year eh, Rodders?
Gunson, a company who have been making automotive tools since God was a boy, primarily, but not entirely, aimed at DIY fettlers, have recently produced a small vibratory tumbler and polisher, and kindly lent me one to try out. In common with most classic bike collectors I have mountains of rusty, semi-painted parts in need of TLC, which were perfect to test this new toy. Unsurprisingly, the parts had plenty of dirty oil and grease attached to them so I gave them the attention of my toothbrush, and a stream of brake cleaner from a chemical spray bottle soon sanitised them.
The first part of the process was to pour in the brown resin media, followed by the parts. The lid was then secured with a wing nut and once the switch was flicked to ‘on’ it was time for a rest and a glass of red – I’m on a diet. Gunson recommend ‘two to six hours’ or more if required so I left it rocking and rolling for six hours, which didn’t cost me much as Gunson claim the motor only sucks 25 watts from