The bottom of my bowl has become thin and that is where the leak is coming from. Any idea on how to melt this material to the entire bottom of the bowl? Maybe a torch? Oh, and where else can you buy this type of plastic?
Unfortunately if the entire bottom has worn out I’d recommend swapping bowls, or might be time to upgrade to a larger metal style tumbler. There isn’t much in the $300-1000 price range that is really worth it. Mr deburr is a nice option but it’s a big ask for any small operation. If you’re set on trying to repair it the bowl is made out of polyethylene. Look up a local plastic supplier in your area and go to their facility or give them a call. They often have cheaper drops or scraps for sale from bigger sheets. Buy a piece of polyethylene big enough to cover the area you need. A torch should be able to soften it enough to bend it to shape. You’ll want a soldering iron to melt the pieces together though. You can also get plastic “welding” rod that would help with the repair. Finally if you find you’re wearing bowls out really fast switch to a less aggressive media, use more liquid, or separate the shaft counterweights so they run more balanced. That means less aggressive tumbling but the bowl will last longer.
The bottom of my bowl has become thin and that is where the leak is coming from. Any idea on how to melt this material to the entire bottom of the bowl? Maybe a torch?
Oh, and where else can you buy this type of plastic?
Unfortunately if the entire bottom has worn out I’d recommend swapping bowls, or might be time to upgrade to a larger metal style tumbler. There isn’t much in the $300-1000 price range that is really worth it. Mr deburr is a nice option but it’s a big ask for any small operation.
If you’re set on trying to repair it the bowl is made out of polyethylene. Look up a local plastic supplier in your area and go to their facility or give them a call. They often have cheaper drops or scraps for sale from bigger sheets. Buy a piece of polyethylene big enough to cover the area you need. A torch should be able to soften it enough to bend it to shape. You’ll want a soldering iron to melt the pieces together though. You can also get plastic “welding” rod that would help with the repair.
Finally if you find you’re wearing bowls out really fast switch to a less aggressive media, use more liquid, or separate the shaft counterweights so they run more balanced. That means less aggressive tumbling but the bowl will last longer.