I am thinking of getting a timmer for polishing brass. The polisher is in my shop and I hate to hear it running when I'm trying to work. What I've got in mind is to set an egg timer like thing for say two hours, then turn out the lights and brass is nice and polished the next day. The only timers that I've seen will do that, but will start again in 12-24 hours. I'm thinking of something along the lines of an egg timer or the controlls on a microwave. I may end up getting one of the 24 hour models, but was hoping someone here know of something like I'm looking for.

Thanks

Go to Lowes or Home Depot, in the electrical section they will have electronic timers that are programable for a week. The timmer will turn on Monday and only Monday if you want. Just how you set it up. They are usually used for outdoor lights and this is the season when they have all that stuff out. Juast ask anyone there. I wouldn't tell them what your doing, polishing cases, sometimes too much information is overload and bad. TF

Go to Lowes or Home Depot, in the electrical section they will have electronic timers that are programable for a week. The timmer will turn on Monday and only Monday if you want. Just how you set it up. They are usually used for outdoor lights and this is the season when they have all that stuff out. Juast ask anyone there. I wouldn't tell them what your doing, polishing cases, sometimes too much information is overload and bad. TF
They (lowes) also have a 110 volt spring wound timer that will go up to 12 hours; thats what i have mounted on my thumbler.

Thanks Danny, that's what I had in mind, I'll check them out when I head to town in a day or two.

You can get the timers with removable pegs that turn the timer on and off. Just remove the pegs that turn the timer on and start it manually with the off pegs set for the length of time you want to run the tumbler.

Thanks,Guys
My polisher is in the cellar,and I usually run it when I'm upstairs because I don't like to deal with the noise.
A timer is a great idea;why did'nt I think of it?
Frank

Found one at Lowes. Not exactly the plug and play type I was looking for though. I had to cut one of the legs of my tumblers cord and wire it in direct, but it works very well, if it looks a little crude. It'll go up to 12 hours, all I do is set it for 2-2.5 hours when I knock off for the evening and it works great.

I've got a large tumbler(8 Gal.) that I built years ago. It's got a 1/3hp DC gear motor, running off a transformer and full wave rectifier. to slow it down to 45RPM. I recently replaced the wall-type toggle switch mounted on the wooden frame, with a 12 hr. mechanical timer, of the type used with elecrical heaters in bathrooms.(Intermatic #FF12H) (The 6hr model is #FF6H) I just turn it to 3hrs. or so, and it shuts itself off. Those without a place to mount a handi-box, can wire one in series with a short home-made exrension cord, and time anything plugged into it.

Thanks,Guys
My polisher is in the cellar,and I usually run it when I'm upstairs because I don't like to deal with the noise.
A timer is a great idea;why did'nt I think of it?
Frank

SDLAW
Thanks for the tip.I bought the type of timer that you mentioned,from Home Depot.
The thing works great,but those little pegs are a real chore for me.
Frank

SDLAW
Thanks for the tip.I bought the type of timer that you mentioned,from Home Depot.
The thing works great,but those little pegs are a real chore for me.
Frank

Frank, Why don't you replace the clock timer with a mechanical one such as I've mentioned in my post? You don't need the timer to go on every day, do you? The mechanical timers mount like a wall switch in a handy box, and you just turn the knob to the amount of time you want the brass to tumble, and a clockwork mechanism runs it down. Looks sort of like a dimmer switch with a dial.
-Paul

Thanks for the tip on the mechanical timer. Been looking for a way to do that for a long time.

Frank, Why don't you replace the clock timer with a mechanical one such as I've mentioned in my post? You don't need the timer to go on every day, do you? The mechanical timers mount like a wall switch in a handy box, and you just turn the knob to the amount of time you want the brass to tumble, and a clockwork mechanism runs it down. Looks sort of like a dimmer switch with a dial.
-Paul

A mechanical timer,like you mentioned,would be just fine,but I've never seen one that hadan electrical connection;they just rang an alarm.
The ones with the little pegs work good enough for me;now that I justinsert the 'off' pegs and manually turn to the 'start' position. Itest hopped it this morning.
Frank

DannyAbear and PGFaini both suggested the same thing, a wind-up timer. I have a similar timer. The way I assembled it was, I got a double-wide square electrical box, the kind that mounts 2 outlets or switches. I put the timer in, since it's the same size as a switch, and put a regular outlet in on the other side, and wired the timer to the outlet. Now, I can just plug the tumbler ( or anything else ) in and select the time I want. Don't have to alter the tumbler's cord that way…