Get ready for a heavy-duty, large-capacity vibratory tumbler designed for serious rock tumbling, mineral polishing, and metal finishing. With an 18-pound capacity, industrial-grade construction, and powerful vibratory action, the UV-18 can process substantially more material at a time with precision than smaller vibratory tumblers.
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Unlike the standard UV-18, the Industrial UV-18 is specifically built to handle the heavier loads and increased vibration associated with rock tumbling. Its heavier-duty motor, springs, bowl, and support structure make it an excellent choice for serious hobbyists, lapidary artists, rock clubs, and users who need to process larger quantities of material.
Large Capacity. Heavy-Duty Performance.
The UV-18 gives you the capacity to tumble approximately 18 pounds of rock and media, making it an excellent step up from smaller vibratory machines.
Vibratory tumbling can dramatically reduce processing time compared with traditional rotary tumbling. The rapid vibration keeps the rock and abrasive media moving against one another, allowing the material to be cleaned, smoothed, and polished efficiently.
For rock tumbling, vibratory machines are generally used after the stones have been shaped in a rotary tumbler or other grinding process. The UV-18 is particularly effective for the medium, fine, and polishing stages, where coarse shaping is no longer required.
Built for Rock Tumbling
The Industrial UV-18 is engineered differently from Thumler’s lighter-duty standard UV-18. The industrial model incorporates a heavier-duty motor, larger springs, and a more robust bowl and support system to withstand the greater weight and vibration produced by a full load of rocks and abrasive media.
This makes the Industrial UV-18 the appropriate choice for lapidary applications where a standard vibratory tumbler may not be designed to handle the load.
Powerful Vibratory Action
The UV-18 operates at approximately 3,000 vibrations per minute (VPM). The high-frequency vibration creates continuous movement between the stones, water, and abrasive media, helping accelerate the finishing process.
Compared with rotary tumbling, vibratory finishing can use significantly less abrasive material and can complete the later stages of a rock-tumbling process in considerably less time.
Durable Polyethylene Bowl
The UV-18 features a durable polyethylene bowl and lid designed for abrasive tumbling applications. The bowl provides a resilient surface for processing rocks, minerals, and other materials while helping contain the slurry and media during operation.
The bowl is also replaceable, and Thumler’s offers replacement UV-18 bowls and a complete selection of replacement components, making the machine a practical long-term investment for frequent users.
Excellent for Rocks, Minerals & More
Although especially well suited to lapidary work, the Industrial UV-18 can be used for a variety of applications.
Ideal for:
- Rock and mineral tumbling
- Final-stage stone polishing
- Gemstone and cabochon pre-polishing
- Brass cartridge case cleaning
- Metal parts finishing
- Deburring
- Jewelry finishing
- Cleaning and polishing other small metal components
The large capacity makes the UV-18 particularly useful when you need to process more material without constantly running multiple smaller machines.
Industrial Construction for Long-Term Use
The Industrial UV-18 uses a ball-bearing motor operating on 115 volts and features a thermally protected motor for added protection during operation. The motor is designed to provide the power necessary for the heavier loads associated with industrial rock tumbling.
The industrial model also uses heavier and longer springs than the standard UV-18. These larger springs are designed to support the increased weight of a rock-and-media load and handle the additional vibration generated during operation.
Important: Industrial vs. Standard UV-18
Thumler’s produces both an Industrial UV-18 and a lighter-duty Standard UV-18. They are not intended for the same applications.
The Industrial UV-18 is the model to choose for rock tumbling and other heavy-duty applications. Its heavier-duty components are designed to handle the substantially greater load created by rocks and abrasive media.
If your primary goal is rock polishing, make sure you are purchasing the Industrial UV-18 rather than the standard model.
Product Specifications
SpecificationDetailsBrandThumler’s TumblerModelIndustrial UV-18TypeVibratory TumblerCapacityApproximately 18 lbVibration SpeedApproximately 3,000 VPMMotor1/20 HPMotor Voltage115VMotor TypeBall-bearingMotor ProtectionThermal protectionBowl MaterialPolyethyleneBowlHeavy-duty industrial modelPrimary ApplicationsRock tumbling, polishing, metal finishing, brass cleaningDimensionsApproximately 11-1/2" wide × 14-1/2" tallConstructionIndustrial/heavy-dutyCountry of ManufactureUSAManufacturer Warranty90-day limited warranty*
*Warranty terms should be confirmed with the manufacturer at the time of purchase.
Vibratory Tumbling for Faster Finishing
One of the biggest advantages of the UV-18 is the speed of vibratory finishing. Rather than relying on the slow rolling action of a rotary tumbler, the UV-18 rapidly vibrates the stones and abrasive media together.
For rock tumbling, a common approach is to use a rotary tumbler for the coarse shaping stage and then move the stones to the UV-18 for the later stages. Vibratory tumbling can allow you to move through the medium, fine, and polishing stages much more quickly while using less abrasive than a comparable rotary process.
Important: Vibratory tumbling is primarily a finishing process. The UV-18 is not intended to replace a rotary tumbler for aggressively shaping irregular rough rock. Stones should be appropriately shaped and sized before beginning vibratory finishing.
A Serious Vibratory Tumbler for Serious Lapidary Work
With its large 18-pound capacity, powerful 3,000 VPM vibration, heavy-duty construction, and industrial-grade components, the Thumler’s Tumbler Industrial UV-18 is built for users who need more capacity and performance than a small vibratory tumbler can provide.
Whether you're polishing a large batch of rocks, finishing minerals, cleaning brass, or processing metal parts, the Industrial UV-18 provides the capacity and durability needed for demanding work.
Thumler’s Industrial UV-18 — a professional-capacity vibratory tumbler built for serious rock polishing and heavy-duty finishing.
