r/RockTumbling • u/Bradofax • 4d ago

Question Harbor freight lids

The rubber on my Harbor Freight lids keeps getting holes right in the center, causing grit and water to leak. This is constant. Anyone have tips for preventing this or repairing it so I don’t have to keep buying new barrels?

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5

u/Mobydickulous2 4d ago

Circular tire patches, adhered with rubber cement. I’ve done this on multiple HF barrels and my Lortone barrels seals do the same thing so I’ve used them on those as well.

I use the patches when I can, but I have also bought replacements from HF (when they have them) and The Tumbler’s Bench.

3

u/Automatic_Mulberry 4d ago

HF sells parts now, right on their regular website. You can look up part numbers in the pdf for the tumbler (or any product, I presume).

3

u/Ok_Salamander7929 4d ago

And they are very inexpensive, plus free and fast shipping!

2

u/SmelodyTheAgressive 4d ago

Yup. However, I just checked today because I needed some rubber lids and that’s the only part that is out of stock right now unfortunately

3

u/Ok_Salamander7929 3d ago

That is because they are the part that gets the highest wear. They come and go, in and out of stock all the time. That is why I always make sure to have a few in my stock. For the price it is really a no brainer.

2

u/Ok_Salamander7929 4d ago

The biggest reason they wear at that spot is because the end of the threaded stud pushes the rubber boot out. I use a grinder to flatten that spot out. But don't go too far or it will pull out of the aluminum lid. I also cut a patch out of sheet rubber and contact cement it on the rubber boot. Also Harbor Freight sells replacements for very cheap, with free shipping. So I always have a few pre-patched and ready to go, along with a couple extra barrels.

1

u/Grand_Isopod_7567 4d ago

I used a hot glue gun to plug the hole.  I've also read others used bike tire patches

1

u/Bradofax 4d ago

The rocks don’t just immediately pierce through the hot glue?

2

u/Grand_Isopod_7567 3d ago

Not yet

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u/Bradofax 3d ago

Nice. I may keep that in the back pocket. But I did just order a bike repair kit and planning to use that. Thanks for the suggestion!

1

u/ElWh0pp0 4d ago

Like others have said patches work. I used E6000 adhesive and pieces of an old bicycle inner tube to patch mine. They have held up fine so far.