How To Build a Tumbler Turner

If you’ve stumbled upon this post I’m guessing it’s because you want to make some amazing Glitter Tumblers, and you want to learn how to build a tumbler turner. Well, you’re in the right place!

I love making glitter tumblers, and having a tumbler turner is so important for the success of them. Our friend Hunter has put together an amazing tutorial walking you through the process.

Love making DIY tumblers? Be sure to check out this post: How to Use Iron-On Vinyl on Tumblers

How To Build a Tumbler Turner

Once you make your glitter tumbler turner, be sure you check out our Perfect Glitter Tumbler Tutorial. You’ll be all set to make awesome glitter tumblers for yourself and as gifts for friends and family.

Don’t forget to check out all of the fonts and cut files here on Makers Gonna Learn for some amazing design ideas for your glitter tumblers.

Materials:

Wood:

1x 6 cut 20″ long (base of the spinner)
1×4 cut to 3 1/2″ long (bottom of the spinner’s motor box)
1×4 cut to 5″ long (front piece of the spinner’s motor box)
Two 1×4’s cut to 5 3/4″ long each (sides of the spinner’s motor box)
1×6 cut to 6 1/2″ long with a 2″ gap cut on the bottom (back of the spinner’s motor box, cut out allows for your electrical cords to stick out of the back)
1×5 cut to 5″ long (top of your spinner’s motor box)

Tools:

Rotisserie Spinner
Drill
1 1/8″ Drill Bit
3/16 Drill Bit
1 1/2 Screws
Philips Head Drill Bit (depending on your screws)
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Clamps
Miter Box and Saw (if your rotisserie rod is too long)
Foam Football

How to Make This Project

Prepping the Project

Begin by cutting and sanding your wooden pieces according to the measurements shown above.

Before assembling the motor box, you are going to need to drill a hole in the front piece. This is to accommodate the rotisserie spinner. Place the bottom of the spinner’s box on top of the base of the spinner. Put the rotisserie motor on top of the spinner box bottom and measure from the spinner base up to where the rotisserie rod will be. This will give you the measurement for the placement of the hole.

Next, if you haven’t done so already, you want to cut a 2-inch square at the bottom of the spinner motor box’s back piece to allow space for the electrical cord to come out of the box.

Assembling the Motor Box

Once you’ve drilled your hole and cut out your square, you can now assemble the motor box. Use clamps to hold the pieces together during the assembly process. You will drill holes for the screws first and then screw the box pieces together.

Begin by screwing the bottom piece of your spinner’s motor box onto the spinner base. The motor box base should be sitting in the center at one end of your spinner base.

Next, screw the sides and front of your box in place.

Adding the Motor to the Box

Place the rotisserie motor in from the back of the motor box. It should be a tight fit.

Insert the rod into the motor and check to make sure it’s operating correctly.

Cut your rotisserie rod with a miter box and saw if it’s too long.

Once you have that in place, you can secure the back and top pieces of your motor box making sure the cords are coming out of the opening in the back of the box.

THIS STEP IS OPTIONAL: We used some spare parts from our rotisserie turner kit to make a stand for our rod to be a little more secure. This helps prevent the rod from coming back out of the motor. You can see more details on how we did this in the video.

Now take your foam football and drill a small hole in the tip of one side, and slide that on the end of your rod. It should be a very snug fit.

Now, you are all set to make the perfect glitter tumblers!

A glitter tumbler on a homemade tumbler turner

Want even more tumbler ideas? How to etch stainless steel tumblers.

The Perfect Glitter Tumbler

Glitter tumblers are often one of the first things people want to make when they get their die cutting machines. They can seem really intimidating – especially for beginners. We certainly had our share of fails before we found the perfect glitter tumbler process.

So, don’t feel bad if you’ve tried making one and had difficulties! It’s a tricky one for all of us – even the most seasoned Cricut crafter. Now that we’ve perfected the process, we want to share it with you so you can have Cricut crafting success.

Materials

How to Make This Project

Take off the lid and remove the label from your cup. Wipe it down with alcohol to clean it.

Use electrical tape and wrap it around the top and bottom rim of the cup. Leave an inch of extra tape to fold under and make a little tail. That will make it easier to remove later.

In a well-ventilated area, glove one hand and place your hand in the cup. Apply a coat of spray adhesive evenly all around your cup.

Moving quickly before the adhesive dries, hold the cup over poster board and sprinkle your chosen fine glitter to cover the cup evenly. You can use the poster board to easily transfer the excess glitter back into your container.

Allow the cup to dry for 30 minutes and then repeat the process adding a second coat of spray adhesive and glitter.

Once the cup has dried for about an hour, go back to your well-ventilated area and spray the whole thing with a nice even coat of polyurethane.

Allow the cup to dry for at least an hour.

Once dry, remove the electrical tape and reapply it a tiny bit higher than you did before. We want the resin to create a nice seal around your glitter and reapplying the tape to allow room for the epoxy to seal is the way to go. Be sure to leave that extra bit of tape to make your little tail again.

Depending on the size of your tumbler, measure and pour 15-20 ml’s of each part of the resin separately in your small plastic cups. Mix them separately with jumbo craft sticks for around 2 minutes then pour them together and mix for at least 3 minutes.

Put on gloves, stick your tumbler onto your turner, and start applying your resin. As your cup is turning, use your fingers to scoop and apply the resin to the cup, smoothing everything out with your fingers. If there’s too much resin, you can use your finger to remove the excess. Allow the cup to turn on the turner.

After 30 minutes, carefully remove the electrical tape from your cup as it turns.

If you notice any resin on the rim where you don’t want it, you can apply some alcohol to a paper towel and remove it easily.

Let your cup turn and dry for at least 5 hours, preferably 8.

After that, now is the time to apply any decals or monograms you want. No need to sand when using fine glitter!

Once you’ve added your decal, wipe the tumbler down with alcohol again and then retape your edges with electrical tape in the same spot you had it last time.

Repeat the process of mixing and applying resin onto your tumbler. You will end up using less resin this time than last time.

After 30 minutes take the tape off, remove any imperfections with alcohol, and allow it to spin for about 8 hours.

Now, set the tumbler somewhere safe and clean for 24 hours to fully cure.

Once it’s cured, place the lid back on and enjoy!