Learn how to make a tumbler turner for cheap with just a few supplies.
HI Friends!! So, after a year of hand turning my DIY glitter tumblers, I finally decided to bite the bullet and build my own DIY cup turner! Now I’m wondering, why did I wait so long???
It was pretty easy and cheap to throw together and now I don’t have to sit by my personalized tumblers for hours watching and turning. Are you ready? Let me show you how to make a tumbler turner for under $25.
The price could actually be cheaper if you have some of these supplies around your house or if you get creative! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I have a ton of scrap wood that I am always trying to use up. This was a perfect project for it!
I grabbed a leftover scrap of a 2×6 and 2×4 from my huge DIY farmhouse table build (click here to check it out!) I’m sure you could scrounge some up or ask a friend for some small pieces.
If you’d like to check out my ultimate guide on how to make a bunch of different personalized tumblers, click here! For my step by step and video tutorial on how I apply epoxy to make DIY glitter tumblers, click on the link.
Materials Needed for DIY Tumbler Turner
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links.
- wood – I used a 2×6 that was 13 inches long and 2 2×4 pieces that are 6.5 inches long
- motor – This is one I bought from Amazon
- lamp cord with switch – I got mine from Amazon here
- 3/4″ PVC pipe, male and female adapters
- Pool Noodle – I got mine from Walmart
- Gorilla Glue
- screw on wire connectors
- wood rod – I had a 3/4″ diameter rod from a wooden laundry rack that I used but you can find rods at craft or home stores.
- Drill and 1-inch drill bit ( I love my Ryobi cordless drill found here!)
How to Make a Tumbler Turner Tutorial (Single Cup Turner)
The first thing you’ll want to do is drill 1-inch holes into your 2x4s. I put the center of the hole about 1.5 inches from the top. Clamp the wood to a side of the table.
Drilling a 1-inch hole through a 2×4 takes a while! Wear some safety goggles and do it in a well-ventilated area.
Once the first board was done, I clamped both boards together (perfectly aligned!) and started drilling my second hole. This way I knew they’d be the same height.
Once I drilled through a bit, I unclamped them and just did the one board now that I had a starter hole.
Then you’ll just need to attach the pieces together. You want some distance between the two so that it adds stability. I put mine at the ends of my 13-inch piece of wood.
I first drilled pilot holes with my countersink drill bit so that the screws wouldn’t stick out and make the bottom uneven.
I found it easiest to place the 2x4s on the ground and then drill the 2×6 on top. Make sure the 2x4s have the holes closest to the ground! I used 3-inch screws.
Now, onto the motor of the single cup turner! Make sure you are doing all this BEFORE you plug anything in!!
You’ll need to twist the pigtail ends of the motor to the lamp cord. (If you have a lamp cord you are not using, by all means, use one you already have, save $$!!)
Once they are twisted together, attach the screw on connectors. Now, plug it in and see if it works. If the motor doesn’t turn, you might need to switch the wire connections. Make sure to UNPLUG it and then switch the wires, attach the screw ends, and then see if it works.
Cut the long PVC pipe in half. You will attach a noodle to one side and the motor to the other. The side I connected to the motor was 8 inches long.
They will connect back together with male and female adapters.
Cut a small piece of a pool noodle with a serrated knife (not the Dollar Store noodles, but the thicker ones from Walmart. They fit more snug in the tumblers).
(I have made two PVC ends, one with a pool noodle and one with a foam football for smaller tumblers. The pipes are 9-11 inches long.)
Then you’re going to get one end of a PVC pipe a little wet and apply the gorilla glue all around it. The gorilla glue expands when it dries so it really adheres it!! I got this idea from Mr. Coop on YouTube. You can watch his video on how to do this part here.
Let it dry. Once it’s hard, you can scrape off the extra if you want.
Attaching The Motor to DIY Cup Turner
Now, use the other half of the PVC pipe. Attaching the motor to the PVC pipe was the hardest part for me! The first time I did it, it only spun for a few seconds and then kept stopping. They weren’t secure enough together.
At first, I was trying to get a cork to fit in the hole or something else that would sit securely in. I saw this other video from Mr. Coop (watch here) , so I decided to try it. I had an old 3/4″ rod lying around so I drilled a hole in it.
I started off with a smaller drill bit size and worked my way up. 15/64 inch drill bit ended up being what worked for me. It wouldn’t go in easily so I had to use a mallet, but it’s secure.
The first time I made the hole, I went with a 1/4 inch drill bit and it fit easily (which meant not tight enough!). I tried to use the gorilla glue to secure it together but it didn’t work, so I had to start over!
After I drilled the hole with the 15/64 inch drill bit, I sanded down my rod so that it would securely fit in the PVC pipe. I stuck the small wood dowel on the other end of a drill bit and used 80 grit sandpaper to sand it while I rotated it around. You could also use an orbital sander, but mine was broken:(
Once I got it just small enough to fit in, I hammered it in with a mallet. If you end up getting it a little too small, you can add some gorilla glue on the wood piece, stick it in the PVC pipe and let it harden.
I put a little bit of the gorilla glue in the opening and squished the motor prong into it (by taking a mallet to it!) The motor is never coming off the PVC pipe now!
Make sure that it works! Plug in the cord and turn it on. You should see the PVC pipe rotating.
Now you can stick the PVC pipe with the motor attached to it through the holes. Attach it to the outside of a 2×4 with screws.
Here is a tumbler I made using alcohol inks and the DIY cup turner. Find out how to make your own custom tumbler with watercolor effect here!
That’s it! You should be good to go! I made a short video to show you the setup of this single cup turner since that’s sometimes easier for some (should be playing here or at the top or on side of the screen!)!
Here are some printable directions!
Make sure to read the full step by step with pictures single cup turner tutorial on my blog post. Also, watch the video of how everything is connected on the tumbler turner at the end!How to Make a Tumbler Turner for Cheap!!
Materials
Tools
Instructions
Notes
Have a creative day!
If you’d like to save this cup turner tutorial for later, you can PIN the picture below!
Brenda says
My boyfriend made this and I’ve used it 3 times and twice now the pvc has come right off the motor… it was gorilla glued together and very secure. He thinks it’s the heat…. anything like that happen to you?
Leap of Faith Crafting says
Hi Brenda, on no! I had that happen the first time when I only used glue and not a snug enough fitting wooden rod (I did end up trying a few different things!). The motor has to be really firmly fitted into the wooden rod and the wooden rod has to be really secure inside the PVC pipe without the glue. I only added some glue to add a little extra something. I had to mallet all the pieces together pretty good to make sure they are secure. Hope that helps! Good luck!
Maria says
Thank you for sharing, but may I ask how long is the pvc pipes?
Leap of Faith Crafting says
HI Maria! I updated my post with the lengths of all my PVC pipes! Thanks for asking.
Angela says
Why so much distance on the boards?
Leap of Faith Crafting says
HI Angela, it was just for it to be more stable. It actually was pretty random, it was just the size of a board I had and it worked great! Thanks for stopping by!
Heather says
How long do you leave your cup turner on for? I’m just afraid of the motor overheating?
Leap of Faith Crafting says
Hi Heather, I was worried about that too, but it’s always been fine. I leave it on 4-5 hours at a time!
Debra says
Thank you so much for sharing your page with every I have ordered everything I need to make my turn
Leap of Faith Crafting says
Yay!! Good luck and you will be amazed of how much time it saves you!
Niki says
Also, how long is your pvc pipe?
Niki says
Hey there! What size wood rod did you use to fit inside the pipe?
Leap of Faith Crafting says
Hi Niki, I actually had a wood rod from something that I had to sand down. I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to find a rod that will fit perfectly in the PVC pipe, I looked. You’ll have to go a tad bit bigger and sand it down (that was the trickiest part!). If you find one that fits perfectly, let me know!
I just measured my pipes and the side that is connected to the motor is 8 inches and the other one is 9-11 inches (I have two, one glued to noodle and one to foam football for smaller opening tumblers). Hope that helps!
Amy
Kevin kern says
What diameter is the pvc and do you have to cut it can it be one piece
Leap of Faith Crafting says
Hi Kevin, the PVC is 3/4″. You don’t have to cut it, but it makes it easier if you want to remove the half with the tumbler on it. I have another pipe with a foam football on it for small stemless wine glasses and I like to be able to go back and forth.
Chris says
Hi! Great idea, I’m going to try to build one. Quick questions: What diameter is that pool noodle? These are the kind with the holes in the middle right? Thanks!
Astrid says
What size of screw ends did u use ?
Leap of Faith Crafting says
They were just random screws from my pile. The head is 1/4″. Hope that helps!
Christie Steward says
Thanks for this! After doing a few tumblers turning the darn thing manually for a few hours I need this in my life! I have this on my To Do list for this weekend! Any new insights or updates since you posted this last month? Thanks!!
Leap of Faith Crafting says
HI Christie! You are welcome! It has been a huge time saver for me! I have used many times in the past month and it works great every time, nothing new! Good luck.
Amy
Amber says
What size motor did you use?
Leap of Faith Crafting says
Hi Amber, I have the link to the one I have in the materials. It’s the 5-6 RPM one. It works really well for me but you might be able to even go to a slower one.