Doublezranch
Well-Known Member
I thought so but never really knew. Thanks for the education.
Case cleaner
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SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
For kicks and grins and because I was bored, I took pins and brass and water and some dawn and Lemi-Shine and threw it all into a bowl tumbler, screwed on the top and cranked it up.
As follows:
Made a hell of a racket....
Looked like a Jacuzzi with bubble bath thrown in......
Made a mess on my workbench.......
Leaked all over the vibrating drive mechanism........
Was wicked to clean up......
Didn't do squat for the brass.......
In summation, use a rotary rock tumbler (like a Thumlers but any rotary will do), even a home brew one from a 5 gallon bucket with a good lid..... or....
Throw the brass, pins and solution in a 5 gallon bucket with a good lid and toss it in the back of your Jeep and do some serious offroading.lightbulb
As follows:
Made a hell of a racket....
Looked like a Jacuzzi with bubble bath thrown in......
Made a mess on my workbench.......
Leaked all over the vibrating drive mechanism........
Was wicked to clean up......
Didn't do squat for the brass.......
In summation, use a rotary rock tumbler (like a Thumlers but any rotary will do), even a home brew one from a 5 gallon bucket with a good lid..... or....
Throw the brass, pins and solution in a 5 gallon bucket with a good lid and toss it in the back of your Jeep and do some serious offroading.lightbulb
cwinner
Well-Known Member
Yes it gets inside the case and will leave the interior walls as shiny as the exterior.
No film to be wiped off, I just rinse mine under running water and blow off with compressed air then I let them dry.
A few pins will get stuck in the neck or flash hole, but it's way less than 1%, only a couple per batch......it's not an issue.
Thanks for the reply. Do you use a normal tumbler and can you recommend a type of SS media?
lovesomeshootin
Well-Known Member
Here is what most of us use. Get the brass dryer "food dehydrator" it will dry a load of brass in an hour.
Stainless Tumbling Media | Deluxe Stainless Tumbling Media Package
Brass Dryer
Stainless Steel Reloading Supplies | Tumblers, Separators, Media, Brass & More!. (Home page)
Stainless Tumbling Media | Deluxe Stainless Tumbling Media Package
Brass Dryer
Stainless Steel Reloading Supplies | Tumblers, Separators, Media, Brass & More!. (Home page)
Awesome. Thanks again!
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
Actually, the best (and least expensive) option on the food dehydrator, is use the one your wife has already or buy her one for Christmas. You kill 2 birds with one stone. You get her a present that she keeps in the kitchen and you get to use it too.
The best pricing on a dehydrator is Amazon.com. I bought me wife (and me) one with enough capacity to handle 500- 308 cases at once for 59 bucks on Amazon and paid no tax either. She does the dried fruit and I do the brass.
Everyone is happy, including me.
BTW, Midway has the best prices on Thumlers tumblers and the pins are alll over Flea-Bay in various weights per bag.
I realize STI has a package deal but it pays to shop. More funds for components.
The best pricing on a dehydrator is Amazon.com. I bought me wife (and me) one with enough capacity to handle 500- 308 cases at once for 59 bucks on Amazon and paid no tax either. She does the dried fruit and I do the brass.
Everyone is happy, including me.
BTW, Midway has the best prices on Thumlers tumblers and the pins are alll over Flea-Bay in various weights per bag.
I realize STI has a package deal but it pays to shop. More funds for components.
lovesomeshootin
Well-Known Member
The dehydrator from STI is 49.00 and holds 400-500 cases. Just did 85 30/05 cases on one tray and that same dehydrator on Amazon is 59.00, I checked.
P.S. I don't get my wife something for me to use. Mine is mine and hers is hers nor do I butter her up to buy what I want. I make the money and I spend the money. If she has a problem with that then she can leave.
P.S. I don't get my wife something for me to use. Mine is mine and hers is hers nor do I butter her up to buy what I want. I make the money and I spend the money. If she has a problem with that then she can leave.
I do things on a smaller scale, just 50 7mm-08 cases at a time. The Harbor Freight tumbler, SS pins, a few drops of dish soap and lemon juice does the trick. I pick the cases out of the drums, shake off the water and SS pins and drop on a baking sheet. In the oven at the lowest setting for 20 minutes and we're good to go.
Dual Drum Rotary Rock Tumbler
Dual Drum Rotary Rock Tumbler
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
With some light gage angle ironj, 4 plastic insert bearings, 2 pulleys, a small fan motor, a large o ring and some 1/4" bar stock (for axles) you can build a tumbler that will put any Thumler's to shame in an afternoon.
Everything is available at TSC except the motor. You use a 5 gallon bucket with the wire handle removed. TSC has the buckets too. It has to have a lid thats water sealed (sponge ring). A 5 gallon pail will tumble enough brass in one session for all year.
You can get a motor ar WWGrainger or dumpster diving, whatever you prefer.
If you go the bucket route, get 2 bags of pins. It takes a bunch of pins (and brass) to make a dent in a 5 gallon bucket.
Thats how rock polishers do it when they are cheap.
Everything is available at TSC except the motor. You use a 5 gallon bucket with the wire handle removed. TSC has the buckets too. It has to have a lid thats water sealed (sponge ring). A 5 gallon pail will tumble enough brass in one session for all year.
You can get a motor ar WWGrainger or dumpster diving, whatever you prefer.
If you go the bucket route, get 2 bags of pins. It takes a bunch of pins (and brass) to make a dent in a 5 gallon bucket.
Thats how rock polishers do it when they are cheap.
