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Post by buckheart on May 30, 2016 8:06:39 GMT -5
About 6 years ago I got a tumbler at Harbor freight. I think it was just a bit under 50 bucks. That and their crushed walnut shells have served me well until this past winter. The threaded shaft up the middle that holds the lid is getting stripped.The wing nut barely holds now. The wing nut is too hot to handle right after I turn it off as well. Loosening has created friction in the wrong places.Definitely time for an upgrade.
I have been thinking about getting a wet tumbler with the stainless media but it seems like a whole bunch more who ha to got through. If you are using a wet tumbler with stainless is it worth the extra initial investment and added procedure?
What brand tumbler have you guys used for a dry media tumbler and how long has it been serving you well?
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Post by Thunderjet on May 30, 2016 8:28:05 GMT -5
If I were to buy a new one it would use the "new" stainless media.
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Post by chris623 on May 30, 2016 8:41:20 GMT -5
I agonized for a long time when my dry media tumbler started acting up. So I started researching the wet stainless pin tumblers. It sure hurt the pocket book when the old tumbler died and I was forced to make a decision. This is what I ended up buying. www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/ Once the pain of the purse stopped, I was one of those "I'll never look back" kind of guys. This tumbler is the cat's meow, and the customer service is like Dillon Precision, incredible! I would more than likely sell something to buy another if this one ever kicks the bucket. (which I doubt) Nothing like opening that tumbler to find "brand new" brass. Cleans the primer pockets and interiors of the brass like new. Can't recommend it any higher. If you want to ask specific questions, PM me. I don't work for them, but I should be one of the PR people. Great product.
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Post by contender on May 30, 2016 8:48:53 GMT -5
I currently own 5 tumblers. Now, 2 of them are dedicated to powder coating bullets. My other two are for brass. One is a Thumblers drum type, and it is an EXCELLENT system. It can be used wet or dry. I have a Lyman 1200 dry vibrating one I use walnut media in. And I have a RCBS Sidewinder. The RCBS tub is kaput & needs to be replaced, so it's not working right now. I also have a few spare Thumblers motor bases & only need spare drums to have more tumblers. If I had to just use only one system, I'd look real hard at the stainless pins, wet cleaner types currently out there. My plan is to add another tub for a Thumbler, and go at it for that seriously extra clean I like to start with.
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gjn
.30 Stingray
Posts: 491
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Post by gjn on May 30, 2016 9:28:21 GMT -5
Having gone to the wet system using stainless steel pins I would never go back to using any other method. I bought a set of Redding decapping dies and deprime the cases before cleaning. They come out looking better than factory and cleans the primer pockets as well. I use the Thumblers Tumbler which I'm very happy with but have read nothing but good things about Frankford Arsenal Platium Series Rotary Tumbler as well. This method is a bit more time consuming but well worth the effort.
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Post by Quick Draw McGraw on May 30, 2016 11:36:23 GMT -5
Like many have said her, I think that wet tumblers with the stainless steel media are the way to go. When I run out of dry media, in buying one. I hate having to wipe off excess brass polish and then clean primer pockets.
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Post by jimtx on May 30, 2016 11:43:28 GMT -5
My Frankford Arsenal was/is the only tumbler I've ever bought, I have used it for 25 years! Last year it fell off a table (my fault) and broke in 3 places, They were amazed how long I had been using this w/o a problem, they fixed it and sent it right back, still going and going and going. I use dry Lyman green or brown media it polishes & cleans great and removes lube after sizing. I have tried liquids and wasn't impressed and they made more mess IMO.
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Post by dougader on May 30, 2016 12:20:34 GMT -5
I use citric acid to clean the cases, then 20-30 minutes in a Berrys tumbler with New Shine car liquid wax to polish. I decap first with a Lee universal decapping die. About 5 - 10 minutes in the CA solution does it. I do need to wait until the cases dry before dropping in the dry corn cob media. Tell me, oh Stainless Pin Aficionados... how long do you generally run your cases to get them clean? I've looked at the pins and the initial outlay is a bit steep... but I've been wanting to use my vibratory tumbler for powder coating bullets, so...
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Post by seancass on May 30, 2016 13:26:44 GMT -5
Who here runs wet tumbling WITHOUT the steel pins? That's my current method. All my 9mm match ammo is cleaned this way. Usually run it for an hour or two. I use the cheapo harbor freight twin drum rock tumbler. Get it on sale and the initial outlay is pretty cheap! You're limited to 5-600 9mm cases, max. Which isn't a whole bunch. I just did 100 44mag cases, could have probably done 200. I typically don't bother to deprime before tumbling.
I complained to a buddy about steel pins and he said "So stop using them!" The man's a genius.
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JSilva
.30 Stingray
Posts: 184
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Post by JSilva on May 30, 2016 14:01:42 GMT -5
Who here runs wet tumbling WITHOUT the steel pins? That's my current method. All my 9mm match ammo is cleaned this way. Usually run it for an hour or two. I use the cheapo harbor freight twin drum rock tumbler. Get it on sale and the initial outlay is pretty cheap! You're limited to 5-600 9mm cases, max. Which isn't a whole bunch. I just did 100 44mag cases, could have probably done 200. I typically don't bother to deprime before tumbling. I complained to a buddy about steel pins and he said "So stop using them!" The man's a genius. I tried pinless method once or twice. I stopped when I ended up with dud rounds during league practice. Enough water gets left behind in the spent primer to compromise the primer/powder that follows. I pulled the rest of that batch and had a variety of clumped powder nuggets and dead caps. Of course you can leave the brass to dry for a couple weeks or cook them in a jerky dryer to reduce the chances of water contamination. I just find it less troublesome to switch tool heads to deprime than Suffer the consequences of random failure. Justin
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Post by buckheart on Jun 3, 2016 15:19:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. Stainless looks like the way to go. With a universal decapping die I could eliminate one step too, cleaning the primer pockets. That Thumblers Tumbler looks pretty slick.
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Post by seancass on Jun 3, 2016 23:01:32 GMT -5
I've tumbled three batches at my new house and I suspect the hard water is giving me issues. At my old place, cases came out looking near-new even without media. At the new place, with no water softener, nothing is coming out real clean. I might be back to using pins after all...
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Post by dougader on Jun 4, 2016 0:18:07 GMT -5
I see from the website they advise adding 1/2 teaspoon Lemi Shine to the mix. Well, that's just citric acid with a touch of soap.
I'm using food grade citric acid from a wine making supply shop. I just take an old plastic bottle like a 1/2 gallon Snapple or Ocean Spray drink bottle, real tough plastic. I fill it with hot tap water, add a little CA, shake it up until dissolved, then add brass and shake it for a few seconds, and let it set for about 5 or 10 minutes.
I deprime first with a Lee universal decapping die. Then I pour my solution into a second bottle to use later, and rinse my brass 3 times with hot tap water. Roll the cases in a dedicated "reloading" towel and set them in the sun to dry.
Then I tumble the cases for 20-30 minutes, no more, and they come out looking brand new.
I figure my time is less this way and I only buy CA and car polish every couple years...
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jdoc
.327 Meteor
Posts: 727
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Post by jdoc on Jun 4, 2016 9:41:26 GMT -5
Well after tumbling brass with spent primers. I found that I didn't like spending the time to clean primer pockets. I changed my routine to re-size and deprime then tumble. I don't clean primer pockets for 98% of my reloads and zero for handguns. I use fine walnut media which hardly ever bridges in the primer pockets or sticks in the primer orifice. I don't buy media from the reloading suppliers. I buy fine crushed walnut hulls sold in pet stores for terrariums. I also use liquid car polish to load the media. Any liquid car polish will work as long as it contains a mild abrasive.
I gave up on corn cob media so many years ago. I can't remember. It definitely plugs primer pockets and using a deprime die after polishing does not always remove it. Corn cob media also generates a lot of dust when using a vibratory polisher during separation of brass and media.
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Post by Rimfire69 on Jun 4, 2016 11:03:32 GMT -5
I have found similar issues with corn cob media, we visualy inspect and clean every flash hole by hand, as half are plugged. With that said, old habits die hard. When using walnut shells, I still handle each individual case, rarely find any plugged holes. Its painfully slow, but isnt the worst thing, when you do it long enough you find the culls . I've tried just about everything I could think of in dry viberators and tumblers, but have never wet batched. Have been ready to order the frankford tumbler kit with pins but have second thoughts about getting the Thumblers and get a bag of pins for it, either way Id be happy im sure. The pictures I see of cases done with pins are execellent, the inside looks as clean as the outside, the primer pockets look as new, and no media stuck in flash holes, what could be better ?
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