So, I Thought It Was Time

[gandog56]

I finally broke out my new Thumler's Rotary Tumbler. I have enough brass to clean thanks to a few people here and at ammobrasstrader who knew all about my fight with cancer, and the bad bad aftereffects that stopped me from going to the range and getting more brass. They kindly donated lots of brass to me, and I thank them deeply. The instructions for the tumbler are like 95% about rock polishing, and only very little about brass cleaning. Every source I see says to get Lemi-Shine detergent booster to add to the cleaning mix, and of course, not knowing that, I had none. The rest seems pretty straightforward. 1/8 teaspoon of Lemi-Shine, couple drops of Dawn, water, and cases. When done drain the water from the drum, separate the steel media which can be re-used over and over, rinse cases and dry. I mean everywhere I look you supposedly get cases starting like this, and ending up like this. Found a place that had a big sale on the Lemi-Shine, so as soon as I get it, run the first batch. I'll keep this updated as I go.

http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/stm013acp.jpg

http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/stm015acp.jpg


And the primer pockets are supposed to get clean, too!

[DukeInFlorida]

That's about the nastiest 45 acp brass that I have ever seen. I am delighted that you were able to get them that clean with the SS media.

[gandog56]

Oh no, no, no Duke.
I haven't even used mine yet. Waiting for my shipment of Lemi-Shine first. The pics were from somebody else using the same rotary tumbler I have with steel media.

As for the nasty brass, I never picked up stuff like that from the range, before. I mean a couple weeks outside in the rain, that's what they start to look like. Now I will pick them up, just to see how good the tumbler really works.

[gandog56]

Received notice yesterday. The Lemi-Shine was on the big brown truck, yesterday.

[DukeInFlorida]

Well, you are going to be happy either way.

I have been using Lemishine and a small amount of dish detergent to clean 22 LR brass for use in my swaging operation (to make .224 55 grain bullets) for a while now. They all come out looking as clean as that picture you showed.

Here's what I tumble mine in:

http://youtu.be/5u4mSA6BbRc

[gandog56]

What is that, a piece of PVC pipe? Ingenius.......Anyways got the Lemi-Shine today, running my first load now. But what do I use to separate the media from the cases? The you tube video I watched the guy used some kind of sifter and everything that came through the sifter into a mesh bag. I have no mesh bag, and until my health gets better, can't just run to the store and get one.

[DukeInFlorida]

Yes, it's a piece of PVC pipe, with an adapter on the end, to accommodate the black rubber end cap. That's held in place with a large hose clamp. I can put a HUGE amount of brass in my set up.

[gandog56]

OK, here it is. The six cases on the left, old vibratory tumbler cleaned. See how black the insides and the primer pockets are? The six on the right, rotary tumbled wet with steel media.

Me like. Grog like da shining tings!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Gandog56/SANY0023_zps5b92c555.jpg

[gandog56]

The only problem I had was separating the media from the cases. But I saw a youtube video, where he used a small brass separator, held th thing over a cloth very fine mesh bag, and ran water over the brass, shaking the cases up. Media falls through the seperators holes and stay in the bag. Got some cheap cheesecloth bags from ebay on the way, and figure a kitchen colander will work.
__________________

[WarEagleEd]

Wow, those wet tumbled cases look great! I can't seem to get them that clean with my dry tumbler, clean enough to reload yes, but THAT shiny...no.

[gandog56]

No, that's why I tried this way. Primarily for the squeaky clean primer pockets which a vibratory tumbler doesn't even touch.

[jebsca]

Looks good. May have to try a rotary tumbler one day. I've seen a few videos and pics of home made, and keep thinking I can do that.

[gandog56]

Not me! I have the mechanical aptitude of a rotten orange! Now electronics.....that's my talent.

[jebsca]

I am maybe a step above a rotten orange. I've had to lurn a bit over the years being in the oilfield now. In the Marines, I was a computer geek, so then the oilfield said that I also needed to lurn electronics. It let's me build some of the stuff for my reloading bench, like the bench and the media seporator. That reminds me, did you get a media seporator fingered out? I think I know how to modify the one I built out of two 5 gallon buckets to work with wet media.

[gandog56]

I now use a kitchen colander, and drain the water and wash off the brass with tap water. The steel washes out into a cheesecake drawstring bag. Washes them off and separates the media in one step.

[gandog56]

Round two of the rotary:

Before

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Gandog56/SANY0024_zps05215ebe.jpg

After

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Gandog56/SANY0027_zps579a4718.jpg

Better shot of the cleaned primer pocket.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/Gandog56/SANY0029_zps2e0a8811.jpg

[jebsca]

I have looked at this set up a bit. A buddy that is getting into reloading even came up with a rock polisher that his dad had, so all we realy have left to do is get the ss media and try it.
This weekend, I stopped into a local reloading supplies shop and picked up a few things. I asked the owner about ss mediea, and he started going off about how it can and will distroy your brass. As I was in a rush, I left it at that. I have seen people sandblast a hole in steel, so I can see how he could say that ss could do the same to brass, but has anybody tested it? Has anybody put some junk brass in the tumbler and let it run for hours to see if it will mess up the brass it is cleaning or have you seen a shortend brass life with this?

[gandog56]

You really have to accelerate the blasting media, a tumbler it's just falling with the brass. I don't beleieve it will wear the brass any worse than corncob or walnut. I get my media from http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/?gclid=CLPa99v-97gCFctr7Aodb3cAxg I just ordered a 2 pound "refresher Pack" as somehow no matter how careful I try to be, some media gets washed down the sink. 5 pounds of media is what I load the drum with.

[jebsca]

Have you tried anything else for media? I was looking at this and thinking about BBs. They would not be as small and wouldn't get in the small places as well, but if they work.... Also, what is the diameter of the stainless media? I think I could make a strainer out of a 5 gallon bucket, but the holes would have to be smaller than the media, and I don't know how small that is, let alone if I have the time to put enough holes that small in a bucket to drain out the water.

[gandog56]

Happyguy says he uses steel shot. The pins I get with the set seem to work fine, though. They even work on nickel plated. Just look at the shine here.

40

[Mbaker78]

How is the noise compared to a vibratory tumbler? I have to plan my tumbling for times when my wife is away as it annoys the crap out of her...

[gandog56]

Put it this way.


Mama complains if I'm running either.

[jebsca]

If you turn the tv or the radio up, she wont say anything about the brass getting cleaned one way or the other.

[gandog56]

The problem there is mama hates loud music even WORSE!

[jebsca]

The problem there is mama hates loud music even WORSE!

If she's yelling about the music, then the tumbling should get a pass. I would say this works for me, but I think mama just stays mad at me, so good luck with that.

On a serius note, have you thought about building a box to go over it to knock the noise down a bit? A plywood box with some of the rubber squares to make a padded floor would cut it down a bit, and mama might be happy with you making an atempt to help her out.

[Taylor3006]

Jeb, wouldn't that get a bit warm underneath?

[Mbaker78]

If I do end up getting a wet tumbler it'll most likely go out in the garage... My wife complains about the vibratory tumbler even with the tv on and the kids making noise, I can't even hear it.

[jebsca]

Jeb, wouldn't that get a bit warm underneath?

It would warm up some. I don't think it would be enough to be a problem. I guess the only way to find out would be to try. It would depend on how large the box is and how many watts the tumbler uses. I don't think it would mess with anything, and I know it wouldn't hurt the brass. If I did it, I would have to check the tumbler every half hour or so, until I knew it was ok.

[gandog56]

My mama even complains if I'm running the vibratory tumbler. I lose either way. I try to do them when she is out of the house, since the garage is attached and she swears she can hear them through the wall.

[jebsca]

Any way to distract her from the noise? I don't know how much reloading I would get done if my wife didn't like the noise.

[gandog56]

Always one way to distract her, I guess. ;)

[Mbaker78]

I do my actual reloading at night after everyone goes to bed... The only time I really make noise is when I'm running the tumbler, which is usually only after a trip to the range, which is honestly not often enough...

[gandog56]

The only time I really make noise is when I'm running the tumbler, which is usually only after a trip to the range, which is honestly not often enough...

It never is. I need a range trip bad. I have like 5 rifles and one pistol I haven't even fired yet.

[WarEagleEd]

What model Thumler's Tumbler do you use?

Ed

[gandog56]

What model Thumler's Tumbler do you use?

Ed


The Model B, biggest drum they make.

[Mbaker78]

It never is. I need a range trip bad. I have like 5 rifles and one pistol I haven't even fired yet.

If you were closer to me I'd offer to drive you to the range myself... But it's a bit of a drive from Ohio, sorry ;)

[jebsca]

Always one way to distract her, I guess. ;)

Good luck with that.

[gandog56]

Works every time for me! ;)

[WarEagleEd]

Ah, the Model B. I think those are about $200 new. I'll have to wait on that. However, I did recently produce the cleanest primer pockets to date (for me) using a citric acid wash and 7-9 hours in my vibratory cleaner. Still not as nice as wet-tumbled in ss media.

Ed

[gandog56]

I believe I got mine on sale for like $129.00. So I didn't wait.