Build a rotary tumble

[KY DAN]

I have acquired a few random electric 110volt motors and a chain drive lawn mower transmission.

I want to build a hexagon style tumblenthat can do 5000 pieces 38 special at a time. I load in bulk only and hate wasting time changing brass over.

How do I go about dimensioning this in order to accommodate 5000 38 special cases and what ever amount of media i need.

How many pounds of walnut media is required for 5000 cases at a time. ( i have a frankford arsenal tumbler and 400 at a time pushes it)

 

[docbrown]

Calculate the volume of your FA tumbler, multiply by 12.5 and you should wind up with a tumbler capable of 5000 cases - while pushing it. Add another 10% in volume and you should have the volume you need. Do likewise with how much tumbling media it takes for your current FA and you should be where you need to be.

 

[KY DAN]

So the volume of pentagon in cubic centimeters with 12 inch sides and 2 foot in over all length is 97436 and change.

Just for ease I am going to say a cartridge case is .500 inch diameter and 1.5 inches long. So in cubic centimeters it is 4.826.

97436÷4.826=20,189 cases

Kinda spacious

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

You may enjoy this.

 

[KY DAN]

You may enjoy this.

It got me thinking lol, I just have a plethora of junk due to my grandfather's recent passing or I would just buy what I need.

I feel bad if the components are at my finger tips and I do not at least attempt to use them.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Calculate the volume of your FA tumbler, multiply by 12.5 and you should wind up with a tumbler capable of 5000 cases - while pushing it. Add another 10% in volume and you should have the volume you need. Do likewise with how much tumbling media it takes for your current FA and you should be where you need to be.

Math is fun!

 

[Bfh_auto]

Calculate the volume of your FA tumbler, multiply by 12.5 and you should wind up with a tumbler capable of 5000 cases - while pushing it. Add another 10% in volume and you should have the volume you need. Do likewise with how much tumbling media it takes for your current FA and you should be where you need to be.

Or fill with water and measure the volume that way. I like math. But I like doing things the most fool proof way.

 

[FROGO207]

Jmorris built a good tumbler with a couple pool chlorine buckets a motor and a reduction transmission. Using available or cheaply obtainable materials is a trait of most reloaders it seems. His setup is on a thread here somewhere. That would hold many more cases than you need but I am of the opinion that overkill today might solve a problem in the future. I am content with my Thumlers so far but who knows what the future holds. Seems the faster I reload the more I spend so self limiting today is OK so far.

 

[Dudedog]

How do I go about dimensioning this in order to accommodate 5000 38 special cases and what ever amount of media i need.

I would say figure out how much space the cases take and double it to allow for media.
Set up a 1 foot square of cases, how many cases? 10 times that should be about 1 cu foot of cases.

 

[CMV]

You're comparing a vibratory (assuming) tumbler to a rolling style too. So you wouldn't need a linear X cu inches is 400 so 12.5X is what's needed for volume. You won't need the extra space to allow the cascading action so more brass per cu in, less media per piece overall.

BUT....I'd build it for as much weight as the motor and drive could comfortably handle and if that turns out to be capacity for 12,000 cases no big deal, just headroom for larger batches or larger pieces.

 

[length_of_pull_1]

If you rotary tumble walnut media I'm not sure you'll be happy. I would go with several lbs of stainless steel pins and do it wet with some dish soap and lemi shine. If you can rig it up I'm sure a 10 gallon bucket or trash can would hold at least 5 thousand cases with pins and water and make the things shiny as they can be.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Math is fun!

No. No, it's not.

It is, however, necessary.

Two engineers in my family, also a CPA, and a PhD in physics.

I hate math. Use it every day, at least Geometry, but I hate it.

 

[FROGO207]

Math is fun!

LOL and some think that wizzing on an electric fence is fun too!!! I call math a necessary evil to reaching an end.

I started with a slide rule and feel today everybody has things too easy!

 

[Docendo Discimus]

Using available or cheaply obtainable materials is a trait of most reloaders it seems.

This is so true.