Dry Media in a Rotatory Tumbler??
- Thread starter jim243
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
What else would you use in one for case cleaning?
rc
rc
ReloaderFred
Member
I made a couple of rotary tumblers back in the early 1970's, and all I used in them was either walnut shells or corn cob, whichever I could get at the time. Friction is friction, whether it goes round and round, or up and down..........
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
Blue68f100
Member
It will work with dry media but it will take a very long time. When polishing stones they runs for days.
bluetopper
Member
That's what an RCBS Sidewinder tumbler is designed to do.
I'd run my rotary tumbler with walnut shells over night and the cases came out nice and bright.
It probably took less time but I'd let it run while I was doing my daily inspection of the insides of my eye lids.
If I remember correctly, when I finally got a vibrating tumbler, it was a bit quicker than the rotary. The difference was measured in hours not days.
Rock polishing is a whole different matter. There is lots of material to be removed from the surface of a rock to first make it smooth then polish it. Rock polishing does indeed take days, maybe a month at times.
It probably took less time but I'd let it run while I was doing my daily inspection of the insides of my eye lids.
If I remember correctly, when I finally got a vibrating tumbler, it was a bit quicker than the rotary. The difference was measured in hours not days.
Rock polishing is a whole different matter. There is lots of material to be removed from the surface of a rock to first make it smooth then polish it. Rock polishing does indeed take days, maybe a month at times.
Hi Jim,
I have that HF tumbler, and it works fine. However, make sure that wing nut is tight on the lid and the washers are installed correctly before turning it on. If that nut vibrates off it makes a mess, enlarges the hole in the lid and flings the wing nut and washer to wherever the missing socks go after being put into the laundry.
That wing nut needs to be really tight. Watch it for a while after first turning it on. Make sure it doesn't get loose on you.
Oh, just in case you end up needing to know, the wing nut and washers are 6mm..
I have that HF tumbler, and it works fine. However, make sure that wing nut is tight on the lid and the washers are installed correctly before turning it on. If that nut vibrates off it makes a mess, enlarges the hole in the lid and flings the wing nut and washer to wherever the missing socks go after being put into the laundry.
That wing nut needs to be really tight. Watch it for a while after first turning it on. Make sure it doesn't get loose on you.
Oh, just in case you end up needing to know, the wing nut and washers are 6mm.
.
Dry media in rotary tumblers work better than any vibrating/wobbler brass cleaner. Original design for "tumbling" parts was rotary, with various types of media. Machined or cast parts were tumbled for deburring, cleaning, and finishing certain metal finishes, and for a type of hardening; shot peening (aka ball mills). Wobblers came later...
gamestalker
member
Holly mackerel, I just remembered I've got a batch of 22-250 that's been going for 3 days out in the laundry room. I am dog tired, and there ain't no way I'm getting out of bed to shut that thing off. Well, the up side is, yet again, I've got some very good looking brass. It's a Thumbler's Ultra Vibe 10, that thing has been going strong, like for ever. I think I bought it in 2000 or so.
GS
GS
il.bill
Member
Two to two and one-half hours in a Harbor Freight dual drum rotary tumbler using corn cob media and a couple / three drops of Mequiar's Auto Polish and my pistol brass comes out clean and shiny, ready to reload. Three or more hours if I have the time and patience and the cases almost sparkle.
Do not overload the drums and everything will have enough room to work the magic. I usually do 50 - 80 cases at a time in each drum.
Do not overload the drums and everything will have enough room to work the magic. I usually do 50 - 80 cases at a time in each drum.
callenlee
Member
I've been using a HF tumbler for a year or so. I run my brass with some lemishine and dish soap, put it out to dry, then run it with some corn cob media I bought in the pet section of Wal Mart with some Nu Finish added in. I've gone from cruddy range brass to clean and shiny with about 20-30 minute cycles of the wet then dry. They're clean enough after the wet, but there isn't anything wrong with making them shine too.
Elkins45
Member
My first tumbler was a homemade rotary unit made from a metal Premium Saltines canister and an ice cream freezer motor. I used walnut in it and it worked fine, albeit a bit slow.
I'm using the dual HF tumbler. First used crushed walnut until I read about SS pins and gave it a try.
Pins work great...... easy brass rinsing and drying took a bit of experimentation.
The low bucks solution that works for me....
-small bucket and a basket with drain holes drilled in it (bucket free, basket $1 @ Dollar store) for rinsing and pin/brass separation
-couple plastic tubs with screw on lid that fit tumbler for quick dry with walnut, glued on scrap tool box liner for smooth rotation
-old frying pan and $1collander to seperate walnut from brass
Gimor
Pins work great...... easy brass rinsing and drying took a bit of experimentation.
The low bucks solution that works for me....
-small bucket and a basket with drain holes drilled in it (bucket free, basket $1 @ Dollar store) for rinsing and pin/brass separation
-couple plastic tubs with screw on lid that fit tumbler for quick dry with walnut, glued on scrap tool box liner for smooth rotation
-old frying pan and $1collander to seperate walnut from brass
Gimor
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Sunray
Member
Vibrated media goes round and round too. Still doesn't matter.
Brass does not need to be shiney. Just clean.
Brass does not need to be shiney. Just clean.
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