Tumbler Taps

[hdwhit]

Some years ago - when my wife and I were trying to raise a family and live on just my salary as a law enforcement officer, I built my own case tumbler.

I used the drive mechanism from a Texas Instruments Commercial Dot Matrix printer I got for free, a couple of material positioning rollers, some lumber and a glass bottle. I later replaced the glass bottle with a plastic coffee can, but the whole rig worked surprisingly well. Across the last 25 years, all of its operating time comes up to just under 18,000 hours; almost three years solid. Well, the plastic reduction gearing finally gave up and the tumbler I built for less than $12 is no more.

I plan to get a small Harbor Freight cement mixer and assemble it with gaskets on the seams to use as a wet or dry bulk tumbler when I retire, but in the interim, I got a Frankford Arsenal vibratory tumbler from Amazon for about $30.

I set it up and used it to tumble (vibrate?) some bullets I had gotten from American Reloading that were lightly tarnished. Overnight in walnut media and they came out looking quite nice. So, I'm happy with it. Anyone got any suggestions about things to watch out for with vibratory tumblers in general or the Frankford Arsenal ones in particular?

 

[FROGO207]

Make sure the cover stays on tight or you will have a mess to deal with. I did experiment with the different amounts of each type of brass to get mine to clean the most efficiently. I just shook a bunch in and observed the action, too much brass and it slowed the movement and therefore the cleaning. Also if cleaning different sized brass at the same time put the larger diameter first and tumble for a bit before adding the smaller stuff to keep it from nesting inside the bigger stuff. You already have heard about adding polish and the used dryer sheets I figure. FWIW I do use the wet/SS pins method now and like it better.

 

[hdwhit]

...wet/SS pins method now and like it better.

That's for after retirement. I don't want to have to try and move a modified Harbor Freight cement mixer.

 

[Tony k]

Also if cleaning different sized brass at the same time put the larger diameter first and tumble for a bit before adding the smaller stuff to keep it from nesting inside the bigger stuff.

Thanks for the great idea!

 

[Lafitte]

I use a mix of walnut hull media and corn cob media, about half and half. It seems to be more active and the brass in the tumbler moves about faster. A couple of tablespoons of New Finish car polish really speeds up the process. Run it with the polish about 4 min. before adding the brass.
Lafitte

 

[rfwobbly]

...but in the interim, I got a Frankford Arsenal vibratory tumbler from Amazon for about $30.

With any vibratory tumbler I've learned to: a) pour in your brass first, b) turn your tumbler ON, then c) slowly add media until the brass gets to "boiling", or churning correctly. In this way you can find the "sweet spot" for the total loaded weight the tumbler can handle.

When done this way, the brass cleaning seems to be far more efficient.

 

[LoneGoose]

Info for all: You can find reduction gears and all kinds of stock drive parts at shop.sdp-si.com

 

[drband]

Make sure the screws holding the bowl on are tight. I found blue loctite to be helpful.
I had a problem with bowls cracking around the center post. Probably due to overloading.

 

[Sunray]

"...things to watch out for..." They can be loud. A cardboard box makes a really good muffler. Shouldn't take over night though.
I've seen 'em made with coffee cans and electric motors. Always thought a coffee can was too small.

 

[hdwhit]

Noise isn't a problem since it lives in the garage and is quieter than my homemade rotary tumbler was.

The tumbling times come from the fact I start a load before I go to bed and then empty it out and reload (if there's more to tumble) when I leave for work. That gives me two tumbling windows of about 8 hours while there's nobody home to turn the machine off.

 

[hdwhit]

Thank you, Lone Goose. I'll check them out.