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WTB - Rotary Tumbler


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I should add I want to clean BP brass including the primer pocket.  I’ve read that a rotating tumbler with pins is the best way to do it.

 

Tyrel, I’ll check it out.  Thanks

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Ceramic also works very well.

Been using a Thumbler’s tumbler with ceramic for many yeArs to clean my BP brass

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Prairie Dawg, do you find ceramic cleans the primer pockets properly or are additional steps needed?  I’m planning on doing a good hot soapy soak in In an ultrasonic cleaner as a first step.

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I have two Thumlers tumblers setup for SS Pin cleaning.  Love the way the primer pockets get cleaned with no additional steps.

 

Got the last one for $10 used and bought a high speed replacement motor for just under $100 and that thing is amazing.

 

Just a word of caution, be careful if you use Nickel plated brass as the pins will wear the nickel off if left in too long, ask me how I know.  I used to like to used Nickel for my BP loads.

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1 hour ago, Mountain Man Gramps said:

Prairie Dawg, do you find ceramic cleans the primer pockets properly or are additional steps needed?  I’m planning on doing a good hot soapy soak in In an ultrasonic cleaner as a first step.

 

Skip the ultra-sonic. Deprime using a universal decapping die and tumble with the SS pins.  They seem to do a better job on primer pockets.

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The Ceramic does a good job of cleaning the primer pocket.

Mine have been shot many times using this process, and I have NEVER had primer issues.

I use small ceramic cylinders because that's what was available when I started wet tumbling many years ago.

Bought 'em from Dick Dastardly of Big Lube fame.

They didn't have steel pins then as far as I know, so I never even considered them.

Anyway, I have been tumbling with water, dish soap, and ceramic all these years, and have never been disappointed.

Ceramic does not wear the nickel off of nickel brass, even if you tumble it overnight (forgetful me!)

I put the brass in a canvas bag at the shoot, deprime and tumble one to three days later.

Has always been satisfactory.

Brass is always a  dull brass-color.

I've never cared for shiny brass, so this does not bother me.

--Dawg

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4 hours ago, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

Ceramic also works very well.

Been using a Thumbler’s tumbler with ceramic for many yeArs to clean my BP brass

What I use now and what I will continue to use.

Get the low speed model. ;)

OLG

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MMG, you should have said something the other day when you were over here, I’d have shown you my Rebel 17. Don’t buy ceramic media or steel pins I’ll give you some at the next Bandidos match. Let me know which kind you want and I’ll stick it in my gun cart.

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1 hour ago, Yul Lose said:

MMG, you should have said something the other day when you were over here, I’d have shown you my Rebel 17. Don’t buy ceramic media or steel pins I’ll give you some at the next Bandidos match. Let me know which kind you want and I’ll stick it in my gun cart.


Yul, you’re too kind!  I’ll take whatever you recommend.  I’ve been doing more reading in Venturino’s and Garbe’s “Black Powder Cartridge Loading Primer” and realized I don’t have the right equipment to clean the cases after firing.

 

MMG

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2 minutes ago, Mountain Man Gramps said:


Yul, you’re too kind!  I’ll take whatever you recommend.  I’ve been doing more reading in Venturino’s and Garbe’s “Black Powder Cartridge Loading Primer” and realized I don’t have the right equipment to clean the cases after firing.

 

MMG

I’ve got you covered.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It sounds like the Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17 and Thumbler Tumbler brand (not sure which model) are the most recommended (and most expensive).  Since I’m not in a hurry, I think I’ll wait around for a good buy.

 

But I don’t know how to equate the weight rating of a tumbler to the number of rounds it will hold.  Can anyone give me an idea?  As of the moment, I’ll be cleaning .38spec/.357mag and .38-55.

 

Yul, I agree with your recommendation of Dillon Media separators.  They’re the only ones I’ve seen with a metal handle and a shaft that locks.  I think I’ll pick up the one that matches the round capacity of the tumbler.

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I used my Thumlers B slow speed model and it didn't do nearly the job my Frankfort Arsenal unit did, plus it is very limited on how many pieces of brass you can do. If you are a single shooter than maybe it will work but I reload for 4 and it just took too much time. FWIW I find my Lyman 1200 to be too small also, so I mostly use my Lyman 2400 vibratory cleaner for all my smokeless brass. I also tried the ceramic media but found it sometimes got stuck in bottleneck brass, whereas the stainless pins never do. YMMV

  I use the RCBS media separator, and yes, it is very lightweight compared to my Dillon separator, but it works, and it came free with my Frankfort Arsenal tumbler, so I'll use it 'til it breaks.

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I think I found the answer to my question by comparing the specs of various tumblers.  They are spec'ed at holding about a 1000 rounds of .223 for every 5 pounds/7 liters of tumbler capacity.  So I supposed I can safely assume around 1500 rounds of .38spec/.357mag and around 600-700 rounds of .38-55 for the same capacity tumbler.

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I use S/S pins, for you pards using ceramic how do you separate the ceramic from the case?  Sometimes I'll get a couple of pins that dry in the case and use a magnet to pull them out, but that wouldn't work with ceramic.

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I have the larger Franford tumbler and no way could you do 600 38-55. I think their specs are a bit imaginary.

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1 hour ago, Mountain Man Gramps said:

I think I found the answer to my question by comparing the specs of various tumblers.  They are spec'ed at holding about a 1000 rounds of .223 for every 5 pounds/7 liters of tumbler capacity.  So I supposed I can safely assume around 1500 rounds of .38spec/.357mag and around 600-700 rounds of .38-55 for the same capacity tumbler.

I doubt the 600-700 38-55 cases. I’ve found I get better polishing results by loading the tumbler a lot less than full capacity and your tumbler motor will last a lot longer also. I usually load about 2/3rds brass and then the water to about 2” above cases and then the cleaning and polishing agents and media. You’ll probably come up with your own recipe and  procedures after you’ve done it enough. I’ll see you at the Duststorm on Saturday and we’ll talk more, I enjoy our visits.

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2 hours ago, Tequila Chase said:

I use S/S pins, for you pards using ceramic how do you separate the ceramic from the case?  Sometimes I'll get a couple of pins that dry in the case and use a magnet to pull them out, but that wouldn't work with ceramic.

 

Same way I seperate SS media from the cases.  I fill my RCBS media seperator with enough water so that as I turn the drum cases rise up out of the water and fall back in. This action washes the media out of the cases. As I typically change the water three times and turn the drum at least 2 minutes each time. After 4 years of seprarating media this way, I have yet to find any media that remained in a case.

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