Tumbler

billsr25

billsr25

New member
Hey guys....
So time to buy my own tumbler instead of having a friend tumble all my brass. What would you guys suggest. I stop off at the gravel pits and pick up brass thats tarnished. I have a friend who will tumble my brass but he moved about 10 miles away so it's just easier to tumble my own. He uses a thumblers tumbler but I was told the vibrating tumblers are better. Any help would be greatly appreciated..Thanks.
 
Buy the stainless steel system. Works great and does the best job on cleaning brass. The system cleans the brass completely and gets more carbon etc which in my opinion keeps rifles/pistols shooting better with less cleaning needed.
 
Originally Posted By: IrrigatorBuy the stainless steel system. Works great and does the best job on cleaning brass.

Yes!
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Originally Posted By: fw707Originally Posted By: IrrigatorBuy the stainless steel system. Works great and does the best job on cleaning brass.

Yes!
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I need to buy one too. I just started looking into which one to get. Is there another kind that uses air pressure, too?
 
Thumblers tumblers makes a vibrating tumbler also. I have one. Bought it because it had great reviews. I like it.
 
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Another question regarding tumblers.

I'm just getting started into reloading and I have a Frankford Arsenal vibrating tumbler and it came with the corn media and my question is can I get the stainless media and run it in the Frankford tumbler?

I have some brass I just bought yesterday and some of it is very dirty as it was range pick up brass and the corn media just doesn't seem to cut it. Maybe the stainless media would do the trick?
 
You need a rotary tumbler that is sealed, I vibratory tumbler won't work with SS. You use water and soap along with the SS media. I had the FA vibratory tumbler for 10 years, it served its purpose, but very happy with my switch, highly reccomend it when you have the money.
 
IAyotehunter, pick up some Iosso brass cleaner/polish. Give your nasty brass a dunk before you tumble it makes a world of difference. I had some 223 that was black and nasty, Iosso and a night in corn cob and they were nice and shiny. I want to get into SS media, but the Iosso is cheap and effective until I get a rotary tumbler built.
 
Originally Posted By: im4flightOriginally Posted By: fw707Originally Posted By: IrrigatorBuy the stainless steel system. Works great and does the best job on cleaning brass.

Yes!
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+3 for SS media. Tumblers are hard to come by right now along with everything else. We are about 2 weeks out on shipping from when your order is placed. Thuler's have been good to keep them coming our way so we can fulfill our orders quickerthenothers.
 
I just bought one of Thumblers tumblers. Turns black to factory new look. Removes everything even from the primer pocket. But it doesn't replace a regular tumbler.
 
Hey Woodster - I have an order from you that should be arriving today...what's the recipe as far as lemi-shine, water, and soap quantities?
 
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Sea cowboy, seems due to the time it takes to rinse and dry after wet tumbling most guys still use a standard dry vibe tumbler at some stage in their process. Many guys run semi dirty brass through the dry first to clean off crud to save their dies. Then they resize or decap or both, some dry tumble again to remove lube, then they wet tumble to really make the cases shine. Most prefer to decap first so the stainless pins can clean the primer pockets. Some decap, wet tumble, resize then dry tumble to remove lube. Just depends on the guy but a dry tumbler is still a super important piece to have. A wet tumbler, while great, is more of a luxury item.... That I badly want!
 
Gotcha. I could see still using dry if the primers were left in, then removed. I just got feed up with the walnut shell getting stuck in the pockets and went totally with the SS stuff. I do suppose the drying time adds a little bit of time but I'm not in a rush to get what I just shot reloaded that quick.
 
Just did my first batch of brass with the SS media and am definitely sold on it. I only neck size with bushing dies so I just deprimed first with out the bushing in the die, then tumbled and dried the brass on a towel pretty easy and the brass looks better than ever, primer pockets and inside of cases clean plus this was 17 Fireball brass which is a real pita to get media out of the SS media was no problem
 
I wet tumble before and after depriming and sizing. I try to tumble my brass the first time as I sort it, so that it is dry and ready to go whenever I want to start. U do have to plan and take it in steps, but wouldn't want to stick my brass into a dusty dry tumbler again. I could see having one just I'm case, but didn't, and haven't run into problems.
 
I just did my first batch as well, and these things look like new!! I love the short tumbling time as well...the Lyman took an overnight spin to get half as clean, this took two hours and is perfect!!
 
I haven't used my old tumbler since changing over,but since I have it, I won't be throwing it away.

From time to time I come across some loaded ammo that needs cleaned up, don't think my stainless setup is the thing for that.
 
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