yotehunter243
New member
What's the cheapest route to get into a stainless tumbler set up? I found 5lbs of stainless media in Amazon for $35 and the double rock tumbler at harbor freight for $60. Is there a better option out there?
Getting into stainless
- Thread starter yotehunter243
- Start date
Plant.One
Well-known member
amazon has the frankford kit on sale right now for $120
http://a.co/iVtqugq
gonna be hard to beat for that $
the fact thats its got a built in timer is a very very very nice bonus.
if i had to do it all over again, this would be the kit i'd be after, but it didnt exist when i put my stainless kit togther with a Thumblers.
http://a.co/iVtqugq
gonna be hard to beat for that $
the fact thats its got a built in timer is a very very very nice bonus.
if i had to do it all over again, this would be the kit i'd be after, but it didnt exist when i put my stainless kit togther with a Thumblers.
rudymontana
New member
I used the one from Harbor Freight for a couple years and gave it to my son when I bought the Frankford tumbler. The Frankford is one sweet tumbler and can do way bigger loads. The timer is a really nice setup and if you can afford it that would be the way to go..Rudy
yotehunter243
New member
I ordered the kit in the link. Thanks for the heads up
yotehunter243
New member
Do you have to do something to dry the brass when your done?
Rustydust
Active member
Originally Posted By: yotehunter243Do you have to do something to dry the brass when your done?
For me it's the oven. When I get my brass out of my Thumler's Tumbler I rinse it once, shake the water out of them and just dump them in a shallow pan and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for a few hours. Sometimes I just do it before I go to bed and in the morning I have beautiful shiny ready to load brass.
For me it's the oven. When I get my brass out of my Thumler's Tumbler I rinse it once, shake the water out of them and just dump them in a shallow pan and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for a few hours. Sometimes I just do it before I go to bed and in the morning I have beautiful shiny ready to load brass.
Originally Posted By: Plant.Oneamazon has the frankford kit on sale right now for $120
http://a.co/iVtqugq
gonna be hard to beat for that $
the fact thats its got a built in timer is a very very very nice bonus.
if i had to do it all over again, this would be the kit i'd be after, but it didnt exist when i put my stainless kit togther with a Thumblers.
Yep, I wish the FA had been around back when I set mine up.
Originally Posted By: yotehunter243Do you have to do something to dry the brass when your done?
I run mine through the annealer.
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http://a.co/iVtqugq
gonna be hard to beat for that $
the fact thats its got a built in timer is a very very very nice bonus.
if i had to do it all over again, this would be the kit i'd be after, but it didnt exist when i put my stainless kit togther with a Thumblers.
Yep, I wish the FA had been around back when I set mine up.
Originally Posted By: yotehunter243Do you have to do something to dry the brass when your done?
I run mine through the annealer.
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I must be living in the dark ages. I just haven't seen the stainless win me over from using media. I toss the brass in the tumbler, let it run, dump it out and load. Still have nice shiny brass. No soap,no water, no lemi shine, no oven drying time. Just hasn't won me over yet.
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Originally Posted By: pyscodogI must be living in the dark ages. I just haven't seen the stainless win me over from using media. I toss the brass in the tumbler, let it run, dump it out and load. Still have nice shiny brass. No soap,no water, no lemi shine, no oven drying time. Just hasn't won me over yet.
Not a thing wrong with media only. I run mine overnight and they come out shiny and clean.
I run them in stainless after 3 firings just to get them as clean as I can before annealing.
Not a thing wrong with media only. I run mine overnight and they come out shiny and clean.
I run them in stainless after 3 firings just to get them as clean as I can before annealing.
Rustydust
Active member
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI must be living in the dark ages. I just haven't seen the stainless win me over from using media. I toss the brass in the tumbler, let it run, dump it out and load. Still have nice shiny brass. No soap,no water, no lemi shine, no oven drying time. Just hasn't won me over yet.
I dont use my own SS media case polisher all the time, Bill. I use my vibratory one for small jobs. But if I have big batch of really crappy brass I use my Thumler's Tumbler. I run it longer than it needs to be probably as I like to polish out those fine scratches in the brass. Looks new store bought when I get done with it.
I dont use my own SS media case polisher all the time, Bill. I use my vibratory one for small jobs. But if I have big batch of really crappy brass I use my Thumler's Tumbler. I run it longer than it needs to be probably as I like to polish out those fine scratches in the brass. Looks new store bought when I get done with it.
DannoBoone
Active member
Gee, thanks, Plant.One, ya just cost me $120!
Actually, that's just too good a deal to pass up. Now using the
HB dual rock tumbler with SS pins. As far as cleaning, it does a
fantastic job cleaning brass shinier than new, but the lids are
a pain to install and remove. I'll probably still use it for
small jobs, but that Frankford tumbler will be coming soon!
Originally Posted By: TnslimI just picked one of the Frankford's up from a Cabella's sale. Do you guys use the tumbler/rinse bucket? Looks like would be a good addition along with the magnet. What is your stages of operation? The pins feel a bit oily so thought I would wash those before using on brass.
I've been using this: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101291700/rcbs-rotary-case-and-media-separator However, the
Frankford model will no doubt do just as well. The separator
can be filled with rinse water and just crank the handle a few
times. I then drain the water and let air dry for a week or
two, cranking the handle a few times each day. When the brass is
dry, all pins but those wedged somewhere readily fall out. Yea,
I always clean brass loooong before needing it.
An extra drop of Dawn Dish Soap will clean those pins up with
your first batch. You wouldn't notice the difference.
Stages of operation:
Remove spent primers (hey, some people have forgotten)
Add brass, pins, water, small amount of dish soap & lemi-shine
Let 'er rip for needed amount of time.
Empty into case media separator (the rest already explained
above
Actually, that's just too good a deal to pass up. Now using the
HB dual rock tumbler with SS pins. As far as cleaning, it does a
fantastic job cleaning brass shinier than new, but the lids are
a pain to install and remove. I'll probably still use it for
small jobs, but that Frankford tumbler will be coming soon!
Originally Posted By: TnslimI just picked one of the Frankford's up from a Cabella's sale. Do you guys use the tumbler/rinse bucket? Looks like would be a good addition along with the magnet. What is your stages of operation? The pins feel a bit oily so thought I would wash those before using on brass.
I've been using this: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101291700/rcbs-rotary-case-and-media-separator However, the
Frankford model will no doubt do just as well. The separator
can be filled with rinse water and just crank the handle a few
times. I then drain the water and let air dry for a week or
two, cranking the handle a few times each day. When the brass is
dry, all pins but those wedged somewhere readily fall out. Yea,
I always clean brass loooong before needing it.
An extra drop of Dawn Dish Soap will clean those pins up with
your first batch. You wouldn't notice the difference.
Stages of operation:
Remove spent primers (hey, some people have forgotten)
Add brass, pins, water, small amount of dish soap & lemi-shine
Let 'er rip for needed amount of time.
Empty into case media separator (the rest already explained
above
Plant.One
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: BitmanOriginally Posted By: yotehunter243Do you have to do something to dry the brass when your done?
Buy a cheap Nesco dehydrater, best way to go, and doesn't mess with the wife's oven.
i picked up a Ronco at a yard sale for $5.
bought a couple silicone tray liners for doing small pistol brass (they will fall thru some of the larger holes), i think i'm $20 into the thing total, works like a dream.
in general, you can probably get a number of different dehydrators at yard sales for pennies on the dollar.
Buy a cheap Nesco dehydrater, best way to go, and doesn't mess with the wife's oven.
i picked up a Ronco at a yard sale for $5.
bought a couple silicone tray liners for doing small pistol brass (they will fall thru some of the larger holes), i think i'm $20 into the thing total, works like a dream.
in general, you can probably get a number of different dehydrators at yard sales for pennies on the dollar.
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI must be living in the dark ages. I just haven't seen the stainless win me over from using media.
If you're dark ages I'm stone age.
I don't ever tumble my brass at all. Actually kinda like the patina on the stuff that's twenty, thirty years old or more now. Be a crime to make it shiny again.
- DAA
If you're dark ages I'm stone age.
I don't ever tumble my brass at all. Actually kinda like the patina on the stuff that's twenty, thirty years old or more now. Be a crime to make it shiny again.
- DAA