I had used my friends Lyman (orange --not the newest )with walnut hulls .I made a mess with trying to shake the hulls out after the cleaning .What is the latest on these machines and medium ?In the past I lucked out with friends offering to do it for me. Time for me to man up and get one . I would like to hear your opinions .
Tumblers -vibrators
- Thread starter Lodgepole
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Rustydust
Active member
I like the a rotary tumbler filled with a some mild soapy water, a pinch of Lemi Shine, and stainless steel media. Mine is a Thumber's Tumbler but you can get a Chinese made one from Harbor Freight that will likely serve you well. I still have my old Lyman vibrating tumbler and use it on occasion. But if I really want them clean and shiny the Thumbler is the one I use.
If ultra clean and shiny is what you're after nothing cleans and shines like wet tumbling with SS media and like Russ said add a squirt of Dawn a tiny tiny pinch of LemiShine and you can take even the very worst nastiest range brass that's been laying on the ground for years and make it look better than new.
I guess I'm just old school. I still use a vibrating tumbler and dry media. Its seems much simpler and I still get nice shiny brass. (I do add a big spoonful of Mother's wheel polish.) It does take me a little longer but its just easier for me. Put it in today, let it run till the next day. Brass looks like a brand new penny and ready to load. No water, no soap and don't have to wait on the brass to dry. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the SS media method, just isn't for me.
Originally Posted By: hornet112This is the one I just bought to replace my homemade one works wonders on old looking brass.
I use a Thumler's Tumbler, it's just what I have, but those Frankford rotary tumblers seem to be very popular and from everyone I've talked to that has one they're all very happy with them.
Nothing against vibrating type units but to me they just kind of polish brass, they don't really seem to clean anything.
Wet tumblers with SS media and soap truly cleans your brass. My brass really doesn't get all that dirty so I can't tell you the last time I used my wet tumbler but I've done some tests with old range brass I picked up off the ground just to see if it would clean it and shockingly it turned it from being green to bright and shiny as new.
I use a Thumler's Tumbler, it's just what I have, but those Frankford rotary tumblers seem to be very popular and from everyone I've talked to that has one they're all very happy with them.
Nothing against vibrating type units but to me they just kind of polish brass, they don't really seem to clean anything.
Wet tumblers with SS media and soap truly cleans your brass. My brass really doesn't get all that dirty so I can't tell you the last time I used my wet tumbler but I've done some tests with old range brass I picked up off the ground just to see if it would clean it and shockingly it turned it from being green to bright and shiny as new.
Rustydust
Active member
Originally Posted By: B23
Wet tumblers with SS media and soap truly cleans your brass. My brass really doesn't get all that dirty so I can't tell you the last time I used my wet tumbler but I've done some tests with old range brass I picked up off the ground just to see if it would clean it and shockingly it turned it from being green to bright and shiny as new.
Before I got mine, a friend was showing me some .50 BMG brass. Wow! It gleamed so much it hurt my eyes. When I asked who sells such pretty brass as this he laughed and told me to check out the headstamp. Wow! LC 1953! Korean war vintage! He cleaned it in his rotary tumbler that he just bought. I got me one too after that. Nothing better in my book.
Wet tumblers with SS media and soap truly cleans your brass. My brass really doesn't get all that dirty so I can't tell you the last time I used my wet tumbler but I've done some tests with old range brass I picked up off the ground just to see if it would clean it and shockingly it turned it from being green to bright and shiny as new.
Before I got mine, a friend was showing me some .50 BMG brass. Wow! It gleamed so much it hurt my eyes. When I asked who sells such pretty brass as this he laughed and told me to check out the headstamp. Wow! LC 1953! Korean war vintage! He cleaned it in his rotary tumbler that he just bought. I got me one too after that. Nothing better in my book.
Coyote-conquest
Member
I like walnut hulls and a cheap sifter/media separator. It works good.
I can sift over a bucket. It only takes about 30-45 seconds.
I found wet tumbling to make a mess with water then you have to wait for the cases to dry.
I can sift over a bucket. It only takes about 30-45 seconds.
I found wet tumbling to make a mess with water then you have to wait for the cases to dry.
Rustydust
Active member
Originally Posted By: Coyote-conquest
I found wet tumbling to make a mess with water then you have to wait for the cases to dry.
Worth it to me. I just dump the brass on a cookie sheet and slide it into the oven for a couple hours at 200 degrees. Love that oh so clean and shiny brass.
I found wet tumbling to make a mess with water then you have to wait for the cases to dry.
Worth it to me. I just dump the brass on a cookie sheet and slide it into the oven for a couple hours at 200 degrees. Love that oh so clean and shiny brass.
I guess that's why I still use a tumbler with media. Not a big mess. No water, no soap, not having to dry the brass after taking it out. I've been using a finer grit media lately and it gets the inside of the case pretty clean. I add some Mothers Wheel polish to the media and it keeps the dust to a minimum. My cases come out shiny and ready to load. It takes a little longer but I'm retired. All I have is time. Old School still works for me.
Rustydust
Active member
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI guess that's why I still use a tumbler with media. Not a big mess.
I still use my vibrating tumbler too, Bill. Just dump it in and turn it on. Still a bit of a PITA at times to get all of the media shaken out of the case. Especially the .17 calibers. And media getting stuck in the flash holes. I hate that. When I really want my brass good and clean I use that Thumler's Tumbler. My brass is worth a good cleaning every now and then.
I still use my vibrating tumbler too, Bill. Just dump it in and turn it on. Still a bit of a PITA at times to get all of the media shaken out of the case. Especially the .17 calibers. And media getting stuck in the flash holes. I hate that. When I really want my brass good and clean I use that Thumler's Tumbler. My brass is worth a good cleaning every now and then.
Plant.One
Well-known member
i actually use both these days.
i run the vibratory for a quick pre-clean to knock the big stuff off so that i can run it through the case feeder and press for decapping. just keeps the grit where it belongs - out of my hopper and such!
once its been through there i run batches through the wet tumbler for deep cleaning, and then a session into my dehydrator for drying. i can dry a batch in about 2h, and i usually run 1h (ish) clean cycle. my dryer holds two batches of brass at a time... so works pretty well. by the time the 3nd batch is rinsed and ready to go into the dryer, the first is ready to come out.
with 5lb batches... you can clean a LOT of brass fast that way.
i have a thumblers that i got a good deal on, as i was a (relatively) early adopter of the wet tumbling. These days with the frankford (and other systems) out there... god i only wish something with this capacity and features was available back then! I had to hard wire my own timer in, cut an outlet into my bench top, etc... and i can only clean just under half the capacity of what theirs has!
https://smile.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Separator-Polishing-Reloading/dp/B00HTN4R6O/
i run the vibratory for a quick pre-clean to knock the big stuff off so that i can run it through the case feeder and press for decapping. just keeps the grit where it belongs - out of my hopper and such!
once its been through there i run batches through the wet tumbler for deep cleaning, and then a session into my dehydrator for drying. i can dry a batch in about 2h, and i usually run 1h (ish) clean cycle. my dryer holds two batches of brass at a time... so works pretty well. by the time the 3nd batch is rinsed and ready to go into the dryer, the first is ready to come out.
with 5lb batches... you can clean a LOT of brass fast that way.
i have a thumblers that i got a good deal on, as i was a (relatively) early adopter of the wet tumbling. These days with the frankford (and other systems) out there... god i only wish something with this capacity and features was available back then! I had to hard wire my own timer in, cut an outlet into my bench top, etc... and i can only clean just under half the capacity of what theirs has!
https://smile.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Separator-Polishing-Reloading/dp/B00HTN4R6O/
For you vibrating type tumbler users maybe give Greg's rice idea a go and see how it works for you.
https://primalrights.com/library/articles/clean-brass-with-rice
https://primalrights.com/library/articles/clean-brass-with-rice
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Originally Posted By: pyscodogBought some rice last night, gonna give it a try but not holding my breath on the results.
Like I said before, I don't really think vibrating tumblers actually clean brass but rather it smooths and shines it up. If you want it cleaned you use soap and water.
It's like having dirty hands and rubbing them on a towel. Sure, you'll get some of the filth off and they may even look and feel clean but then wash them in hot soapy water and see the water turn dark.
I'm not down on vibrating tumblers because I think they have their place but when it comes to actually getting brass clean, I'll take soap and water every time.
Like I said before, I don't really think vibrating tumblers actually clean brass but rather it smooths and shines it up. If you want it cleaned you use soap and water.
It's like having dirty hands and rubbing them on a towel. Sure, you'll get some of the filth off and they may even look and feel clean but then wash them in hot soapy water and see the water turn dark.
I'm not down on vibrating tumblers because I think they have their place but when it comes to actually getting brass clean, I'll take soap and water every time.
I have always ran two tumblers, almost 40 years now. One has new finish and a shot of mineral spirits, the other is plain media with just mineral spirits gets carbon off. I buy media by the feed sack size and store in a drum.
I have had zero issues with media.
If I were just starting loading yes I would probably go that way. Matter of fact I just gave away some cleaning solution stuff to some guys that wash.
The older I get the more stuck in my ways, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
I have had zero issues with media.
If I were just starting loading yes I would probably go that way. Matter of fact I just gave away some cleaning solution stuff to some guys that wash.
The older I get the more stuck in my ways, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
WyoBull
New member
Frankford Arsenal SS rotary wet tumbler for me. It does take a little longer but it truly cleans the brass. I found the dry vibratory tumblers I have used in the past to be pretty dusty and I never felt the brass really got as clean as I wanted. To each his own though as they both work.
Guess I'm a lot like jsh, if it ain't broke..... I know I let my brass tumble longer than most but it has worked for me for years. If I put my brass in the tumbler today, it runs until the next day. I do know that a bullet seats quite a bit easier in the tumbled brass than a piece thats dirty so it must be cleaning the inside as well. Maybe not as good as SS media but it is cleaning it. I've been using a very fine media and it gets into the small cases and when time to empty, it pours out like water leaving a nice shiny piece of brass. IDK, its worked for me for a long time, hard to change. Maybe if my tumbler takes a dump I'll go stainless but until it does I'll just keep the old way.