Rotary Tumbler Questions

sixty9santa

sixty9santa

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Hello all,

I'm seriously looking at getting into reloading and if I do, a wet tumbler would be the ideal way to go for my setup.
I was curious to know what are the average sizes of rotary tumbler drums?
I'm looking to get the all the parts for making one and I had planned to use PVC for the drum.

I was looking at reviews of the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler and people are averaging 1000 handgun/500 rifle casings per batch using 5lbs of SS media. Does this sound about right? How much water is needed?

Thank you!
 
The FA tumbler drum holds 7L.

Before buying my FA tumbler I too planned on making my own but when you factor in all the costs of making something that's half decent you may as well just buy the FA tumbler. If you're still set on making your own I would go with the two pulley design, similar to this:

*Here's a detailed thread of how this gentleman made his tumbler: LINK

[youtube]iIo_NsAknyo[/youtube]

You can also go ultra cheap if you use a wiper motor, similar to this:

[youtube]HyXJI-9EzyY[/youtube]
 
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Well done JohnnyPython, that's exactly the design I would have opted for as well. How much were those pillow block bearings alone? Do your rods bend under the weight of the 8L drum? Does your drum "walk" without shaft collars?
 
Outstanding job everyone!

I was thinking 6"×15" PVC should give 7L.
I'd use 8" diameter but they are hard to come by in short lengths.
Keep the pictures and advice coming!
 
4n2t0 said:
Well done JohnnyPython, that's exactly the design I would have opted for as well. How much were those pillow block bearings alone? Do your rods bend under the weight of the 8L drum? Does your drum "walk" without shaft collars?
Click to expand...

Pillow blocks from Princess Auto. Pulley wheels and belt as well. There is a calculator online to get the drum to 80rpms.

The rods are 3/4” CRS and I can stand on them. I slipped some rubber hose over them. I drum can walk if the floor is uneven. I put tennis balls over the feet to keep it quiet.

Hope that helps.
 
Try to figure out how big your average batch will be in terms of x amount of brass of ...caliber.

If you are an average shooter a 6 inch pipe is likely enough.
I also made a 10 inch pvc drum but it's pretty unhandy to manoeuvre around when filling and emptying so the 6 inch is all I use.
Big drums get very heavy once filled with brass, pins and water, don't underestimate it.
 
6"×18" PVC pipe is what I'd need.
Now finding the stuff will be the real challenge!
Unfortunately, Montreal really sucks for this kind of stuff.
 
You can use a variety of items to make the drum. I made a drum from a plastic jug that held protein drink powder, they are about 5 litre capacity, and made another from a weed sprayer canister. Both work quite well.
 
JohnnyPython said:
I made one. It’s solid but as mentioned, could end up costing more than a FA tumbler.

I made 2 sized drums. 4 litres and 8 litres.





Click to expand...


That’s very much like the one my son made for me. It was under a &100.00 as we had most of the items. Also used heater hose on the two roller bars and a compression plug to seal drum.
 
Update, I have everything so far except drum materials and media.
5lbs of media is selling for $70-80, anyone have any resources for cheaper?
 
For wet tumbling, lapidary tumblers are the way to go if you prefer a commercial rotary tumbler. The Thumbler Tumbler I used to have provided a nice balance between cost and performance, but there are many brands to choose from, and a wide range of sizes and prices to satisfy everyone from the hobbyist, to a commercial operator. For dry tumbling, a vibratory tumbler is quieter, but mine is used exclusively for moly coating bullets; for cleaning brass I use a tabletop ultrasonic cleaner.
 
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