Homemade Case Tumbler Plans?
- Thread starter cdncowboy
- Start date
I have seen an industrial one at a shooting gallery. It was much like a cement mixer, with a lid. Tip it to one side and it tumbles the brass and when polished, tip it to the other side and sift out the brass from the polishing media. They did a 3 gallon bucket of 40 cal brass in a go! They reloaded for their own use in the gallery.
Tumbling may have some benefits, but I polish mine.
A cordless drill spins a rifle case that has the neck removed and is driven by a little rod threaded into the head of the case. The rifle case size is chosen to just fit into the pistol cases so that each dirty case may be slipped on, polished and then pulled off as the drill ( mounted solid) continuously spins. One hand holds a brass polish material ( NeverDull from Canadian Tire) and the other hand wears a cotton glove to polish the cases clean after.
At 3 - 4 - 5 seconds per case, I think that it beats listening to a vibrator, then sifting media from cases.
One little side note - cleaning the chamber of your gun regularly will keep your brass much cleaner.
A cordless drill spins a rifle case that has the neck removed and is driven by a little rod threaded into the head of the case. The rifle case size is chosen to just fit into the pistol cases so that each dirty case may be slipped on, polished and then pulled off as the drill ( mounted solid) continuously spins. One hand holds a brass polish material ( NeverDull from Canadian Tire) and the other hand wears a cotton glove to polish the cases clean after.
At 3 - 4 - 5 seconds per case, I think that it beats listening to a vibrator, then sifting media from cases.
One little side note - cleaning the chamber of your gun regularly will keep your brass much cleaner.
I have my own machine shop too with a CNC mill to boot, but like I said for the price of one from Cabela's it isn't worth turning on the lights in the shop and firing up the CNC machine.
For those interested, I have found some plans through a bit of digging. This one is the best:
http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/tumbler.html
It provides a complete list (BOM) of all materials needed and good instructions with pictures & drawing.
I have also found one made from recycled coffee cans. Basically it is the same as the one in the above link but instead of using 2 bowls you use 2 large coffee cans... one for the base with lid facing down (which houses the motor) and one for the resevoir with lid facing up. I like this idea because it elliminates a few fabricating steps, is less expensive and the resevoir has its own lid which is a bonus.
Cheers,
CC
http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/tumbler.html
It provides a complete list (BOM) of all materials needed and good instructions with pictures & drawing.
I have also found one made from recycled coffee cans. Basically it is the same as the one in the above link but instead of using 2 bowls you use 2 large coffee cans... one for the base with lid facing down (which houses the motor) and one for the resevoir with lid facing up. I like this idea because it elliminates a few fabricating steps, is less expensive and the resevoir has its own lid which is a bonus.
Cheers,
CC
Years ago, my dad made us one from scratch and it worked quite well for a long time. He was a talented tool maker.
It was a simple affair; one as-new one gallon paint can with lid, a base plate with a set s of roller bearings, a 1/4hp motor with a recycled gearbox reducer, some rubber matting for the inside of the can and a drive roller
It was eay to operate as the can lifted off the rollers, you would pry the lid off, fill with brass and tap back on. Drop it on the rollers and flip the switch. I believe we actually used a simple timer as well.
The whole steup worked well and was made up of re-used industrial parts that would have ended up in the scrap bucket. Paint cans are available at any autobody supply store or maybe your in plant stores already...
It was a simple affair; one as-new one gallon paint can with lid, a base plate with a set s of roller bearings, a 1/4hp motor with a recycled gearbox reducer, some rubber matting for the inside of the can and a drive roller
It was eay to operate as the can lifted off the rollers, you would pry the lid off, fill with brass and tap back on. Drop it on the rollers and flip the switch. I believe we actually used a simple timer as well.
The whole steup worked well and was made up of re-used industrial parts that would have ended up in the scrap bucket. Paint cans are available at any autobody supply store or maybe your in plant stores already...
Brian Hammond, maker of the Hammond Game Getter, usually has his homebrewed vibratory tumbler at his table at the shows he's at. Not a pretty thing, but effective. IIRC he used a salvaged washing machine motor, a couple plastic buckets and some springs to allow the whole thing some motion.
Another bud went the rock tumbler route with his home made tumbler. Stainless drum, rubber liner. A look at rock tumblers would be a good thing. they are not rocket science, but you don't want them turning too fast or too slow, or you won't get the nice sliding action of the media inside.
Cheers
Trev
Another bud went the rock tumbler route with his home made tumbler. Stainless drum, rubber liner. A look at rock tumblers would be a good thing. they are not rocket science, but you don't want them turning too fast or too slow, or you won't get the nice sliding action of the media inside.
Cheers
Trev
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
I made a vibrating one using a 5 gallon pail and some springs. Worked ok but the counter weight was hell on the motor bearings.
I've now got one of those little cement mixer pails from LeeValley that I'm going to make into some sort of rolling tumbler.
I want to be able to do a few hundred cases at a time.
I've now got one of those little cement mixer pails from LeeValley that I'm going to make into some sort of rolling tumbler.
I want to be able to do a few hundred cases at a time.
i would build something on this line....
just a basic base with motor to turn two set of rollers,with a drum that turns on the rollers......
looks cheap and easy to build.....and i hear you on wanting to build your own..
anyone can buy one,but it gives a person a special sense of pride to build his own stuff..
just a basic base with motor to turn two set of rollers,with a drum that turns on the rollers......
looks cheap and easy to build
.....and i hear you on wanting to build your own..anyone can buy one,but it gives a person a special sense of pride to build his own stuff
..
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
i would build something on this line....
just a basic base with motor to turn two set of rollers,with a drum that turns on the rollers......
looks cheap and easy to build
anyone can buy one,but it gives a person a special sense of pride to build his own stuff
Thats what I was thinking.
the cement mixer drum has a rubber seal as well so I could go with ceramics and liquid as well as a tumbling media.
I too wanetd to build one, with hardwood, but I let down the project
I dont think gambling with an used motor that can emit a sparkle and catch fire then burn my house down was worth it.
If i was to build one with a used motor, I'd be damn sure I used it msyelf, and if I'm gonna buy a motor, why not buy a tumbler directly?
meh, if you REALLY like scrounging around I guess it's worth it.
I dont think gambling with an used motor that can emit a sparkle and catch fire then burn my house down was worth it.
If i was to build one with a used motor, I'd be damn sure I used it msyelf, and if I'm gonna buy a motor, why not buy a tumbler directly?
meh, if you REALLY like scrounging around I guess it's worth it.
you could of used it around the fire pit...and pretend you invented a automatic fire starter...
now that wood(get the pun?)have been a great conversation piece
- Location
- land of f-cktards
i looked into it ........better off to buy
Man that sounds like a lot of work, unless you are only doing a few cases at a time.
I dump cases into my RCBS tumbler, turn on and go do something else for a few hours. Come back, dump brass into the strainer and agitate a bit, and the brass and media have been separated.
Done.
