Is a tumbler worth it?

This seems really funny to me.. Aren't you simply trading washing of the brass for washing of the cleaning media? What am I missing?

I have reloaded 1000s of rounds now and never found that I needed a tumbler. I simply soak my brass (tupperware) in HOT water with Vinegar and toilet bowl cleaner. After about an hour, I shake the Sh!t out of the container. Then rinse and set out to dry. Maybe not super shiny, but clean enough for me (and they always go bang).

If I wanted them super shiny I could buy an Ultrasonic cleaner like the gentlemen posted above.
 
I prefer tumbling because I don't have to wait for my brass to dry before putting it away. That it makes the brass nice and shiny is a bonus. If you throw a fabric softener sheet (used is fine) in with the media, it will pick up any dust.
 
The downside of the ultrasonic cleaner is that you need to reset the time cycle. You just can't turn it on for hours. Also, you cannot clean a large quantity of brass and the more you add, the less it cleans. I tried many cleaning solution, you will NEVER get the same results as the ss media method.

With the SS media, it's dust free, clean, reasonable noise level and the media will last forever. I like my brass clean and shiny because it's much easier to load.
 
travellerw said:
This seems really funny to me.. Aren't you simply trading washing of the brass for washing of the cleaning media? What am I missing?
.
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You don't need to clean the media, just dump the water out. Just like a dishwasher, after you wash your dishes you don't then need to go back and clean your dishwasher.

Unless of course you try and wash the cosmoline off your SKS by putting it in you dishwasher........:eek:
 
dinsdale said:
I made this with the neighbor. Can tumble ~ 1500 pistol cases at once.
Clean in 2 hours. Nice to have when you reload 5000+ rounds a year for your pistol
Click to expand...

Dinsdale: What container are you using for the tumbler? Kind of looks like a coffee jug.
 
8" Sono Tube (The tubes they pour cement into to make columns) works great, thats what mine is made of. Plywood round to plug the ends and cut a door in one side. Made reduction pulleys out of MDF. A foot long, holds 1000 9mm cases at once. Cost a grand total of 24 bucks as it was made from stuff I had lying around. Brass looks better than new and if you use the crushed walnut thats treated with rouge, it stays pretty darn clean after you fire it. I would say you could get away with cleaning after 2 reloadings no problem, even though I clean every time
 
Dinsdale and Moosedude: I think what stops most people from building there own is the container. You can get a motor anywhere, some wood, bearings and a couple of shafts and gears and away you go.

On another website I saw one guy took a 6" pvc pipe and capped it on one end, put a reducer on the other end to 4" and then for the lid he used a 4" rubber plug that attaches with a huge hose clamp. Home Depot only has 4" pvc pipe so you would have to go to a plumbing specialty shop but once done it would last forever and never leak. Inside he just glued and screwed from the outside some strips of cut pipe to help agitate the brass.

I work for a utility company and they have lots of throw away pvc pipe and I scored a piece of 8" pipe about a foot long the other day. The walls on the pipe are 1/2" so I could easily make an end out of plexiglass that I have with a gasket of some kind. On the other end I would like to put a screw off lid of some kind just haven't found what I need yet.
 
Well I wanted to use PVC but didnt have any kicking around. The Sono tube is available at ANY Home Depot or Rona or other home improvment store. a 10 foot length of 8" was 9 bucks. Also, at the speeds the shafts are turning, there is no need for a bearing. Just drill holes though 2X4's that your shaft will just fit through, like a bushing. Furnace blower fans use bronze busshings instead of bearings and last for 30 years or so. I guess I could break down and figure out how to post pictures if anyonne wants to see it if my description doesnt make sense.

I agree though, I scratched my head pretty hard trying to think of what to use as a container
 
I also wanted something to make sure the media/brass tumbled.
I added a couple paddles inside as the case is so slick, without them, the media/brass just shuffled around.

Using a square dog cookie bucket with round 'wheel's screwed to the ends would have been simpler and , I suspect, more effective.

This:
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with ,slightly larger than the width , plywood wheels on top and bottom
 
Rona used to carry 8" and 10" white PVC pipe for dressing up basement post jacks, I dealt with an indoor gardening shop that had rubber end caps and hose clamps for these big pipes as well...
 
You still cant beat concrete form tubes, super cheap and its just lined cardboard so its quiet. but PVC would definately be more durable. I didn't put any baffles in mine, just turn it slowly and filling up about half way. Mine turns about 50 rpm and all tumbles well. Two hours and they look better than new :)
 
Haven't built it yet,but i scored 2-3 lb. o-ring sealed tubs from a rock polishing setup,not high capacity,but should work and a freebie!Just need to scrounge up a motor and the rest is easy.
Stainless media, i found a source for SS blasting media in Edmonton at SIL.
It's not the pins,they're beads, i'm thinking they should work,different diameter sizes available and only $43.50+tax for 50 lbs.,enough to share or cheap group buy.Shipping would be a killer,only be economical if you're in or around the city.
If anyone has tried this type of media,i'd be interested in the results.
 
DLab: I live in Edmonton and I went to SIL's website and they are an hour outside of edmonton. Do you have a local contact or do you have to go all the way out there to pick it up?
 
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