New to tumbling: how long to run the tumber?

Run your tumbler for 2 hours, and check your brass, if it is not clean enough, you can run it for a couple hours more. You can also go to RCBS's website, and there is a video on how to tumble your brass. I think he mentioned anywhere from 2-6 hours. I have never had to tumble for more than 3 hours myself. Hope this helps! Cheers!
 
2hrs is usually plenty...throw a used dryer sheet cut into pieces in as well, it will help keep the dust down and the brass seems abit shiner.
 
buy a plug in the wall 3 plug timer ( check watts / amps, timer should have higher numbers than tumbler)

set it for 3 hours and forget about it, go to sleep/ work , spend time with the family etc
 
Goods tips on the NuFinish wax and dryer sheets. I have a bottle of Dillon stuff to add when I do mine (first time tumbling as well), but the other tips are great!
 
I have mine on and industrial timer set for 4 hrs... fill it up with walnut grindings and some brass polish... come back in 4 hrs like new...
The polish and compounds that I added to my meida seem to make a big difference.
 
Your next dilemma will be decap before or after. Am now leaning the way of a double tumble. Tumble for initial clean, then decap, trim, resize, and tumble again to get lube off, clean out primer pockets a bit and perhaps polish edge where trimmed a little further. May have to clean media out of pockets though.

What am really getting at though is I should be cleaning primer pockets more than I was (tumbling once only and before decap).

New Finish incidentally also works well on cars (but would use a Carnuba wax on fresh paint).
 
I am wondering how comercial companies get there completed rounds so shiny sometime mine come out of the seating die looking dirty or not as clean as before I started to size and lube them.
 
blindman said:
Run your tumbler for 2 hours, and check your brass, if it is not clean enough, you can run it for a couple hours more. You can also go to RCBS's website, and there is a video on how to tumble your brass. I think he mentioned anywhere from 2-6 hours. I have never had to tumble for more than 3 hours myself. Hope this helps! Cheers!
Click to expand...

Thank goodness there is a video out to simplify the complexities of tumbling brass!;)
 
Either over nite while sleeping or plug it in leaving for work and unplug it when you get back. That way it's worry free and done when you wake up or get home.
 
joe-nwt said:
Thank goodness there is a video out to simplify the complexities of tumbling brass!;)
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"I am new to tumbling" was his post, so some new members may want to see some of the free help videos that RCBS and LEE have to offer. Oh I should have told him to PM JOE-NWT, as he is the reloading God? I guess we can't all be as perfect as JOE.....oh and ;)you know what to do with that right JOE.
 
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