Rotary or vibratory brass cleaners

sean.cgv95

sean.cgv95

Member
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Location
ON
What one should I get ??? In my head a rotary one costs a bit more but would be more efficient. Also is their any other brand other then Frankford Arsenal not really conserend about price but if princess auto has one for cheap I would go that route

Thanks
 
Are you asking if you should wet or dry tumble? I dry tumble and use a Lyman unit. The Frankford seems to be the most popular dor wet tumbling. Some guys make their own wet tumbler, threads can be found via google...
 
Started out using a vibratory unit, worked fine but managed to score a FA stainless wet tumbler new from cabelas for 160.
Haven't used the vibratory unit since. It does a much nicer job and I find it's a lot cleaner to use i.e. No toxic dust to worry about.
 
I have both a wet tumbler and Lyman vibratory tumbler and they both have their good points. I use the Lyman tumbler with pet store lizard litter and Nu Finish car polish to remove the case lube with the wax to protect the cases when stored.

In my opinion wet tumbling gets the cases sparkling clean but you also can peen the case mouths. So I trim my wet tumbled cases each time to clean up the case mouths.

On the flip side the vibratory tumblers do not clean the cases as well as wet tumbling. "BUT" they do not peen the case mouths and you let them run all night and not damage the brass.

I find that I have been using the Lyman vibratory tumbler more and not having to trim and deburr the cases when wet tumbling.
 
Case penning is a myth. Only downside to wet tumbling is the price of the unit.

There are other brands but they're not any more cost efficient. They cost about as much, and the cheaper ones have less capacity. A FA tumbler can clean 1100 case of 9mm within about 1 hour.
 
VinnyQC said:
Case penning is a myth. Only downside to wet tumbling is the price of the unit.
Click to expand...

The case on the left was wet tumbled too long and has the "mythical" case mouth peening. This case had been trimmed and had sharp well defined case mouth before tumbling. The case on the right has never been fired and is right out of the factory bag. So even factory tumbling causes case mouth peening.

Case peening is "NOT" a myth and all it takes to see it is a magnifying glass or a camera with a closeup macro lens. This peening can effect both rifle and pistol bullet seating and crimping on pistol cases.

I now weigh the cases before tumbling to not overload the tumbler as it will take longer to get the cases clean, and this adds to the case peening.

Peening the case mouth depends on the speed of the tumbler, the amount of brass in the tumbler and how long the cases tumble. And the peening is caused by the other cases hitting the case mouth. And its not a myth and is a fact of wet tumbling vs dry vibratory tumbling.

CIxnlIW.jpg
 
I've always used a Lyman vibratory tumbler. Picked up a Hornady Sonic Cleaner a couple years ago, rarely use it. Recently got a FA Rotary, man it works great. By far the best method I've used to clean brass (wet w/ SS pins)
 
Those 2 cases look the same to me. Not sure what you're trying to prove, but reposting the same picture a 100 times won't make a difference.

Penning is still very much a myth. Wet tumbling ftw.
 
thanks for the info i think im going to get a wet tumbler ill just take it easy for the first few......

also, what media do you use and to do you just use water or add soap or????
 
I went to a home built wet tumbling set up a few years ago..
Chucked my vibratory machine into the trash.
No more dust and my brass is much cleaner.
Peening has never been an issue as the lubricity of my water/soap ratio is nice and slippery...
It's a gentle process really...
 
VinnyQC said:
Those 2 cases look the same to me. Not sure what you're trying to prove, but reposting the same picture a 100 times won't make a difference.

Penning is still very much a myth. Wet tumbling ftw.
Click to expand...

The picture are my cases and are photographic evidence of case mouth peening. I suggest you get a good magnifying glass or new glasses because case mouth peening is "NOT" a myth.

More people below reporting case mouth peening or do you think its a mass hallucination in all the reloading forums. :rolleyes:

SS Wet tumbling seemingly ruining case mouths
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/ss-wet-tumbling-seemingly-ruining-case-mouths.3937582/

Stainless tumbler media and neck damage
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/stainless-tumbler-media-and-neck-damage.3793032/

Below pistol case mouth peening from wet tumbling.

D10570F9-orig_zps64d59bcc.jpg


Bottom line, I have cut my wet tumbling times in half to cut down on the peening. And I'm using a Thumler's Model B High Speed Tumbler, so again the peening depends on your type tumbler, how full its loaded and tumbling times.
 
Last edited:
Rotary tumblers can also be used with regular walnut/corncob dry media. I used my Lortone rock tumbler this way for several years before switching to wet tumbling. The advantage they have over vibratory tumblers is that they are much quieter.
 
It seems fairly reasonable to me, that tumbling with steel pins could result in peening of the case mouths. I would think it would get worse based on the size of load tumbled. (More weight exerted on the cases at the bottom by those above). The speed of rotation would also impact it.
 
just picked up a frankford arsenal wet dry tumbler. ill just take it easy for the first few.....

anyone think using diswhasher dertergnet would be good i dont think it sudz up please correct me if im wrong
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom