Tumbler

I have a frankford arsenal model thats a few years old...doesnt see real heavy use, but its held up fairly well. My Dillon cv-2001 is a beast, but overkill unless you're cleaning a LOT of brass at once (i'd say a minimum of 700-1000 .223, or 1000-1200 9mm/38/45. (doesn't clean as well unless it's really loaded down)


personally, id say look into wet tumbling. that's what I'm doing currently, and it works better than anything else I've ever tried.
 
As far s I remember it was a baseline Frankford arsenal. I only tumble a few hundred rounds at a time.

What are the pluses on et tumbling?
 
I'd just get another bowl for it. I intend on running my frankfurter arsenal until it explodes. I might even buy another one to run alongside it so I can do two different batches at once.

-Mike
 
I had the same problem with Lyman tumbler. I glued it back together and it is still running ten years later.
 
Don't know who makes Frankford Arsenal tumblers. Whoever does would most likely replace the bowl gratis. Had a similar experience with a Cabelas tumbler. Found out that Berry's makes the tumbler, called them and told them about the bowl and they pleasantly offered to replace it no charge, no shipping cost.
 
Frankford list there bowls at 14 bucks......heck I would go over to harbor frieght and by one of theres. I wouldnt be surprised if they have bowls also ?
 
heck I would go over to harbor frieght and by one of theres. I wouldnt be surprised if they have bowls also ?

I might buy a bowl from Harbor Freight, but a tumbler would break my rule:

"Never buy anything with a cutting edge or a power cord from Harbor Freight"
 
I'm using a 20 year old Lyman 1200 that I swapped some firewood for. I've dropped the bowl on a concrete floor more times than I care to admit and it's kept on going. I'm with E.C. on the anti Harbor Freight team. The stuff they sell is so bad that manufacturers in China can make fun of it.
 
I'm using a 20 year old Lyman 1200 that I swapped some firewood for. I've dropped the bowl on a concrete floor more times than I care to admit and it's kept on going. I'm with E.C. on the anti Harbor Freight team. The stuff they sell is so bad that manufacturers in China can make fun of it.

I have a Harbor Freight that I bought for $30 on sale last summer. Not the best piece of equipment, but it worked. A few weeks ago it vibrated it's way off the table and cracked, so I need a new bowl.

My biggest problem with it is that the lid is held on w/ a rubber washer, a metal washer and a wing nut screwed onto a very thin threaded bolt. After awhile, the metal washer's friction w/ the bolt wears away the threads making it nearly impossible to screw down tight over time. I'm torn between buying a $20 bowl (67% of what I payed for the whole thing) or scrapping it for something better.
 
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one not buy another one of the same model and have spare parts. minus the bowl
Harbor frieght is hit or miss.......Im onw of those guys that has luck with cheap shit.
 
Thumblers Model B. More than 30 years and still going strong, though I have had to work on the motor bearings once or twice.
 
Would a big stainless steel salad / mixing bowl work, or would brass vibrating against it just beat the brass up? I've seen them at Walmart / Ocean State Job Lots / etc for $10-$12.
 
Would a big stainless steel salad / mixing bowl work, or would brass vibrating against it just beat the brass up? I've seen them at Walmart / Ocean State Job Lots / etc for $10-$12.

Don't know, the trick is having some sort of secure lid. I might just go back to my old setup using my wife's treadmill. Simple, cheap, easy (provided she's not on it)

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I have 2 midway tumblers and a large lyman tumbler. I have an extra bowl for the midways and a lyman 600 bowl that is tiny but it fits and works fine on the midways. I used it to molydust rifle bullets, mica dusted cast bullets that were lubed with liquid alox, and polished a few non gun related items. One of the midway bowls split at the seam and I just repaired it with some blue rtv. It works ok.

A stainless steel salad bowl doesn't have the raised center to direct the flow of media and brass. I suppose you could add something with epoxy holding it. Some tumblers have vented lids and some commercial sized ones don't have lids at all.
 
I've been running the Lyman 1200 "Pumpkin" for over 25 years, never had a problem.
I've had that thing loaded up way heavy too.
The foam pad under the bowl is pretty tired and flattened out, but the thing just keeps chugging along.
IIRC, I paid about $100 for it from Toms Handloading Center (remember them?) back in the mid 80's.
I thought it was a bit expensive at the time, but it's lasted me over a quarter century so far.
Got it running right now with about 500-600 9mm's.
 
Don't know, the trick is having some sort of secure lid. I might just go back to my old setup using my wife's treadmill. Simple, cheap, easy (provided she's not on it)

Tumbler%20-%20lowres.jpg

Bravo [cheers]

All I have to go by is the handrails and the motor hood, but I'm guessing an old startrac 1800?
 
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