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Tumbling with SS Media
- Thread starter Bob J
- Start date
38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
yeah awesome. i need to get set up for this. i really don't like the traditional tumbler with my two little kids.
i would like to have clean brass and no nasty dust all over the place in the reloading room. even bringing it outside, i still don't want to mess with the stuff
i would like to have clean brass and no nasty dust all over the place in the reloading room. even bringing it outside, i still don't want to mess with the stuff
After watching some videos on SS tumbling and reading this thread, I decided to try and make my own tumbler also. I live in an apartment so a big unit isn’t really an option (which is why I have been doing ultrasonic cleaning up until now). Also I don’t really have the tools needed to make a tumbler from scratch so I decided to use a desktop printer that work was throwing out. After pulling it mostly apart, I rigged up an old laptop power source and added a desktop fan that I had laying around for cooling. It was running a bit too fast so I purchased something called a pulse width modulator online and now it works like a charm. The thing even comes with a remote so I can dial it up or down to get the rotation just right. I added some plastic conduit clamps to the container to act as agitators and they seem to do the trick. It can’t do big batches with my current container but all it cost was around $25 for the media and maybe $20 for the modulator and clamps. I don’t know how long it will hold up but the motor was fine after running for two hours. There were also 2 other motors in the printer so if the primary dies hopefully I can switch them out. So far I like the results.
Here it is with the container but before the modulator was installed:
Shown with PMW:
223 range brass before:
223 range brass after:
Here it is with the container but before the modulator was installed:
Shown with PMW:
223 range brass before:
223 range brass after:
![[thumbsup]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/044.gif "Thumbs Up [thumbsup]")
I need to get into one of these. I'm not a fan of the dust involved with dry tumbling. What do you folks do about decapping first though? I've got a Dillon universal decapping die but I don't really want to run dirty brass through my case feeder and press.
Bob J
NES Member
I decap before I SS tumble.... One of the nice things about the SS media is it does a great job of cleaning the primer pocket and the risk of a plugged flash hole is virtually nil.....
Personally, I decap on a separate press. I did it on my 550 once, and you're right, it made a mess.
One of the first handful of batches I cleaned resulted in one case with two pins, parallel to each other, jammed in a case's flash hole. I'm very careful about checking before priming now. Maybe I'm unlucky, but I don't know that I'd agree with "virtually nil".
I decap everything on the same single stage I reload on using a universal die. Around the ram gets a little dirty but not too bad; just get a small $1 paintbrush and brush it off. That being said, I am thinking about getting the Lee handpress so I can decap while sitting on the couch and not have to set up the press.
Edit: I've never used a progressive so as now that I think about it the dirt/burned powder may collect in the workings and need a good cleanings once in a while.
Edit: I've never used a progressive so as now that I think about it the dirt/burned powder may collect in the workings and need a good cleanings once in a while.
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nightpoison
NES Member
I just picked up a full kit from STM and am doing prep right now. I picked up a Harvey deprimer and spent two hours in front of my tv last night and went through about 1k pieces of brass. Wasnt bad, time consuming, but not bad. Keep in mind I'm new to reloading so I'm learning as I go.
Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One S via tapatalk
Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One S via tapatalk
I just don't want to make a mess on my press. Most of my brass isn't too bad, but when it's been muddy it can get pretty dirty.
What happens if you don't decap before SS tumbling?
Bob J
NES Member
No problem as far as my experience..... Just doesn't clean the primer pocket..... Like most of the posters here I decap/resize on a single stage to keep the associated crap out of my dillon..... I still use a standard vibratory tumbler to remove range crud before this step to protect my dies and use the SS media after decapping since it does such a great job of cleaning....
Does anyone tumble with SS media without decapping first?
I get that it gets the primer pockets clean, but I never clean primer pockets anyway, and I'm not crazy about adding another step to the process.
I get that it gets the primer pockets clean, but I never clean primer pockets anyway, and I'm not crazy about adding another step to the process.
How long do they take to dry without decapping them?
I did and it works fine for the most part.
I will say though that with rifle brass, decapping would make it easier to get the water out of the brass, especially with .223. The mouth of the case is small enough that the surface tension of the water makes it's little bit of an effort to get the water out.
Unfortunately I can't say for certain, I haven't yet had to run a batch in a hurry. After they come out, I pat/roll dry them on a towel and then lay them in front of a dehumidifier for ~90 minutes. They're dry when I get back to them. As Paul indicated, I'm sure this works better with wide-open pistol brass than bottlenecked rifle.
I have a welder and the ability to make these so I want to try to make one. Is yours an 8" drum? 6" PVC is a lot less cheaper, would a narrower yet longer drum be as useful?
Thanks
Chris
Thanks
Chris
Bigdawg Tumbler with the large drum:
It's an 8" drum. I'm sure a 6" drum would be fine, assuming you put agitators in it. If I had to do it all over again I may have gone with the smaller drum. It is is heavy and unwieldy when full of SS media, brass, and water. It would be a lot easier if I had a sink in my basement rather than having to bring it up to the kitchen or bathroom.
For me the biggest PITA is decapping. Drying, if they've been decapped, isn't an issue. I did most of brass when I first got it a few months ago. I've haven't run it in a while. I should experiment with running some pistol brass without decapping.
I built my own. Well actually, I more configured my treadmill to double as a tumbler. It was cheap, and cleans brass the best I have ever seen. Check out my thread in the build it yourself section. Here is a video of it. It's crude looking, but works like a charm.
Treadmill- 50 bucks off Craigslist
15 lbs of SMS media- 125 bucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpk7CAkIfVo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Treadmill- 50 bucks off Craigslist
15 lbs of SMS media- 125 bucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpk7CAkIfVo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I'm in.
I just ordered a Thumlers Model B and some media.
How do you people dry the cases?
What's the best way to separate the media? I have an RCBS Media separator. Can I use that?
I just ordered a Thumlers Model B and some media.
How do you people dry the cases?
What's the best way to separate the media? I have an RCBS Media separator. Can I use that?
I place them on a table with an old towel underneath. If I want to speed things up I turn on the fan. My basement is pretty dry, A/C on most of the summer and forced hot air in the winter.
Sure, I use my frankford arsenal media separator. Turn it slowly at first so you don't fling the pins around. The good thing is you can easily pick up the stray pins with a strong magnet.
I hang a clamp light over them for an hour or two and they are good to go. I only do small batches though so would probably need more than one for larger runs.
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Zone-Cl...F8&qid=1346155201&sr=8-2&keywords=clamp+light
Bob J
NES Member
I use an RCBS media separator.... Only trick is to fill the bottom part with water so you don't have the surface tension sticking the pins to the cases... A couple of spins and the media is in the bottom of the separator and the brass is ready to go....
I air dry on a towel.... I use very hot water with a couple of drops of dawn when I am separating the media and give the brass a couple of quick spins in another (dry) media separator to remove the excess water..... The rest evaporates quickly.....
asp
NES Member
I've been reading a lot about this and I think I'm going to start as well. I found this post and looked into the company a little bit further. They are asking only $25/5lbs vs STM's price of $45/5 lbs for what I think is the same stuff.
Here is their info:
Pellets LLC
63 Industrial Drive
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
716-693-1750
I'm planning on making my own tumbler. Will report back when it's done.
Here is their info:
Pellets LLC
63 Industrial Drive
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
716-693-1750
I'm planning on making my own tumbler. Will report back when it's done.
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See?... This is why I love this place.
asp
NES Member
Good to know, thank you. Is the media you got from Pellets LLC 316 or 304? 316 is a little more corrosion resistant but usually a fair bit more expensive regardless of the shape. I wonder if that's how Pellets LLC does it a little cheaper. In a marine or laboratory setting I can see it making a difference but I'm sure either one would be just fine for our use.
