Tumbler advice

[Swanny10]

This is not a Dillon specific question necessarily. But I am in the market for a small tumbler. Something small that will run 100-150 9's at a time. All options are on the table. Sonic, vibratory, homemade, etc.

Opinions?

[Mikelindsey]

Get the small Dillon. It's the quietest and you know you've got a great warranty.

[Steve RA]

Whatever you get, be sure and get a media separator with it.

[dc4ou]

I have a Thumbler Tumbler and it is awesome!!! I can't imagine a better tumbler. I think they make a small one.

[tstuart34]

This is not a Dillon specific question necessarily. But I am in the market for a small tumbler. Something small that will run 100-150 9's at a time. All options are on the table. Sonic, vibratory, homemade, etc.

Opinions?

Harbor freight has a dual rotary tumbler. I can't remember how many 9mm but I think it's about 100 rounds. Wait for the 20% coupon. 1 or so lbs of ss media dish soap and lemon shine if you want them shiney.

I started out with one and decided to step up to a big home made unit. My last batch I did about 1000 rounds of 9Mm in about a 2 hrs.

38 special... But bling

Edited April 20, 2015 by tstuart34

[Brassaholic13]

Harbor Freight is what you're after.

Once you start wet tumbling, you'll never go back.

[Zzapp]

I saw the issue of lead in vibratory brass cleaners, how is the lead issue dealt with in a wet tumbler.

[Matt1]

I would imagine the majority of any lead contamination would get poured out when you pour the water down the drain?

The fact there's no dust to deal with is a plus for me too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cecil]

I also use a wet tumbler... no dust or lead to breathe .. and your brass will look like new..

[usmc90]

does anyone happen to know the part number for the wet tumbler from harbor frieght?

[Swanny10]

Get the small Dillon. It's the quietest and you know you've got a great warranty.

I've got 2 large Dillons and am very happy with them. I have 1 small one and it won't circulate the brass. Sent it to them. They sent it back. No apparent fixes made to it. Still doesn't work worth a damn.

[RDA]

does anyone happen to know the part number for the wet tumbler from harbor frieght?

A few seconds on the Internet:

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-rotary-rock-tumbler-67631.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html

[9x45]

I saw the issue of lead in vibratory brass cleaners, how is the lead issue dealt with in a wet tumbler.

Of course there is a fractional amount of lead from combustion of the primer (lead styphnate) but most of any lead shooters get is from breathing in the gun exhaust during firing. Lead does not go thru the skin, it has to be inhaled or ingested. If you have not had your blood lead level checked yet, you should. Wet tumbling does very little as lead styphnate is barfely soluble in water. So what's really going on is just the residual particles in the case, mostly powder soot. The way to minimize the dust in a vibratory is to 'load' the tumbling media. My method is to tumble in walnut loaded with a teaspoon of mineral oil in an open tumbler. There is zero dust and the mineral oil wets out the case, cleaning it and making it much easier and faster to shine up, plus the tumbling media lasts far longer. The second step is to tumble in corn cob loaded with a teaspoon or so of liquid car polish. Gets the cases super shiney and slippey for the loader. I currently have a Frankfort Arsenal Quick-N-EZ and an old model 1292 Midway. Each of these will hold several hundred rounds of 9mm. I have replaced the bowel on the on the 1292 with one from Harbor Freight after 14 years of continuous use.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/587176/frankford-arsenal-quick-n-ez-case-tumbler-110-volt

http://www.armslist.com/posts/2729317/indianiapolis-indiana-ammo-for-sale--midway-brass-tumbler-model-1292

http://www.harborfreight.com/metal-vibratory-tumbler-replacement-bowl-69225.html

Nasty dirty corrroded unhappy range brass to happy shiny ready to load and shoot again...

Edited April 21, 2015 by 9x45

[Steve RA]

I'm not sure if the OP wants to stainless pin or dry tumble ???

[RDA]

I'm not sure if the OP wants to stainless pin or dry tumble ???

I read it as he is wide open to suggests with the comment "All options are on the table. Sonic, vibratory, homemade, etc.".

[icestud]

I love my Frankford Arsenal Platinum series rotary case tumbler

[Mikelindsey]

id like to hear more about wet tumbling, what do you use, basicly why a wet tumbler vs a dry one. thanks

[nicholastheczar]

I use both.

For pistol, I wet tumble first and then go through my loading steps and then dry tumble the loaded ammo to remove the case lube.

For rifle, I dry tumble to get any crud off the brass then size, deprime, and trim. I then wet tumble my sized brass to get the case lube off and clean the primer pockets and the load the clean rifle brass.

For my wet tumbler I use the SS pins with a little bit of lemishine and dawn soap in hot water. My wet tumbler is home made and I can do about 1200 pieces of 9mm at a time. I have a timer on my tumbler and set it for 1 hour and my brass comes out looking like new. I use a dillon media separator to remove the pins from the brass and spray with cold water from the hose. I dump the brass out on a towel and then drop a rare earth magnet in my brass to get any left over pins and to grab any steel cases I missed (usually S&B ). I use the bowling ball method to dry my brass and then let it sit in the sun for an hour or two to really dry it out.

Wet tumbling cleans brass so much better IMO but I still have a need for both in my loading system.

Nick

Edited April 20, 2015 by nicholastheczar

[heaman]

I use this tumbler from Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html?hftref=cj

I ditched the rubber drums and made a single drum from 4" PVC. I tumble approx 250-275 9mm at a time. You could get the single drum model if you wanted to do 100-150 but I find myself wanting more capacity out of the one I have now.

[eern]

This ^^^ is why I don't wet tumble. Lot of work. It is the cleanest brass but a lot of extra steps and I was always concerned the brass was not dry and would cause issues with the powder or primer. Dry tumbling is just simplier and does a good job.

[Brassaholic13]

This ^^^ is why I don't wet tumble. Lot of work. It is the cleanest brass but a lot of extra steps and I was always concerned the brass was not dry and would cause issues with the powder or primer. Dry tumbling is just simplier and does a good job.

It's not much more work at all. The only extra steps are to rinse the soapy water off and lay it on a towel to dry.

I vibratory tumbled for decades, until I finally broke down a year or so ago and built a wet tumbler. Will NEVER go back to dry, and have never heard anyone who wet tumbles say differently.

[ToddKS]

I highly recommend the Thumlers tumblers. I have a UV18 and UV45. Buy once and it should last a lifetime.

I wash the brass in Lemishine and Dawn prior to tumbling.

[Swanny10]

I'm not sure if the OP wants to stainless pin or dry tumble ???

I read it as he is wide open to suggests with the comment "All options are on the table. Sonic, vibratory, homemade, etc.".

^^this^^

[cecil]

I use a Thumblers Tumbler.. it a metal drum lined with rubber... I put about 600 - 9mm brass that has been de-primed, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, 1 teaspoon of Lemon Shine and one gallon of water & 5 lbs of stainless steel pins.. tumble for a hour.. rinse then dry my brass in a dehydrator.. brass looks like new inside & out..

[Jimk60]

One of the (IMHO) steps that really makes wet tumbling more desirable is to de-prime your brass first.

1. De-priming makes the primer pocket available for cleaning.

2. It removes one of the main contaminants, lead, from the process.

3. It greatly improves the dry ability after cleaning and washing. Both ends are open allowing air flow.

4. If not de-primed, it introduces the possibly of adding lead to the wet process, the primer itself holds water and complicates the drying process.

I went from Vibratory (hated it) to home built wet tumbling. I will never go back.