Saw this at SHOT - Frankford Arsenal SS media wet tumbler kit & mo

[ZackJones]

Guys, pouring the used liquid down the drain is like "spit in the ocean". It just doesn't matter.

Atlantic or Pacific? I think it would make a difference

BTW I grew up in W-S.

[ClintDismore]

I have a septic tank. Anyone know of any pour effects it could have in that?

[Steve RA]

Not sure I'd put it into a septic tank, might not be good for the bacteria. I'd probably just dig a hole and pour it down that.

[zaphar]

This might be interesting: http://www.ehow.com/how_7860597_use-acid-control-soluble-lead.html

It states that citric acid is used as a chelating agent for lead and allows it to be absorbed by plants. Knowing that, don't dump it near any plant edibles

[ZackJones]

That article brought up an interesting point. I spend hours at the shooting range and never once thought about lead. I guess I'll just dump it down the bathroom sink if I decide to get one.

[Babaganoosh]

Guys, pouring the used liquid down the drain is like "spit in the ocean". It just doesn't matter.

Yeah it sure does. I've surfed for years and a lot of us end up with upper respiratory infections after a rainstorm that flushes everything you yahoos dump onto your lawns and into the street.

[gp79]

I won't doubt the stated volume but with only 5lbs of media, I can promise it will be neither efficient or effective. Tumbling time would need to be greatly increased. I have little to no experience with FA products but I place them in the category with Harbor Freight. For the price, you could build your own 2.5 gallon rotary tumbler that will likely outlast most of us here on this forum.

[ZackJones]

FWIW while this was being discussed I emailed Frankford Arsenal asking about dumping the water. Below is the reply I received today:

"The cleaning solution is environmental friendly so it is safe to pour down the sink or dispose of outside. If there is anything else I can do for you please let me know. I hope you have a great week!"

Given that I may try wet tumbling at some point in the future. I really like the super shiny brass.

[snoog37]

Their media to brass ratio is obviously different than yours.

As you said, it's a 7 liter drum, and comes with 5# of brass.

Haven't done the math yet, but I'd still be pretty OK with 750 .223 cases in it at a time.

Everything I have ever read on wet tumbling says you need at LEAST a lb more tumbling media than brass and the more media to brass you have the faster and better it works. So 5lbs of media would=4lbs of brass or about 285 pieces. 1000 pieces would be 4x what I would want to use, 750 at least 3x. Trying to put 1000 pieces in(if it even fits, I have my doubts on that) with 5lbs of media would take hours and hours and hours to do. I do 1500 at a time in a 3 gallon with 25lbs of media and the longest I need to tumble ever is 2 hours and thats to remove sizing lube. If all im doing is cleaning pistol cases with no lube, an hour does it.

Not trying to badmouth the product, but their claims are no where near what I would say will work from my experience with a tumbler that is almost 2x that size.

Reading the product sheet explains that the 1k of 223 brass would be with NO media sis pins in with it, none. It never claimed to hold the ss pins AND the 1k of brass. Edited February 5, 2014 by snoog37

[tires2burn]

I don't understand where the lead contaminated water comes from.

[tires2burn]

How does the water get contaminated by the lead. The lead is gone.

Edited February 11, 2014 by tires2burn

[Steve RA]

It's mostly powder and primer residue. Priming compounds have lead in them ( although the new ones, like in the "hated" small primer .45s are a different compound).

[RDA]

I don't understand where the lead contaminated water comes from.

From the cleaning process. There is lead residue on spent cartridges from the primer (and also potentially the bullet).

[s4alex]

So, space not being an issue, would I get the same result in going to harbor freight and buying a cement mixer, a few pounds of ss media?

I am tempted to get this because of the smallness. My small ultrasonic is running strong, but way too small to do a lot of cases. I have a couple hundred pounds of 223 that I need to get processed, trying to figure out which is the better option for me to go with.

Cement or Tumbler?

[rmantoo]

For quantities in the 100+lb range, I'd definitely go with a cement mixer...Unless it's only a one time thing.... if you plan ov buying and cleaning that much again and again, then, again, cement mixer.

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[808win]

I wonder what Frankford Arsenal's thoughts are regarding the dezincification issue?

[RDA]

So, space not being an issue, would I get the same result in going to harbor freight and buying a cement mixer, a few pounds of ss media?

I am tempted to get this because of the smallness. My small ultrasonic is running strong, but way too small to do a lot of cases. I have a couple hundred pounds of 223 that I need to get processed, trying to figure out which is the better option for me to go with.

Cement or Tumbler?

You are going to need a lot more than a few pounds of media if you plan to take advantage of that mixer.

[Liferlance]

Lol

[Steve RA]

You can clean pretty well in a mixer with just water and Dawn if you aren't overly concerned about the inside. It will get washed out but not cleaned like with pins.

[ano]

Got mine, I ran 1200? or so 38 special through it. no problems! 500 6.5x55 rifle brass etc.

I have 2x of the new stainlesstumblingmedia.com thingy from before. (extreme 17?)

frankford stainless

pros:

CAPACITY, hands down, takes a ton without slipping, its amazing how many lbs of brass it takes

Timer

Very easy to poor dirty water, rinse, water out etc, brass stays inside with pins, no need for the routine they do in instructions, its wasteing time

Cons

Noisy!! in comparison, very noisy

The lids.. sheesh! it will leak, like an old wooden boat for some short time before sealing. I have large hands, and they are just not large enough.

Overall superhappy with it, it takes insane capacity, my separator can't keep up!

For thoose smaller loads Im gonna use my stainlesstumblingmedia.com model as its quiet and much easier to work with, but for thoose large loads, its amazing.

The actual separator and after wet tumbleing is same for both frankford arsenal and stainlesstumblingmedia

I pour dirty water out of either manufacturer drum, then clean water inn, dirty out, clean inn say 5-6-7-8 times depending on ammount of brass, basicly until you see the soap is out.

Then I poor entire content into separator, there is no bothering with the magnets, I do this almost dry! no need for lid on separator, just do it slowly, maybe 20-30 seconds of turning is required. then I poor the pins from the tray, usuually with just enough water back into the containers

Now I run fresh water baths for the brass and tumble, just 5-10 secs of tumbeling should get any soap out. 2 baths is enough.

now I put paper towels into with the brass, say length of 3-6 feet, first sheets will be WET, then as you progress drier and drier. at the end brass will appear dry, and I poor it out on a towel and let dry overnight. this way I get no stains (any water will stain when drying)

[rjacobs]

now I put paper towels into with the brass, say length of 3-6 feet, first sheets will be WET, then as you progress drier and drier. at the end brass will appear dry, and I poor it out on a towel and let dry overnight. this way I get no stains (any water will stain when drying)

Thats a lot of paper towels. Try two bath towels. One to take the majority of the water out, then pour brass into the second bath towel and spread out. Works well, keeps brass from tarnishing.

[Steve RA]

If you will put it into your vibratory tumbler right out of the separator with walnut or corncob and Nu-Finish it will dry the brass and make it even better looking. Also, of course, deprime before tumbling in the pins.

[cbrconst]

+1 for Frankford SS wet tumbler

[Lead slinger]

Just finished my wet tumbler. Works awesome.

https://vimeo.com/104846702

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