JigSaw Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 I was poking around at the topics all over the forum lately and realized I haven't posted my Brass Tumbler. I started a reloading business several years ago and got to a point where I needed to clean brass at a much faster rate than I though. I bought a Kobalt Polymer cement mixer and modified the blades of it so that the brass and media would make a weaving motion while spinning. It was originally purchased for coating lead bullets, and ended up being the best speed brass tumbler I've ever owned. It was given to a friend in Houston when I moved and every time I polish brass now I cringe and think about this monster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Doc Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Do you think the blades are needed? I use mine without blades but I was wondering if the polishing process is faster with the blades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JigSaw Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share Posted May 24, 2015 I tested it with No blade, 2" plastic angles stuck in 3 spots, the stock blades, and the modified blades. It turned out that the modified blades did the best, which is convenient because I welded them in place and powder coated them for extra protection. In the video I have it a bit overloaded w/ brass. It needed either less brass or more media to be perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
explosivewhale Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 What is is the deal with the modified blades? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
explosivewhale Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 I like this idea because my tumbler is taking hours.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bkreutz Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Here's what I use, around $100 at Harbor Freight. Cheaper if you watch for coupons. (I've been using this for over a year now) That's a 5 gallon plastic bucket that I shoved in the mixer and glued PVC strips to agitate the brass and pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 I took that Harbour Freight mixer and lined the inside with 1/2 rubber mat and the caulked the seams. Great for brass washing. The rubber provides enough friction to lift the brass and just roll it over if run at the correct angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icestud Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 I would think you could have the inside coated with Line-X or Rhino lining too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
explosivewhale Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Here's what I use, around $100 at Harbor Freight. Cheaper if you watch for coupons. (I've been using this for over a year now) That's a 5 gallon plastic bucket that I shoved in the mixer and glued PVC strips to agitate the brass and pins. Wouldn't it have been easier to buy the polymer tub mixer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JigSaw Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 The polymer tub mixer isn't cheap. A little over $300 if I recall correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JigSaw Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 What is is the deal with the modified blades? The original purpose for the mixer was to coat bullets. I did a bunch of testing and found a better way, so I did a bunch more testing on the blades to see which design would "weave" the brass and media together. The contoured blades w/ a gap in the center did a great job so I powder coated them and never waited long on clean brass again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD1 Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 In the video, is that a squirrel cage fan blowing in to the mixer? Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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