Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 04:12:00 PM

Title: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 04:12:00 PM: So im looking at getting a new tumbler and ran across a hexagonal tumbler that uses stainless steel tumbling media. Looked prety sweet, does anybody uses this stuff? If not what do you use?

Thanks
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: JimmyHoffa on July 24, 2015, 04:15:49 PM: Dream of one day getting a stainless steel media tumbler. Right now I use a Frankford Arsenal round tumbler and lyman walnut media with turbocharge. It works alright for the outsides. For really dirty brass I have to hit it with ultrafine sandpaper and steelwool. Then tumble for a few days. With stainless or ultrasonic, no need for all that, plus they clean the insides and primer pockets.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: deerdog on July 24, 2015, 04:16:26 PM: I use stainless media and really like it.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 04:21:40 PM: http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

There deluxe kit is 279 for everything.

Think i should give it a shot?
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: NW-GSP on July 24, 2015, 04:25:26 PM: I have a buddy that now runs a business for cleaning brass and he uses stainless steel media. The brass looks amazing!
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 04:49:30 PM: Do you know how long the stainless media lasts?
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: magnumb on July 24, 2015, 05:37:16 PM: I use 2 Lyman Turbo tumblers, both with walnut media.

The standard sized Lyman tumbler for my big game brass and the largest Lyman Tumbler for my thousands of .223 brass. Both end up doing an excellent job and the brass from each comes out as shiny and clean as I desire. The longer it's tumbled, the more the effect. Turn it on, go to bed, get up and your work is done.......for now.... ;).

No matter the unit you choose, a well established brand name might be best.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: BULLBLASTER on July 24, 2015, 06:27:01 PM: Quote from: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 04:49:30 PM
Do you know how long the stainless media lasts?
Should be forever. Or until you lose it.
It is very nice but you have to dry the brass and media after it runs. I'd like to have it but can't justify the money over my 2$ ribs tumbler and $12 media every 3-4 years.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 06:58:25 PM: What media are you running BULLBLASTER
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: BULLBLASTER on July 24, 2015, 07:08:10 PM: Quote from: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 06:58:25 PM
What media are you running BULLBLASTER
Cheap cabelas corn cob media and the polish cabelas sells. Just got new media. If I didn't already have this set up I would probably go stainless
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: fly-by on July 24, 2015, 07:39:43 PM: Frankford tumbler, steel pins, Cascade dishwasher soap. Works great.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 07:48:46 PM: Nice! i think im going to get the STW one and just oven dry the brass :tup:
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: BULLBLASTER on July 24, 2015, 07:52:53 PM: Quote from: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 07:48:46 PM
Nice! i think im going to get the STW one and just oven dry the brass :tup:
Cabelas has the set up for around $180 I think. My buddy uses rubber made containers and a fan to dry the brass and has a big harbor freight magnet to separate the media
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: HawkCreek on July 24, 2015, 07:54:24 PM: I've only got a Lyman Turbo and walnut media but it works great with a few tricks (mineral spirits and NuFinish). I do admit though I am jealous of the SS cleaning the primer pockets for you.

3x fired brass after after being tumbled for 2 hours:

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi252.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh29%2FHawkCreek_photos%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2FIMAG0628_zps753b0d7f.jpg&hash=867161ac726f65a6909eda424353f99bf358234a)
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: fly-by on July 24, 2015, 08:04:46 PM: I throw my brass in the dryer (when my wife is not home). Those half-mesh bags used for fishing waders work well. A small towel in the bag to reduces the noise yet still allows everything to move around. Zip tie the double zippers together. Takes about 15 minutes.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 08:14:40 PM: Thats a good idea to. Cabelas has the STW tumbler?
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 1J04 on July 28, 2015, 02:16:36 PM: Thumlers Tumbler/Stainless Steel Media. Buy once and cry once. You will have no regrets.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: yorketransport on July 28, 2015, 08:25:42 PM: A friend of mine made his own tumbler for the stainless media out of a 1 gallon plastic bottle and a rock tumbler. He throws everything into the bottle, adds the media and water, then leaves it on the rock tumbler. It's one of the tumbler that rolls the container, not the vibrating kind. It cost him about $20 at a garage sale.

I just use a mix of corn cob and walnut in my Lyman tumbler. The brass doesn't need to be super shiny, just clean enough that it isn't going to damage my dies when I'm loading it.

Andrew
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on July 28, 2015, 08:32:55 PM: Thats not a bad idea there hahaha :yeah:
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: 2labs on July 28, 2015, 08:38:31 PM: I don't reload large quantitys so I chuck up my lee shell holder in my cordless and some 000 steel wool and in about 10 seconds have nice looking shiny brass.
Also cleans primer pockets pretty well.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: TVHunts on July 31, 2015, 07:26:29 PM: Quote from: HawkCreek on July 24, 2015, 07:54:24 PM
I've only got a Lyman Turbo and walnut media but it works great with a few tricks (mineral spirits and NuFinish). I do admit though I am jealous of the SS cleaning the primer pockets for you.

3x fired brass after after being tumbled for 2 hours:

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi252.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh29%2FHawkCreek_photos%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2FIMAG0628_zps753b0d7f.jpg&hash=867161ac726f65a6909eda424353f99bf358234a)

That brass looks nice. How much mineral spirits and unfinished do you use?

I have been using a combo of corn cob and Zilla fine crushed walnut shells. You can get 5 qts of the Zilla at Petco for around 8.00. After an overnight tumble it looks real nice but, I have never used anything that will clean the primer pockets like I have seen SS do.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: HawkCreek on July 31, 2015, 09:44:39 PM: Quote from: TVHunts on July 31, 2015, 07:26:29 PM
Quote from: HawkCreek on July 24, 2015, 07:54:24 PM
I've only got a Lyman Turbo and walnut media but it works great with a few tricks (mineral spirits and NuFinish). I do admit though I am jealous of the SS cleaning the primer pockets for you.

3x fired brass after after being tumbled for 2 hours:

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi252.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh29%2FHawkCreek_photos%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2FIMAG0628_zps753b0d7f.jpg&hash=867161ac726f65a6909eda424353f99bf358234a)

That brass looks nice. How much mineral spirits and unfinished do you use?

I have been using a combo of corn cob and Zilla fine crushed walnut shells. You can get 5 qts of the Zilla at Petco for around 8.00. After an overnight tumble it looks real nice but, I have never used anything that will clean the primer pockets like I have seen SS do.

Only about a cap full of NuFinish and the same for mineral spirits. The real trick is to have plenty of brass in there. I usually have my Lyman 1200 over half full of brass before I add the treated media and begin tumbling.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: BULLBLASTER on February 08, 2016, 07:36:16 PM: Old thread alert.
I pulled the trigger on a stainless media tumbler
Anyone have pointers on how to dry the brass? The fiancé said I could use her hair dryer, have a portable heater on it now.

Sucks to be seating primers and find the brass still wet. :chuckle:
Any sure way to tell if it's dry inside also?
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: Fl0und3rz on February 08, 2016, 07:44:37 PM: Shake the water out, then put em on tinfoil in the oven at about 200 for about 15 minutes, then let cool in the oven.

I used to do that when I would liquid clean brass before I got a tumbler. Never found wet brass.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: DRobnsn on February 08, 2016, 09:02:15 PM: Currently I'm using a Frankfort vibratory tumbler walnut media and some cheap polish from sportsmans. I'm going to try a concrete mixer with stainless media and dish soap in the next couple months though. I figure I'll just build a screen to filter out the media and water when complete and stick the mixer next to my shop Woodstove with the fan blowing in it and run it until they are dry.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: The Gobble-stopper on February 09, 2016, 12:07:43 AM: I am currently using one of the first vibrating machines made. I have always used a combo of corncob and walnut with the preloaded polish. I recently decided, after some 30 years to change out the media. Well I did not make it to a gun shop. But did stop by a pet store looking for something else. When I spotted a bad of corncob media, that is for pet bedding. I thought what the heck . I bought it, through some shells in it a ran it for about an hour. Without adding any polish. I was surprised to find out the shells came out every bit as clean. And I didn't have to wipe any polish off when I was done... I wish I would have taken pics before I started, because most of the shells I found in an old gravel pit, and they were pretty spotted. Also I must say I would be leary about using the stainless steel shot. I am an avid rock polishing fan. And the first thing I learned was, use harder grit then the stones you were polishing, to make sure you grind them down good. Well in the shell polishing, I do not believe you want to grind the shells. (stainless is much harder than brass). You only want to remove the soft dirt, oils etc, from the shell. That's why we use corn or walnut. Does that make sense. I could possibly see using stainless would wear the outside and possibly the inside of the shells. Causing possibly pressure issues etc. And shorting the longevity of the life of the shell. Right now I reload my shells more then 30 times with no problems.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: RadSav on February 09, 2016, 02:48:03 AM: Stainless shot is a burnishing media and not an aggressive media. I wouldn't worry about it. But it is too heavy for most counter top vibratory tumblers. I've never tried brass in our magnetic tumblers, but I have been thinking about trying it.

I still use walnut most of the time. Never with polishing compound! I don't want grit on anything after tumbling. If I need aggressive removal of gunk on the shells or in the primer pockets I use an ultrasonic cleaner for that. Their cheap at Harbor Freight, though I do have a large RCBS model. Though it gets the most use as a cleaner for plastic mold inserts.
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: lokidog on February 09, 2016, 09:17:18 AM: Quote from: RadSav on February 09, 2016, 02:48:03 AM
Stainless shot is a burnishing media and not an aggressive media. I wouldn't worry about it. But it is too heavy for most counter top vibratory tumblers. I've never tried brass in our magnetic tumblers, but I have been thinking about trying it.

I still use walnut most of the time. Never with polishing compound! I don't want grit on anything after tumbling. If I need aggressive removal of gunk on the shells or in the primer pockets I use an ultrasonic cleaner for that. Their cheap at Harbor Freight, though I do have a large RCBS model. Though it gets the most use as a cleaner for plastic mold inserts.

What do you use for your cleaning liquid? I just bought one of the 2.5 quart sonic cleaners, mostly for my outboard carbs after dunking them. :o
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: jasnt on February 09, 2016, 09:34:16 AM: I use a sonic cleaner. It's quiet, quicker than tumbling and no media stuck in flash pockets. Only down side is I have to let them dry before loading. Normal I clean right before I aneal (every 5th loading)so I have to dry them anyway. Jme
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: jasnt on February 09, 2016, 05:42:54 PM: Quote from: lokidog on February 09, 2016, 09:17:18 AM
Quote from: RadSav on February 09, 2016, 02:48:03 AM
Stainless shot is a burnishing media and not an aggressive media. I wouldn't worry about it. But it is too heavy for most counter top vibratory tumblers. I've never tried brass in our magnetic tumblers, but I have been thinking about trying it.

I still use walnut most of the time. Never with polishing compound! I don't want grit on anything after tumbling. If I need aggressive removal of gunk on the shells or in the primer pockets I use an ultrasonic cleaner for that. Their cheap at Harbor Freight, though I do have a large RCBS model. Though it gets the most use as a cleaner for plastic mold inserts.

What do you use for your cleaning liquid? I just bought one of the 2.5 quart sonic cleaners, mostly for my outboard carbs after dunking them. :o
i use lemi shine and a drop of dawn. Works great
Title: Re: What tumbler and media do you use?
Post by: JDHasty on February 09, 2016, 10:08:01 PM: Quote from: BULLBLASTER on July 24, 2015, 07:08:10 PM
Quote from: 257wbymagkiller on July 24, 2015, 06:58:25 PM
What media are you running BULLBLASTER
Cheap cabelas corn cob media and the polish cabelas sells. Just got new media. If I didn't already have this set up I would probably go stainless

Same here, works fine.