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Thread: stainless steel media??

  1. #1
    Boolit Master gandydancer's Avatar
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    stainless steel media??

    I want to try working with stainless steel media. What is the best machine to use?? Thanks gandy
    "The good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army.They may be led astray for a moment,but will soon correct themselves" - Thomas Jefferson

    I wasn't Born in the south but I got there as soon as I could.
    I like this site. MOSTLY good people. good ideas.

    Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't!!
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  2. #2
    Banned

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    for ~ 5# of brass - thumber's tumber model B.

    for more than that look into a small cement mixer.

  3. #3
    Boolit Bub kitsap's Avatar
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    Tumblers..............

    Some good information and ideas here...........

    http://biggdawgtumblers.com/5601.html

    DougF

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    The Bigdawgtumblers look like a nice answer for those folks that require a much larger capacity than the Thumber's Tumblers.

  5. #5
    Black Powder 100%


    cajun shooter's Avatar
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    It appears that the BigDawg tumbler is a nice set up. I will how ever have to say that it all depends on the amount of brass you have and if you need it all done at once.
    I've used a Thumblers model B since the 70's and it has served me well. I shoot SASS matches and shoot nothing but BP and require my cases cleaned both inside and out.
    I usually have 100 or so 44WCF cases from a 5 stage match and my model B does that very easy.
    In fact you may purchase extra pins in 2 pound packages which is what I did.
    I use both the ceramic and the SSpins with the Dawn soap, water(just enough to cover cases and media) and Lemi Shine with the ceramic and you can't tell the difference.
    The biggest difference is that the pins do not jam and stick in the cases as the ceramic does.
    The adjusted prices on the Big Dawg site seem very fair but in all the years I have used the Thumblers model B, I have only replaced a few belts and a new rubber top gasket.
    If you have tons of brass to clean and your time is short then they may help you out. It still remains to be seen how long they last.
    Shooter of the "HOLY BLACK" SASS 81802 AKA FAIRSHAKE; NRA ; BOLD; WARTHOG;Deadwood Marshal;Bayou Bounty Hunter; So That his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat; 44 WCF filled to the top, 210 gr. bullet

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    When BigDawg first started the tumbler craze, he had plans listed to make your own tumbler. I did and it is fantastic. I found some range brass years ago that was head stamped: W.R.A. 1943 .303 that was almost black in color and you couldn't read the head stamp. One trip through the BigDawg tumbler and it practically looks new. I can run as little or as much as the pipe will hold, always turns out beautiful.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    i have the Thumblers 5# model....BUT, the BigDawg is looking realy good....

    love the clean brass from BP Cowboy shoots coming out a spit shined and purdy...

    wyman
    Solvang Shootist
    SASS 60905-Life
    Frontier Cartridge Black Powder Shooter

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    I just tried this stainless-pins media stuff in a Thumlers 5# tumbler. Whotta mess! The drum isn't watertight, soapy water got on the drive rollers so they slipped rather than driving the drum, the media seems to have been better at removing rubber from the drum than dirt from the brass, (the brass wound up darker than when I put it in), and separating the brass took so long that I was wishing I was back to poking corncob bits from the flash-holes. This box of media is going up for sale on Swappin' and Sellin' - that is, as soon as I can figure out how to dry it out.
    Cognitive Dissident

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    uscra,

    You have problems that were probably self created.

    I'm not sure what exact Thumbles model you have and what directions you followed?

  10. #10
    Boolit Bub
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    I sent USCRA a PM about buying media.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    Gandy - here are 217 posts on the subject of SS media and the tumblers. Take a look what has been previously said on the subject ...
    http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...archid=4556074
    Regards
    John

  12. #12
    Boolit Master VHoward's Avatar
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    I use the Thumblers model B tumbler with 5 pounds of stainless steel media and it works well. I book marked bigg dawg tumblers link so I can go there later. I would love to get his medium 8" diameter tumbler with about 10 more pounds of pins. His machine looks a whole lot more sturdy.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master gandydancer's Avatar
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    OK. A Thumler's Tumbler Model B High Speed. $180.00 with 5 lb of SS media & lemon cleaner. $225.00 plus ($30.00 bucks for shipping) L@@ks to be what I need. One more question. How do you dry the brass after cleaning? In the kitchen oven? And to you all for for your information and help. Thank you. Gandy/Tom
    "The good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army.They may be led astray for a moment,but will soon correct themselves" - Thomas Jefferson

    I wasn't Born in the south but I got there as soon as I could.
    I like this site. MOSTLY good people. good ideas.

    Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't!!
    "Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped." — Groucho Marx

    "We are born naked, wet, and hungry. Then things get worse"

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    gd, 10/27/12

    I've got the same setup you ordered and have about five thousand cases through it without problems. The final case appearance is that of a new, unfired case inside and out.

    After tumbling you will need to seperate the pins from the cases. RCBS has a case separator for about $40 that makes it easy.

    As for drying- I just put all the cases base down on a cookie sheet and dry them in the oven at 300 degrees for fifteen minutes. I can also look down the insides of the cases while on the cookie sheet to see if there are any SS pins stuck in the primer flash-hole (I get maybe 2-3% of the cases with stuck pins depending on caliber of case. 9mm seems the worst). This oven temp is nowhere near what the brass temp needs to be to anneal it so there is no weakening of the cases.

    One bit of info- use an old spare cookie sheet so that you keep all your reloading and eating materials separate. Also I am widowed and have free use of the kitchen. Were I still married I might be sleeping in the garage if I used the wife's kitchen in the cleaning/reloading process.

    best wishes- oldandslow

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    One more question. How do you dry the brass after cleaning?
    How to Dry Wet Brass in Under 2 Minutes!
    Last edited by John Boy; 10-26-2012 at 10:04 PM.
    Regards
    John

  16. #16
    Boolit Master gandydancer's Avatar
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    once again you all. thanks for all the Help. GD
    "The good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army.They may be led astray for a moment,but will soon correct themselves" - Thomas Jefferson

    I wasn't Born in the south but I got there as soon as I could.
    I like this site. MOSTLY good people. good ideas.

    Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't!!
    "Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped." — Groucho Marx

    "We are born naked, wet, and hungry. Then things get worse"

  17. #17
    In Remembrance

    DukeInFlorida's Avatar
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    I made my own tumbler, virtually free.
    Works great, and processes fast.

    See it here:
    http://youtu.be/5u4mSA6BbRc


    NRA Life Member
    NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor

    Author of a book on reloading
    ILSA MEMBER http://www.internationallawnsteelsho...ssociation.com
    NRA RANGE SAFETY OFFICER


  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    DRYING,

    Alcohol Bath using 90% Plus Alcohol not the normal 70% Drug Store variety.

    Alcohol will displace the water, then evaporate quickly.

    Alcohol will become diluted eventually and need replacing

    WHY SUCH A HURRY TO DRY AND RELOAD?

    BE CAREFUL, HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, STORE CAREFULLY.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master D Crockett's Avatar
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    tumbler

    I wish I could do pictures I would love to show off the tumbler I made out of a papper folder I got from a frind who works in a print shop. it used to take me 6 to 12 hr to do my brass. and the inside and the primer pockets were still dirty . with the new tumbler and stanless stel meida. I ran the first and second batches there was 150 to 175 pices of brass in each run. it took me 2 hr per batch and it came out clean inside and out even the primer pockets were clean. I do belive my corn cob meidia are a thing of the past now. D Crockett

  20. #20
    Boolit Master D Crockett's Avatar
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    tumbler I made

    this michine started life as a papper folder in a print shop. a friend gave it to me. all I had to do was take a bunch of stuff off and move one roler and presto there is a tumbler for the stanless steel meida only thingis ever few batches I have to replace the teflon tape. best part is I have less than $60 in it. and it cleans the inside , outside , and primer pocket spotless. D Crockett
    Last edited by D Crockett; 10-31-2012 at 12:33 AM.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check