My DIY case tumbler

[Dutchie]

Made the tumbler out of scrap stuff i found at work.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_205734e886714731e7.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2316)

so the frame as build.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_205734e886746b7e85.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2317)

A piece of tyre to give more friction.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_205734e88677d3894c.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2318)

and in the storage ,plug in the power an round it goes .almost no sound.
Rice as media.

I used to clean with dishwasher soap and water (the little secret is in the cannister, no glue,no holes)
But at the moment i am testing with ordinary rice, soon i will test with salt.

Hans.




http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_205734e88678dee356.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2319)http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/205734e88679aea18a.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2320)http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_205734e8867b8c57d2.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2321)

[leftiye]

Nice werk!

[Triggerhappy]

Nothing wrong with that!

[plmitch]

nice little set up there

[HollowPoint]

Excellent idea; and Rice as a tumbling medium too.

I've never even considered that. I see how it would stop me from having to pick the small kernels of tumbling medium I'm using now out of my brass's flash holes.

Hope you don't mind if I ask; What kind of shine does it give your brass?

HollowPoint

[Dutchie]

@ HollowPoint.

What kind of shine does it give your brass?

like this.
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff414/Gansinator/Gunzz/IMGP0322crop44cases.jpg

I'm still testing with rice.The first time i use it it works best,disadvantage is the number that get stuck in the flash holes, primer pockets.
Normally I decap and resize the cases first.The picture was with test 3 or 4 , they have to tumble longer and the rice gets black/dirty and also smaller.Less grains get stuck in the holes.
They also get easier removed with a pin or something.

The next thing i want to do is tumble the cases first and then resize and decap.Advantage is nothing sticks in any hole and the cases have a very light "oily feel" (fat or oil from the rice grains) which make the upward stoke in the press (carbo die) easier.

After that i have to test tumbling with ordinary kitchen salt.
I expect a very bright shine and of course salt is to small to stick in the flash holes.

Down side , tested rice and 30-06 but was a failure ,extra problem was that too much rice kept stuck IN the case.The outsides were clean enough.

But there is the next test is to grind some rice first or use broken rice.

Also NOT tested cases with a small primer like .357

Hans.

[HollowPoint]

Looks good enough for general plinking.

Using the store bought tumbling medium, I generally wash my fired brass in that citrus solution listed in one of the other posts on this site. That in itself polishes the surface of my brass to a certain extend.

I think if I did that and then maybe tumbled my brass using your rice medium idea, I might get some pretty clean looking brass. And leaving the decaping and sizing till after you've tumbled them sound like a good idea too; at least for pistol brass. If you get some lodged inside you 06 brass, the 223 brass might surely be a chore to check and clean before reloading.

I still have some store-bought medium left. Once that's all used up I think I'll give the rice a try. Thanks for the reply.

HollowPoint

[Dutchie]

Yw, when i 've done the other tests i'll post them here.

Hans.

P.S.
I used to wash/tumble my brass with braking sand and some phosphate soap (dishwasher), worked very good, but the sand can be a problem in the die later on , so rinse very, very well .Then i used a 98 % acetic-acid additive ( CH3COOH) with HOT water to rinse VERY quick, (the soapy part is gone) which gave a shine so bright U had to put on your sun glasses but when it took too long the cases were brown 4 ever !