Shake or Spin

[Woody's]

Going to be getting case tumbler and looking for opinions weather to by a vibratory off the shelf or build a homeade rotary type any thoughts?

[Roundnoser]

Shake, shake, shake...shake,shake, shake...shake your booty...er, uh brass.

I've had a Midway vibratory tumbler for 12 years. For moderate use, it has run without a hiccup.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I thought that was shake or stir?

I use a Dillon,everytime I wear one out they send me their latest model? Don't know why? If you want to use the SS pins you have to get a Thumblers type!

[Ickisrulz]

This is another one of those questions that is very hard for others to answer for you.

What skills do you have, do you have the parts on-hand, do you have the time to track down parts and build one, are you short on cash, how much brass will you be cleaning, what kind of performance/quality do you expect, etc.?

I've used the same RCBS vibe unit for 20+ years. Replaced the motor one time. Many people can give the same story...but then this doesn't apply much to newer units.

If I were to do it all over again, I'd get a Thumler's vibe unit (from the industrial rock polishing series) and live a problem-free tumbling existance.

[1hole]

Both get sold because both work. ??

[runfiverun]

i have both i use the vibratory for brass and the roller for shining bullets after swaging.
if i had a bigger roller i might use it for brass,but i doubt it.

[44Vaquero]

Vib, it just keeps going and going and going!!! Mine happens to be an old Midway but they are so damn simple, I may never wear it out.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have to agree with 1hole on this one. Really, you kind of need both.

The Rotary for use with SS pins which will take any brass you find no matter how long it has been on the ground and make it look brand new, including the primer pockets and especially the insides of the cases. They will look new when done.

You might have noticed there always seems to be an abundence of .223/5.56 brass laying around at the range these days. Most people just leave it. Too bad! It is probably the best source for O F .223 brass there is. A trip thru the rotary makes it look new.

And then a vibrator to do your normal cleaning and to apply Car Wax to keep cases bright while in storage .

Also, you can run your frequently used brass thru the rotary about every third or fourth loading to "refresh the cases".

The better your ammo is,,, the better you will shoot !

It is as simple as that, and looks do count!

Randy

[koehn,jim]

I use a vibratory to clean and than I use the rotary to polish, Its an old one I bought it new in 1975 and it runs and runs. Whichever you use get a large one, i would think at least 100 cases or bigger.

[Woody's]

OK the reason I was contemplating a homemade rotary was I simply like the
GOGO GADGET factor so it sounds like I might buy a shaker then build a Spinner and then I'll have the best of both worlds

[DCM]

Shake your corncob, spin your SS pins.
Cheaper to shake your corncob, but SS gives that like new look inside and out.

[blikseme300]

I have 2 shakers in my tool shed, unused & retired. I switched to rotary with stainless media exclusively. Nothing cleans as well.


Bliksem
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[jmorris]

I have both, two vibrating and one big rotary I built. I use the big Dillon with corncobb to knock off lube after loading and the rotary wet with stainless before loading.

[dragon813gt]

I think I'm the only one that uses a concrete mixer(clean of course) to clean my brass. I only use it clean up range pickups that were buried in mud. After cleaning and drying they go into the vibratory tumbler for final cleaning. I've been debating buying stainless pins for use in the mixer. Why make one when I have a Large one that works already.


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[mold maker]

I think I'm the only one that uses a concrete mixer(clean of course) to clean my brass. I only use it clean up range pickups that were buried in mud. After cleaning and drying they go into the vibratory tumbler for final cleaning. I've been debating buying stainless pins for use in the mixer. Why make one when I have a Large one that works already.


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Nope your not alone. I've been using a HF mixer for near 20 years. It works lots faster with hot citric acid, to clean the grunge off range pick up. It gets rid of all the grit and NC red clay.
Then its off to the shakers with walnut and cob.
Of course this would be over kill with only a hundred or so to do.
I even tumble range lead to rid the dirt. It sure makes finding a live round easier.

[Bullet Caster]

What about sonic cleaners??? Anyone using one? I'm contemplating on investing in some kinda cleaning solution to my cleaning each piece of brass by hand. I know the rotary rock tumbler is the one to get and use ss media. Any difference between the Thumlers Model B and the Model T besides size? I certainly want something that will clean primer pockets as well as the insides of the cases. Do the sonic cleaners work this well? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks. BC

[dragon813gt]

Ultrasonic cleaners will work just as well as SS media. But it needs to have a heating element. And the cleaning solution has to be right. Unless you get into industrial ones they don't have a large capacity. The cheaper ones have short timed cycles which may not be long enough so you can't just walk away. I'm pretty sure I'll be purchasing one soon. I would use it for small batches of really dirty brass. I'd rather not have to deal with separating the pins from the brass.


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[Bullet Caster]

Thank you, dragon813gt, for the heads up on the ultrasonic cleaners. I finally just bought a cheap 6 pound rock tumbler (not a Thumlers) and bought a refresher pack of ss pins and I use hot citric acid bath for cleaning. Since I only do small batches at a time this size is a viable solution.

I didn't buy a Thumlers because they just cost too much. If I spend that much for a Model T I'd rather have one from flea bay which for the same price is an industrial type made of all steel except for the round type bottle it uses. He claims that you get better cleaning results by using a round chamber instead of the hex ones in the plastic rock tumblers.

It appears to be built quite a bit stronger than the Thumlers. Guess I'll have to save up for it. BC

[bobthenailer]

I have 2 Lorton tumblers with water, JOY dws and BB gun BBs as well as a Dillon vibrator with corn cob & nu finish polish , if i could only have one it would be a tumbler ! even though the are 2 to 3 times as much as a vibrator type. I use the tumblers to clean brass with a pretty good shine and the vibrator to put on a coat of polish and this adds a little more shine + some protection.

[crossdraw]

I have a sonic and a shaker.

Does anyone want to share special concoction cleaning solutions?

I've used dish soap but not with alot of success.

[dragon813gt]

Citric acid solution w/ some dish soap in hot water. I use Ball powdered citric acid. It can be found in the canning section. A 9mm case full of LemiShine and a squirt of Dawn. I only add the brass once the water is up to temp and the heater has shut off.

Best results I ever had was with 2L plain water and one lemon juice bottles added. Cost prohibitive otherwise I would use it over the powdered citric acid.


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[David2011]

Wal-Mart has citric acid in the housewares department with canning supplies. I've been looking in the food area where they also had canning jars until someone mentioned in another thread that I haven't found yet to look in housewares. It was $2.97 for 7.5 ounces.

David

[9.3X62AL]

I have 2 of the Thumler large rock tumblers for brass cleaning. #14-#20 corncob grit w/o treatment, and fired brass cleans up in 4-6 hours to like-new condition. The Thumlers are among my most reliable and durable reloading tools; one has been around here since 1985.

[crossdraw]

I have the Hornady Sonic Cleaner.. It doesn't run that long, will the citric acid still work in such a short time?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/248955022a378c2a9e.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=6177)

[dragon813gt]

Run it for a few cycles. It's what I have to do with my Lyman.


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[southpaw]

My parents and wife got me the Thumlers tumbler a couple weeks ago for my birthday. I can honestly say that I have never had brass so clean before. I have some 30-06 brass that is older than me and shot many, many times. It came out looking like new. The down side is you can only do about 2 pounds of brass at a time.

Jerry Jr.

[crossdraw]

Run it for a few cycles. It's what I have to do with my Lyman.


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I'll try it.

[44Vaquero]

Shake! I just finished this one

[Sonnypie]

Your wife is gonna be SO MAD when she see's what you done to her bowls!

[Sonnypie]

My parents and wife got me the Thumlers tumbler a couple weeks ago for my birthday. I can honestly say that I have never had brass so clean before. I have some 30-06 brass that is older than me and shot many, many times. It came out looking like new. The down side is you can only do about 2 pounds of brass at a time.

Jerry Jr.

70 Jerry.
When I first got my set-up from STM (Pr-Sponcer here), I wanted to know what 2 pounds of my 06 brass was. 70 was the magic number for my Federal Arsenal brass on my postal scale.
It's just shy of 2 pounds, but I'm fine with that.
I took some plastic peg board scraps and made some 70 hole neck holding blocks for drying.
This one is a 100, but you get the idea.... ;)

http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa382/Sonnypie/PB300042.jpg

Edit in: I think 5/16" was the magic hole size.

[Roosters]

44Vaquero ant you just the handyman. That really looks good.

Will it stay on the table when you turn it on ??:shock:
Just kidding. That's pretty sharp.

[44Vaquero]

Sonnypie, not this time! I out smarted her, the bowls were 4 for $3.97 @ Walmart so she got the other two. Unlike the pan-lubing incident, that's another story.

Roosters, I was surprised to find that the lower half hardly even vibrates at all. There are seven small rubber feet that do not show in the picture. Agitation appears to be quite energetic, it takes about seven seconds for a 35 Remington case to travel once around the bowl.

Thank you for the complement, all in all I am pleased with the end product. I built it as a gift for my grandfather.

[Sonnypie]

But... will it toss a salad? :groner:

Good on ya sharin the bowls with her. :smile:

[moptop]

Here's the one that I built several years ago. Still running strong.

[44Vaquero]

Moptop, your tumbler was one of the ones I looked at while designing/building mine. Thought you might like to know.

[Jack Stanley]

I have one of the old Dillon FL2000 at least I think that is the model number . It has worked very well for the last twenty-five years . Along about twenty years ago the amount of brass I was cleaning becaume to much so I bought a brand new cement mixer and use that for the times when I have buckets of brass to clean .

Both do as well as I can expect them to but I never considered which is "better" .

Jack

[moptop]

44Vaquero, Thanks! I thought that bowl and cover looked familiar! I kinda like your base unit better.

[TAMU74]

As for the cleaning solution; I thought that if dish soap was good with citric acid, Castrol Super-Clean would be better, don't do it. My brass came out looking great but overnight turned a mottled black. I recleaned it with the citric acid with a small squirt of dish soap and everything went as planned.

Also, for those who built their own vibratory tumblers; what motors did you use and from where did you source them? The one I built using the motor and counterweight from a Harbor Freight car polisher burnt out after only about 30 minutes.

[44Vaquero]

Tamu74, I used a Harbor Freight Car polisher as well. I think because of the extended warranty's HF now sells, they are using better motors. Mine just finished a 10 shake down run! YMMV

I did make the motor mount modular so I can source a replacement quicker. The next one I build will use C-Frame motor just like my Midway.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ez-Flo-77503-Direct-C-Frame-Replacement-Motor-/180828130680?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1a324d78#ht_783wt_699

Some of the builders have used motors as large as HVAC Fans and Washing motors. I think it's a bit extreme but works really well.

[44Vaquero]

Tamu74, I should tell you that I removed the rectifier from the HF Motor and replaced it with a larger one ($4.95)from Radio Shack. I did not mount the replacement on the motor.

Most likely the your motor did not burn out, the wires on the HF motors rectifier are very thin and easy to break. If you still have the motor you might try a new rectifier.

[mdi]

If yer thinking of building rotary tumbler, google "home made ball mills" or "home made brass tumblers"

[TAMU74]

Big Ole +1 for 44Vaquero. His information on the rectifier solved my problem

[44Vaquero]

Tamu74, Thanks for the shout-out! I am not an electrician but I play one on the internet from time to time.
Seriously, I am happy to have provided a solution.

[Sonnypie]

As for the cleaning solution; I thought that if dish soap was good with citric acid, Castrol Super-Clean would be better, don't do it. My brass came out looking great but overnight turned a mottled black.

That would go well with black rifles...
Black camo brass.
Yeah, I meant to do that.... ;)

[gunoil]

type "prongpusher" into youtube!

[44Vaquero]

Gunoil, I checked out the "prongpusher"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_FpiTzVYP8) video. That cleaner really kicks up the cool factor! Spinning rare earth magnets to excite the media in a bowl with no mechanical connection to the motor!

Although, I am not really interested in "Wet" cleaning, I may built one of these just because it's very clever.

[7of7]

I deprime all my brass, wet tumble, size/trim, and wet tumble again to wash the lube off the brass. My two vibratory tumblers are not used any more..