Lortone 33b tumbler

[Moonie]

Anyone have a Lortone 33b tumbler? I'm wondering how many lbs of pins for each barrel would be appropriate. I already have the big thumbler but my father in law found this smaller Lortone and thought I might use it as well for smaller batches.

[Silver Hand]

I think the 33b is there two drum, three pound barrel tumbler. I use the twelve pound Lortone drum with five pounds of S.S. media and it works just fine using just commercial dish washing liquid and water.
So considering the suggested ratios provided by S.S. media - Five pounds of S.S media to a fifteen pound of drum capacity. We can divide it into pounds per suggested weight.
Fifteen divided by five equals, .333 per pound of capacity.
.333 multiplied times three pounds equals .99999 or one pound in each drum.
It is going to work fine for small batches. After your brass and media is placed inside, when you add your water and some dish soap [ use a table spoon full at least for dirty brass] last, leave some space for air below the cover. Tumble for at least six hours if the primers are removed, three if not.
After three hours you will have removed all range debris inside and out of the cases if this is military or recovered range brass, now using your sizing die and your depriming rod at the same time to push out the primers will not ware or scratch your die. After removing the primers tumble again for six hours you now have clean primer pockets. Tumbling time may vary it has to do with R.P.M. of the drum.
Play with your case volume you will have great success.

How many dividers are on the inside of the drum? Mine has eleven, the more the merrier.
I wash the brass in the tumbler drum about five times over a five gallon bucket using a gas funnel that has a screen strainer incorporated a magnet on a wire is helpful to pick out the stray pins, which may float on top of the waters surface tension and into the screen about the time they are ready for the last few rinses.
Don't pour off all the water keep back the brass and pins and re rinse to rid of all the soap.
You may find a better method, I am hung up on this way of doing things.
Watch for pins in your primer holes and cases. Pull them and throw them back into the drum. They will brake in as time goes by.
I have tumbled over 3,000 rounds and this information is good.

Six hours is a long time but it takes weeks of tumbling rocks to get good results.
You have a great small capacity system. Rocks are heavy!

One more thing. Place the pins in plenty of soap and water and tumble them one pound in each drum the same way you would do your brass, twice before tumbling the brass. You will see why the first time you drain your pins.

[bobthenailer]

I have the Loreton QT 12 and QT 6, i use 3lb in the 12 and 1 1/2 lb in the 6 . been useing them for over 30 years but with BB gun BBs with very good results and cheaper than ss pins that ive tried and was not overly impressd after spending $30,00 for 5 lb + the hassel of seperating them from the brass ! just too darn small.
I also tried some SS tumbling media that a friend got from a jewler with 5 different shaped pieces that i liked alot better than SS pins and even BB gun BBs but it was $16.00 a pound. but worth it

I almost never tumble my brass longer than 1 hour unless its tarnished or very dirty but never longer than 2 hours in any case , if some arent clean enough to my liking i just run thoses ones through again the next time i clean brass & add extra lemon juceto the mix.

[Moonie]

I already have 5lbs of pins for my large Thumbler, was looking for a recommendation on how much to use in the smaller drums.

[Silver Hand]

Moonie I hope you took the time to read my post. One pound each.

[Silver Hand]

I have the Loreton QT 12 and QT 6, i use 3lb in the 12 and 1 1/2 lb in the 6 . been useing them for over 30 years but with BB gun BBs with very good results and cheaper than ss pins that ive tried and was not overly impressd after spending $30,00 for 5 lb + the hassel of seperating them from the brass ! just too darn small.
I also tried some SS tumbling media that a friend got from a jewler with 5 different shaped pieces that i liked alot better than SS pins and even BB gun BBs but it was $16.00 a pound. but worth it

I almost never tumble my brass longer than 1 hour unless its tarnished or very dirty but never longer than 2 hours in any case , if some arent clean enough to my liking i just run thoses ones through again the next time i clean brass & add extra lemon juceto the mix.

Lemon juice is an acid base is that good for brass? It must be the time saver you suggest. Does the acid harm the brass?
The reason I do not use lemi shine is, I have no idea what is in it. Recent findings are it affects color change when annealing cases.
I don't want that.

[Moonie]

lemi shine is citric acid, think of it as crystalized lemon juice, it passivates the brass, will not hurt it at all.

I did read your post, exactly what I was asking for, thanks.

[Silver Hand]

Lemi shine, wax, drier papers, car polish, What ever it is I like to stay clear of it all when it comes to my brass. More than one or two of my guns shoot in the same hole.
Happy to be of some help.