stainless steel media??

[gandydancer]

I want to try working with stainless steel media. What is the best machine to use?? Thanks gandy :coffeecom

[Frozone]

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

for more than that look into a small cement mixer.

[kitsap]

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

http://biggdawgtumblers.com/5601.html

DougF

[Moonman]

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

[cajun shooter]

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.

[sparky45]

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.

[wymanwinn]

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

[uscra112]

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.

[Moonman]

uscra,

You have problems that were probably self created.

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

[Hal A Looyah]

I sent USCRA a PM about buying media.

[John Boy]

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/search.php?searchid=4556074

[VHoward]

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.

[gandydancer]

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

[oldandslow]

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

[John Boy]

One more question. How do you dry the brass after cleaning?
How to Dry Wet Brass in Under 2 Minutes! (http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=7653.0;)

[gandydancer]

once again you all. thanks for all the Help. GD

[DukeInFlorida]

I made my own tumbler, virtually free.
Works great, and processes fast.

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

[Moonman]

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.

[D Crockett]

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

[D Crockett]

http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b483/woody454422/100_2287_zpsbae52277.jpg 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