Tumbler [Archive] - Cast Boolits

lead chucker

11-09-2013, 02:33 AM

8696086961 Made a tumbler the other night out of an old motor and a couple buckets. its out in the garage cleaning brass right now. its kind of rough looking but seems to work. Cost about $30.00 bucks.

lead chucker

11-09-2013, 03:27 AM

869628696386964
a couple more pics I attached some angle aluminum to my bucket and it seems to be giving me the affect I want. This motor has a reduction gear in it. It turns what seems the right speed for what I want. Really simple set up. Thought I would share my creation with every one.

RED333

11-09-2013, 08:09 AM

I like it, use what ya got.
5 stars out of 5 in my book.

btroj

11-09-2013, 04:39 PM

Dang man, how much brass you got? That would clean a whole bunch at a time.

Well done

dsbock

11-09-2013, 05:09 PM

I wish there was a "like" button for posts.

Nice looking tumbler. Please give more details on its construction. My old vibratory tumbler gave up the ghost last weekend and I'd rather build than buy.

David

williamwaco

11-09-2013, 05:24 PM

M Hicks

11-09-2013, 07:31 PM

Nice job. For $30 you can't go wrong.

lead chucker

11-10-2013, 01:37 AM

87067
Cleaned some cases with my home made tumbler. Seems to be working well. I was surprised how black the water was after cleaning. With my vibrating tumbler it would have been all dust and you end up breathing some of that. Im still working on an easier way to get all the SS pins out of the cases. If any of you have a good system for that I would l like to be educated on it. ive been using a colander and one of those plastic gat litter boxes.

lead chucker

11-10-2013, 02:40 AM

The motor shaft I have is 5/8 inch , so happens 3/4 inch pipe ID is around 5/8 so I drilled and tapped a pipe niple and ran a bolt through so it would go into the shaft keyway then screwed the the pipe nipel Into a pipe base then cut a pice of plywood to fit into the bucket then centers the pipe base and screwed it through the bucket into the ply wood. Mounted the motor so the bucket would rest on the rollers. Then attached angle aluminum to the bucket that will fit in the bucket mounted to the motor. Loader up put the lid on and flip the switch. I had to prop the back end up a little to get the angle I wanted. It workday so far.

Sasquatch-1

11-10-2013, 07:55 AM

Great job. It never ceases to amaze me at what some people come up with on this site.

rattletrap1970

11-10-2013, 08:06 AM

Great job. If you add a couple agitators inside the bucket it will work much better (and faster).

Garyshome

11-10-2013, 08:17 AM

Nice job. Got me thinkin' now.

lead chucker

11-10-2013, 12:40 PM

Great job. If you add a couple agitators inside the bucket it will work much better (and faster).
There are two Angle aluminum pieces in there. I thought about putting more in but didn't want to drill any more holes in the bucket than I had to. I used O rings between the bucket and aluminum where I bolted them together. This thing is loud when it's full of brass.

M Hicks

11-10-2013, 01:05 PM

THe best way I have found to get pins out of the way is with a rotary media separator. I have the RCBS one and fill the bottom half with water, add the brass to the separator and rotate while the water is running over it. I do it outside with the garden hose.

dbosman

11-10-2013, 01:27 PM

There is.
See "Rate this thread" at the upper right of the first post on each thread.

Be careful. It's easy to accidentally change your vote when you drop the mouse to click on the Vote option.

rattletrap1970

11-10-2013, 01:30 PM

Go to McMaster Carr and buy 1/2" thick self adhesive Acoustic foam. Stick it to the outside of the bucket just below where the wheels run. It will quest it down substantially.

There are two Angle aluminum pieces in there. I thought about putting more in but didn't want to drill any more holes in the bucket than I had to. I used O rings between the bucket and aluminum where I bolted them together. This thing is loud when it's full of brass.

dbosman

11-10-2013, 01:30 PM

The trick to separate pins from brass, is to do it under water. Rotary separator or a sieve in a tub of water.

AlaskanGuy

11-10-2013, 01:54 PM

Nice job Matt.... Looks like you can do a ton of brass at a time with that.

Looks like the temp and rain has our range de-thawed... I will be heading out to mine soon as the storm breaks.... Wanna come with? The pistol range has been giving up a ton of lead.. I was gunna try the white vht on some 30 cal boolits and want to test out some 22 cal boolits cast with some hard mono alloy that a buddy sent me... Lets make a morning of it.

AlaskanGuy...

Cactus Farmer

11-10-2013, 08:26 PM

Does the motor tag specify RPM?

lead chucker

11-11-2013, 03:26 AM

I will check and get back to you. I cleaned a gallon of 44 mag cases with it to day, let it run for 5 hrs.

jmorris

11-11-2013, 09:52 AM

A great idea. I built mine a few years back using 100 lb chlorine buckets and an eBay gear motor.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/SST/DSC02490.jpg

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?135223-Homemade-wet-tumbler-for-stainless-steel-media&highlight=Tumbler

lead chucker

11-11-2013, 01:30 PM

lead chucker

11-11-2013, 01:42 PM

Does the motor tag specify RPM?

The motor is a Dayton shade pole gear motor 30 rpm

Ehaver

11-11-2013, 05:47 PM

get a large tub from wally world or where ever, they go on sale after christimas for dirt cheap! and two or three moving blankets from harbor freight, glue, bolt, screw or some how fasten them to the inside in layers and sha bang! sound proofed box. you could also build a plywood box from scrap or a 2x4 frame from scrap and staple or lay the blankets over. I am working on mine now!

jmorris

11-11-2013, 08:15 PM

Very nice. You can clean a lot of brass at one time. What do you have in side to agitate the brass?. The only draw back I can see to this kind of tumbler is that it does take up a lot of space. But that's not really a problem. Looks like you took some time and made yours really nice. Mine was just and experiment thrown together with 2x4's plywood and sheet rock screws.

I used strips of 1/2" Hyvar 2" wide to agitate. There are more photos of it here http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmorrismetal/library/reloading/SST?sort=3&start=all&page=1

They only take up a lot of space when in use, when not in use, store it upright and it takes up the same space that the bucket itself does with a smaller foot print.

lead chucker

11-12-2013, 04:58 AM

I checked out your pics. Very cool I like it. My agitators are a lot smaller. I wasn't sure how much stress would be on them. I might have to do some fine tuning to mine. Fun stuff, especially when it works. I did a couple thousand de rimed 22 lr cases today.

Whiterabbit

11-19-2013, 07:42 PM

. If any of you have a good system for that I would l like to be educated on it. ive been using a colander and one of those plastic gat litter boxes.

No experience, but you got me thinking. What about two bucket lids bolted together? cut most of the inside out and sandwich screen in between. When you are done tumbling, snap this lid over the brass bucket, snap an empty bucket on that, and shake. Water and pins come out the bottom. Screen holds brass in place.

Dunno if that would be efficient or not.

If that would work, cut the bottom off the vent bucket. attach very fine windw screen. As you are shaking, water leaks straight out the bottom of the bucket, SS pins are caught in the bucket, brass stays in the top bucket.

popper

11-21-2013, 01:32 PM

gota remember this next time the garbage disposal locks up. Couple pulleys, belt & rollers.

T-Man

11-30-2013, 07:08 PM

I have a set up something like this one I have been working on to use with stainless pins. I riveted some pieces of old bed railing inside the bucket. Four of them. I made a cover out of some old stocking foot waders I had in the shop. 5mm neoprene attached to the bucket with Velcro with the space for the wheels left clear. I bought a hermetically sealed lid from Cheaper Than Dirt. Makes it easier to get the brass out.