Thumler's Tumbler Learned Practice Tips

[Bayou52]

Hi, All -

I've been SS wet tumbling for about 3 years now using a Thumler's Tumbler Model B. I can share some practical tips I've learned in the hopes they could benefit others:

1. The directions that came with the tumbler called for 2 pounds of cases and 1 gallon of water (8 lbs) together with 5 lbs of SS pins. This adds up to the tumbler's 15 lb capacity. On an experiment one day, I doubled the brass to 4 lbs and reduced the water to about a 1/2 gallon - enough to cover the brass in the drum by about 3 inches. So, more brass and less water. The tumbling time remained the same - about 4 hours for extremely and heavily tarnished brass. Result - no difference. Even with double the amount of brasses, they came out with a high sparkle shine. So, I now wet tumble 4 lbs of brasses per batch routinely,

2. Substituting 1 ounce of auto wash & wax for Dawn impedes the return of tarnish,

3. Using an o-ring in place of a factory belt is a better choice. The factory belts were breaking all too frequently and at about $6 a pop, they were too expensive. These o-rings are 80 cents and my very first one is now about 2 years old and still going:

http://www.theoringstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=367_150_152&products_id=6511


4. Substitute anti-vibration knobs in the place of wing nuts and washers to cinch the drum lid - much easier to use:

http://www.mcfeelys.com/index.php/1-4-20-female-free-spinning-fluted-knob-qty-1-3gdv9.html

5. Use SS pins with a diameter of at least 0.047" in the place of 0.041" diameter pins like those that came with my tumbler. The larger pins will not get stuck side- by-side in flash holes like the smaller pins tend to do.

I hope these tips help.....

Happy Tumbling........

Bayou52

[W.R.Buchanan]

Bayou52: Good tip on the knobs! will be getting some of those.

Somethings I have learned about wet tumbling:

If you put your cases into a solution of Lemishine, Soap and Water for a few minutes and then take a Q tip and rub the inside and outside of the case as well as the primer pocket you will see how this whole system works. All the fouling gets softened and the Q tip agitates the fouling into solution with the water.

The solution softens the fouling and the tarnish on the cases.

The pins merely agitate the fouling until it dissolves completely in the water. The Soap keeps it in solution with the water until it is rinsed away.

Rinse, Dry, Done.

There is no end to the mixtures of things that will accomplish this, and this is why You have been able to run 4lbs of Brass instead of just 2. Someone came up with the arbitrary number of 2lbs based on what the machine's claimed capacity is supposed to be with respect to the weight of all the other components.

The only thing that matters is that you have Soap and something to soften the fouling, and water to carry the bad stuff away. More water the better, as the pins will rinse off easier if the concentration of goo in the water is less.

Randy

[Bayou52]

Good analysis, Randy, on the dynamics of how wet tumbling works. It's a marvelous way to get brasses high sparkling clean......


Bayou52

[Fishman]

Bayou52, thanks for the tips!

[Bayou52]

Bayou52, thanks for the tips!

Hope they help you out, Fishman!