HF dual chamber rock cleaner for wet tumbling

[Jal5]

Wow I should have done this long ago! On sale at Christmas plus SS PINS ordered online plus Dawn dish soap and a few drops of lemon concentrate. 1.5 hr tumble then rinse while separating pins out using the plastic media separator fitted on a 3 gal pail. They are airing to dry over night in the garage. 100 approx 9 mm brass in each chamber.

Learned to not overload them it was a little too heavy to run both chambers at once so did them separate. Will put fewer brass and pins in each next time.

[mac60]

I've been using one for several years - never a problem with it, still on the original belt. I use it without ss pins though. Hot water - as hot as I can get it from the tap, a squirt of dawn, a pinch of lemishine and a spritz of super clean. I recently got me a Frankford Arsenal tumbler - it came with the pins, but I don't use 'em. The drama of separating the pins from the brass is just too much for me. Lyman has a new rotary tumbler out now. I believe it comes as a kit and one of the things included is a separator with 2 "baskets" - the bottom one catches the pins. It looks as if it takes all the drama out of it. Don't get me wrong here - the results using the pins can't be denied, the cases come out looking brand new. It's just the separating the pins from the brass that puts me off.

[MrWolf]

Same one I have and I love it. Try a cheap food dehydrator(don't use for food again), set it on about 100 degrees and say good night. Next morning nice and dry.

[fragman]

Its easy enough to separate the pins from the brass just by stirring the brass in half a bucket of water. Takes just a minute. I have a large magnet with a handle. I stick it in a gallon ziplock bag and then use it to pick up and collect the pins. They stick to the outside of the ziploc. I then leave the bag to dry. Once done, hold the bag over a container and remove the magnet. Pins drop right into the container.

Actually very little effort once I got the process sorted.

[Jal5]

I love this system, the best tool I have purchased for reloading in a long time. Brass has to dry overnight but who cares.

[mdi]

My first tumbler was a HF single drum rock tumbler. It ran quite well for mebbe 15 years before I "improved" it. I now have a 2 drum HF unit and a couple "custom" drums that hold 100+ 30-06 cases plus cob blast media. Works great...

[Jal5]

I have the 2 drum unit too. Do you have a pic of your custom drums?

[rbstern]

I've been using the single drum model for about 10 years. I don't use pins. Just water, a couple drops of dish soap, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. 30 minutes of tumbling is decently clean and perfectly usable. Overnight tumbling is like-new shiny. I just drain the water and leave them to air dry for a couple of days.

[mdi]

No pics, but one is about a 48 oz. plastic jar with lid (it had whey protein in it). I glued/screwed three "paddles" (3/8" dowels) on the interior. The other one is a 12" length of 4" PVC with a screw plug on one end and a cap on the other...

[Jal5]

Thanks that gives me an idea.

[WarEagleEd]

I got the HF dual drum tumbler a few years ago and have been pleased with it. I too am on the original belt (I made sure the pulleys were lined up when I first purchased it).

I usually put just under a pound of brass in one drum followed by an equal amount of ss pins.

Definitely sounds like you are enjoying your set-up. I know I enjoy mine.

[Handloader109]

As far as the belt, my tumbler loosened up a while back and it took 5 minutes to tighten the tension. If it slows down tumbling , check and adjust before you burn up The belt

[Jal5]

Good tip re. The belt. It sure beats fooling with dry media! I even wash brass that had been tumbled dry. What a difference.