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View Full Version : Why did I wait so long for a media seperator???



44Blam
04-25-2020, 12:14 AM
I've been using the little vibrator guy to clean my brass for a long time and I always filter the media with the little filter that came with it and then pick up all the shells and dump anything in them.

I got an RCBS media seperator and my word - it does it in just a few seconds! WHY have I not gotten one of these sooner???

Winger Ed.
04-25-2020, 12:18 AM
I wanted one of those, but was always too tight to buy it.
Instead, I scrounged a big, shallow, Stainless steel bowl, and a plastic grocery store colander.

Dump the tumbler into them, shake 'em like a old Gold miner doing his pan.
It does pretty good.

trails4u
04-25-2020, 12:21 AM
I made mine from 1/4 inch hardware cloth bent and formed into maybe a 12x24 inch box. Double lined....been using it for 10 years or more. I just dump from the tumbler, give it a few tosses over the tote that stores the media, and all is good.

Walks
04-25-2020, 12:21 AM
I waited from 1982 until 1998. Used the Lyman slotted pan until then.
I don't think they started making them until 1995-6.

Sometimes things take longer for us to realize how useful they can be.

tomme boy
04-25-2020, 12:24 AM
I still have my first one from about 1998. I love it. Spin the handle about 15 times and all the cases are empty. Most of the hinge tabs are broke on mine so a new one is going to happen soon. Unless I can get it to work with some hinges from hardware store.

wv109323
04-25-2020, 12:43 AM
With the dry media I used a deep fryer basket and a dish pan for 30 years. When I went to SS pins and water I got the small dillon.

ioon44
04-25-2020, 08:15 AM
I got a Dillon media separator in 1986 when I got my 550 it still works great.

trapper9260
04-25-2020, 08:21 AM
I use the Lyman slotted pan it came with the kit I got back about 1988 and always used it , made life always easy. I use ground walnut and corn cobs. Since I tumble my brass 2 times. Once before I size and deprime and after .I use the walnut before and corn cobs after. It works for me.

lightman
04-25-2020, 10:20 AM
I started with a hospital puck bowel and an old Frenchfry basket. They worked ok but the Frenchfry basket eventually came apart. Like ioon44, I bought the larger Dillon separator sometime in the 80's. Its worked out great! The bigger one takes up a lot of room.

kcofohio
04-25-2020, 11:38 AM
I have a FA vibrating bowl with walnut media. I used a slotted ladle gifted to me from my wife.
I finally broke down and bought Hornady's media separater last year. I agree, why wait so long. :)

elmacgyver0
04-25-2020, 11:55 AM
I'm cheap so I designed my own with a bit of hardware cloth and plastic containers.
Built two, one small using cappuccino containers and one large using kitty litter containers.

Mitch
04-25-2020, 12:34 PM
i got a small Dillon back in the early 90s/it is a good fit with the Brerrys tumbler of the same vintage.both are still going strong.

Rizzo
04-25-2020, 01:23 PM
I got an RCBS media seperator and my word - it does it in just a few seconds! WHY have I not gotten one of these sooner???

I love the ingenuity of members here with their home made media separator methods.
I also bought a RCBS media separator and it makes life easier.
No regrets.

redhawk0
04-25-2020, 01:27 PM
I have a colander that fits over a 2.5 gal bucket. I dump all my brass/media in and shake for 15 seconds...all liquid/SS or dry media falls through and the brass is all that's left in the colander.

redhawk

redhawk0
04-25-2020, 04:42 PM
I was just on EvilBay...There is a 9x7 Rectanglular Garden Sifter that would work great to separate out media from cases. Its only $15 too. Do a search for Trapping Sifter. (Autobodynow is the seller) It has a 1/4 diamond grid bottom. I'm thinking that would likely even sift 25acp. I know if I didn't already have a colander setup...I'd likely get something like that.

redhawk

stinjie
04-25-2020, 08:50 PM
a bucket and 2 collenders from a dollar store work well.

onelight
04-26-2020, 12:19 AM
I use one like this on my vibrating tumbler drill a hole in the center . To use pour cleaned cases/ media into a bucket , mount this on the tumbler with the wing nut and turn on the tumbler and pour the cases and media in to it.
The tumbler will vibrate the media out and back in the bowl quickly .
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012914551?pid=143270
For wet tumbling pin separation I use two ideas from folks here .
Paint filter to rinse the dirty cleaning solution from the cases and catch the pins that come out then
a crank separator that I can crank half submerged to rinse the rest of the pins out of the cases and apply the ArmorAll wax .

kcofohio
04-26-2020, 02:07 AM
I've been using the little vibrator guy to clean my brass for a long time and I always filter the media with the little filter that came with it and then pick up all the shells and dump anything in them.

I got an RCBS media seperator and my word - it does it in just a few seconds! WHY have I not gotten one of these sooner???

BTW, I like your signature, patriot!

jimb16
04-26-2020, 11:53 AM
I used a basket made from hardware cloth for many years. It worked well enough for my needs. I finally got a media separator a few years ago. It is a little quicker and less messy, but not really all that more efficient.

beagle
04-26-2020, 02:41 PM
I grabbed one of the wife's laundry detergent bottles with handle. Removed bottom and inserted a piece of 1/4" hardware mesh in the neck. I use an RCBS Sidewinder tumbler. When tumblings finished, I pour contents into bottom of jug and shake back into tumbler. A little vigorous shaking and it's clean and media is back in tumbler./beagle

mjwcaster
04-28-2020, 01:16 PM
I went cheap and lazy.
A bunch of holes drilled in the bottom of a 5gal bucket.
Set it in another in unmodified bucket to catch the media.
When I am finished tumbling I set the tumbler in the separator bucket which is placed in the catch bucket holding all my media.
Everything stored nicely until the next time I need it, just grab and go.
It isn’t perfect, but works good enough for me and stores nicely.


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