Tumbler?

[TrxR]

I am gathering the equipment needed to start making my own bullets and have realized a tumbler will be handy if not an essential tool.

What tumbler do you all recommend or should i make my own?

Im also getting the idea that most prefer to tumble in a glass jar over plastic, is there a specific reason for this and is there a prefered size for doing 500 cores or jackets at a time?

Thanks

[Sitzme]

I built mine using a Folgers (red) 3 lb container. The molded in grip serves to agitate and the price was right. It sits tight in a pvc pipe fitting and is tilted up about 40 degrees. Take the can to the store and test fit. Somewhere around 30 rpm as I recall. Someone else can chime in. My rig works well for my needs and I keep cans with different media or coatings to avoid cross contamination, and the lids keep in all clean. It is built on a right angle gear box that was laying around, a 1/4 motor, and a belt drive. The pvc fitting stack is mounted to a flange (pulley) on the output of the gearbox. You can put something together for next to nothing or go wild and spend hundreds. Stainless pins work great for bottle neck cartridges and the jewers mix of balls and bigger pins works for straight wall but jams in bottle necks. Having used pins, I will never go back to anything else.

[pertnear]

Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite
I recommend an extra drum. Keep one with SS pins & one without.
275836

[midnight]

I like my Thumbler Model B, always works. Years ago on my way out of town for a funeral, I passed a pawn shop & stopped. He had a Model B there for $25. All it needed was a $1 sewing machine belt & it's been running ever since.

Bob

[salpal48]

Just buy a Lortone

[Yooper003]

Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite
I recommend an extra drum. Keep one with SS pins & one without.
275836I attempted to get an extra drum about a year ago & was told they weren’t available yet, did you get one & if so where? I use mine a lot for tumbling boolits for PC. Works great.

[Garyshome]

Just get a vibrator type, unless your obsessed about having super shiny brass. By far easier and much cheaper.
My boolitz shoot just as well as factory boolitz. Now if i'm going to a boolitz show i will use my ultrasonic cleaner.8-)

[TrxR]

Just get a vibrator type, unless your obsessed about having super shiny brass. By far easier and much cheaper.
My boolitz shoot just as well as factory boolitz. Now if i'm going to a boolitz show i will use my ultrasonic cleaner.8-)

Im not going to use it for brass. Im looking to use it for lubing and cleaning lead cores and jackets.

[pertnear]

I attempted to get an extra drum about a year ago & was told they weren’t available yet, did you get one & if so where? I use mine a lot for tumbling boolits for PC. Works great.

I have the larger Platinum model. I bought 2 complete units. I assumed you could buy an extra drum(?)