Rotary case cleaners: Frankford Arsenal vs National Metallic

[Chuck Perry]

I think I will start a thread on dry tumbling to see if there are ways to reduce or eliminate the dust issue. I do all my case prep indoors and the dust cannot be good.

Cut up used dryer sheets and throw them into your tumbler to cut down on dust. It won't 100% eliminate the dust but it helps.

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[Kenstone]

I'm not going to post my "secret sauce" recipe here.
Just a link to reviews of the National Metallic:
https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/10...10070301008005
The drum design looks unique and different from the FA, and looks like it would provide a better tumbling action.
enjoy,
Note: I would buy this if I didn't have a FART
jmo,
.

[kevin c]

My Platinum FART has done a lot of brass over the past few years, maybe a couple hundred K. It’s now beat up looking but still runs loads of 1500-1600 9mm cases just fine (no pins).

Same wash mix (citric acid and Armor All Wash & Wax), same tap water used for washing and rinsing, same run time, but sometimes the cases are bright and shiny and sometimes a bit matte. I wonder if too much gravel or sand in the cases sometimes acts as an abrasive.

I use a hand cranked media separator to knock out most of the water, dry the case exteriors in a towel sling and then sun dry the cases on wire mesh screens. No water spots. A buddy of mine does large batches in a cement mixer and tumble dries his brass in dry media (corn cob, I think). I don’t know if he adds any polish to the media but it looks pretty good.

No experience with the National Metallic tumbler, sorry.

[Jaaymar]

I never used a vibratory case cleaner. I live in an apartment and heavy metal dust (sounds like a bad band name) was not an option. One suggestion is to buy a media separator that keeps the brass submerged while tumbling. This will remove all the pins and keep them contained, rather than in the garbage disposal (expensive mistake).

I like that the primer pockets are also cleaned (as long as the primers were removed).

Jaaymar

[Sig]

Cut up used dryer sheets and throw them into your tumbler to cut down on dust. It won't 100% eliminate the dust but it helps.

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Just make sure you count how many pieces you put in, then make sure you get the same # out. I found one once hiding inside a piece of brass.

[dverna]

I tried the dryer sheets a couple of times. Helps but not a lot. I wound up with little tufts of material to pick out if I used them more than once.

[popper]

Kids gave me the one made by a guy here. Industrial grade all metal with rubber inner liner & pins. Toss a lot of brass (mostly rifle)in it and run for an hour (lemishine and some laundry detergent). Even the primer pockets are CLEAN. Just rinse with tap water & sun dry. Beats the heck out of the U.S. that I was using.

[rockshooter]

I switched from dry to wet tumbling because of blood lead levels from the dust of dry tumbling. Dropped from 8.2 to 6.3 (neither particularly worrisome, actually). I find that the wet works far better for me. I use the Frankford one with the large drum and wish I had bought the smaller drum. After tumbling I end up with a small mountain of sparkly brass that demands to be reloaded. Dry tumbling gave me less potential work since I did smaller batches. I bought 2 food dryers at garage sales for less than $20 total. I bought the pins but don't use them. Lemishine and car wash/wax works just fine. I still use the dry tumbler but only for knocking the burrs off brass after trimming/chamfering.
Loren

[Geezer in NH]

Son and I went wet tumble around 4 Christmas ago with a FART. Wet squirt Dawn, 1/4 TSP citric acid, capful of Wally World car wash & wax. SS pins last hot water. 1cycle of the timer then drain liquid add new hot water and capful of the WW w&w for 30 minutes.

Brass is shiny and seems to stay that way. dry on old cookie sheets in sun or in a 170 degree oven in winter.

[Ziptar]

I wet tumble with pins, citric acid, and Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax. Rinse and separate pins with a couple drops of Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax in the rinse water, dry in a dehydrator, then vibratory polish with corn cob and Flitz or Hope's Bras Polish.

I don't use dryer sheets anymore, my wife quit using them a few years ago. Instead I buy whatever brand Swiffer™ type dust cloths that are cheap / on sale / clearance at the grocery store. I cut them into long strips and toss a handful, about a half a sheet in when I tumble. The long strips keeps them leaving behind the little tufts. They work really well, I have almost no dust when I separate brass and media. The little Swiffer™ strips are greenish black when they come out. I only use them once then they're tossed.
Here's a before and after picture.


Since were talking equipment I'll throw my choices into the mix. For wet tumbling I use a Lortone QT12 and for dry vibratory tumbling I use a Thumbler's Ultravibe 18. My main reason for going with them is noise levels, employer sent all of us IT people home when COVID first hit and then decided in August of 2020 it was permanent. My reloading room in the basement is now my Office / Reloading room. The QT12 is a tad smaller capacity wise than a FART but it's much much quieter. The Ultravibe is very quiet as vibratory tumblers go. When I ran my old Lyman Turbo 600 I had to put it in another room on the other side of the basement it was so loud. With the Ultravibe running 20 feet or so away I can hear it but it's not mind numbingly loud. I can't have it running when I'm in a work meeting but otherwise I can think and do my job when I'm running it. It's quiet and larger capacity than the Lyman to boot.

[bubbadoyle]

Just make sure you count how many pieces you put in, then make sure you get the same # out. I found one once hiding inside a piece of brass.

When I first read this I thought you were referring to the stainless steel pins. Lol. If you’re counting the pins before and wet tumbling then you have a lot more free time than I do. Then I read the original comment and realized you were referring to dryer sheets.


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[bedbugbilly]

I have 2 of the small Frankford Arsenal tumblers - 1 in MI and 1 in AZ. I use SS pins, LemonShine, Citric & hot water. I have done everything from 32 S & W (short) to 45 Colt. 223 to 8mm. Excellent results and very happy with them.

[Sasquatch-1]

I wet tumble with pins, citric acid, and Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax. Rinse and separate pins with a couple drops of Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax in the rinse water, dry in a dehydrator, then vibratory polish with corn cob and Flitz or Hope's Bras Polish.

Try skipping the dehydrator and going straight to the vibratory tumbler. I take and dump wet brass on a towel separate the pins and toss the wet brass in the vibratory tumbler with Lizard Litter and a bit of Nu-Finish. Let run for about an hour and have dry shiny brass that resist tarnishing.

[Ziptar]

Try skipping the dehydrator and going straight to the vibratory tumbler. I take and dump wet brass on a towel separate the pins and toss the wet brass in the vibratory tumbler with Lizard Litter and a bit of Nu-Finish. Let run for about an hour and have dry shiny brass that resist tarnishing.

I may give that a try. Being that corn cob is finer than walnut my brain says that I could wind up with wet clumpy media inside cases and clogging flash holes. Then again, my brain isn't a very good one. You don't have a problem with clumping and sticking with walnut?

[Sasquatch-1]

I may give that a try. Being that corn cob is finer than walnut my brain says that I could wind up with wet clumpy media inside cases and clogging flash holes. Then again, my brain isn't a very good one. You don't have a problem with clumping and sticking with walnut?

I will sometimes run for an hour strain the media off and shake vigorously in a bucket with a lid to break up any clumps that may have occurred and place back in the tumbler for a little longer. Lizard Litter is walnut based and a fairly fine grind.

[bubbadoyle]

I may give that a try. Being that corn cob is finer than walnut my brain says that I could wind up with wet clumpy media inside cases and clogging flash holes. Then again, my brain isn't a very good one. You don't have a problem with clumping and sticking with walnut?

I have the rcbs media separator. I use it to remove the pins and the bulk of the water. Once I remove the pins and the water from the bottom I throw a couple old sock in with my brass and crank the handle some more. The socks soak up most of the water and there’s not a lot left to dry after that. You could use some small towels or anything absorbent. I think this would remove enough that you wouldn’t get any clumps if you threw it in the vibratory tumbler at that point.


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