I have used a low speed Thumler's rotary tumbler to clean and polish brass for a long time. I use a steel ball cone shaped media for the other things I do. It is not great for cases because it won't get in the primer pockets. I did just recently buy some stainless pin media for the tumbler, and WOW, ultra clean brass. If I can figure out how to separate the media from the cases easily I will retire my vibratory machine and walnut shells. So, my question is this: does anybody have any good ideas on how to separate the media? I have not tried the rotary media separators yet. I guess the online shipping costs were too high for me. Perhaps I can find one at the Wannemacher gun show coming up. Any cheap bastard methods that work well?
Anybody use a Thumler's tumbler and stainless steel media to clean brass?
- Thread starter acp
- Start Date
Most strainers that are for kitchen use will not work. Steel mesh in them is too large and the pins fall thru. I did find one with a screen that was fine enought to not let the pins slip thru. I can dump the whole five pounds into it and I let them dry in the hand held stainer. I them dump them into a storage container. When you go shop for one, pack along one of the pins to test the screen mesh to make sure it is small enough. The one I purchased came from Ross for less.
I remove the cases from the tumbler leaving most of the pins behind, put them in a small mesh kitchen strainer and rinse them. Inevitably there will be some pins in the strainer. Once rinsed the cases go on a towel to dry.
Despite my care, it seems there will always be a few pins on the towel after the final case inspection. You need to inspect the cases when done since sometimes a pin will be stuck across the primer pocket.
Despite my care, it seems there will always be a few pins on the towel after the final case inspection. You need to inspect the cases when done since sometimes a pin will be stuck across the primer pocket.
I guess I was trying to find something that I can let the pins fall through, and catch them in a plastic tub or something. Right now I just pick them out of the tumbler and put them in a plastic tub and shake the tub, it seems to get remaining pins out of the cases for me. Then you have to pick the cases out of the tub and let them dry. Still too much time messing with them. I might try to find a strainer that holds the pins and cases and let the water drain. It would be a small screen for sure. The pins are very small.
let me know what you come up with. I've been contemplating a rotary separator myself but always like saving $ when possible.
what do you use as a cleaning agent? My Thumler/media came with some solution made by the vendor I bought it from, but some of my primer pockets are still dirty after tumbling.
what do you use as a cleaning agent? My Thumler/media came with some solution made by the vendor I bought it from, but some of my primer pockets are still dirty after tumbling.
Rotary seperator while you're running water over/through it and letting the pins fall into a bucket and the water just overflow into the drain is the ONLY way to go for any kind of volume. The pins tend to stick with the moisture on/in the cases and so spraying water into the basket of the rotary helps to get them out.
Those pesky pins are so small that you're bound to lose some of them at one time or another but I don't sweat that, just keep on keepin' on.
Ps. The pins like you get from STM are cut wire so they have pretty jagged ends (look at them with a loupe) and thats why they clean so effectively.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/18...ent+(Not+Presses)-_-PriceCompListing-_-183204
I seem to remember either Dongs or Sports World having this pretty cheap too. IMHO it's worth the $35 or so to save tons of time and lost pins.
Pps. I've seen people build little heading units in an ammo can where they put a light bulb under a mesh and then let the moist brass warm up to remove all moisture afterwards too... I've been meaning to give it a try, looks like it would work well.
Those pesky pins are so small that you're bound to lose some of them at one time or another but I don't sweat that, just keep on keepin' on.
Ps. The pins like you get from STM are cut wire so they have pretty jagged ends (look at them with a loupe) and thats why they clean so effectively.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/18...ent+(Not+Presses)-_-PriceCompListing-_-183204
I seem to remember either Dongs or Sports World having this pretty cheap too. IMHO it's worth the $35 or so to save tons of time and lost pins.
Pps. I've seen people build little heading units in an ammo can where they put a light bulb under a mesh and then let the moist brass warm up to remove all moisture afterwards too... I've been meaning to give it a try, looks like it would work well.
Use dawn + lemishine and water. Works great.
BassPro also carries the Franklin media seperator that HMFIC linked to on MidwayUSA.
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