Stainless steel tumblers

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hondo1892
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Stainless steel tumblers

Post by hondo1892 »

I've been thinking about getting a new tumbler for cleaning my brass. My old Lyman is about forty years old and the media just doesn't clean like the stainless pins do. Midway has a Frankford Arsenal tumbler kit on sale right now for $160 something. Does anyone here have one or what brand would you recommend if you were getting one? Also what do you guys that use the pins use for a cleaner? I seen one recipe using Dawn dish soap and Lemon shine instead of the commercial cleaner.
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marlinman93
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by marlinman93 »

I have a wet tumbler, and use ceramic pins, not stainless. I use any liquid dish soap or laundry soap. Whichever is closest. Either work well. I love my wet tumbler. It's a Model B Thumbler's tumbler, and very well built.
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Shasta
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by Shasta »

The Thumler's Tumbler Model B is a good unit, but the shafts are mounted in nylon bushings that clip into the platform and in my opinion are not very sturdy. I have two Extreme Rebel 17 tumblers that have the shafts mounted on pillow block ball bearings. They are very strong and reliable.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Tumblers ... B00IOE5K5Y



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Bronco
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by Bronco »

I have a Thumbler Tumbler B for close to 50 years ! No problem with the shaft or nylon bushings, though I do give them a drop of oil just because. Only issue I ever had was the drive belts from them, The spares get brittle sitting in the cabinet. So took a measurement of one and ordered some O-rings from Graingers. Bought a bag of 10 for like $10.. The first one from them I put in has lasted like 8 years.
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Sixgun
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by Sixgun »

Tumblers or vibrators are a necessity that you can't brag about nor do they hold their value so I buy the cheapest ones I see, usually used ones at gunshows or auctions where you can pick em for $20. Except for the Thumblers I've never bought a new one.

Corn cob is all I use as it's cheap and does the job, especially if you throw in a little Brasso. About once a year I'll put the corn cob in a 5 gallon bucket, add hot water and a cup of Tide....stir it...rinse it...and spread it out to dry....yep, same corn cob year after year and tens of thousands of cases or 15 years later, I might add 10 pounds of it.

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marlinman93
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by marlinman93 »

Bronco wrote: Wed May 13, 2020 10:54 am I have a Thumbler Tumbler B for close to 50 years ! No problem with the shaft or nylon bushings, though I do give them a drop of oil just because. Only issue I ever had was the drive belts from them, The spares get brittle sitting in the cabinet. So took a measurement of one and ordered some O-rings from Graingers. Bought a bag of 10 for like $10.. The first one from them I put in has lasted like 8 years.
Had mine for over 25 years and it still works as good as day one.
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COSteve
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Done

Post by COSteve »

Done
Last edited by COSteve on Sat Jan 16, 2021 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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fordwannabe
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by fordwannabe »

Several years ago a buddy and I were doing volume brass processing and we split a small harbor freight cement mixer. I made a top for it and we used stainless pins, dawn dishwashing liquid and lemshine. Works well and now I only use it once a year or so for a large batch of a single type case. Most of my brass polishing uses a Frankford arsenal tumbler with corncob....but I use cut up discarded dryer sheets as a polishing agent in the corn cob. Works better than the Dillon rapid polish.
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JimT
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by JimT »

For many many years I just rinsed my fired cases in gasoline ... set 'em in the hot sun and then reloaded them. They were blackened and scorched and looked ugly as sin but shot just fine. I just got the grime and dirt and oil and whatnot off them and did not care if they looked hard used. I won shooting matches, killed a lot of game, chased bandits (animal type) and carried them for self defense and they worked just fine. Never caused a problem. They were clean, just not purty.

Then I ended up with an RCBS vibrating case cleaner and ruined my whole routine. I have used corn cob, walnut, white rice and they all work just fine. Now I end up with purty cartridges. But they don't shoot any better than the ugly ones.

Of course, my sixguns are not particular about what they shoot. I have shot 44's in my 45 Colt and they did not do too badly. When it was pointed out to me what I was doing I just acted as if I had planned to do it that way.
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marlinman93
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by marlinman93 »

I've never been obsessed with making my brass look like new either, and I didn't go to a wet tumbler to get them cleaner. But they certainly do get cleaner, and in a shorter time in the tumbler too. And it's a lot quieter if that plays into the scenario for some.
I've never been bothered by moisture or drying brass either, as I've never found myself in a situation where I needed to reload brass quickly when it exited the tumbler. I simply dump everything into my old rotary sifter, and crank the handle. The media ends up in the bucket, along with all the dirty water, and almost no moisture left in my cases. I dump the cases on an old towel on the reloading room floor, and come back to them in a day or whatever to load or sort them.
The bucket of media and dirty water goes to the slop sink to be rinsed and drained, and then poured back into the tumbler, ready for the next batch. I'm still using the same media I bought 25 years ago, and wish I'd known it lasted forever as I bought two bags thinking I'd eventually replace it.
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Chuck 100 yd
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by Chuck 100 yd »

I have the Thumblers B also. Using SS pins,Dawn dish soap and Lemmie Shine the brass comes out prettier than new. I deprive and resize before the polish and dry in the oven or in the sun on a summer day. It’s a pleasure to reload ammo that’s better than factory.
hondo1892
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by hondo1892 »

Thanks guys. I was cleaning my garage today and found a box that was from a bowl for a tumbler. I remember now buying it because my old bowl needed replacing. So I have two tumblers but one has been lost in our move. I went through almost everything in the garage and haven't found it yet so I may have a "new" tumbler if I can find it. It seems every time we move I loose something or other.
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marlinman93
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Re: Stainless steel tumblers

Post by marlinman93 »

hondo1892 wrote: Fri May 15, 2020 8:17 pm Thanks guys. I was cleaning my garage today and found a box that was from a bowl for a tumbler. I remember now buying it because my old bowl needed replacing. So I have two tumblers but one has been lost in our move. I went through almost everything in the garage and haven't found it yet so I may have a "new" tumbler if I can find it. It seems every time we move I loose something or other.
Heck I lose stuff on a weekly basis! I should say I "misplace" it. I know I've got things, I just don't recall where I've got them sometimes.
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