Tumbler? What kind?

[thechamp]

I'm looking to buy a tumbler to clean up some brass and eventually get back into reloading. Don't need the fanciest most expensive but something that will do the job and maybe clean 50-100 270 Wby at one time. Figure folks here been using them for a while so looking for a little input. Seen the Lyman 1200 and some different Hornadys that look like they'd work and be in the budget.

[Gun Barrel Ecologist]

I own a Lyman 1200 and it will fit 50+ .375H&H shells - probably more but being a lazy reloader I only load in batches of 50 or less.

It is noisy, takes longer than proclaimed in the instructions (4 hour stints are the norm, not 2 hours) and the green media it comes with turns to dust that gets inside the cases after say 20 hours of use.

I recently bought a big bottle of their red "tuff nut media" for AUD$30 which might bring the time down and cut the dust

For the same money a month later ALDI (not sure if they've hit the US yet, they are Germany's answer to Walmart and trying to annex oceania ) had ultrasonic cleaners on sale for, once again, AUD$30. Although the ultrasonic cleaner will barely fit 25 H&H brass if they were standing up in a beaker I'm keen to see what all the fuss is about, and all accounts suggest they clean in minutes, not hours. I am however a little wary of using vinegar and then neutralising with bicarb so might have to find some cream of tartar which is less acidic, or just try my luck with nothing more than diswhashing detergent http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

[ROdell]

The Lyman's work well, Grafs has one that I believe is made by the same people. I also have the media separator from Grafs and I wouldn't be without it. I'd never had one until this year and it saves a lot of time.

If you want to keep down dust, put in a dryer anti-static sheet while tumbling. It works great and your rounds smell fresh and clean! I prefer Lyman's Tufnut to their Corncob. It gives me a better shine and is less sticky.

I also have an ultrasonic cleaner. I use the Hornady ultrasonic solution for it, although there are much cheaper brass cleaners on the market. It works quite well, too. It is hard to beat the "toss it in the tumbler and walk away for a few hours" deal, though. If you want to clean primer pockets, you have to either use the ultrasonic or stainless steel media and a heavy duty tumbler.

[Grumulkin]

The current cat's meow is the Thumler's Tumbler with stainless steel media used with Dawn dish soap and Lemishine. It will get the outside, inside and primer pocket of the case cleaner than you can imagine after a 3 to 4 hour tumble..

[thechamp]

Thanks for the imput. Definitely a lot of different methods out there along with a wide variety of materials to use with them.

Question for Grumulin, would that Thumler's Tumbler out perform the ultrasonic cleaners? I've seen the ultrasonic ones used to clean jewelry and they are very fast. The stainless media sounds like it would have the grit to clean any debri etc., off a dirty case.

I did buy a simple one that was offered for a very good price from a guy in the Austin area so I'll give that one a try and work toward a good one by the time I take up reloading again. Either way great to post the different methods and processes for everybody to see and maybe help them learn more about what's out there.

[Dom]

For 'normal' results just about any stand up model with a lid and media will work to a degree. From what I'm hearing though, the best look like new stuff inside and out comes out of a Thumbler with the stainless rods. I have ordered my Thumbler B and will first try it with rice though. I was going to go the Ultrasonic way but changed my mind after doing some research as results were mixed. I have heard of no mixed results but rather all good stuff coming from those using the SS rods and Thumbler, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[skeetshot]

I left tumblers about two years back and got me an UltraSonic unit and have not looked back. Much faster, cheaper and my brass coming out so clean.

I also use it to clean subaassemblies such as trigger units and the gas piston of my shotguns, handgun parts etc.

[thechamp]

I also use it to clean subaassemblies such as trigger units and the gas piston of my shotguns, handgun parts etc.

Now that makes sense. Off hand that was something that hadn't crossed my mind. Only thing I'd seen them used for was jewelry and that was quite some time back. What kind of liquid do they use in their process? Thinking that there might be more uses for cleaning other items depending on the chemical/s that they use.

[Gun Barrel Ecologist]

If you place the parts in a beaker in the ultrasonic the solution you use is only limited by your imagination (and perhaps flash point of the vapours )

Dom, I would stear clear of rice in tumblers unless you want case capacity reduced via starchy residue inside your cases - I went down that route trying to be a cheapskate avoiding buying tumbler media and wasn't impressed

[skeetshot]

[quote="thechamp. . . .What kind of liquid do they use in their process? Thinking that there might be more uses for cleaning other items depending on the chemical/s that they use.[/quote]

Gun Barrel Ecologist is right and I use two beakers as well as a thin walled dish.
For brass I use a 30 % soln of cooking vinegar with two drops of dish washing liquid soap in tap water, followed by a neutralising 30 second treatment with tap water and a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
For difficult to clean gun assemblys that are caked in gunk like powder residue and carbon like my shotgun's trigger assembly I use diesel, and for my Old Army muzzle loader revolver cylinder I use tap water and a few drops of dish washing liquid soap.
The muscle is provided by the sound waves and the solutions are basically carriers.

[thechamp]

Very interesting. Sounds like an ultrasonic cleaner would be a good investment.

[Dom]

If you place the parts in a beaker in the ultrasonic the solution you use is only limited by your imagination (and perhaps flash point of the vapours )

Dom, I would stear clear of rice in tumblers unless you want case capacity reduced via starchy residue inside your cases - I went down that route trying to be a cheapskate avoiding buying tumbler media and wasn't impressed

Thanks for the tip Gun Barrel, appreciate it, guess I don't need to go down that road. Nice to get info like that.

Now you guys have just about talked me into getting an Ultrasonic cleaner just for all the other parts and paraphanalia that go along with hunting/reloading/shooting related 'stuff'

[thechamp]

If you place the parts in a beaker in the ultrasonic the solution you use is only limited by your imagination (and perhaps flash point of the vapours )

Dom, I would stear clear of rice in tumblers unless you want case capacity reduced via starchy residue inside your cases - I went down that route trying to be a cheapskate avoiding buying tumbler media and wasn't impressed

Thanks for the tip Gun Barrel, appreciate it, guess I don't need to go down that road. Nice to get info like that.

Now you guys have just about talked me into getting an Ultrasonic cleaner just for all the other parts and paraphanalia that go along with hunting/reloading/shooting related 'stuff'

Seems they did a very good job 'selling' that gizmo!

[btm_54]

I have been looking at one of these to replace my old Lyman.
http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/conten ... se_Cleaner

[Gun Barrel Ecologist]

Well I've just given the red "tuff nut" media a whirl on some .375H&H brass - does a lovely job on getting them to that "white gold" shine in 2 hours

BUT

When extracting them you notice that your hands become covered in red dust/fine red clay
So guess who got to play with their new ultrasonic to clean the dust away

So 2 hours in the tumbler, 3 mins in the ultrasonic with a squirt of dishwashing detergent, and another 3 minutes in the ultrasonic with clean water to rinse and you have brass you can see your reflection in - just dont mention the drying time