# Firearms and Shooting > Reloading and Ballistics >  Case Tumbler

## R93

My Faithful old hornady media tumbler blew it's ring today after many years of use.
Time I got a new one anyway. 
Thinking of a stainless pin one.
How do they go and where is a good place to buy one?





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## Maca49

Re loaders Auckland, mate just got a good deal there, I got the old one to rewind! :Wtfsmilie:

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## R93

My tumbler must have overheated it's going again😆

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## Kscott

Yeah there's a couple of choices, Reloaders have the Frankford Arsnenal brand, Serious have CED.

Frankford Arsenal Platinum Rotary Tumbler #909567 - Accessories - Reloading - Reloaders Supplies Ltd
$399

CED is usually NZ$550, US$300 from CED Hong Kong
CED Brass Tornado

Also pick up a cheap food dehyrdator from TM, they're fab for drying cases out.

Shifted to wet tumbling last year, wouldn't go back to rotary now  :Wink:  ps package arrived safe thanks ....

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## Timmay

Does cleaning your brass increase case life or something?
It is it for the bush cred of having shiny brass?

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## Gibo

> Does cleaning your brass increase case life or something?
> It is it for the bush cred of having shiny brass?


I use wire wool when the case is in the drill while doing length cut and chamfer. Shines em up in 3 seconds.

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## steven

that CED tumbler looks nice.

 :Thumbsup:

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## steven

Rotary Tumbler Case Cleaner | Trade Me

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## kimjon

> Does cleaning your brass increase case life or something?
> It is it for the bush cred of having shiny brass?


No real advantage, is just nice to work with clean cases.

Kj

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## stub

It's also good for getting rid of the lube after sizing

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## Bryan

> Does cleaning your brass increase case life or something?
> It is it for the bush cred of having shiny brass?


Helps in a few ways:
Makes them nice and sparkly;
Cleans off debris/grime before being sized, thus keeping dies cleaner;
Easier to spot flawed/damaged brass during case inspection;
Cleans the lube off after sizing;
Clean brass also chambers easier;
Did i mention it makes them nice and sparkly...  :Grin:

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## Gibo

> Helps in a few ways:
> Makes them nice and sparkly;
> Cleans off debris/grime before being sized, thus keeping dies cleaner;
> Easier to spot flawed/damaged brass during case inspection;
> Cleans the lube off after sizing;
> Clean brass also chambers easier;
> Did i mention it makes them nice and sparkly...



Cleans off grime before resizing- cleans off lube after resizing?
You do it twice? Too much spare time  :Wink:

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## Bryan

Not all the time. Only if i am F.L. sizing. I tend to load my batches over a couple of nights.

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## 300_BLK

@Kscott how long do they take in a dehydrator to dry out?

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## Kscott

Usually @30 mins for a tray, which is @250-300 9mm cases.

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## Kscott

> Rotary Tumbler Case Cleaner | Trade Me


Yup that's what I picked up. Only down side to them is the drum can slip sometimes if it's overloaded.

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## Tommy

Knocked up my own. It's basically a 150mm round Sistema food storage container with a couple of agitators glued to the inner walls, whacked in the lathe. Tried it today, worked great. It also cost $6.50, although it helped having a lathe

[ATTACH=CONFIG]39090

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## Glycerine

you use that lemi-shine i gave you?

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## Tommy

Aha! Yep, half a teaspoon and a little squirt of Palmolive dishwash for good measure. Ran it for 2.5 hours, and I'm pretty sure the last hour wasn't needed.. Figured out a good way of separating the brass and the pins too -without the fancy separator. To rinse I just tipped it all into a 20l bucket, half filled with water, sloshed it about, tipped most of the water out, repeat. Then, once I filled it up again I just picked up four or five at a time loosely and shook them a little as I lifted them out. Takes a couple minutes to do the lot but once I'd got them out and into a container with the lid on - not one pin in the container  :Have A Nice Day:

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## 300CALMAN

I got one of these:
Thumler's Tumbler Model B Rotary Tumbler : Cabela's
Works bloody well.

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## 300CALMAN

> Knocked up my own. It's basically a 150mm round Sistema food storage container with a couple of agitators glued to the inner walls, whacked in the lathe. Tried it today, worked great. It also cost $6.50, although it helped having a lathe
> 
> [ATTACH=CONFIG]39090


Ha Classic Kiwi ingenuity!
Wish I had a lathe.

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## Glycerine

yep, you can use more Palmolive, about 2 table spoons is what i use,

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## Tommy

Sweet will put more green goodness in the next batch ( in the morning)

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## longrange308

We just need the stainless pins to be readly available in nz

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## Tommy

They are. If you're careful they last forever too

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## 300CALMAN

> We just need the stainless pins to be readly available in nz


Serious Shooters has them and the shine additive 
Serious Shooter Stainless Pins for Tornado Tumbler - tumbler, pins, tornado, extra, supplied, ... - Serious Shooters

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## Glycerine

> They are. If you're careful they last forever too


yep, sinks stolen a couple off mine,

if you ever find it not coming up as clean just run it with some simple green for a hour or 2, (no brass) it will clean up the pins nicely,

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## Danny

I got bored and semi inspired...


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## stub

whats going on with your thumb

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## Glycerine

NICE!,

i started making a home made tumbler, but in the end i bought one, a Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17, from Stainless Steel Reloading Supplies | Tumblers, Separators, Media, Brass & More!
the NZ$ was way stronger, and i picked it up while holidaying in the US, brought it back in our luggage

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## Danny

> whats going on with your thumb


Getting firewood and driving home and she's black... I must be getting old...that's what happens to old people isn't it...


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## Beetroot

Is there any reason for tumbling other than to have shiny  brass? 
Does the cleaning of the inside make reloads more acurate or more consistent? Does the clean inside give less wear on seating dies?

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## steven

> Is there any reason for tumbling other than to have shiny  brass? 
> Does the cleaning of the inside make reloads more acurate or more consistent? Does the clean inside give less wear on seating dies?


There is nothing I have seen to confirm this.  I have not cleaned my brass in 3 years, LOL.

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## 300CALMAN

> There is nothing I have seen to confirm this.  I have not cleaned my brass in 3 years, LOL.


Probably not too much of a concern with reloading dies but the crud can be a problem with your firearm. I remember having problems with .308 getting sticky due to the powder and lube mess. It can build up in your chamber.

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## Tommy

Why would you not want to reload with clean brass? This isn't cleaned with a store bought tumbler either, it's just a rangi home job with $40 worth of media.

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## zimmer

Hope you are going to remove the pins b4 loading them.....

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## Tommy

Yeah took a few mins, just poked them back in with a disposable chopstick. That's what happens with 7mm pins and 6.5mm brass  :Wink:  The 223 had no such issues.

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## zimmer

Have just got going with SS tumbling - what a superb result. My US tank has been retired. A very short time fad.

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## Tommy

What's a US tank? I've found that a hefty squirt of dishwash is key, esp if I've used that spray-on Dillon case lube

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## Beetroot

> Why would you not want to reload with clean brass? This isn't cleaned with a store bought tumbler either, it's just a rangi home job with $40 worth of media.  Attachment 39247


Im seriously thinking about making my own Rangi case tumbler. Decided to search on Youtube and a aussie guy made one exactly like i was thinking from a windscreen wiper motor, looked sweet.

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## Wildman

> Im seriously thinking about making my own Rangi case tumbler. Decided to search on Youtube and a aussie guy made one exactly like i was thinking from a windscreen wiper motor, looked sweet.


Have you got a link?

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## Beetroot

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9bXLq_9CW4c

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## Frogfeatures

> What's a US tank? I've found that a hefty squirt of dishwash is key, esp if I've used that spray-on Dillon case lube


Ultra Sonic

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## Greenie

I'm going to make one of the full rangi toyota models this weekend.... not paying $400+ for one due to possible health concerns of the matrimonial kind.

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## Greenie

I grabbed a Mazda wiper motor, wheels, coupling, cap screws and washers for $45... think I have an old 5 litre bucket of jib stop thats gone off I'll use for the tumbler...see what happens over the weekend, this is turning into a bit of fun.

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## stretch

Question for those who have made a tumbler:

Does a regular bucket with lid work, or do you need to glue some sort of "paddles" to the inside to ensure the brass actually "tumbles" rather than just sliding around and staying at the lowest point. Visualise the inside of a clothes dryer.

Some commercial case tumblers are hexagonal, so the brass travels up the side then tumbles back down during rotation.

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## Greenie

From the looks of things we will probably need to glue in a few paddles.

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## specweapon

I use one of these , have a nice shape inside that tumble the brass well, good screw top lid and can get them from local recycling centres for next to nothing

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## redrover

specweapon:

I don't know of any recycling centres near where I live, so to help me locate such containers could you please tell me what these containers are made for, what size they are, and what they are called? 

Thanks in advance

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## Moutere

Coleman - Polylite Jug - Outdoor Camping Gear | Coleman New Zealand

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## Beetroot

> Question for those who have made a tumbler:
> 
> Does a regular bucket with lid work, or do you need to glue some sort of "paddles" to the inside to ensure the brass actually "tumbles" rather than just sliding around and staying at the lowest point. Visualise the inside of a clothes dryer.
> 
> Some commercial case tumblers are hexagonal, so the brass travels up the side then tumbles back down during rotation.


I made ine from a 1ltr Coffee tin and glued/riveted some paddles to agitate the brass. 

I reckon a big container of protein shake stuff would work well. My tin works well, but theres a lip on it which makes it hard to get all the pins out.

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## Greenie

Sorted...Mazda power! Wood base used as a mock up for sizing. Metal frame to come.

Works a treat.

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## sparky1000

How much current does your wiper motor pull? Any ideas?

Keen to have a go at this

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## Greenie

Not sure. I'm thinking of making another on out of an old multi function printer as well

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## TeRei

> Sorted...Mazda power! Wood base used as a mock up for sizing. Metal frame to come.
> 
> Works a treat.
> 
> Attachment 41799


Very clever thinking. Awesome.

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## redrover

Thanks for the info, Moutere.

I found some of those Coleman containers - new - in an 'outdoors' shop today. However, at the price of them, I doubt that too many people would be just using them a couple of times and then chucking them out in the recycling.

Not sure how easy or otherwise it would be to attach paddles inside them with water-tight fastenings. (I'm looking at making a 'wet' tumbler) But I'll keep them in mind.

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## Greenie

Sad news, I have succumbed to an off the shelf 5kg tumber  :Grin:   :Grin:

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## Tommy

> Thanks for the info, Moutere.
> 
> I found some of those Coleman containers - new - in an 'outdoors' shop today. However, at the price of them, I doubt that too many people would be just using them a couple of times and then chucking them out in the recycling.
> 
> Not sure how easy or otherwise it would be to attach paddles inside them with water-tight fastenings. (I'm looking at making a 'wet' tumbler) But I'll keep them in mind.


150mm PVC pipe, capped one end, screw cap on the other. PVC cement a couple of lengths of conduit (PVC conduit of course) on the inside to help the contents tumble, rather than slide. Watertight, works a treat


This was the cheapest I found:

Kontiki coulper with thread rubber seal cap-150mm | Trade Me  It has a big rubber O ring on the inside, I run a little dishwash on it before I screw it up, helps make a good tight seal, and also helps release it when it's done

..and a 150mm 'push on' cap from the same place. I have a length of plain 150mm pipe ( to go between the fittings, only need 80mm so not worth buying a meter..), and a meter of the conduit you can pinch if you're in Auckland. PVC cement from the Warehouse is a couple of bucks.

Total cost around $50 and it's bullet proof.

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## stumpy

> Sad news, I have succumbed to an off the shelf 5kg tumber


good man , you will love it , and it works like a treat

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## sheppard84

> Sad news, I have succumbed to an off the shelf 5kg tumber


any particular reason why Greenie?  Looked like you were on to something there, just wondering why you ended up buying one.

Cheers

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## Greenie

> any particular reason why Greenie?  Looked like you were on to something there, just wondering why you ended up buying one.
> 
> Cheers


Yeah, A couple of things.

My wiper motor was getting too hot and I couldn't figure out how to cool it down enough.
The plastic container I was using (A Clear type hard plastic) reacted with the cleaner etc and start producing a blackish stuff.

so

I redesigned the system to allow the wiper motor to drive just a threaded spindle and then added an additional rod 6 inches to the side, mounted in a new ply box for testing,  tths was a much better design and worked straight away, BUT, what I hadn't taken into account was that I need to gear the main spindle as it was rotating the whole container around the circumference vs the earlier model which was turning the container at the centre so needed no gearing.

Anyways, I could have fixed it and added a gear to the motor and the spindle, BUT I was getting into all sorts of other stuff and thought bugger it I'll spend my time on something else (Like getting the wife to the pistol range and agreeing to joining the AK pistol club!!!), which incidentally went well..good on her  :Thumbsup: 

All in all, its all good.

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## longrange308

Link to said 5kg tumbler??

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## R93

What do you guys use as a water softener?
I see you can get that lemishine off fishpond which is what all the yanks seem to use.
Do you need it or can you just use baking soda or similar.

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## 7mmsaum

Lemishine


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## R93

> Lemishine
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Where do you get it?

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## 7mmsaum

Ebay


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## Tommy

It's $26.99 on fishpond, daylight robbery. Just get the active ingredient off tardme Citric Acid (Food Grade) - 1kg | Trade Me That amount will last aaaages

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## R93

I have some food grade citric acid. Thanks for that. 


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## 7mmsaum

The citric is there to makes your brass shinier


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## Tommy

> The citric is there to makes your brass shinier
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Whoops, that is correct

Sodium Percarbonate 1kg - Oxygen Bleach | Trade Me

Would that do it?

I was lucky enough to be given a container of Lemishine, this and the citric acid was my plan for when I ran out..

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## Glycerine

lemi-shine aswell, i picked up a couple when i was last in the US,
will grab a couple next time i'm there

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## stumpy

I use about a 45acp case of lemshine/citric acid to 400 odd 223 , or 700 odd 9mm , in my tumbler , stainless steel pins , tumble for 1 hour on number 2 setting , (same tumbler as pictured ) works great

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## stumpy

whoops , and a squirt of dishwashing liquid

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## R93

I only know what I have read about stainless steel pin tumbling and understand that lemishine is used a water softener and to allow the dish washing soap to work better and keep out calcium etc?
So we must have the equivalent to lemishine in NZ as we have dishwashers?
Also they (yanks) seem to tumble for 3-4 hours. 
I only plan to do it once every 4-5 firings on pistol brass and once every couple on my AR brass.
I may have got to small of a tumbler it's only a 3kg one so i assume I will only be able to do a days worth of shooting at a time but that's all I intended.

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## Moutere

I don't bother with Lemishine, perfectly happy with the end result.

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## stub

I use a squirt of dishwashing liquid and under a teaspoon of plain old citric acid u buy from supermarket and hot water tumblr for about a hour and have no problem at all I rinse fresh warm water over the cases in the tumbler till it is pretty much clear with no bubbles I dry in a dehydrator  in about 15mins

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## zimmer

I have seen Lemishine in 2 local shops recently. just haven't bothered to buy it as I have always had perfect results just using Hansells Citric Acid.
Whats in Lemi Shine?  UPDATED » Chemistry Blog

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## Kscott

> I use a squirt of dishwashing liquid and under a teaspoon of plain old citric acid u buy from supermarket and hot water tumblr for about a hour and have no problem at all I rinse fresh warm water over the cases in the tumbler till it is pretty much clear with no bubbles I dry in a dehydrator  in about 15mins


Same recipe, using citric acid from supermarket. Works a treat and no probs.

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## R93

Will give that a bash when tumbler shows up.
Got everything else.

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## Danny

So the S.S media can only be sourced via gun works etc? Is there anything else that will work?


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## P38

> So the S.S media can only be sourced via gun works etc? Is there anything else that will work?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Buy some 304 stainless wire and cut it to length yourself.  :Have A Nice Day: 

Cheers
Pete

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## Danny

> Buy some 304 stainless wire and cut it to length yourself. 
> 
> Cheers
> Pete


Oh, click, I can do that
Thanks. 


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## Tommy

> So the S.S media can only be sourced via gun works etc? Is there anything else that will work?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 @Danny nah pretty much every gunshop sells the stuff. Usually $40 for a pound (which is a ZILLION little bits)

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## Danny

Oh. That's quite reasonable 


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## R93

Dunno how I survived without stainless steel tumbling. It is seriously the only way to clean brass properly. Don't have to clean primer pockets. Inside is as clean as the outside. Easier to see imperfections as well.
Done over 500 FNB .223 cases that has sat about for years amongst my pile of get round to it crap. It looks better than the day it was made. Amazing how many flash holes are not central in Mil spec brass. :Grin:  Didn't use that lemishine stuff either. Just citric acid and Palmolive. :Thumbsup:

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## 300CALMAN

> Dunno how I survived without stainless steel tumbling. It is seriously the only way to clean brass properly. Don't have to clean primer pockets. Inside is as clean as the outside. Easier to see imperfections as well.
> Done over 500 FNB .223 cases that has sat about for years amongst my pile of get round to it crap. It looks better than the day it was made. Amazing how many flash holes are not central in Mil spec brass. Didn't use that lemishine stuff either. Just citric acid and Palmolive.


Well done R93. I have about 1000 5.56 looking at me to do. I am going to make some into 300AAC. Lemishine is Citric Acid.

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## R93

> Well done R93. I have about 1000 5.56 looking at me to do. I am going to make some into 300AAC. Lemishine is Citric Acid.


Ha! Spose that's why they got so clean then😆

Didn't know that. Thought it was just some fancy dishwasher powder😆

I just got given another thousand or so mil cases tonight. Will need a bit of work to prep them, but they were free.

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## Kscott

Discovered a neat trick today. If you store your tumbler on top of your safe, then knock it over to land on the concrete floor, the container won't survive  :Omg:  and the plastic rims will shatter.

So have picked up an (expensive) Frankford one which holds more, is quieter and is tougher when I'm doing experiments like the effects of gravity.

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## zimmer

> Discovered a neat trick today. If you store your tumbler on top of your safe, then knock it over to land on the concrete floor, the container won't survive  and the plastic rims will shatter.
> 
> So have picked up an (expensive) Frankford one which holds more, is quieter and is tougher when I'm doing experiments like the effects of gravity.


After part way building one, then looking at the Chinese ones, I succumbed to a Franford Arsenal one. Must be one of the few thing that they make that is any good. I am exceptionally pleased with mine. Have loaded it up to the gunnells (to the point where it is very heavy to lift) with brass and it hasn't missed a beat.

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## R93

I got a cheap Chinese 3kg one. $140 delivered.
Can do 150 .223, 200 .40 s&w haven't done any 9mm yet but should have the capacity to do more than I need.
It works very well so far. It is quiet and quick. On its lowest setting it agitates forward and reverse and takes around an hour to clean brass including primer pockets well.
Being Chinese it might not last years but ya never know.
Good cheap start to stainless tumbling.

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## Kscott

Yup that was the same one I had. The plastic rims didn't enjoy the shock of meeting concrete. Must admit, am impressed with the Frankford one. Expensive, but quieter, does more brass and robustly built. I looked at a CED one but figured I could do the same damage one day, so picked the Frankfor one which is rimless and looks like injected plastic mould. Looks tough as bro'  :Thumbsup:

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## R93

I won't store mine up high on my gunsafe😆
Cheap shit I know, but it goes good for now.

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## ebf

So I'm trying out this stainless tumbling lark... The Mrs went on a shopping spree  :Thumbsup: 

Had a go with cold water and tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, but the case lube still stuck on the side of the cases after 1 hour of tumbling...

Do I need to use warm water, or is citric acid the trick for removing the case lube ?

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## Tommy

Hot water and a real good squirt of dishwash.

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## Glycerine

> So I'm trying out this stainless tumbling lark... The Mrs went on a shopping spree 
> 
> Had a go with cold water and tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, but the case lube still stuck on the side of the cases after 1 hour of tumbling...
> 
> Do I need to use warm water, or is citric acid the trick for removing the case lube ?


*ALWAYS USE COLD AS POSSIBLE WATER, THE COLDER THE BETTER*

17lb tumber instructions..


1. Add 5 Lbs (2.27 kg) of SS media into the drum

2. Next fill with 1 gallon (3.78 Liters) of *cold water*. (One gallon)=8 Lbs/3.63 kg

3. Add your brass into the drum (2-4 Lbs of brass)

*4. Add dish soap. 1 -2 Tbs (15-30 mL) of either Dawn, Ivory, or Joy dish soap

(if there are no soap bubbles in the water after you tumble, you need more soap)

5. Add 1/4 Tsp. (1.25 mL) of Lemishine. This is the key to the shine. (Not too much)*

*6. Tumble 3-4 hours with the Model B High Speed Thumler’s Tumbler*

7. Pour out as much water as you can without losing any brass or pins 

(The more you rinse the brass and pins the better your results will be next time)

8. Fill drum with water, and separate brass by hand or use an STM Media Separator with water.

9. Rinse your brass off really good with some warm water. (Not getting a good rinse can leave water spots on the brass)

10. Dump brass onto a towel and let dry. If any pins get stuck in the neck of the brass throw those pins away

11. Store Stainless Steel Media either wet or dry in drum

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## Kscott

> So I'm trying out this stainless tumbling lark... The Mrs went on a shopping spree 
> 
> Had a go with cold water and tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, but the case lube still stuck on the side of the cases after 1 hour of tumbling...
> 
> Do I need to use warm water, or is citric acid the trick for removing the case lube ?


What make/model did you end up getting ?

My recipe is cold tap water in the laundry, a squirt of Homebrand dishwashing liquid and a 9mm case full of citric acid powder, put on for 90 mins and everything is nice 'n shiny.

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## Jhon

> I got one of these:
> Thumler's Tumbler Model B Rotary Tumbler : Cabela's
> Works bloody well.


Tumbler $6.50, large $6000, ingenuity priceless..

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## Seventenths

I have both tumblers and have to say the stainless steel media tumbler is the way to go.

You need some Palmolive and some citric acid in the mix with hot water but once the cycle is done you need to put the cases on a towel and pat dry before drying otherwise you end up with water spots on the cases.

Either a dehydrator or put the cases on a tin foil cooking tray and place then in the sun or in the oven on 50 degrees with the oven door ajar with a wooden cooking spoon.

I had a Tumler's Tumbler on loan to me once but couldn't justify the expense of it though I couldn't fault the tumbler... in the end I bought a tumbler off ebay for less than US$100

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## Oli1102

I built my tumbler DIY. Using a 4L Paul from bunnings and a wiper motor from an old Mercedes! All up cost about $30 + pins to build. I can do about 100-150 rifle cases or 200-300 pistol cases. I also use hot water to tumble, but cold water to rinse! Comes out spotless!

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