brass tumblers

James M · Post by **James M** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:00 am

Brass tumblers all look the same, except for color,
and product listings usually lack disclosure regarding operating sounds levels, or motor wattage.
What is your favorite tumbler?

don marable · Post by **don marable** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:42 am

James:

Look at the below link. This is what a great many of the Shiloh shooters are uning.

http://www.sagebrushproducts.com/Shooti ... #Thumblers

I lucked into a second-hand RCBS Sidewinder. If not for this deal, I would purchase the Thumbler's Tumbler from the above link.

I deprime my cases and make one revolution in each primer pocket with a primer cleaning tool and put the cases in a half and half vinegar and water solution for about five or ten minutes. I then throughly rince the cases and tumble them in the sidewinder loaded with ceramic medium for 1.5 hours and the cases look new.

To cut to the chase, I think the two major consederations are to procure a rotary tumbler as opposed to a vibrating type and use ceramic media.

Don

taw1126 · Post by **taw1126** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:22 am

My experience in cleaning BP rounds is definitely limited, but I didn't experience any problems using a standard, inexpensive (~$50) vibratory tumbler and walnut shell media. Pre-cleaning was similar to what's mentioned above: cases were placed in a vinegar/water solution at the range, agitated in hot soapy water, rinsed, dried, decapped & put in the walnut media for a few hours. I don't doubt the rotary tumblers are better (and the only ones I've ever seen recommended for ceramic) but the vibrating types are a lot cheaper.

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:27 am

From what I understand, the Thumbler's unit & the ceramic cleaning media are the cat's meow.

Using these 2, Fellow Shooters have reported that it is then only method/product combination that will successfully clean primer pockets.

PowderFlask2 · Post by **PowderFlask2** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:21 pm

I have a vibratory case cleaner that was left over from when I shot 22-250 many years ago.

A fellow shooter who will remain Mooseless told me how great the Ceramic stuff worked and so I gave it a try.

This stuff works GREAT, If my old vibrator gives out I will buy a thumlers tumbler model B but I have used this set up for over a year and it still works great. You couldn't pay me to go back to walnut media

My 2 cents, if you haven't tried the Ceramic stuff you don't know what your missing.

Omaha Poke · Post by **Omaha Poke** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:49 pm

James M, most of us have been where you are now, and if I had it to do all over again I would start off with the Thumlers Tumbler and ceramic media.

Like most others, I started with a vibratory type and either corn cob or walnut media. This works just great for smokeless loads, but does not clean out the primer pockets or get the inside of the cases very clean.

With the TT and ceramic, the primer pockets come out perfectly clean and the whole case inside and out are cleaned and polished better than new.

I would also de-prime the cases before dropping them into a tub of soapy water. Most of us de-prime immediately after shooting and before we leave the range. This allows the burned on crud in the pocket to soak and be more easily removed by the media.

If you are going to be shooting BP might as well start out on the right foot.

Randy

Post by **Kirk** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:05 pm

Hi James, Here not to shortly we are going to be handling the Thumbler Tumbler, media and cleaner, along with some other products to try and make Shiloh more of a one stop place to get fixwd up at. Sagebrush is working with us, so it will be the same deal and if you are just starting, go with the ceramic tumbler, nothing else!!! Thanks Kirk

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:56 pm

Powder Flask2 & TAW 1126: I have an older Lyman #1200 (orange bowl) vibrator case cleaner. Capacity is 1 gallon.

Any tricks or tips to using ceramic media w/ it?

Got a link to a ceramic supplier?

PowderFlask2 · Post by **PowderFlask2** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 5:30 pm

I got mine from David Maurer

517.669.9801

dkittydave @ aol.com (remove the spaces of course)

Nice guy and easy to do business with.

Randy is correct in that you need to deprime and dump your brass in some soapy water while at the range.

I use a plastic purex laundry detergent bottle with a little Dawn dishwashing soap and water in it

Come home and rinse the brass to get rid of the big stuff, throw it in the vibrator with a little water and a cap full of Dave's cleaner (to get the right amount of water turn on the vibrator and add water till you see the vibration start to slow, This is about one capful of the Purex bottle for me)

After about 2 hours you will have brass that is super clean right down to the primer pockets.

Then take them in and rinse again under clean running water and dry, I put mine on a towel with a fan blowing on them if I'm in a hurry to get them reloaded.

I have heard naysayers that are afraid of ceramic dust getting down their barrels 1. you rinse after vibrating 2. there is no dust

As a side note a friend of mine who uses walnut hulls loaded some grease cookie bullets for me and after firing I noticed that he had a hard build up in the bottom of his cases so I had to leave them in the vibrator about twice as long, but the bottom line is that his walnut hulls didn't remove that crap and the ceramic did.

Can you tell I love this stuff?

Texas Shooter · Post by **Texas Shooter** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 5:52 pm

Kirk:

Since I've been searching for the necessary shooting item, shooter box, cross sticks, mat, stock slick etc. If you have a chance to cover "At the range needed items" and "Reloading item", on you web site, us newbies would be very appreciative.

The Tumbler looks great, I will be ordering one soon, but presses, dies, Turret vs. Standard, and so on?

I really have enjoyed this site, so I'm not complaining, I just wanted to pass along some of the things I know I'm trying to figure out.

If you want to leave it as is, you still have the best BPCR site and I'm thankful.

Best Regards,

Ty O'Neal
aka. Texas Shooter

Kelley O. Roos · Post by **Kelley O. Roos** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 6:36 pm

Powderflask2,

Cermic media has no dust.

Kelley O.

Omaha Poke · Post by **Omaha Poke** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 7:18 pm

kELLEY, ceramic media doesn't have dust only when it is wet

Haven't tried it dry, but I would bet that it might have dust then

Randy

James M · Post by **James M** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:35 pm

Thumbler's Tumbler is now offically on my reloading buy list.
It would be great if Shiloh added a reloading stuff e-store, with only Shiloh grade, Shiloh recommended stuff.

Maybe even a "Kirk's double deal":
1)Order your dream Sharps for next year.
2)Order a basic Sharps at the same time for immediate fun.
3)Order at least $____ worth of reloading gear at the same time,
and receive 25 Bell brass free (or whatever)

...it's an idea

BuckeyeShooter · Post by **BuckeyeShooter** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:55 pm

Another must have for case cleaning is the case brush that Buffalo Arms sells. They have bristles all the way around the end and make it easy to get the fouling out of the bottom of the cases before you put them in the tumbler.

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:04 pm

Powder Flask2: how big is your vibrating case cleaner & about how much ceramic media do you use?

From what I've been able to find, seems that the media is sold in 8# conatiners.

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