First Tumble

T1jetmech

I finished my first batch of brass today. I went with the rice and Hornady's one shot polish. Turned out ok...think I will try a cleaning cycle with the pet store walnut stuff and then do the rice polish...all in all though I am pleased with my first try at this.[8D]

gknaka2

The tumbling part is easy. The "keep the media from going everywhere" part is tricky. If anyone has some good tricks to doing it please let me know. My hand sifter (looks like your panning for gold type) throws it all over the place.

Been thinking of doing it over a kitty litter box or something.

Tailgunner1954

gkanka
I "mine" for my brass, removing it from the tumbler (while running) several pieces at a time by hand and dumping any media directly back into the tumbler (touching the cases, mouth down, against the center stud helps shake out any stuck media). I find this to be faster/easier (for me) than the whole dump, sift, refill thing.

With your "sifter" try placing it in the top of a 5 gal bucket, and move the brass around with your hand (IE not a shake the pan method)

T1jetmech

I did what tailgunner said...while the bowl vibrated I just pulled the brass out and held it up against the center part of the bowl to shake out any rice still in the brass.

dcs shooters

I use a Frankford Arsenal Rotary Separator from Midway on top of a three gal. bucket.
RCBS makes one also.

B17-P51

+1 RCBS---- $29.00--- sealed container + 1 dryer sheet = no mess.

FrancF

quote:Originally posted by T1jetmech
I did what tailgunner said...while the bowl vibrated I just pulled the brass out and held it up against the center part of the bowl to shake out any rice still in the brass.


That's what I do.

Bubba Jr.

I have an old 2 1/2 gal. ice cream bucket that I drilled 1/4" holes in the lid. I dump the tumbler contents into the bucket, replace the lid, and shake the media back into the container I have for it.

Later on, to increase the speed of dumping the media, I cut about half of the "connective tissue" from between the drilled holes. Now it takes about a 1/3 less time to drain it. Cost? $0.00 [:D]

Okie743

quote:Originally posted by Bubba Jr.
I have an old 2 1/2 gal. ice cream bucket that I drilled 1/4" holes in the lid. I dump the tumbler contents into the bucket, replace the lid, and shake the media back into the container I have for it.

Later on, to increase the speed of dumping the media, I cut about half of the "connective tissue" from between the drilled holes. Now it takes about a 1/3 less time to drain it. Cost? $0.00 [:D]


The above works great for me also! I took 4 inch grinder with a grind stone and cut slots about 1/4 inch wide at random directions in the bottom of the container instead of drilling holes, then gently shake this plastic container over another for separation, then I dump the BRASS back into the vibratory tumbler and turn it on for about 1 min and this shakes the majority of the stuck media from the brass!

Also to get the dust out of the media I use a dryer anti-static sheet in the media for awhile! The dust sticks to the towel!

All cost is approx ZERO!

If you want to catch any dust or droppings, do the operation over a plastic garbage bag as a drop cloth, so as the wife don't place you on Latrine and vacuum cleaner duties!!

midnightrunpaintballer

For years, I used a spaghetti colander with a lid and shook over a kitty litter box shaped plastic pan. Got tired of that and bought the frankford arsenal one from midway. [:D]

Bergtreffer

gknaka2 -- Regarding the strainer or sieve that looks like it can be used for gold prospecting. I am a gold prospector and I use sieves of various mesh sizes all the time. They are meant to sit atop a 5-gallon bucket. For gold prospecting we put the sieve on the bucket and shovel dirt into the sieve. We shake the bucket-and-sieve back and forth and the dirt (and hopefully gold) falls through the screen mesh into the bucket, and then the useless material is discarded. Your walnut and rice materials should be easily collected with the use of a bucket. If you don't have an old 5-gallon bucket from paint, go to Home Depot and buy one of their orange color Homer buckets. That is exactly what you need.

P.S. You might try giving gold prospecting a try. It's a lot of fun.

gknaka2

I just bought a Lyman turbo twin which is neat because you just remove the bowl, put the tight fitting sifter lid on, turn it upside down, and shake...very easy.