First Tumbling

A place to discuss calibers, ammunition, and reloading

First Tumbling

Postby LumberZach on Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:45 pm

I found a rock tumbler from when I was a kid and I had big plans for this and that before I finally decided to just pick up some walnut media and start tumbling. After 4 hours this I what I came up with. It still seems a little tarnished and I was just wondering if I should keep it going, or if that is good enough and it won't hurt anything.
Left side is a case from the same lot that didn't make it into the first batch, right side is the tumbled case.
Thanks guys, I always appreciate the help.
Attachments
Brass tumble.jpg
LumberZach
 
Posts: 847 [View]
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:27 pm

First Tumbling

Postby DoxaPar on Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:07 pm

I've usually run mine (Hornady tumbler) with walnut for 7ish hours.

I have no idea if I should, it's just how long it takes to clean up nicely.
User avatar
DoxaPar
 
Posts: 656 [View]
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:46 am
Location: Minneapolis

First Tumbling

Postby DoxaPar on Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:08 pm

I've also been adding Nu Finish polish.
User avatar
DoxaPar
 
Posts: 656 [View]
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:46 am
Location: Minneapolis

Re: First Tumbling

Postby MNIceMan on Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:47 pm

I would not use a rock tumbler but a vibratory tumbler for you casings.
MN DNR FAS Instructor
NRA Life Member
"We all have our own Green Mile to walk. How will yours be?"
User avatar
MNIceMan
 
Posts: 417 [View]
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:14 pm
Location: SW Metro

Re: First Tumbling

Postby LumberZach on Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:06 pm

Will it do any damage or anything? I plan on getting a vibratory tumbler soon, but I figured I would polish up some cases cheap with what I currently have.
LumberZach
 
Posts: 847 [View]
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:27 pm

Re: First Tumbling

Postby rtwills on Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:31 pm

I dont think it would hurt ( I have never tried it) but the vibratory ones will make the media work harder and probably be more gentle to the cases. I like corncob and usually put in in before bed and shut it down when I wake up
What if the Hokey Pokey really isn't what it's all about???
User avatar
rtwills
 
Posts: 122 [View]
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2013 4:41 pm
Location: Anoka, Mn

Re: First Tumbling

Postby JJ on Thu Jun 20, 2013 6:33 pm

If its a rock tumbler, I would assume that it seals? If so, SS pins would be a better solution than walnut.
"a man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box." Frederick Douglass
User avatar
JJ
 
Posts: 3541 [View]
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:43 pm
Location: Princeton

Re: First Tumbling

Postby Vlad on Thu Jun 20, 2013 6:39 pm

A rock tumbler will work just fine, just takes longer than a vibritory tumbler. Use what you got... if this is a new experience keep your overhead low. Ss pins would work well but like the walnut would take a bit of time as well.
http://www.Schleifleather.com For custom holsters that fit you and the gun, not to mention show off those Strad grips...

The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression."

--W.E.B. Du Bois,
American scholar and civil rights leader
User avatar
Vlad
 
Posts: 1085 [View]
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:04 pm
Location: Central MN

Re: First Tumbling

Postby MXGreg on Thu Jun 20, 2013 7:06 pm

I picked up a rock tumbler and some SS pins and did a test load with some weathered 9mm cases I had laying around, just to see how well it will work. The two cases on the right are what went into the tumbler, the two on the left are what came out after 4 hours. I will say, I'm impressed.

Image
User avatar
MXGreg
 
Posts: 434 [View]
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:48 am
Location: Goodhue County

Re: First Tumbling

Postby CarRacer on Thu Jun 20, 2013 7:08 pm

Those look great. What did you use to separate the pins from the cases and water when you were done?
User avatar
CarRacer
 
Posts: 744 [View]
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2011 11:21 pm
Location: Shakopee, MN

Re: First Tumbling

Postby LumberZach on Thu Jun 20, 2013 7:11 pm

Do you guys think the pins work the brass too much? I have concerns about that, but I am extremely interested in the pins. I thought that the walnut would be good to try because it seems so tried and true. That and because it is easily available at Gander and such.
LumberZach
 
Posts: 847 [View]
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:27 pm

Re: First Tumbling

Postby MXGreg on Thu Jun 20, 2013 7:27 pm

CarRacer wrote:Those look great. What did you use to separate the pins from the cases and water when you were done?


I have a kitchen strainer that's made out of fine mesh, the pins won't go through it, then I just pick the shells out of the pins. I dump the water/shells/pins into the strainer over a 5 gallon pail just incase I get sloppy.
User avatar
MXGreg
 
Posts: 434 [View]
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:48 am
Location: Goodhue County

Re: First Tumbling

Postby Scratch on Thu Jun 20, 2013 8:25 pm

I have both vibratory and SS pins. If I didn't have anything, and cared about shiny cases, I'd go with the SS pins and a rotary wet tumbler. It is more time involved though with straining, rinsing, and drying. Don't worry about the pins causing a problem with the brass, the only reason people don't use SS pins exclusively, is the initial cost difference, and the extra work, but if you want über shiny brass, the pins are the shiznit. Plus you already have a rotary tumbler.

But if I didn't have a lot of free time, and especially if I was doing pistol mostly, I'd just use a vibratory tumbler. Cant tell a whole lot of difference in the outside, and I don't really care about the insides and primer cups.... For pistol.
01 FFL in Hudson Wisconsin
User avatar
Scratch
 
Posts: 2158 [View]
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:23 pm
Location: Hudson, WI

Re: First Tumbling

Postby LumberZach on Thu Jun 20, 2013 10:04 pm

Nice, the fact that the pins clean inside the case is a huge plus. I just need to get off my butt and order the pins soon. Hopefully I do get a vibratory tumbler as well.
LumberZach
 
Posts: 847 [View]
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:27 pm

Re: First Tumbling

Postby BigDog58 on Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:16 pm

LumberZach wrote:Do you guys think the pins work the brass too much? I have concerns about that, but I am extremely interested in the pins. I thought that the walnut would be good to try because it seems so tried and true. That and because it is easily available at Gander and such.



fwiw I get my walnut shells and corn cob from either Petsmart, Petco or Walmart. It is used as Pet bedding or substrate. It is far cheaper and I find the walnut ground much finer, which prevents any possibility of it plugging the flash holes. I add Nu Finish Car Polish to both, which helps prevent the brass from oxidizing as quickly.

Now that I have the wet tumbler, I do the following process in this order

Tumble dirty brass for 1 hr in plain Walnut Shell (Vibratory Tumbler) to get firing residue before I deprime and resize.

Deprime- Resize

Wet Tumble with Stainless Steel Pins, Dawn Dish Detergent and Lemi-Shine (Rotary Tumbler)

I then use my media seperator ( same one for walnut-corncob) to seperate pins brass and then completely rinse all traces of soap etc. in clear water.

Then dry the brass on a towel in front of a small fan. About 1 1/2 hrs.


After loading my ammo I then put the loaded ammo in the Corn Cob with Nu Finish (Vibratory Tumbler again)and wear cotton gloves to handle my loads as I place them in either sealed bags or ammo boxes for storage.

Most of this I learned from OldmanFCSA, except for the Nu Finish. That, I picked up from a You Tube video.
NRA RSO
"Never anger a man that can end you, from another zip code

If necessary to fight, I will Fight like I'm the 3rd Monkey on the ramp to Noah's Arc, and brother, it's starting to rain.
User avatar
BigDog58
 
Posts: 2680 [View]
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:03 am
Location: Edina, MN

Next

Return to Ammunition & Reloading

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests

cron