Anyone with a 2+ year old F A rotary tumbler with this problem ?

[Baddog0302]

The last few times I used my F A tumbler to clean cases with SS pins and the cleaner that came with the unit all of my cases came out looking like they were in a bag of charcoal. Black stain on all of them, My fingers looked the same when I rubbed them against the inside of the drum.

 

[Straightshooter1]

My F A tumbler is just a little older than that with no such issue.

It sounds like the interior rubber is breaking down, like it was exposed to some kind of chemical that doesn't like the rubber . . .??? Or maybe there's a manufacturing flaw for the rubber in your case. If you think it's the latter, you might want to give them a call and see what they'll do (877-509-9160).

 

[Dan Minick]

Did you by chance switch case lubes?

 

[Baddog0302]

My F A tumbler is just a little older than that with no such issue.

It sounds like the interior rubber is breaking down, like it was exposed to some kind of chemical that doesn't like the rubber . . .??? Or maybe there's a manufacturing flaw for the rubber in your case. If you think it's the latter, you might want to give them a call and see what they'll do (877-509-9160).

THANK YOU for the contact # , I asked about a replacement drum on Amazon and they said Midway owned FA. So I contacted MW about a replacement drum, got typical Midway answer , either NO answer, or a bunch of 20 something BS

 

[Baddog0302]

Did you by chance switch case lubes?

Cases were wet tumbled after firing,then lubed with Imperial sizing lube for the 308 and bigger cases

 

[Texas10]

Does the stain wash off easily, or is it stuck to the brass? Do you leave the brass in the tumbler after it's shut off?
My Harbor Freight tumbler is made of a rubber drum and I noticed that when I switched to Sleeping Giant SS bits, more of the rubber was eroded with each run. Wash water was more blackened, but they cleaned up fine with a rinse. The Frankford Arsenal tumbler incorporates a much more aggressive tumbler action than the H.F. drum.

Maybe a different cleaner would help. I use this now.http://rcbs.com/Products/Case-Prepa...Ultrasonic-Rotary-Case-Cleaning-Solution.aspx

 

[Baddog0302]

Does the stain wash off easily, or is it stuck to the brass? Do you leave the brass in the tumbler after it's shut off?
My Harbor Freight tumbler is made of a rubber drum and I noticed that when I switched to Sleeping Giant SS bits, more of the rubber was eroded with each run. Wash water was more blackened, but they cleaned up fine with a rinse. The Frankford Arsenal tumbler incorporates a much more aggressive tumbler action than the H.F. drum.

Maybe a different cleaner would help. I use this now.http://rcbs.com/Products/Case-Prepa...Ultrasonic-Rotary-Case-Cleaning-Solution.aspx

After I notice the tumbler has stopped, I dump everything onto the bucket sized FA strainer , then the drum is washed out over another bucket to get all the PITA SS pins that stick to the drum's walls. The cases before they started turning black were washed, allowed to sun dry then lubed and sized. Then washed in water and a case cleaner that cleans away the Imperial lube.
Hopefully a little trial & error will produce a cleaner that will remove the dark stain so I use the pins evt to clean the insides & PP of a lot of 308 LCLR I just picked up.

 

[jpx2rk]

I've noticed that if you stop the tumbler and then get everything else ready to rinse the brass/seperate the pins, etc., the brass will have a coating on it where the dirty water/crap settles back onto the brass. I get everything else needed gathered up and ready, then stop the tumbler and go to it then. It doesn't take long for the brass to get "stained" in my experience.