Brass Tumbler

[Brent Pugh]

I looking to buy my first Tumbler, dont shoot to much any more, so I dont want to spend a lot for it, can you all recommend a brand and also which type would you recommend (wet tumbler or dry type, and the media for it also, I have seen stainless steel, walnut, corn cob and ceramic , I do have some Nickle coated brass I would like to tumble also.
Thanks,
Brent

 

[SSL]

I looking to buy my first Tumbler, dont shoot to much any more, so I dont want to spend a lot for it, can you all recommend a brand and also which type would you recommend (wet tumbler or dry type, and the media for it also, I have seen stainless steel, walnut, corn cob and ceramic , I do have some Nickle coated brass I would like to tumble also.
Thanks,
Brent

You might want to look into the vibratory type of cleaners. I have an old Lyman that I bought used with no idea how much it had been used prior to me that is still running strong...30 years later it still cleans to a bright finish. Cheap media (corn cob, ground walnut hulls, lizard bedding, cat-box mix and etc.) add a little polish additive, dump brass in, turn on and walk away. Takes a little longer than the new fancy stainless-steel pins and such, but much cheaper and more gentle on brass. Especially for those nickel-plated cases.

 

[std7mag]

I also use a Lyman.
But only because the LGS where i bought it was sold out of the Frankford Arsenal ones.
But it's been going strong for 5 yrs now.
I got walnut blast media from Harbor Freight. 25lb box was cheap & does a good job, even on the nickle plated cases.

I took an old tee shirt and cut a large rectangle out of it. Folded in half and cut small slit through the center. I lay it over the stud post of the tumbler when i tumble, keeps the dust down.

 

[Walt Krafft]

A vibratory bowl will work fine for you. Dillon, Lyman, Midway. Find some fine corn cob so it won't stick in the flash holes and add some Dillon Shine to it.

 

[SSL]

As for emptying the media from the tumbled brass, you can hold each case mouth down against the edge of the running tub to vibrate it out, use a tub-size, plastic, bowl shaped large-mesh kitchen strainer center-drilled to be mounted on the tumbler's lid stud (use duct tape to cover any mesh that isn't directly over the tub) or buy one of the hand-cranked rotary media separators from RCBS or others. The last two options work great for larger batches. The first method gets pretty tedious with more than a small batch.

 

[Brent Pugh]

Fellers I really appreciate all the recommendations, I think I will get me a Lyman 1200 like some of ya'll have or have used, sounds like it will last me the rest of my shooting days. I have a good bit of 25-06 brass and nickel plated brass that I have picked up over time at ranges and dirt pits and just wanted to clean it up before loading. Do most of ya'll remove the primer before tumbling with a decapper?

Thanks again,
Brent

 

[SSL]

Maybe just me, but I tumble before sizing and de-priming. I don't want all that crud on the cases scratching my dies. Sizing/de-priming after cleaning also has the advantage of making sure the flash-holes are free of any media debris. I then clean primer pockets, prime and load after that. Gives an extra opportunity to inspect that brass while you're at it.

 

[deadidarren]

Maybe just me, but I tumble before de-priming. I don't want all that crud on the cases scratching my dies. Sizing/de-priming after cleaning also has the advantage of making sure the flash-holes are free of any media debris. I then clean primer pockets, prime and load after that. Gives an extra opportunity to inspect that brass while you're at it.

Same here for more than 30 years and never broken a becapping pin either.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Sometimes I use a decapping die then tumble if they are real dirty. Then lube and size. With fresh cob I then tumble to remove the lube and put the shine on.

 

[K9TXS]

I always decap before tumbling/vibrating. The brass and media is bumped into a tumbler that has slots in it. Turn it by hand and all the media is gone from the brass.

The final step before size is using an air hose to blow out the cases. This will remove all media from inside the case, primer pockets, and any dust that has collected anywhere on or in the case.