Harbor Freight tumbler

[bsekf]

Going to use my Harbor Freight tumbler for the first time. I plan to put in 20 308 cases, 2 1/2 pounds of SS media, fill 3/4 full with warm water, add teaspoon Dash and a teaspoon of LemiShine. Will that work or do I have the ratio wrong? Figure it will take about an hour.

 

[Lapua40X]

I can't help much with the recipe except to say that 2 1/2 pounds of SS media along with the brass and powder may exceed the weight limits for that machine. Most of them are limited to 2 - 3 pounds max.

 

[Bayou]

Going to use my Harbor Freight tumbler for the first time. I plan to put in 20 308 cases, 2 1/2 pounds of SS media, fill 3/4 full with warm water, add teaspoon Dash and a teaspoon of LemiShine. Will that work or do I have the ratio wrong? Figure it will take about an hour.

What's the weight limit for that size drum? Provide that and some ratios can be given.

 

[Webster]

It was last Summer and I only ran it twice. I'm writting this from memory.I bought the Harbour Freight Tumbler also. I first filled the tumbler with brass about ~50 cases. Added SS pins to 1-2" from the top of the drum. Then filled the drum water to somewhere near the top. Added Dawn and Lemon shine in the amounts similar to what you added. Tumbled about 2-3 hours. It was difficult to get the lid seal on. The next time I will wipe a thin film of silicon on the edge. The water came out black. You might want to tumble 1 hour then change the water solution. A lighter load might be easier on the motor and polish better. Rinse quickly with tap water or distilled water ($1 a gallon for distilled water) to prevent spotting from the Dawn and lemon shine. It's important not to overfill the drum with SS or cartridges. If everything rotates as one clump it won't polish. Idealy the SS and cases get carried up the side and fall from the top so there is some impact . I think HF sells two size tumblers. Mine is probably the smaller one. Run it in the basement near a drain in case it leaks.

 

[guidom]

it depends on which tumbler you bought. i got the double drum. i put one poung of ss. pins in each drum, and 16 oz. of water.

 

[Toolbreaker]

I've got the double drum. I run 50 (.308) cases in one drum, about 3(?) lbs. of pins, a heaping tablespoon of Dawn, then top with hot water. Tumble for about 1 hr, then I pop the lid & put the full drum in the sink under running water. The amount of soap I run is excessive, but it really helps to cut the carbon out of the primer pockets. After the running water flushes the majority of the soap & carbon out, I re-fill with hot water again, plus about 1 teaspoon of Lemi-Shine & run it again for 30 minutes or so. The second round shines the brass up pretty & also washes out the residual soap. I'm only running one drum at a time, since it's at or plus 5 lbs.

Seems that keeping a drum on the "full" side cleans the brass a little more thoroughly, at least for me.

 

[Bayou]

For the Thumlers Model B (15 pound capacity), here is my recipe:

1 gallon of water (8 pounds)

4 pounds of SS pins

1/4 teaspoon Lemi-Shine

1 ounce auto wash & wax

2 pounds of brass

This comes to 14 pounds - 1 pound under max. Tumble for 4 hours. I find that 4 hours is the "sweet spot" for impeccably clean cases - inside, outside and primer pockets - with all vestiges of residue being removed.