New to the Thumbler's Tumbler B -- Help--

[LIUNA]

I got my Thumbler's Tumbler today, and after reading instructions they specifically say when cleaning brass do not use water. Now everything I have read on this site talks about water and a little Dawn dish soap, and a little lemon shine. Now can you guys help me understand the proper procedure.
Thanks, Bob

 

[jonbearman]

Re: New to the Thomas Tumbler B -- Help--

Do you mean thumlers tumbler?

 

[LIUNA]

Re: New to the Thomas Tumbler B -- Help--

Yes, I will make that correction. Thanks,

 

[BaconFat]

Bob, who are you going to trust. A bunch of guys that treat their brass like it's the most precious thing in the world or a company who probably never tumbled brass even once.

Just put in your pins and brass, add water, a good squirt of dish soap and a teaspoon of Lemi-Shine and get to tumbling.

 

[dickn52]

BaconFat got it right. Thumbler was originally a rock tumbler used for rocks and stones. Water, dawn dish soap and lemishine work great for all your needs.

 

[bigedp51]

When all else fails read the directions.........................

 

[LIUNA]

Your right of course, I will take your advice and I thank each and everyone for your input.

 

[bigedp51]

Before I got my Thumbler's Tumbler I waited for my wife to go to work and then cleaned my cases on the Pot Scrubber setting.

When all my Glocks get dirty I clean then on the Normal cycle and heated dry.

 

[jlow]

Remind me to never go eat at bigedp51's.... ;D

 

[bigedp51]

Remind me to never go eat at bigedp51's.... ;D

I don't know why you would say something like this jlow, I use hot soapy water in my Thumbler's Tumbler to clean my cases. "BUT" my dishwasher has a water saver pre-wash cycle.

 

[Juma]

That is really hard case.

 

[dickn52]

I have one of those units too. Mine is on the other side though.

 

[rox]

I got my Thumbler's Tumbler today, and after reading instructions they specifically say when cleaning brass do not use water. Now everything I have read on this site talks about water and a little Dawn dish soap, and a little lemon shine. Now can you guys help me understand the proper procedure.
Thanks, Bob

It is probably to cover themselves when the drum starts to rust. Mine showed signs of rust coming right through the surface coating on the seams after the very first use. I immediately contacted the supplier, and chased him over several months, before eventually getting a reply to the effect that his supplier would not do anything about it, so neither would he (i.e. rusting after one use in accordance with the instructions must be the expected performance).

I later learned that the liner does come out (I thought it was bonded initially), and that the inside is unfinished, so it rusts as soon as water gets to it. Those in the know remove the liner and paint the inside before using it for a wet process; something I wish I'd known before starting to use mine, which is now a mass of orange mess. The tumbler appears to be designed for a dry process and is being sold for a wet process, and it seems that some suppliers are unwilling to take responsibility for the damage that this can cause.

A very similar tumbler is now being sold and aimed specifically at case tumbling (unlike the Thumlers model, which is a rock tumbler), and one of the differences is that the inside of the drum is finished like the outside:

http://extremetumblers.com/


Edit: SP.

 

[tazzman]

My sister-in-law had the cat version. Cat went to sleep after a good meal. Door closed, cycle button activated, you can imagine the rest. Had a new dishwasher 48 hrs later.

 

[RLP]

Showed my wife your pics Ed and I really shouldn't put to text her response !! That said I will keep cleaning mine in the gun room and leave the kitchen to her......Happy wife ,,HAPPY ME :-* :-*

 

[Bayou]

I got my Thumbler's Tumbler today, and after reading instructions they specifically say when cleaning brass do not use water. Now everything I have read on this site talks about water and a little Dawn dish soap, and a little lemon shine. Now can you guys help me understand the proper procedure.
Thanks, Bob

Bob -

I've been using my Thumler's model B for wet tumbling brass casings for well over a year now. One of the first things I did upon receiving the new tumbler was to remove the liner and spray paint the inside of the drum. The liner is thick and has a tight fit. I sprayed the outside of the liner with silicone to fit it back into the drum. I also replaced the washers and wingnuts with single piece anti-vibration knobs from McFeely's. They work great and cost only about 75 cents apiece.

Happy Tumbling.....