Mid-capacity tumbler/vibratory cleaner?

[yankytrash]

Maybe there's a thread poking around here about mid-size case cleaners, but my search terms came up nil. Anyhoo....


I need a bigger case cleaner. Although I don't reload as much as I'd like to say I do, I do clean brass often. I'm currently using the vibratory 1gal cleaner I've had since I was young, and it's time for an upgrade.

I'm cleaning mostly 45ACP and 308, using dry media. I want to go a lot bigger than what I have now. Currently, I can only effectively clean about 75rd of 308 (pushin it), and I see these new tumblers go up to about 2 gallon capacity (300rd 308 pushin it, maybe?) I hear the big boys use cement mixers, which I do have a 120v 3yd mixer. However, I want to go mid-way between there, maybe just get up to 5gal capacity if possible, even if that means making my own tumbler. Basically, I want a big tumbler, but I don't want it so big that have to clean brass outside. After all, reloadin is my bad weather gig.

Got a few questions:

Having never used nor seen one in action, how's a tumbler work, specifically? Does it only tumble concentrically (sp?), or is there a vibrating or oscillating action too? Reason I ask is because if the big boys are using cement mixers, which do not vibrate or oscillate, maybe tumblers work similarly?

If I'm forced to make a 5-6gal bucket rig (which would seem to be easy enough in theory), what rpm should I shoot for? If it makes a difference, I'd be making a sideways tumbler, like RCBS's "Sidewinder".


Any and all advice/theories/crackpot schemes welcome.




Oh, and we should all be so lucky as to have a need to clean 500rd of 308 a week.

 

[Yo]

Sounds like you want a rotary tumbler. Thumler makes them

link: http://www.thumlerstumbler.com/rotary.html



But these babies cost hundreds of dollars. Might be cheaper to buy 1 or two more vibrating tumblers from Midway or other supplier.

Good luck.

 

[Longbow]

I have heard from a commercial reloader that rotary tumblers makes brass hit on each other pretty hard during tumbling, and you end up with a banged-up brass, with sharp and/or deformed rim and /or lip . He said stay w/ vibratory ones. I don't have any personal experience w/ the said equipment, so I can't confirm his claim. But I think its best to just buy some extra vibratory tumblers for they seem to work just fine.

 

[P95Carry]

I think I'm pretty much with longbow here ..... rotary tumblers strike me as emminently suitable for stone polishing ... in which case contact between each item is useful. not so for brass I'd imagine.

The beauty of the vibratory tumblers is the way the cases and media ''flow'' ... and don't result in much fierce contact together.

500 cases a week? Sheesh!!

 

[Fatelvis]

Yankee, the vibratory style cleaners use the shape of the bowl, in addition to the special vibrating motion (seems to be an orbital motion), to produce a uniform "folding" or mixing action of the media. If you look into the bowl, while its cleaning brass, you`ll see the brass moving through the media, continuously. Does a great job of cleaning the cases, gently. I believe a big Dillon, or similar, would do you just fine. I use crushed walnut shells with cleaner for stained and really grungy cases, and ground corncob w/cleaner for the final, shiny finish, or brass that isnt that dirty.