Vibrate or rotary for brass cleaning

[merlynski]

I was cleaning brass yesterday and my green vibrator motor got stuck. I was able to spin it manually and it started working again. I am thinking over its replacement.
My first vibrating tumbler was a Frankford and the motor did not last 20 hours.
My green one I replaced it with I have had for years, but not used heavily, probably less than 100 hours. Getting back into active reloading and buying once-fired brass that needs cleaned. I (currently) use dry walnut media, with a bit of polishing additive. And I have just started using citric acid wash in a separate process. For longevity sake is a vibratory or rotary tumbler more durable?
And wet or dry, or both in turn?

 

[lbs]

Of it were me,,,i'd replace the vibrator with a cheap harbour freight one and consider it disposable.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I was cleaning brass yesterday and my green vibrator motor got stuck. I was able to spin it manually and it started working again. I am thinking over its replacement.
My first vibrating tumbler was a Frankford and the motor did not last 20 hours.
My green one I replaced it with I have had for years, but not used heavily, probably less than 100 hours. Getting back into active reloading and buying once-fired brass that needs cleaned. I (currently) use dry walnut media, with a bit of polishing additive. And I have just started using citric acid wash in a separate process. For longevity sake is a vibratory or rotary tumbler more durable?
And wet or dry, or both in turn?

I also have the FA but it's four years old now and still chugging along. It has at least a couple thousand hours on it - at least 5-10 hours per weekend for four years of weekends - and I've loaned it out a couple times to friends whose tumblers took a tumble. That said, yeah they do seem to be either gems or turds, especially these days with less demand for them as rotary, wet tumblers are becoming more popular.

I don't wet tumble so I can't speak to that but it has a strong following - an almost cult-like following so, be careful! - and that means plenty of support and advice is available to get you started. Personally, the few people I know who wet tumble gripe and grumble a lot about how time-consuming the post-tumble clean-up is, how messy it is, how things don't always get dry, how the pins end up everywhere... etc. etc. - and the whole time telling me how great it is and how I need to switch and how shiny their brass is compared to mine (and they care about my brass... why?)

If you really are having a bad run on vibrating tumblers, try the rotary/wet tumblers and see if it works better for you. In theory, the motors should last longer because they're not being abused as badly by vibration, and there are instructions on UTube for making one out of everything from old clothes dryers to cordless drills. I even saw where one guy made one from an old chainsaw motor and 10-gallon gas can.

 

[AJC1]

You could do a dry rotary tumbler with ceramic balls. It's the next generation of cleaning.

 

[rabid wombat]

I have Dillon’s and Lyman’s....work great. As mentioned above, wet tumbling is beig used by a lot

 

[ParallelCode]

Wet tumblers do a great job. They also offer a potential health advantage as they dont produce dust.

Not sure how big your batches are, but I've great success with the FART lite. It typically can be had from $79.99 - $99.99 (though you will need to buy pins separately).

 

[ih772]

I'll never go back to vibratory tumbler with all of it's noise and dust. I like wet tumbling with stainless steel pins and lemi-shine. I'm using a small tumbler with a 3 pound capacity.

 

[AJC1]

The ceramics can be wet or dry if you didnt know.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

You could do a dry rotary tumbler with ceramic balls. It's the next generation of cleaning.

My next tumbler...

Fill with 80lbs brass and 20lbs ceramic balls and let 'er fly!

 

[AJC1]

My next tumbler...
View attachment 999874
Fill with 80lbs brass and 20lbs ceramic balls and let 'er fly!

You must be dealing with tons of brass often. That thing could clean everything I currently own in one go.... I've only recently come into a great source for range pickups.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

You must be dealing with tons of brass often. That thing could clean everything I currently own in one go.... I've only recently come into a great source for range pickups.

Thousands, yes, but not often. I was mostly joking.

Still... I wonder how that would work?

 

[rabid wombat]

You could do a dry rotary tumbler with ceramic balls. It's the next generation of cleaning.

@AJC1 what size, and where are you buying them?

 

[rabid wombat]

Still... I wonder how that would work?

Works like champ...the Clark’s and Miculek’s used a similar set up...I saw the set up on their porch in Louisiana....

 

[merlynski]

Thanks for the quick responses! I have been reading the Highroad for years, but this is my first post here.

1000 cases is a BIG lot for me, usually a couple hundred. I think I have about 200+ 40S&W in there right now, and a few odd 38SPL.
Green has been running for about an hour, stopped it to check the brass and had to whack it lightly to get it running again. Maybe I could take it apart and lube the motor . . .

You could do a dry rotary tumbler with ceramic balls. It's the next generation of cleaning.

What diameter are the ceramic balls? Small enough to get in primer pockets?

 

[AJC1]

There are tons of sizes. The 1 and 2 mm balls are supposed to be the good ones. I havent done it as my tumbler and pins are good to go. I checked and they are sold on Amazon. F class john on YouTube is where I saw it and he seems to really like them. The small size prevents bridging and sticking pin pockets.

 

[AJC1]

Thousands, yes, but not often. I was mostly joking.

Still... I wonder how that would work?

I guess that's how mr smith and wesson gets down... I hate to distroy his name Jerry m

 

[rabid wombat]

There are tons of sizes. The 1 and 2 mm balls are supposed to be the good ones.

Note wet and dry media...

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/?searchterm=Ball+shaped+abrasive+tumbling+media&hdrsrh=true

 

[Hondo 60]

My orange vibratory is 11+ y/o & chugging along.
Avg 8,000-9,000 rounds/ yr. 88,000+ total

I also have a Harbor Freight rock tumbler.
Maybe 5,000 rounds total. I've had to replace e-clips.
But the motor is fine.

Mayhap I'm just lucky, no issues with either one.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I kept having the Fraknfort bowls break. Sold the tumblers and bought a Berrys one. I have a Lyman too. I use it for a final tumble.

 

[merlynski]

Well, I learned an important lesson today, don't tumble 38SPL brass with 40S&W, the 38 brass worked its way inside the 40, and filled up with media. Neither polished properly. Fortunately only 3 of 7 38s did it.

 

[AJC1]

Well, I learned an important lesson today, don't tumble 38SPL brass with 40S&W, the 38 brass worked its way inside the 40, and filled up with media. Neither polished properly. Fortunately only 3 of 7 38s did it.

40 and 45, 9 and 40, 45-70 and 308, 450 bushmaster and 30 cal. Tons of cases hate each other in a tumbler

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

40 and 45, 9 and 40, 45-70 and 308, 450 bushmaster and 30 cal. Tons of cases hate each other in a tumbler

.32S&W and .38S&W. Made the mistake of mixing them once.

 

[kmw1954]

I have a Cabela's vibratory tumbler and it's been working.

First I wet wash brass in a plastic jar with very hot water, Lemishine and dish soap. NO SS Pins. I just turn and shake them on themselves, let sit and shake some more. Rinse again in very hot water, dry in a toaster oven for 30min at 200*F, leave in until cool to the touch and can be picked up with a bare hand... Pistol brass gets dumped into the vibrator and then loaded... Rifle brass gets processed; deprimed, primer pockets reamed and uniformed, sized, trimmed and then lastly vibrated to remove sizing wax and any remaining small brass chips.

 

[GoldieMI]

Well, I learned an important lesson today, don't tumble 38SPL brass with 40S&W, the 38 brass worked its way inside the 40, and filled up with media. Neither polished properly. Fortunately only 3 of 7 38s did it.

Put the biggest opening / largest caliber cases in first. Let it run until they are filled with media. Than stop and add the next size.

 

[merlynski]

Put the biggest opening / largest caliber cases in first. Let it run until they are filled with media. Than stop and add the next size.

Well, that is exactly what I did, had the 40s running for a while, then came up short on a box of brass for 38, tossed a few in to clean them up. When I dumped it those few were together.
Found a 9x19 case stuck in one also, case head first. That is the third 'reject' from 1000 cases I bought, two damaged and one stuck. Not bad, no complaint on QA..