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Let's talk about RELOADING, particularly about TUMBLING

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
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10,640
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Springboro
So, I finally decide it's time to take the plunge and invest in reloading gear.
I go and see my FFL guy who reloads and ask him for a list of what I need.
He tells me I should get an RCBS RockChucker Supreme Master single stage press kit.
Then he pulls out his distributor book and quotes me a price. Then he pulls up the Midway website and says "It's cheaper there, a better deal, you should buy it there..." (I really appreciate that about my guy - he'll sell me what he can if it makes sense, and always encourages me to get the best deal possible....looking out for me instead of his own pocketbook). So I buy the press kit, a S&W .40 die set and shell holder from Midway. It will be here tomorrow. I've got some once-shot brass of my own to get started with.

What I want to hear from the TOO nation is

1) what you have to say about your tumbler/vibrator/cleaner.
Brand reviews and recommendations are encouraged.
I'm also considering making my own tumbler like I've seen in youtube videos out of an old dryer motor and plastic bucket.
Anybody here ever made a homemade tumbler?

2) Seems like ordering reloading components online should be pretty easy. However, I sometimes like to buy stuff from a brick and mortar store, but I can't name a single store around this corner of the state that I think has a good supply of reloading accessories.
Where do you like to buy your reloading supplies?

3) What media works best for you? Corncobs or walnuts?

4) Wet cleaning? Do you?

5) Show us pictures of your bench/work area! and tell us why you got it setup the way you do

I'm looking forward to learning about this new skill - I'm thinking it can bring a lot of satisfaction.
Every time I've embarked on learning something new, my TOO brothers have always come through with some good information - let's hear it!
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
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15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I have been bitten by the bug myself again. To stick with your questions I will give what I have found so far.

Tumbling:

Dry - If you are going with dry media the best reviewed by fellow loaders are the Berrys Manufacturing tumblers. They are the only ones with any kind of real warranty. Lifetime for all parts except the motor. The motor is three years. Good thing is that they manufacture the Cabelas line of tumblers and the same applies. The best results seem to come from walnut lizard bedding. There are a couple brand names that go with this and I will add those names later. Cabelas tumbler, walnut media, nufinish car polish and a dryer sheet cut up (reduces dust from the media) seems to be the ticket.

Wet - This is the route I am probably going to go. I am going to build it myself but not the Youtube style. I have made up a drawing and parts list. McMaster Carr is getting an order soon. I will be able to take the worst brass and make it like new again. In wet tumbling I will use water, tiny stainless pins, Dawn dish soap and a Lemishine. Will post pics of results of brass I had done....unbelievable.

Pics later of my new bench, press, etc...still looking at hospital walls today. Brick and mortar is the way to go ordering primers and powder unless you are ordering a LARGE order as a hazmat surcharge of $28 is added to any order. But some deals are so good online (particularly in this climate) that it does pay. Some of the best vendors are:

Powder Valley
Wideners
Midsouth shooting supply
Natchezs
Midway
Brownell
Missouri Bullet Company

Right now is a really tough time to start reloading as finding components is thin. But it is getting better pretty fast. More to add later with pics....night.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Excellent thread idea! I will be taking notes as well. I have been slowly amassing the components needed to do some reloading. I think I am very close to being able to give it a go.
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,707
191
Mahoning Co.
I don't usually consider tumbling as a necessary step in the reloading process. It does make your reloads look pretty but little to no difference in function.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
I would think that cleaning the primer hole would be the most important step in the cleaning process...
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
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9,358
133
Hardin County
Tumbling really helps when inspecting cases for small cracks or blemishes. I tumbled with a walnut shells in a Frankford Arsenal media tumbler with great success.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I sent some brass to a friend that had just purchased a Thumblers Tumbler Model B http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/thumler-s-tumbler-model-b-high-speed-26.html. He wanted some funky brass to see what it can do. So I supplied him with some 10 year, water soaked stuff. He had water, stainless steel pins, dawn dish soap and lemishine in it. Before pics:







 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
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15,740
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Sunbury, OH
A video of this particular one. Kinda long but you can fast forward and look through it

[video=youtube;i-6SOiWE8Hc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-6SOiWE8Hc[/video]
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Here is the one I plan on doing. I still need to play with belt sizes needed but here is the basics I drew up. The actual tumbler container is going to look different and made from PVC with a reducer topped with a rubber lid. This one was just something previously saved that I used for comparison and size ideas.



 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
I've heard nothing but good things so far on the stainless pins... We're thinking about switching over too them....
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,738
274
North Carolina
I can buy a lot of walnut shells for that price Charles lol I liked the finish product it gives but ours don't look too bad either....
 

Beentown

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15,740
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Sunbury, OH
If you have a dry media tumbler now I wouldn't recommend the investment in the wet until your dry tumbler breaks which they are known for. But if you are starting fresh the wet is more cost effective in the long run. The media generally runs $10 a pound delivered and lasts forever. I will/would not pay the coin for the Thumlers but I can make the one above for a very good price...around $125. It should last forever and I have plenty of industrial motors laying around.

Hell, I may just order one from Cabelas but I just like making stuff. I was pricing what I would have in the tumbling tube and about passed out just now. Who new 10" PVC was going for so much!

Looks like it is going to be dry media unless I find a 2 foot scavenge piece somewhere.
 

hickslawns

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Ohio
Hell, I may just order one from Cabelas but I just like making stuff.

If this is the case, I have some projects for you. I am like you, I like to dabble, build, weld, whatever. I think your issues and mine are similar though: Time is not our most available resource. With the new baby, I am thinking you just lost any "extra" free time you may have had. lmao
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,144
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Mohicanish
There is a downside with wet tumbling though that Beentown has not mentioned. It requires more steps. Everything I have read states that you have to deprime your brass before you wet tumble. Therefore you are running dirty brass through your resizing and depriming die. Then you wet tumble it, then you have to dry it and then once you know it is dry then you can run it through your dies again.
I have a couple of problems with this:
1.) Dry tumbling gets cases very shiny unless you are dealing with the dirtiest of cases or you want them to look more shiny than new cases. You can also add a little jewlers rouge to the media and that'll help.
2.) My time is valuable and I don't want to run through the additional steps of wet tumbling including the drying.
3.) One of the reasons to tumble is to make the cases clean and shiny to minimize friction in your depriming/resizing die. If you have to run them through that die prior to tumbling this removes one of the benefits of tumbling.

I bought the Cabelas kit b/c it was a better deal imho because it included a media separator as well as the tumbler cheaper than I could be they individually.