Small Cement Mixer instead of a tumbler.

[Pappy]

Hello Group; There comes a time if you have the room when you wonder if a table top tumbler is what you need or if you may as well get a tool and get the job done quickly. Instead of a table top type that may take day`s or weeks to finish a production run. The Thumbler Tumbler has given me twenty five years of good service wet or dry the results have been top notch, but it has come to the point where I need to increase the speed of the process. Funny thing, if you have the room the cost is not bad and it is a tool that can be maintained and not disposed of. The Thumbler Tumbler still has its place on my bench and always will, small jobs and small finish work. The small utility mixers may be a handy choice for larger projects if you have the room, kind of like the riding lawn mower sure the push mower has its place and it will do the whole job but when it comes to getting a big job done in a few hours its Up Grade time.... Corn cob media is avalable in two sizes from Granger 23.00 for a 40 LB bag, free shipping if you order enough, tax free if you have a tax number that makes it less than half of what others are charging.  Pennywise time wise. Pappy

[DuaneRN]

My local harbor freight tools has an electric cement mixer one that can be had for less than 200$  I pretty much tumble 3-5 days a week and I burned my Frankford Arsenal tumbler to the ground a few months ago.  I have a Lyman turbo pro now that I have run for two weeks continuously and it is much more agressive than the other.  Ihave been gettng my corn cobb from pet stores 15$ per 25 pounds.  I'll check out Grangers.

[gunville]

(I was going to say I take my brass like my women, but then I remembered this is a family forum...)

I'm good with dirty brass. I never tumble.

I clean the primer pockets after I decap, but the only sound reason I've heard for tumbling is to better inspect the cases, but I haven't had any so dirty I can't inspect adequately.

The exception is brass I've dumpster dived for - I soak in lemon juice, dish soap, and water and then rinse. To dry I put them on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven on "warm".

[BaldDragn]

Many years ago I worked in a gun shop where we smelted the trap trash from several indoor ranges, and collected, cleaned and sorted buckets full of brass cases swept from the floors. The cement mixer was running at constantly during buisness hours and did a great job of powering through all but the worst corrosion.

At first I thought I would see bruised cases from the rough treatment delt out by the mixer, but I never saw one mangled case.

[KodyJaret]

Consulting w/ a couple expierienced reloaders eailier in the year they sold me on the Thumler's Tumbler w/ a little water, Dawn dish soap and steel pellets. I obtained some once fired brass from one of those fellows.  Not only was the outside shiny, but the inside as well. It looked virgin. I contacted him to confirm that the brass was 'not' virgin And it is the inside that matters, not the outside.
Right now my Frankfort tumbler is humming awat w/ some walnut media. That's what I have, that's what I use. But at some point I would like to upgrade to that steel pellet method.

[MrBill]

Hmmm?

My Thumblers Ultara-vibe 18 has seen probably 20% continuous duty for over 20 year now.  Still running strong (ok now that I have said it it will break on me)  Yes I'm neurotic and I like shiny cases and if I'm in no hurry I let them run a few days with cob and a touch of jewlers rouge (iron oxide) so the come out all nice and purty. 

I would like somthing between the large vibe type and a small cement mixer.  I just can't justify the space for the cement mixer.

[Nickle]

To chemically clean cases, back before the days of tumblers, we used to use Kool-Aid. Sweetened or not, made no difference.

It's a mild acid, and all you need to do is soak overnight. Rinse in clean water and let air dry. Won't be perfectly clean, but what tarnish is left is harmless.

[FiremanBill]

Pappy,

Yours is not the first mention I have seen of a cement mixer mentioned as a tumbling tool.  Believe I saw it in a recent magazine article.  A splendid new way to make your mixer earn its keep.

Note to all:  Some tool rental outlets will sell off used gear after so much elapsed time or number of rentals. 

FB

Hello Group; There comes a time if you have the room when you wonder if a table top tumbler is what you need or if you may as well get a tool and get the job done quickly. Instead of a table top type that may take day`s or weeks to finish a production run. The Thumbler Tumbler has given me twenty five years of good service wet or dry the results have been top notch, but it has come to the point where I need to increase the speed of the process. Funny thing, if you have the room the cost is not bad and it is a tool that can be maintained and not disposed of. The Thumbler Tumbler still has its place on my bench and always will, small jobs and small finish work. The small utility mixers may be a handy choice for larger projects if you have the room, kind of like the riding lawn mower sure the push mower has its place and it will do the whole job but when it comes to getting a big job done in a few hours its Up Grade time.... Corn cob media is avalable in two sizes from Granger 23.00 for a 40 LB bag, free shipping if you order enough, tax free if you have a tax number that makes it less than half of what others are charging.  Pennywise time wise. Pappy

[FiremanBill]

Pappy, and all:

I gotta mention that if you don't have a business account with Grainger, you may not be able to purchase.  The fella I happened to speak with went out of his way to "qualify"  me so I could purchase. 

Also you can save shipping if you use the Grainger website to find a store near you.  If they are in your state you're gonna pay sales tax anyway, so you might as well save on the shipping and pick it up if they are close by.

To find corn cob media, look under abrasive blast media.  My quote was 40 lb. sack for approx. $21.


FiremanBill

Hello Group; There comes a time if you have the room when you wonder if a table top tumbler is what you need or if you may as well get a tool and get the job done quickly. Instead of a table top type that may take day`s or weeks to finish a production run. The Thumbler Tumbler has given me twenty five years of good service wet or dry the results have been top notch, but it has come to the point where I need to increase the speed of the process. Funny thing, if you have the room the cost is not bad and it is a tool that can be maintained and not disposed of. The Thumbler Tumbler still has its place on my bench and always will, small jobs and small finish work. The small utility mixers may be a handy choice for larger projects if you have the room, kind of like the riding lawn mower sure the push mower has its place and it will do the whole job but when it comes to getting a big job done in a few hours its Up Grade time.... Corn cob media is avalable in two sizes from Granger 23.00 for a 40 LB bag, free shipping if you order enough, tax free if you have a tax number that makes it less than half of what others are charging.  Pennywise time wise. Pappy