What did I buy?

loademwell · August 23, 2013, 09:39 PM

Perhaps I should have asked this before I bought it... lol...

I just picked this up because it was on sale. I have been planing on getting a polisher for quite some time and just found this "On Sale"
So I picked it up. Brought it home, read the directions, and now it appears that its for liquid only? Is that right? It dosn't say "liquid only" but I bought media. (Corn cob I think)... But this thing only runs for 600 seconds at a time....

So the big question.... Do I want to return it for $? Buy the liquid that it calls for? Or Exchange for an actual media one?

Thanks guys....

Misssissippi Dave · August 23, 2013, 09:51 PM

Corncob won't work in this one. It is for liquid cleaning. There have been several threads about what works best in them. The cleaning time is short and it will work well if you have removed the primers. You just don't want it to clean too long and you will need to rinse the brass to stop the cleaning action. You will also have to wait for them to dry fully before reloading. A vibrating tumbler is what you were probably thinking of getting and that will use the the corncob nicely.

Lost Sheep · August 23, 2013, 09:56 PM

Depends on how much of a bargain you got it for. Check ebay to see what used ones sell for.

Liquid media with ultrasonic agitation is said to work very well, but you do have to dry your brass, which might take some of the "shine" off the quick cleaning time.

Tumbling with stainless steel pins and liquid is in-between dry tumblers and the ultrasonics.

Dry tumbling comes in two varieties. Vibratory is the most common, but the rotary ones (like lapidariasts use) work, too.

Since I have only a vibratory tumbler (and had nothing at all except a soft rag for 30+ years) I really cannot say which type is best.

I suggest you keep this one and buy one each of all the other types, try them out thoroughly and report back to us.

Is the dry media you bought returnable?

Lost Sheep

loademwell · August 23, 2013, 10:05 PM

Well, I guess thats ok... I will use this one and hope for the best... Liquid hu.. I will have to look around and see what people say is the best "Home Made" stuff to use. The liquid is a bit high priced...

And Yes (thinking) No .... I don't know!!!! I hope that the media is returnable.

The rotating ones.... I should have just went to Michels and bought a kids rock polishing kit.. Should hold 50 or so 9mm brasses. And they only cost $20

Misssissippi Dave · August 24, 2013, 06:17 AM

I have used the rotating type a long time ago with crushed walnut. It worked but was rather noisy. You are right most of them will take about 50 cases. I never tried corncob in that one so I don't know how long it might take to clean the brass. I would let the walnut do the cleaning for about 6 hours and it did well. In a vibrating unit with corncob it can put more of a shine on the brass than you get with walnut but walnut cleans faster. Some people mix 50/50 walnut and corncob in vibrating tumblers to get faster cleaning and more shine. I haven't tried that but I think it is probably correct.

Most of my brass cleaning is done with several hundred cases at a time. I only do pistol cases and often clean around 500 pieces of one caliber per batch. A small unit just doesn't work for my needs any more. Mine is rated to take around 700 .38 special cases at a time. It is probably more tumbler than most people will ever need. It makes me happy and that is all that important to me. Get the size unit that fits your needs and all should be good. If you are loading on a single stage and load a batch of 50 at one setting the rock tumbler that cleans 50 cases at a time is a good match. If you are thinking your loading is going to be increasing in the not too distant future you might consider something larger to meet your future needs.

A person once told me to leave the cover off my tumbler to watch it clean to determine the correct amount of media. They said to make sure there was enough room for both the media and cases to move around to clean well. That helped a lot to get an idea of how full to make things. When things move well it cleans better.

Heavy Metal 1 · August 24, 2013, 06:34 AM

I would not ever run a tumbler w/ the cover off as this will liberate a lot of lead dust which is hazardous. I shut mine off and just leave it sit for a bit to let the dust settle before opening it and then when I do I dump the media & cases into my seperator outdoors in the breeze standing upwind of the thing. I find mine runs substantially quieter when as full as possible and cleaning time and effectiveness is improved as well. Now, you don't want it packed tight, just full.

Misssissippi Dave · August 24, 2013, 07:33 AM

I should have mentioned this is done outside and not indoors. It is also something you only might do once to see it work. Dryer sheets in the bottom do help to keep the dust to a minimum. It also seems to let the media last longer too before it gets too dirty to clean in a reasonable time. Washing your hands directly after working with anything ammo related is a must in my opinion. My wife knows why the dish washing soap is always used up too fast, since it is my preferred method to clean the hands after handling ammo. It works much better in my opinion than any of the other soft soaps I have tried.

Dawn dish washing soap will work in a sonic cleaner. I would think even simple green might do a good job as well. I know it does clean a lot of other stuff well. Any type of acid even mild types like vinegar will need to be rinsed very well to neutralize them.

A pause for the COZ · August 24, 2013, 07:42 AM

Bad news is.. You still need to buy a tumbler. The good news is you have a sonic cleaner.
I love mine for cleaning AR bolts, Revolver cylinders, ect.
I also use it for brass. I fill it to the line with water from my dehumidifier ( distilled water) Put a shot of Dawn dish soap and a pinch of Lemmishine.
Works great on the bulk loads of military 223 cases I have purchased.

**Mike Irwin** · August 24, 2013, 08:13 AM

A small ultrasonic cleaner isn't a bad thing to have.

For cleaning gun parts.

For cleaning cases, if you feel that to be necessary (I never have) you'll want to purchase a tumbler.

A pause for the COZ · August 24, 2013, 10:00 AM

Some times I wonder how long the 223 brass I get had been laying on the ground before it got picket up.
This last batch came from Hawaii. Cant complain because it was $40 for a med flat rate box full.
10 minutes in the Sonic, rinse, then into the tumbler. Makes them look new again.

Here is what they look like after I have messed with them.

OLDGOLDANDBLUE · August 27, 2013, 08:30 PM

An ultrasonic cleaner cleans by vibration. any liquid, water etc., will work. Soap of some kind will make grease etc. easier to remove. If all you want to do is clean, any solvent, including water will work, but it doesn't polish.

schmellba99 · August 28, 2013, 09:41 AM

Having tried all 3 methods, sstl in a rotary tumbler is far and away the best method for cleaning, polishing and not having to worry about dust, drier sheets, media in your case messing with your dies, etc.

Ultrasonic cleaners are good for gun parts - especially those with lots of little crevices that are a PITA to clean when you want to do a very thorough cleaning. I never had much luck with them on brass though.

Vibratory is the old stand by. It works, and works well. Just has dust and media issues that I don't have to deal with anymore, and it doesn't work nearly as well at cleaning primer pockets or inside case walls as sstl does.

One thing I have discovered about sstl tumbling - don't overload the tumbler, and don't use liquid lemi-shine. Use the powder.

JimDandy · August 28, 2013, 12:57 PM

As someone who does the steel pin tumbling, Ive been looking at the Hornady Hot tub cleaner sonic cleaner thing-a-ma-bob for my AR upper, 1911 internals and so forth. They do different things, and as such have different pros and con's.

August 24, 2013, 06:34 AM	#6
Heavy Metal 1 Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2012 Posts: 247	I would not ever run a tumbler w/ the cover off as this will liberate a lot of lead dust which is hazardous. I shut mine off and just leave it sit for a bit to let the dust settle before opening it and then when I do I dump the media & cases into my seperator outdoors in the breeze standing upwind of the thing. I find mine runs substantially quieter when as full as possible and cleaning time and effectiveness is improved as well. Now, you don't want it packed tight, just full. __________________ The blood runs free, the rain turns red, give me the wine, you keep the bread.

August 24, 2013, 08:13 AM	#9
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,380	A small ultrasonic cleaner isn't a bad thing to have. For cleaning gun parts. For cleaning cases, if you feel that to be necessary (I never have) you'll want to purchase a tumbler. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 23, 2013, 09:51 PM	#2
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	Corncob won't work in this one. It is for liquid cleaning. There have been several threads about what works best in them. The cleaning time is short and it will work well if you have removed the primers. You just don't want it to clean too long and you will need to rinse the brass to stop the cleaning action. You will also have to wait for them to dry fully before reloading. A vibrating tumbler is what you were probably thinking of getting and that will use the the corncob nicely.

August 23, 2013, 09:56 PM	#3
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Depends on how much of a bargain you got it for. Check ebay to see what used ones sell for. Liquid media with ultrasonic agitation is said to work very well, but you do have to dry your brass, which might take some of the "shine" off the quick cleaning time. Tumbling with stainless steel pins and liquid is in-between dry tumblers and the ultrasonics. Dry tumbling comes in two varieties. Vibratory is the most common, but the rotary ones (like lapidariasts use) work, too. Since I have only a vibratory tumbler (and had nothing at all except a soft rag for 30+ years) I really cannot say which type is best. I suggest you keep this one and buy one each of all the other types, try them out thoroughly and report back to us. Is the dry media you bought returnable? Lost Sheep

August 23, 2013, 10:05 PM	#4
loademwell Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2012 Posts: 164	Well, I guess thats ok... I will use this one and hope for the best... Liquid hu.. I will have to look around and see what people say is the best "Home Made" stuff to use. The liquid is a bit high priced... And Yes (thinking) No .... I don't know!!!! I hope that the media is returnable. The rotating ones.... I should have just went to Michels and bought a kids rock polishing kit.. Should hold 50 or so 9mm brasses. And they only cost $20

August 24, 2013, 06:17 AM	#5
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	I have used the rotating type a long time ago with crushed walnut. It worked but was rather noisy. You are right most of them will take about 50 cases. I never tried corncob in that one so I don't know how long it might take to clean the brass. I would let the walnut do the cleaning for about 6 hours and it did well. In a vibrating unit with corncob it can put more of a shine on the brass than you get with walnut but walnut cleans faster. Some people mix 50/50 walnut and corncob in vibrating tumblers to get faster cleaning and more shine. I haven't tried that but I think it is probably correct. Most of my brass cleaning is done with several hundred cases at a time. I only do pistol cases and often clean around 500 pieces of one caliber per batch. A small unit just doesn't work for my needs any more. Mine is rated to take around 700 .38 special cases at a time. It is probably more tumbler than most people will ever need. It makes me happy and that is all that important to me. Get the size unit that fits your needs and all should be good. If you are loading on a single stage and load a batch of 50 at one setting the rock tumbler that cleans 50 cases at a time is a good match. If you are thinking your loading is going to be increasing in the not too distant future you might consider something larger to meet your future needs. A person once told me to leave the cover off my tumbler to watch it clean to determine the correct amount of media. They said to make sure there was enough room for both the media and cases to move around to clean well. That helped a lot to get an idea of how full to make things. When things move well it cleans better.

August 24, 2013, 07:33 AM	#7
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	I should have mentioned this is done outside and not indoors. It is also something you only might do once to see it work. Dryer sheets in the bottom do help to keep the dust to a minimum. It also seems to let the media last longer too before it gets too dirty to clean in a reasonable time. Washing your hands directly after working with anything ammo related is a must in my opinion. My wife knows why the dish washing soap is always used up too fast, since it is my preferred method to clean the hands after handling ammo. It works much better in my opinion than any of the other soft soaps I have tried. Dawn dish washing soap will work in a sonic cleaner. I would think even simple green might do a good job as well. I know it does clean a lot of other stuff well. Any type of acid even mild types like vinegar will need to be rinsed very well to neutralize them.

August 24, 2013, 07:42 AM	#8
A pause for the COZ Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2012 Location: Braham, Minnesota Posts: 1,314	Bad news is.. You still need to buy a tumbler. The good news is you have a sonic cleaner. I love mine for cleaning AR bolts, Revolver cylinders, ect. I also use it for brass. I fill it to the line with water from my dehumidifier ( distilled water) Put a shot of Dawn dish soap and a pinch of Lemmishine. Works great on the bulk loads of military 223 cases I have purchased.

August 24, 2013, 10:00 AM	#10
A pause for the COZ Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2012 Location: Braham, Minnesota Posts: 1,314	Some times I wonder how long the 223 brass I get had been laying on the ground before it got picket up. This last batch came from Hawaii. Cant complain because it was $40 for a med flat rate box full. 10 minutes in the Sonic, rinse, then into the tumbler. Makes them look new again. Here is what they look like after I have messed with them.

August 27, 2013, 08:30 PM	#11
OLDGOLDANDBLUE Member Join Date: August 3, 2013 Posts: 15	An ultrasonic cleaner cleans by vibration. any liquid, water etc., will work. Soap of some kind will make grease etc. easier to remove. If all you want to do is clean, any solvent, including water will work, but it doesn't polish.

August 28, 2013, 09:41 AM	#12
schmellba99 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 803	Having tried all 3 methods, sstl in a rotary tumbler is far and away the best method for cleaning, polishing and not having to worry about dust, drier sheets, media in your case messing with your dies, etc. Ultrasonic cleaners are good for gun parts - especially those with lots of little crevices that are a PITA to clean when you want to do a very thorough cleaning. I never had much luck with them on brass though. Vibratory is the old stand by. It works, and works well. Just has dust and media issues that I don't have to deal with anymore, and it doesn't work nearly as well at cleaning primer pockets or inside case walls as sstl does. One thing I have discovered about sstl tumbling - don't overload the tumbler, and don't use liquid lemi-shine. Use the powder.

August 28, 2013, 12:57 PM	#13
JimDandy Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2012 Posts: 2,556	As someone who does the steel pin tumbling, Ive been looking at the Hornady Hot tub cleaner sonic cleaner thing-a-ma-bob for my AR upper, 1911 internals and so forth. They do different things, and as such have different pros and con's.