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Old August 27, 2008, 06:40 PM   #1
rolyasm
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no manual with my tumbler. How much medium to use?

Hello all.
Just picked up a Frankford Arsenol tumbler at Sportsmans. It was the floor model and they couldn't find the box so they gave it to me for $25 (Sticker price was $40). Seems like a good deal. Anyway, no manual with it. How much medium do I use vs. case load? Do I just dump in my shells (first batch is about 200), then just enough to cover them? Thanks all.
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Old August 27, 2008, 06:46 PM   #2
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It's "media" Fill 'er about 2/3 full, including both media and cases.
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Old August 27, 2008, 07:17 PM   #3
rolyasm
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that's funny. I first put media, then changed it thinking I wasn't in the news business. ha. Damn if I don't need a spell checker straped tu mi chestz.
Thanks for the reply. Also, what is the "average" you run it for? 1/2 hour, 1 hour, 3 hours? I don't want to be checking it every 5 mins.
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Old August 27, 2008, 07:53 PM   #4
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Thanks for the reply. Also, what is the "average" you run it for? 1/2 hour, 1 hour, 3 hours? I don't want to be checking it every 5 mins.
Times will vary according to media you use, I use lizard bedding with NuShine
car polish normally 2 hours will do but I have let it run 4 hours, I like them bright and shiny.
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Old August 27, 2008, 08:13 PM   #5
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How long? Two-three hours. Or overnight. Not critical.
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Old August 28, 2008, 10:01 AM   #6
rolyasm
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At the store they also had a tumbler tumbler. JK. It is a device that takes the media out of your bullets. Kind of works like a salad dryer. You put your casings in it, close the lid and spin it. The bullets stay in the "cage" while the media spills out. Anyone tried this, or are you just using a simple stainer or something? price was $35
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Old August 28, 2008, 11:25 AM   #7
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I dump the whole mess in a box, then use a Kitty Litter strainer-scooper. Separates the cases from the media very effectively, at a cost of about $3.
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Old August 28, 2008, 11:34 AM   #8
Don2
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I usually fill mine running until it comes up to about an inch from the top of the horn (middle part with rod coming out).
Then put as many cases as I can until it looks like its getting crowded.
But mine holds 13 pounds of media...Its a little bigger..Its a Burr-King :-)
Best money I ever spent on a Vibrating tumbler.

BUT...I fill my small one the same way and run them for anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours depending on the shape of your cases.

I'm running frankford arsenal walnut media with Nu-Car finish and they come out as good or better than new...!!!!

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Old August 28, 2008, 03:21 PM   #9
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I use a timer and run my tumbler 2-3 hrs., depending on how dirty the brass is and how much I'm cleaning. I use a 50/50 mixture of corn cob and walnut, with NuFinish car polish.
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Old August 28, 2008, 03:39 PM   #10
rolyasm
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I notice some powder left on the case after I have seperated them from the medium. Is this an issue? Do you stick them in a bucket of water after tumbling?
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Old August 28, 2008, 03:43 PM   #11
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I use a pasta strainer to seperate the brass from the media. I just drilled a bunch of 3/8" holes and put it over a 5 gal. pail and give it a shake. It works great and cost me 1 dollar at the dollar store. On my tumbler(A Frankford also), I use a timer and set it for 2 hours and if it needs more I just reset it. I never wash my brass but some do and depends how you want to do it. I use home made media from black walnut shells and Cabela's case polish and they alwats come out looking new and shiney.
Also, I only fill mine 1/2 way because I dont want to push it with the reputation that the Frankford tumblers have for breaking.
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Old August 28, 2008, 03:46 PM   #12
Don2
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[Quote] rolyasm
I notice some powder left on the case after I have seperated them from the medium. Is this an issue? Do you stick them in a bucket of water after tumbling?
====================================================

Just keep them in the tumbler until they are as clean as you want them.
There is no real time to keep them in, just tumble until they are ready.
No water....just tumble more.


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Old August 28, 2008, 05:07 PM   #13
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With a cap worth of NuFinish it takes my brass about 4 hours.
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Old August 28, 2008, 08:44 PM   #14
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I use walnut media purchased from Wally World and add a tablespoon and a half of odorless mineral spirits. Casings come out very shiny. I tumble all my casings about an hour and a half using an appliance timer. "Set it and forget it".

As to how much media, I don't know if there is any uniform ratio of casings to media. I will fill the bowl to within an inch or so of the top of the center with both casings and media. Use enough media so that you don't hear the casings clanging together over the sound of the unit.

Last edited by PCJim; August 29, 2008 at 11:01 PM.
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Old August 29, 2008, 04:06 AM   #15
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I use corn cob media with some FLITZ tumbler/media additive and tumble for about 1 1/2 hours and hae some shiny brass. I use a media RCBS separator to get the media out of the brass and flash hole.

It works great for me.
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Old August 30, 2008, 02:44 PM   #16
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Sorry, when I said there was powder left on the brass, I should have been more specific. I bought Lyman's red walnut with a "jeweler's rouge" or something on it. The red powder is all over the shells. I ran the brass through a few more times with dryer sheets and mineral spirits, but the inside still has red powder. Can I just leave the powder on, or will it foul my gun or make my ammunition not work properly?
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Old August 30, 2008, 03:14 PM   #17
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Quote:
Sorry, when I said there was powder left on the brass, I should have been more specific. I bought Lyman's red walnut with a "jeweler's rouge" or something on it. The red powder is all over the shells.
Sounds like you learned a valuable lesson there. I have never used that but it sounds like a lot of trouble. I use walnut from the pet store. I add a cap full of Nu Finish car polish and a paper towel tore into around ten pieces. The Nu Finish helps clean faster , has a nice shine and helps keep the dust down. The paper towel collects all of the crap and helps keep your media clean. I run for two hours and they come out like new.
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Old August 30, 2008, 09:59 PM   #18
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[Quote]=rolyasm

Sorry, when I said there was powder left on the brass, I should have been more specific. I bought Lyman's red walnut with a "jeweler's rouge" or something on it. The red powder is all over the shells. I ran the brass through a few more times with dryer sheets and mineral spirits, but the inside still has red powder. Can I just leave the powder on, or will it foul my gun or make my ammunition not work properly?
======================================================

I've read some real horror stories about that stuff.
It sounds good, but causes a real headache.
Sorry, but I'd ditch that stuff and just get some Frankford Arsenal walnut media and use some NuFinish with it and your problems will go away and have very shiney and clean brass.
I bought an 18 pound bag of Frankford Arsenal walnut media from Midwayusa.com for $18 plus shipping. Thats cheap for good stuff.
I was buying the 4 1/2 lb container of Frankford Arsenal plain walnut media
from a local shop for $16.99. Now I have 18 pounds of the same stuff for a lot cheaper.......!!

I have not heard any easy way of cleaning that stuff out of your brass.
Most use compressed air or use some sort of liquid to clean the red stuff off.
Go with the plain walnut media and NuFinish...It works GREAT..!!
You'll NEVER look back.....

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Old August 31, 2008, 09:42 AM   #19
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I took the Lyman Red Devil stuff back for a refund and stopped next door at PetsMart. Got some Zilla Lizard bed walnut on sale for $10, I think it was 10 pounds. Added some NuFinish, ran the shells again for about 6 hours. Most of the red has come off. The only place it is really sticking is on the inside where most of the dirt is, or fouling, or whatever you call it. I think I will run it a few more hours, then stick it in some water to see if that helps. Thanks for the help. Don't buy the Lyman red crap. I told Sportsman's they should take it off their shelf.
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Old September 1, 2008, 08:38 PM   #20
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[Quote]=rolyasm

I took the Lyman Red Devil stuff back for a refund and stopped next door at PetsMart. Got some Zilla Lizard bed walnut on sale for $10, I think it was 10 pounds. Added some NuFinish, ran the shells again for about 6 hours. Most of the red has come off. The only place it is really sticking is on the inside where most of the dirt is, or fouling, or whatever you call it. I think I will run it a few more hours, then stick it in some water to see if that helps. Thanks for the help. Don't buy the Lyman red crap. I told Sportsman's they should take it off their shelf.
========================================================

FYI

But you may have it in your new stuff now that you put the brass in your new walnut media.
If so...Use some USED drier sheets you use in your clothes drier and run them for a while to get rid of any red stuff in there.
OR...maybe use a crumpled up paper towell. roll it in a ball some to get it soft, it will pick up more crumpled up than just a flat sheet.
I use the used drier sheet to get dust out of my tumbler ever so often.
Try it...It works.

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Old November 3, 2008, 06:17 PM   #21
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Quote:
I notice some powder left on the case after I have seperated them from the medium. Is this an issue? Do you stick them in a bucket of water after tumbling?
I'm having the same problem with the green treated corn cob media that Lyman makes. It really cleans the cases but they are left with a cloudy film which requires me clean all the cases by hand with a dusting cloth. Would the paper towel trick solve this problem? Any ideas would be great and appreciated. Thanks
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Old November 3, 2008, 06:35 PM   #22
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"...the inside still has red powder. Can I just leave the powder on, or will it foul my gun or make my ammunition not work properly?"

The soft rouge dust, any color, is totally harmless to brass, dies, gun bores and small children; don't sweat it. Most folks add far more rouge, or "polish", to media than it needs for proper function, including Lyman. But it doesn't hurt anything, so wipe off the outside excess and go!

The paper towel trick, or dryer sheets, etc., trap some of the excess polish dust so it can be tossed. Those who add both polish and paper each time are spinning their wheels. But, since it's harmless, ... who cares!

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Old November 4, 2008, 08:41 AM   #23
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To get the dust and excess rouge off my cases I take an old bath towel and lay it on a flat surface. I give it a couple shots of charcoal lighter fluid in the middle (do this outside) and then dump my cases in the middle. Then I fold the towel into thirds lengthwise, enclosing the cases. Then I grab both ends of the towel and lift them back and forth (up and down), tumbling the cases inside. Works great and gets them squeaky clean. You can do it without the lighter fluid and still get great results.
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