Home made media separator

Once Fired · October 28, 2013, 10:12 PM

A while back I was musing about how I should build my home made bulk media separator. I use a cement mixer for a tumbler, and I wanted to build something that could match the output that thing is capable of. Something that could work for water/SS pins or for walnut/cob as desired.

I have now built a big chunk of it since I now am back in Texas and have a garage again. I have space for my reloading bench (a reinforced table really) plus the mixer, the separator and even a drying table.

So, here's the media separator:

It's built on the same screen & frame I had been using previously. I just put a single course of 2x4 above the last one, attached with brass hinges & catches, and finished the rest of the hardware cloth enclosure.

Drilling a 1-3/4 inch hole on center lengthwise allows me to put a 4' long 1-1/2 inch wooden dowel in there. Now it'll spin and dump the media out below.

I bought a big tub to rotate over and catch all the media. Now I just need to build the frame to hold it in just the right spot.

Here it is up close. I'm more of a computer geek than a handyman, so I was pretty proud I built something that actually works. hahahaha

It'll hold about 10 gallons of brass, with room for the tumbling action so media shakes out. Haven't tried it with water yet, or with the full 10 gallons of brass. Might need a deeper tub or reinforce it for the amount of weight that much brass would be.

Marco Califo · October 29, 2013, 03:11 AM

Smaller, Cheaper, and less materials and labor.
These are "mesh pots" made to fit 5 gallon buckets.
It turns out that the bigger one is perfect for holding brass but dropping the media - into a 5 gallon bucket! I found it works well to lift, tilt, and rotate the mesh pot to fully empty bottleneck 223 and 308.

Hammerhead · October 29, 2013, 04:23 AM

Love the industrial attitude.
Can I send you a half ton of brass for cleaning?

Nick_C_S · October 29, 2013, 08:27 PM

I like the ammo boxes for support. Nice touch

MarkGlazer · October 29, 2013, 09:25 PM

OK, since you've shared the "case cleaner" you now owe us pictures of the shop. If the cleaner is super-sized I can only imagine what it serves.

So, fess up, expecting pictures by tomorrow......

KMAX · October 29, 2013, 09:32 PM

Nice Redneck Ingenuity!

Looks like it works. What more can you ask for!

Once Fired · October 30, 2013, 10:47 PM

No Dillon progressive press here, I am afraid.

Not yet.

I took the advice here, and that of my dad, and learned on his old single stage press. Even the bench itself is light duty - had to brace it against the wall.

But the shelves of ammo cans - now that is a wonderful sight.

homemadetools · May 12, 2017, 03:10 PM

homemadetools guy here, not a spammer (PROOF: Hundreds of forums that like us

)

An oldie but a goodie. Just a note that we featured this clever tool in our HomemadeTools.net newsletter: http://mailchi.mp/buildthreads/dial-...aw-truing-tool

We know this site as a good source of homemade tool builds; we have 13 total tools listed from TheFiringLine.com, each one fully credited to its builder, and manually reviewed and categorized. I hope we've been able to send you lots of good visitors. Here they all are: Homemade tools from TheFiringLine.com

Cheers gentlemen, and keep on making homemade tools.

condor bravo · May 12, 2017, 04:28 PM

All pretty impressive I would say. Are all of those 5 gallon buckets full of brass? I think you are ready for a progressive. The Dillon 550, now version C, is the flagship. You know you will do it eventually so why not now?

Once Fired · May 12, 2017, 08:37 PM

@homemadetools

Thanks for the shout out. I had fun building it, and it works great. It works best when I put down a black tarp under it on concrete, because clean up is easy & if we use steel pins they are WAY easier to see & grab with a magnet since they tend to bounce.

@condor bravo

Yes, most of those buckets were full or at least mostly full of brass. The first lot of brass I got from a miltary surplus auction was ~1000lbs of brass that came in those ammo cans.

Hence the need for the freakishly huge tumbler.

Still working on getting a Dillon, although we have our sights set on the 1050 & motorizing it.

Don Fischer · May 13, 2017, 10:09 AM

Gotta ask. You are cleaning all those case's and reload them on that little table?

jmorris · May 16, 2017, 06:59 AM

I built this media separator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScrYaUscDe8

To serve this row of tumblers.

ShootistPRS · May 16, 2017, 11:50 PM

I believe that is very likely the best system for bulk processing of brass that I have ever seen. When you come up with an annealer that can process brass on that scale I want to see it!

Great job and beautiful craftsmanship!

October 28, 2013, 10:12 PM	#1
Once Fired Member Join Date: October 26, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 62	Home made media separator A while back I was musing about how I should build my home made bulk media separator. I use a cement mixer for a tumbler, and I wanted to build something that could match the output that thing is capable of. Something that could work for water/SS pins or for walnut/cob as desired. I have now built a big chunk of it since I now am back in Texas and have a garage again. I have space for my reloading bench (a reinforced table really) plus the mixer, the separator and even a drying table. So, here's the media separator: It's built on the same screen & frame I had been using previously. I just put a single course of 2x4 above the last one, attached with brass hinges & catches, and finished the rest of the hardware cloth enclosure. Drilling a 1-3/4 inch hole on center lengthwise allows me to put a 4' long 1-1/2 inch wooden dowel in there. Now it'll spin and dump the media out below. I bought a big tub to rotate over and catch all the media. Now I just need to build the frame to hold it in just the right spot. Here it is up close. I'm more of a computer geek than a handyman, so I was pretty proud I built something that actually works. hahahaha It'll hold about 10 gallons of brass, with room for the tumbling action so media shakes out. Haven't tried it with water yet, or with the full 10 gallons of brass. Might need a deeper tub or reinforce it for the amount of weight that much brass would be. __________________ Video games are for when you need to escape from reality. Responsible firearm ownership is for when you can't. Zombie Apocalypse Games Once Fired Lake City Brass Texas Security Guard Jobs

October 29, 2013, 08:27 PM	#4
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,523	I like the ammo boxes for support. Nice touch __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

October 29, 2013, 09:25 PM	#5
MarkGlazer Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2013 Location: Atlanta, Ga Posts: 329	OK, since you've shared the "case cleaner" you now owe us pictures of the shop. If the cleaner is super-sized I can only imagine what it serves. So, fess up, expecting pictures by tomorrow...... __________________ non ministrari sed ministrare

October 29, 2013, 09:32 PM	#6
KMAX Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 1,185	Nice Redneck Ingenuity! Looks like it works. What more can you ask for! __________________ This is my gun. There are many like her, but this one is mine. I'm not old. I'm CLASSIC!

October 30, 2013, 10:47 PM	#7
Once Fired Member Join Date: October 26, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 62	No Dillon progressive press here, I am afraid. Not yet. I took the advice here, and that of my dad, and learned on his old single stage press. Even the bench itself is light duty - had to brace it against the wall. But the shelves of ammo cans - now that is a wonderful sight. __________________ Video games are for when you need to escape from reality. Responsible firearm ownership is for when you can't. Zombie Apocalypse Games Once Fired Lake City Brass Texas Security Guard Jobs

October 29, 2013, 04:23 AM	#3
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Love the industrial attitude. Can I send you a half ton of brass for cleaning?

May 12, 2017, 03:10 PM	#8
homemadetools Junior Member Join Date: May 10, 2017 Posts: 1	homemadetools guy here, not a spammer (PROOF: Hundreds of forums that like us ) An oldie but a goodie. Just a note that we featured this clever tool in our HomemadeTools.net newsletter: http://mailchi.mp/buildthreads/dial-...aw-truing-tool We know this site as a good source of homemade tool builds; we have 13 total tools listed from TheFiringLine.com, each one fully credited to its builder, and manually reviewed and categorized. I hope we've been able to send you lots of good visitors. Here they all are: Homemade tools from TheFiringLine.com Cheers gentlemen, and keep on making homemade tools.

May 12, 2017, 04:28 PM	#9
condor bravo Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2014 Location: Nevada/Ariz/CA Posts: 1,753	All pretty impressive I would say. Are all of those 5 gallon buckets full of brass? I think you are ready for a progressive. The Dillon 550, now version C, is the flagship. You know you will do it eventually so why not now? __________________ Ouch, the dreaded "M-1 thumb", you just know it will happen eventually, so why not do it now and get it over with??

May 12, 2017, 08:37 PM	#10
Once Fired Member Join Date: October 26, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 62	@homemadetools Thanks for the shout out. I had fun building it, and it works great. It works best when I put down a black tarp under it on concrete, because clean up is easy & if we use steel pins they are WAY easier to see & grab with a magnet since they tend to bounce. @condor bravo Yes, most of those buckets were full or at least mostly full of brass. The first lot of brass I got from a miltary surplus auction was ~1000lbs of brass that came in those ammo cans. Hence the need for the freakishly huge tumbler. Still working on getting a Dillon, although we have our sights set on the 1050 & motorizing it. __________________ Video games are for when you need to escape from reality. Responsible firearm ownership is for when you can't. Zombie Apocalypse Games Once Fired Lake City Brass Texas Security Guard Jobs

May 13, 2017, 10:09 AM	#11
Don Fischer Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2017 Posts: 1,868	Gotta ask. You are cleaning all those case's and reload them on that little table?

May 16, 2017, 06:59 AM	#12
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,077	I built this media separator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScrYaUscDe8 To serve this row of tumblers.

May 16, 2017, 11:50 PM	#13
ShootistPRS Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2017 Posts: 1,583	I believe that is very likely the best system for bulk processing of brass that I have ever seen. When you come up with an annealer that can process brass on that scale I want to see it! Great job and beautiful craftsmanship!