Dry tumbling with Walnut shells

[denclaste]

I've been using a 50/50 mix of cob/walnut shells for quite a few years now, no additive. Its a old Midway vibrator style, I don't think they sell this big one any more. Works good. I run the bowl half full of media and can run 500 10mm or 300 Win 284 cases at a time. I let run for at least 3-4 hrs per batch. Not quite as bright as the liquid/pins method but works for me.
Dennis

[DenStinett]

Also, on a side note. I stopped after work yesterday and picked up a container to put my unused bag of media into. Got home all excited to be organized and cleaned up, rushed up stairs to get the tumbler rolling and put the fresh media away. Attached is a picture of what I found, as well as the culprit. Moral of the story, don't zip tie closed your 90% full bag of walnut shells and leave it in a room where your dog can push the door open! I was able to salvage most of it, the shopvac got the rest

All I can say is.....
NICE ! ! !

[DenStinett]

I've been using a 50/50 mix of cob/walnut shells for quite a few years now, no additive. Its a old Midway vibrator style, I don't think they sell this big one any more. Works good. I run the bowl half full of media and can run 500 10mm or 300 Win 284 cases at a time. I let run for at least 3-4 hrs per batch. Not quite as bright as the liquid/pins method but works for me.
Dennis

Very cool
That's what I like about my 3 Can set-up
I can run three different sizes of Brass at once
One can with, let's say, 9mm or 38/357s (300+)
One with 10mm (250ish)
And another with 308s (150 or so)
I run them thru the Walnut for a few hours to get them clean, and then into the Corn for a few (or overnight) to get them good and polished
I'll size my 308s than run them thru the Corn once more for a couple hours to get the Sizing Lube off
Straight Walled stuff goes right from the Corn to the Sizer and on thru the reloading process

[BT8850]

All I can say is.....
NICE ! ! !

Yea a nice big mess! I could have killed him 

I've been using a 50/50 mix of cob/walnut shells for quite a few years now, no additive. Its a old Midway vibrator style, I don't think they sell this big one any more. Works good. I run the bowl half full of media and can run 500 10mm or 300 Win 284 cases at a time. I let run for at least 3-4 hrs per batch. Not quite as bright as the liquid/pins method but works for me.
Dennis

Very cool
That's what I like about my 3 Can set-up
I can run three different sizes of Brass at once
One can with, let's say, 9mm or 38/357s (300+)
One with 10mm (250ish)
And another with 308s (150 or so)
I run them thru the Walnut for a few hours to get them clean, and then into the Corn for a few (or overnight) to get them good and polished
I'll size my 308s than run them thru the Corn once more for a couple hours to get the Sizing Lube off
Straight Walled stuff goes right from the Corn to the Sizer and on thru the reloading process

That separation would be nice, sure beats sifting through them all! What sort of agitators do you have on the inside of your cans?



Also, what do you guys use for a media separator? One can easily go about buying one but in the nature of homebrewing, I'm thinking of making one on the cheap!

[DenStinett]

That separation would be nice, sure beats sifting through them all! What sort of agitators do you have on the inside of your cans?

It's a pump Motor running the V'Belt, the Belt runs the two Rollers
The Rollers are held to the 2x4s with Sockets and Pipestrap

Also, what do you guys use for a media separator? One can easily go about buying one but in the nature of homebrewing, I'm thinking of making one on the cheap!

I use a Midway Crank Sifter now.....
BUT, I use to use my Homegrown Sifter
It was a Gallon Tupperware Container that I cut the bottom off of
Then took an 8"x8" piece if ¼" Chicken Wire and melted that into the bottom of the Container, then cut off the excess CW
I'd set the Sifter in my Media Bucket, dump the Paint Can full of Media and Brass into it, snap on the Lid and shake all the Media out of the thing
Worked great

[ShadeTreeVTX]

I use a cat scooper to pull my brass out of the vibrator - worked great in the cat box - works great in the vibrator, little shake and the media fall out of the shells and the shells go straight to the full sizer for treatment. I did buy a new scooper for the shells.

Doug

[BT8850]

Thanks for the input fellas. I like the set up for the sifter DenStinett, I think I'll stop buy the dollar store and see about some containers to mutilate  I will update when it comes to fruition

[us_shooter]

I use a cement mixer filled with a big bag of Lizard Litter (crushed walnut) from Petsmart. Then I pour in a 50/50 mixture of odorless mineral spirits and Nufinish car wax. Toss in a couple used dryer sheet and let it run for about 45 minutes.  It will look like factory finish.

[DenStinett]

I always thought to use my Gallon Paint Can and a Paint Mixer
A Two Can Rig would be cool too

[BT8850]

I use a cement mixer filled with a big bag of Lizard Litter (crushed walnut) from Petsmart. Then I pour in a 50/50 mixture of odorless mineral spirits and Nufinish car wax. Toss in a couple used dryer sheet and let it run for about 45 minutes.  It will look like factory finish.

Nice. The lizard litter is the same stuff I bought, it was 17 bucks and some change for the biggest bag they had, probably 25lbs or so. I thought my motor was heavy duty but I believe a cement mixer takes the cake! You mix the spirits and wax in with the brass and walnut and run it (I feel ike this would make sort of a slurry, aka mess) or do you remove the walnut and then run the brass with spirits/wax? I know you said mixture is 50/50, how much is the mineral spirits volume wise?

I always thought to use my Gallon Paint Can and a Paint Mixer
A Two Can Rig would be cool too

That would be pretty neat, wonder if I could avoid all this 'build your own tumbler' stuff and just go to lowes with paint cans full of brass and walnut shells and have them shake em on their mixers while I shop LOL  If you have your own mixer that would be an interesting project.

[DenStinett]

Here we go
I'll take the bottom one
Two at a time, with a 60 min timer
Shake and we're on to the next step....
http://www.mayerpaint.com/pacer_15.htm

[BT8850]

Here we go
I'll take the bottom one
Two at a time, with a 60 min timer
Shake and we're on to the next step....
http://www.mayerpaint.com/pacer_15.htm

That's what I call efficiency! Think those babies wouldn't come out sparkling  I was actually at Lowes this evening and as I walked by the paint section I had to shake my head and laugh to myself at the Idea of asking the kid running the mixers if he could throw on a bucket full of 10mm cases HAHA

[DenStinett]

I'd definitely try it before I even bought a used / basket-case
At the rate they shake, I wonder if an hour would be enough or too much ?

[Tomcat 10]

I tumble twice . The first is corncob , then I size , and decap , and then I wet tumble with stainless pins .

Sorry I don't have any pics .

[DenStinett]

I tumble twice . The first is corncob , then I size , and decap , and then I wet tumble with stainless pins .

Sorry I don't have any pics .

Try DeCapping first and you'll get your Primer Pocket cleaned too