Up to now, I have sat like a jerk with a spent case in one hand and steel wool in the other....cleaning all my cases. My fingers are tired and worn. So, I bought a case tumbler second hand. But I don't know how to use it...or the best abrasive "stuff' to use...or how long to "polish"....or how to treat the cases afterward to clean off any debris from their ride in the tumbler. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks!!!

I use corn cob media, al little case cleaner and ler her rip. Cleaning is easy just dump it out of the case, the primer pocket need some attention, I have a small pick with a very sharp point I just poke it in each hole to make sure it is clean, I hold it to the light and check. I tumble everything after sizing.

You can also buy media from Cabelas online. Two hours will get them shining like new if they are in reasonable condition. I tumble mine before I size them so that they are very clean for sizing. I used to clean them the hard way with brasso for a long time but I did not shoot enough back then to need a tumbler. I would not switch back to the old way after using my tumbler.

I like to use walnut media. Add a little polish to the media every 3 or 4 batches. I seem to get a richer shine with the walnut shells. As far as time, I usually throw the hulls in at bedtime then turn the tumbler off when I get up (6-7 hrs). Brass shines like new money. BTW I only tumble after 3-5 loadings unless I'm going to load up some hunting loads or a bunch to put away for future hunts.

Geronimo

Geronimo

Simplest way to use a tumbler...

First of all, buy the RIGHT media. What do I consider the "right" stuff? Lyman's treated walnut and Lyman's treated corncob.

They both sell for around $1 per pound, and a couple of pounds will last several thousand cases.

You will read about using kitty litter, gopher bedding, as well as the famous "eye of a newt, wing of a bat, etc.".

Next, depending on the tumbler you acquired, contact the manufacturer and ask for a copy of THEIR instructions.

(I have two Lyman Turbo Flo 2200's, one with walnut and the other with corncob. And I follow their instructions to the letter, as far as how much media to put in the tumbler.) If you use too little, the brass will not have the expected results, if you use too much the brass will not have the expected results.

My usual routine is to tumble first in the walnut for an hour, then in the corncob for an hour. (To get an idea of why I tumble my brass go to http://stevespages.com/cleancases.html )

When do you need to change media? Simple, when it quits doing the job. Notice I said "change" not "refresh", "replenish", "improve", "augment" or "modify".

When it gets dirty and stops polishing the brass, toss it out and put a new batch in the tumbler.

OK...I am good to go......and will get mfr's instructions as suggested.
THANK YOU ALL....GENTLEMEN, FOR YOUR TIME AND TROUBLE!!
Alex

For a few rounds I don't tumble anymore. I use my lee quick trim shell holder in a 18 volt Dewalt drill, put the case in trim with the lee trimmer, gently hit the inside and out side of the neck with a lyman neck tool and polish on high speed with 00 steel wool. 40 rounds done in a very short time! Clean the case inside with a nylon brush, prime, powder, bullet and shoot.

I use the walnut shell media and it seems to last nearly forever. I've had the same batch in my tumbler for years and it still works fine. I don't even add the polishing media, just the walnut shells work fine.

I run it for at least 3 or 4 hours or sometimes up to 6 or 7 hours. When you shut it off pick out the brass and then make sure you dont fondle it too much (wash your hands prior, cuz oil from your hands tarnishes brass worse then anything). I put it in Ziplock baggies til I need it.

Be sure to clear out the primer pocket/flash hole before you reload! Those little chunks of media will clog it sometimes.

I tumble almost every time I load, but if it's just a few rounds I've fired sometimes I'll just wipe the brass down with a clean cotton cloth and store it.

conifer

If the tumbler is located in a basement, outbuilding or other out of the way place, beware of forgeting to switch the thing off...

I have read of folks doing this and the tumbler ends up running for two or three days till they remember..

The real concern if this happens is that the electric motor could over heat and is a potential fire hazard...

If you can find one, the best solution is to plug the tumbler in via a simple timer switch...simply set it for "X" hours and you're then covered if you do happen forget about it...

Regards,

Pete

I have two Thumblers tumblers. I use walnut media from Midway. Comes in 7# pkgs for $9.99,
Just enough for one fill. I add midway polish from time to time, but when it gets dirty I throw it out. If the brass is real dirty I clean it before sizing and again after to remove the lube. Usualy let it run over night.
Lyle

I once left my brass tumbling in the garage for about a week. Thankfully nothing happened other than the brass was hot to the touch and shined like gold when I took it out. I dont polish too much anymore, stopped shooting competition, but when I do tumble I put the tumbler on the kitchen table when I go to bed and turn it off when I awake.

Good luck and good shooting,

Eterry

A newbie here. New to reloading and to the site. I just got a tumbler today and ran a couple hundred cases through it. Should I take the primers out before cleaning them??

I usually leave them in and use primer pocket cleaning tool after tumbling. That way you don't have to pick media out of pockets, which can be a pain after 100 or 200 cases. But that's just me.

I use Lyman Walnut Tuf-Nut in a Lyman tumbler, nothing else. It took me a while to arrive at this process. The Tuf-Nut has jewellers rouge built in to it so there's no need for media additives. Seeing as how there are no liquids of any type there's nothing to clog up the insides of your case. You just shake the media out of the cleaned cases. The Tuf-Nut lasts quite a while and doesn't easily contaminate without the liquids. I'm quite impressed with it. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal