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I really don't want to spend the dough on a tumbler. I typically only load about 40 rounds at a time, and i don't shoot pistols. I tried Iosso and made a complete mess of a bunch of 308 brass. Currently I'm trying a chemically impregnated cloth from Sinclair which does ok. Anyone have other alternatives? | ||
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Best alternative to a tumbler: Factory ammo. Many inexpensive tumblers out there, and even a small, cheap one will do it faster and as good as by hand. It's pretty much a one time investment that keeps on giving. | |||
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Here is a good one for $34! If you can't afford that, get a part time job! They don't get any cheaper! http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=317981 *We Band of .338 ers*.NRA Member | |||
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An empty Folger's plastic coffee jug, filled about 1/3rd with treated corncob and stick it in the trunk of your car for a month. | |||
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harbor freight has a small rotary drum "rock polisher" for 30 bucks, been using one for several years w/no problems. dont have a link but they're on the net. it wont hold near as much as a thumler but it didnt cost 100+ either. | |||
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Hey Steve, How many miles does that equate too?  Also of the total miles, what percentage are hiway, in town and on dirt roads?  On a serious note: Westenmassman, Spend a little money now and it will pay for itself time and time again. You may not be doing a lot of reloading today but in time you may. Also if you go to the pet supermarkets and get "lizzard litter" in a large bag it will last a llooonnnngggg time. Tumbled brass is much nicer to work with and it will also allow for better inspection. Smedley ______________________ Smedley  ______________________ From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.' B.H.Obullshitter ------------------------------------ "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery" Winston Churchill ------------------------------------ "..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.." Samuel Adams ------------------------------------ Facts are immaterial to liberals. Twisted perceptions however are invaluable. ------------------------------------ We Americans were tired of being thought of as dumb, by the rest of the world. So we went to the polls in November 2008 and removed all doubt.....let's not do it again in 2012 please. | |||
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Use a Lee trimmer in a hand drill for trimming cases, and while the case is rotating, run some some steel wool against it. Can't get much cheaper than that. Jaywalker | |||
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Midway has the Frankford Arsenal unit on sale until Feb. 28th for $34.99 ...... have had no problems with their tumbler.....does a nice fast job. | |||
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How about a mesh bag and your dish/clothes washer. Just don't let your honey find out. muck | |||
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Used to use steel wool like Jaywalker said except instead of a hand drill I use a Lee Zip Trim mounted to a piece of 2x4 mounted in a vise http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=515804 While spinning the case I spread a dab of Flitz from a tube http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=578206 and then hold a rag against it and it polishes it much brighter than a tumbler and puts a protective coating on it. A tube will last a long time, about 6 months for me. You will save a lot of money on corncob or walnut media or metal polish additives and can trim, chamfer and clean the inside of the neck at the same time. Would sell you my tumbler cheap which I haven't used in a year and a half, but shipping would cost too much to make it worthwhile. ____________________________________ There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice. - Mark Twain | Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. ___________________________________ | |||
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I've posted this one before also. It works great in a clothes washer, never tried the dishwasher. | |||
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another way is to put about 1 cup white vinegar, a tsp of salt, a few drops of dish or laundry detergent in a 1 gal plastic jug, fill with hot water, shake like hell for a minute and leave sit for about 1/2 hr. Dump the solution out (can be saved and reused many times), rinse the cases off and let dry in sun or hit with a hair dryer. This will clean them well and give them a bit of a shine to allow for easy case inspection. For a small quantity of brass that is what I do. I don't run my tumbler unless I have a large amount of brass to deal with. | |||
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Hey guys, thanks for all the tips! Don't dare try the dryer/washer otherwise I would be inheriting an expensive tumbler! | |||
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Similar procedure as Heavy Metal 1: I put the jug into the saddle bag of my motorcycle, set the rear shock harder, do some errands for my wife, and when I'm back, the cases are nice and shiny. | |||
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Sherwin Williams sold (sells now?) a vegetable soap product with flax as it base, super slick and takes high pressure well. I just dab my finger into the tin and slick up the case, size and wipe with a dry washcloth. Lubes and cleans all at once. I don't know if they still offer this product, but it is worth checking out. A single tin is a lifetime supply. I've been tempted to try dishwashing liquid, but not having a stuck case remover, I've not acted on the idea. Would strike me that Imperial sizing Wax would have a similar quality. Tumblers are nice if one is shooting gobs of handgun or automatic rifle, but mostly they are good for getting your money and making noise. Boycott Natchez Shooters Supplies, Inc | |||
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Have tried a few chemical methods including the detergent and vinegar job . Cases looked great at first and then rapidly tarnished to a worse state than they were before cleaning . Polishing with a buff or steel wool is bloody tedious I find . Bought a tumbler in the end and have never regretted it . The hunting imperative was part of every man's soul; some denied or suppressed it, others diverted it into less blatantly violent avenues of expression, wielding clubs on the golf course or racquets on the court, substituting a little white ball for the prey of flesh and blood. Wilbur Smith | |||
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Take an old electric ice cream freezer, put regular tumbling media in it, lay it on about a 45 degree angle and plug it in. Works pretty good. (I'm cheap too!) Nimrod 308 | |||
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I used a Thumblers Tumbler when I first started reloading, it worked OK, but I much prefer a Dillon vibrator to clean my brass. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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I have a frankfort arsenal tumbler , it was only about 40 bucks 50 with media and it does fine. Most people are link slinkies, Basically useless but fun to push down the stairs. | |||
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I have done thousands of dirty, crappy cases for hundreds of hours through my cheapie frankford arsenal tumbler - and it still goes strong. I think the tumbler, bucket and plastic screen set me back 60 bucks - a good investment. | |||
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Glad to see that I'm not the only cheapo using their ice cream maker for double-duty. Nimrod forgot one important matter: be sure to clean it out thoroughly before making ice cream. Ground walnut shells taste pretty nasty. | |||
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