Anyone out there know of a site that may have plans for a
home-made tumbler.
I don't see the point in buying a tumbler if I can knock one together myself.
TIA

Ian

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Clear sights and warm barrels.

Get a plastic, one gallon maynaise jar (CostCo or similar -- sometimes pickles or relish comes in these jars) Fill the jar with media and brass, tape the lid tight, wrap in a towel and secure, toss it in the dryer set to "air" or "cool."

The other way to clean brass is 1 gal. water, squirt of dishwashing soap, 1/2 cup vinegar, and couple tablespoons salt. Remove the primers or the steel turns the cases pinkish. Agitate the brass every so often. The mixture is not rocket fuel. You can add lemon juice, but it's not necessary unless you want nice smelling brass.

There are other means available, but the easiest is just to spring for a tumbler. That said, I don't tumble brass because it nicks the case mouth and work hardens the mouth edge. I clean my brass by hand with a polishing cloth. (But we're shooting for sub-MOA.)

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PowderBurns Black Powder / Muzzle Loading Forum:

www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=powderburns

Somebody mentioned buying a foot massager + soaker for a lot less than a tumbler. Just add media and casings, and it works just like a tumbler.

I imagine a resourceful person could use a 2 gallon pickle container, root around in the garbage behind a restaurant or go into the kitchen and ask the chef, then make a platform for it to rest on using skateboard wheels. Make the drive motor out of something like an electric fan motor, put a piece of surgcal tubing on the shaft to get some friction. If it turns too fast use a dimmer switch for a lamp to slow it down.

Last I knew the ones from Midway were inexpensive enough to satisfy me. They go on sale periodically.

They are not as heavy as Dillon or RCBS, but I have both Midway and RCBS, and more hours on the Midway than the RCBS with no problem.

Don

"Handloader" magazine had plans about 15 years ago. They made a vibratory model. I made a serise of them and was finally satisfied. Mine holds about 100 30-06 size fired cases. Basically you attach an electric motor to the bottom of a salad bowl, shaft down. I used a spun steel bowl and a 1/5 hp motor. Electical cover plates can be used for the motor mount. Put an ecentric weight on the motor's shaft. I used a bolt here so that I could add and subtract nuts and washers until the weight was correct. In the center of the bowl place a funnel secured with small all thread or similar. Seal the bottom of the funnel with glue or media gets under it. Now you have your shaker part. Mount three or more crutch tips on the bottom of the bowl, place springs in the tips and secure them in mating crutch tips in the top of a five gallon bucket. You will have to cut part of the top out to accomidate the motor. Mine works great.
So, what do we end up with? Cost? more than the midway. There will be several revisions. Performance, same. If you like to tinker have at it. If you like to clean brass, buy the midway!

I use the vinegar/salt/dish soap method and I don't see a need for a tumbler.

I managed for 18months by taking my sanding machine and screwing a bucket to the sanding pad. You need to put tape over the screws to prevent damage to the cases.I filled the bucket with media and placed the sander in a vice. Worked well, quick but loud.