tumbler problems

[troy_mclure]

i have a frankford arsenal vibratory case tumbler.

i use walnut hulls.

while cleaning my 45/70, 7mm mag, .204, 10mm. the brass spins around and rises up thru the media, and circles back down like a whirlpool.

while TRYING to clean my 9mm brass it just sinks to the bottom, doesnt rise up off the bottom at all.

whats up with my tumbler?

[MrJames680]

How does the 10mm do? Does it sink to the bottom more than the rest yet still kinda float? I had problems using a vibratory cleaner while polishing brass parts (not cases). All the smaller stuff seemed to sink down. I fixed the problem by changing the media size. I want to say I used smaller media. I was also using plastic beads and i was cleaning brass parts off a sailboat. But, it seems to me that it has something to do with the over all density of the cases your cleaning.

The only other thing I can think of is that there may be something wrong with a bushing, or rubber grommet, or spring that has changed the way it shakes. Hope that helped.

If the 9mm is still at least moving around its still being polished.

[Doug B.]

That is the main reason that I use an actual tumbler. In fact, mine is actually made for tumbling rocks. It does not hold near the casings a vibratory polisher does, nor does it get he job done quite as fast. But it gets the job done, irregardless of what type of media, as long as the media is not "worn out".

[Savage]

I don't think you have a problem. The small cases may not be surfacing, but bet they're not laying on the bottom! Do they come out as clean as the larger cases?
Savage

[huntswithdogs]

I noticed when cleaning handgun brass, it didn't seem to come up ad over like my rifle stuff, but it still got clean. I've started mixing rifle and pistol stuff now. The rifle stuff seems to help the rest  move around better.


HWD

[OR-E-Gun Bill]

I always figured it was just one of those miracles of nature, like when you shake the Cracker-Jacks box and all the big stuff magically comes to the top...

If the brass is clean, it's working fine.

Bill

[res45]

I have the same tumbler and mine does the same thing,everything is fine I never had a problem with the brass coming out clean and shinny.

[troy_mclure]

i usualy leave it in for 24hrs. it was still dirty, so i started it up again.

[OR-E-Gun Bill]

i usualy leave it in for 24hrs. it was still dirty, so i started it up again.

24 hours! And it's still dirty!
Houston, I think we have a problem...


Bill

[Doug B.]

i usualy leave it in for 24hrs. it was still dirty, so i started it up again.

Might be time for some new media I'm guessing, or did you just put W A Y too much brass in it? Even with my "rock tumbler" 6 hours max with really worn out media usually does the trick.

[gypsyman]

If you tumble more than 3-4 hours, change the media. Or put in some rejuvinator. Also, you can put in to much brass/media. I have a 20+ year old Lyman 1200. Put to much in, and it ''freeze's'' up. Everything just sits in the bowel and shakes, instead of moving around. Take out a handful or so, and it starts moving again. Never had any caliber brass, just sink to the bottom. If you loosen up or tighten the rubber gromet nut in the center, does that help. If I tighten mine up to much, it doesn't viberate as much. gypsyman

[cwlongshot]

If you tumble more than 3-4 hours, change the media. Or put in some rejuvenator. Also, you can put in to much brass/media. I have a 20+ year old Lyman 1200. Put to much in, and it ''freeze's'' up. Everything just sits in the bowel and shakes, instead of moving around. Take out a handful or so, and it starts moving again. Never had any caliber brass, just sink to the bottom. If you loosen up or tighten the rubber grommet nut in the center, does that help. If I tighten mine up to much, it doesn't vibrate as much. gypsyman

+1!!!  You have either too much in there and or shot media. I generally start mine up first thing in the AM and change it out at noon. I don't need it that long, but its convenient for me.

CW

[res45]

24 hours man thats way longer than I have ever tumbled brass to get it clean and shinny,about 4 hours is the longest I have ever had to tumble brass to get it like factory new ,even old  tarnished surplus military brass and bullets.  How much brass are you putting in the hopper at one time.  I usually run about 100 LR cases at a time through mine about twice that many pistol cases. 

I use corn cob media and three cap fulls of Nu-finish car polish and never have had to add anymore polish.  It usually last for several month before it gets to dirty to clean and polish effectively and gets thrown out.  As others have stated sounds like you need to either cut back on the  number of cases at one time,change the media out or add some polish or do all the above.