Have any of you built a home made tumbler? (UPDATED 5-10-08) Pictures

[Siskiyou]

It was similar to the chopped up corncob I have purchased to use in my tumbler.  I have switched to walnut shells and they seem to do a better job.  I would think the advantage of the ground up corncob/walnut shell is the effect of mutable surfaces polishing the outside of the case, and cleaning the inside of the case. 

You might break the corncob down using a food processor!!  Suggest you go to the pet store and buy the walnut shells.  A fifty-pound bag would last you and a loading buddy a few lifetimes.

[DalesCarpentry]

Something like this is what I have in mind. Dale

[DalesCarpentry]

You can see this picture a little better. Dale

[Siskiyou]

This is the critter I have been using for years.  I am shocked at how much the price has gone up.  I think I bought it for less then fifty dollars.  The reason for the link is to show that I have a vibrator type and not a true tumbler.  It claims to work at 3000VPM. 

Out of curiosity I went down to the bench and started up my Ultra Vibe 18 Tumbler which was loaded with walnut shell material and twenty .270 Winchester cases.  It took a small plastic cap from a spray container and put it part way into the walnut material.  Using the stopwatch on my Garmin gps the cap made two rotations of the bowl in 01:08:77 minutes.  A better measurement would have occurred if I had removed the cases because a cluster of three or four cases slowed the cap down a little in one location.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=CHZ0TEHEB0NNJLAQBBLCCN3MCAEFAIWE?id=0003101212488a&type=product&cmCat=perf&rid=0180101070502&xpid=k2776&cm_ven=Performics&cm_cat=Affiliate%2Dclick&cm_pla=Shopping.com&cm_ite=DDI%20Link&_requestid=62771

I notice that this product turns at 30 RPM.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=perf&id=0003101212489a&navCount=2&podId=0003101&parentId=&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=XH&rid=&parentType=&indexId=cat20853&hasJS=true

A handy item I purchased after the fact was a media shifter pan.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000157631321

While I was at the bench I noticed a plastic, rectangular shape soap bucket.  Recently our laundry soap has been coming in the rectangular shaped buck.  I suspect the four corners in this type of bucket would provide greater agitation then a round bucket.

If graybeard does not have a site to post videos when you get the thing operational you should post a video on YouTube.  The thing we would not want to see is a video of a bunch of emergency responders there removing you fingers from the gears. 

[DalesCarpentry]

Thanks I like the idea of a square bucket. I just happen to have one that is about 1/12 to 2 gallons. You are right and that is probably the way to go. As far as getting my fingers chewed up in the gears and belts. I have the case the came off of it and could easily enclose it again. I wonder if I should still install paddles with a square bucket. I probably would not need them but with it running at such a slow RPM it might help agitation a bit more. Dale

[Siskiyou]

Might try it with the bucket and modify it if need.

[DalesCarpentry]

Do any of you know how much media you would put in a 1/12 or 2 gallon bucket? Thanks Dale

[DalesCarpentry]

I am thinking that maybe pitching 5 or 10 degrees off horizontal might help also. Dale

[Siskiyou]

I think RCBS has a tumbler that is off site 20-degrees.  The sidewinder, very pricy.

[DalesCarpentry]

Thanks. Looks like I have a good plan. Dale

[buck460XVR]

wow....you could polish artillery brass with that thing. 

I assume the only problem with turning the transmission on it's side would be the stress on the bearings from the weight being supported only on one side......why not just cant it about 45 degrees and mount an old waashing machine or dryer tub to it. You could build it similar to this.................http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Homes/1980-09-01/Build-a-Low-Budget-Cement-Mixer.aspx

[LaOtto222]

Dale - I do not know about your reloading bench, but I would have a hard time getting that thing on mine.  A little more seriously; the design you are talking about is huge, it would take a lot of media, be very difficult separating the brass and media (you need to dump it some how) or scoop it out (slow), takes up a lot of space. Unless you are going to "tumble" large amounts of brass, the brass is going to be hard to find in the media, when you try to separate it. You could make a large screen for it, but that takes up a lot of room and more work/expense. I do not run any wheres near that much brass at a time. I have found that I can not run two very different cases at the same time. 22 hornet and 44 mag brass will not be friendly in a tumbler, believe me. I try to run mine in lot batches of 50 or 100 at a time. I have set amounts for each lot and do not separate them. Seriously, I find this very impractical on many levels. I think that the few bucks you save would be money well spent on a ready made tumbler. Of course you have the pride of doing it your self, but I think you will find it quickly gone when you try to use it. If you decide to go ahead with this project, I predict you will soon abandon it and go buy one any way just my 2 cents