View Full Version : Reloading in an apartment, few questions
I've read most of the reloading threads posted in here over the last few years. I've got some ideas about portable benches, and bolting the turret press to a board, then clamping to a table if I decide to go that route.
My questions have to do with general safety. I realize that you aren't supposed to reload around open flames; but just how volatile is gun powder?
Is someone lighting a candle in another room going to be an issue? Can I have my fireplace going in the living room, and reload in the back office? If I smash a primer, is it going to kill my kid in the next room?
What are the chances of accidentally igniting a primer while I'm seating a bullet or something like that?
I'll just be doing straight walled hand gun stuff as far as I know right now.
The real issue, is that there is almost never a time when I am home alone. I can control lighting candles and I'm the only one who ever uses the fire place, but what other things should I be looking out for? Of course I'll read the obligatory 2 manual minimums and so forth. I just want to make sure the room is safe for the rest of my family.
*note, I've dumped powder out of .22lr and 12ga shells before and used them to try and start fires, or otherwise ignited them before, and it didn't seem like a very big deal to me. Am I over thinking this?
I've read most of the reloading threads posted in here over the last few years. I've got some ideas about portable benches, and bolting the turret press to a board, then clamping to a table if I decide to go that route.
My questions have to do with general safety. I realize that you aren't supposed to reload around open flames; but just how volatile is gun powder?
dont smoke in the same room or open flame it does not emit gasses like gasoline if you spill powder in the carpet do not vacumn it up electric motors spit sparks as part of normal operation
Is someone lighting a candle in another room going to be an issue? Can I have my fireplace going in the living room, and reload in the back office? If I smash a primer, is it going to kill my kid in the next room?
no smashed primer will just scare the shit outta you
What are the chances of accidentally igniting a primer while I'm seating a bullet or something like that?
seating bullets is generally safe just dont try and seat the primer deeper with powder in the case
I'll just be doing straight walled hand gun stuff as far as I know right now.
The real issue, is that there is almost never a time when I am home alone. I can control lighting candles and I'm the only one who ever uses the fire place, but what other things should I be looking out for? Of course I'll read the obligatory 2 manual minimums and so forth. I just want to make sure the room is safe for the rest of my family.
*note, I've dumped powder out of .22lr and 12ga shells before and used them to try and start fires, or otherwise ignited them before, and it didn't seem like a very big deal to me. Am I over thinking this?
An apartment reloader here I currently reload .45 with a lee hand press it works for me I have little room and most is done sitting on the couch except when i am dealing with powder and seating bullets than i go into the kitchen just in case i spill powder. I have reloaded 1500 rds so far and never set off a primer during the process.
Any other questions let me know!
This is my 2nd attempt at responding. Don't know what happened to my first attempt.
Definately reload somewhere other than over carpet if you can. If that's not an option, throw some towells, a hunk of lineolum or a cheap blue tarp down under your work area. Trying to be careful and not wasteful I still have spills and drop a primer or two in addition to spent primers. Do you have little kids that are still at the age where everything goes in their mouths? If so, please be damn careful and perhaps look at reloading on a deck or garage or buddies house.
I mentioned in my previous response (that never posted) to pursue grounding your reloader if you're working on carpet due to static discharges. I guess since I never hear about grounding, it probably isn't necessary but I'll pursue that now that it's on my mind.
Relax, no worries about open flames in OTHER rooms.
I've also dented and crushed a few primers due to a small piece of stick powder or a case that hadn't been swaged and none have gone off. It can happen, I've read about it and am definately not looking forward to having one go, I've read it scares the hell out you. Think Safety Glasses when reloading.
SA Friday
03-01-2011, 11:44
I reloaded in an apartment for a couple of years. I had my bench in my bedroom and on carpet. I pumped out tens of thousands of rounds. Any precaution in another setting stands in an apartment. No open flames in the room with the reloading machine and components, ever. Its just asking for Murphy. Candles in other rooms, sure no problem. Powder is a solid and doesn't have a flashpoint like a flammible liquid. There is a fancy chemical name for solids that go straight to gas form from solids, but neither smoke,less nor black powder does this.
I've seen one or two primer feeding rods stuck in ceilings from lightin them off, but they typically don't go past the first layer of dry wall. That's about the worst that can happen shoet of popping a round off outside of battery. Still, the bullet and brass frag isn't going far.
You'll be fine. Keep the kids away from the stuff, fire extinguisher near is a good idea, keep the area clean and clean powder spills immediately, be safe and you will have no problems.
Thanks guys. I do have a little one, but we got lucky with her and she has never put stuff in her mouth.
Another question is about those vibratory brass tumblers. I plan on picking up something like the Lyman tumbler. Are they loud enough that my neighbors would be angry if I left one running for 12 hours while we're gone at work?
gnihcraes
03-01-2011, 21:58
Not much to add from other posts, reloaded in an apartment for a year or so. Mounted everything to a cheap wood folding conference table you can buy at any office supply. Not the greatest thing, but worked.
Vibratory tumbler might be noisy enough to bug some people, depends more on how thin the walls are? I've never had any issues with the vibratory tumbler, but would be sure its on a solid surface during the hours you're not there to monitor it. Also, lock it down in some way, I found mine once laying on the floor making all kinds of racket, brass and corn cobb everywhere. Whoops! I put a T-Handle allen wrench through a hole on the base into the workbench to keep it on the bench now.
Surprisingly, the walls are pretty thick here. It'd probably be okay, but I'd want to hear it in person. I've only seen them on youtube videos.
Not much to add from other posts, reloaded in an apartment for a year or so. Mounted everything to a cheap wood folding conference table you can buy at any office supply. Not the greatest thing, but worked.
Vibratory tumbler might be noisy enough to bug some people, depends more on how thin the walls are? I've never had any issues with the vibratory tumbler, but would be sure its on a solid surface during the hours you're not there to monitor it. Also, lock it down in some way, I found mine once laying on the floor making all kinds of racket, brass and corn cobb everywhere. Whoops! I put a T-Handle allen wrench through a hole on the base into the workbench to keep it on the bench now.
Haha! I have to tumble at work it is to loud in my apt. and it is nice to not have to deal with any dust in the house.
SA Friday
03-01-2011, 22:21
Do NOT allow your child near you or the tumbler or the separator, and separate outside. The majority of primers use lead Styphnate in their mixtures. The dust that dirties the cleaning media is mostly carbon, but has very high amounts of lead in it. It's where the majority of exposure to lead in shooting comes from. A grown adult, even with extreme exposure to this, won't get to levels of poisoning; 40 ppm. Anything over 11ppm is considered high for an adult. 9 ppm is considered dangerous levels for a child.
I tested 21 ppm at one point (from shooting indoors at a range with bad air circulation) and could feel the health ramifications. It took a year, but my system eventually flushed it out. Children don't have the same capabilities. Don't mess with that stuff in the apartment, period. Do it outside. I did my separation on the porch, and ran the tumbler there too.
Thanks for the tip. Is the separation when you open the door at the bottom of the tumbler and turn it back on to separate the brass from the media? I guess I'll learn about that part when I get all my stuff together and actually start. That could be a year from now though.
SA Friday
03-01-2011, 22:46
Thanks for the tip. Is the separation when you open the door at the bottom of the tumbler and turn it back on to separate the brass from the media? I guess I'll learn about that part when I get all my stuff together and actually start. That could be a year from now though.
Yes, or pour the brass and media through a sifter into a bucket or pouring the stuff into one of the rolling sitters. It all aerates the particles.
This brings me to another question.
I don't really care about how the outside of the brass looks, but I'm under the impression that you want the inside of the case to be clean and a tumbler is the most cost/time effective solution. Is that correct? Isn't it also supposed to be easier on your dies as well?
This brings me to another question.
I don't really care about how the outside of the brass looks, but I'm under the impression that you want the inside of the case to be clean and a tumbler is the most cost/time effective solution. Is that correct? Isn't it also supposed to be easier on your dies as well?
You want the outside clean to avoid messing up the die's with straight wall pistol the inside does contact the die.
Some people say it effects pressure but it does not really matter from what i have read.
SA Friday
03-01-2011, 22:54
This brings me to another question.
I don't really care about how the outside of the brass looks, but I'm under the impression that you want the inside of the case to be clean and a tumbler is the most cost/time effective solution. Is that correct? Isn't it also supposed to be easier on your dies as well?
I've found the opposite to be true. I could give a rats ass how the inside looks as long as it's cleaned of material and carbon. I want the outside as clean as possible and as free of media dust as possible, especially pistol rounds. An example is brass at has been reloaded with titegroup. It burns hot and Blackens the inside of the case permanently. Doesn't mean anything. Shoots just fine reload after reload. Crud on the outside of the case is what tears up the dies.
So either way, dirty brass is hard on dies right?
So either way, dirty brass is hard on dies right?
that is an affirmative. i usually tumble for 3-4 hrs without depriming, then size deprime and throw back in for an hour and a half to clean the primer pockets.
I was just thinking that I could probably set up the tumbler in my crawl space and it wouldn't bother anyone at all.
I was planning on picking up some RCBS carbide dies to go with the RCBS turret press I picked up. I just found some .40 S&W Lee carbide dies on Craigslist for only $20 (ad states near new). I've heard guys like Hoser comment on here about brand specific dies, but I don't remember what he said. It was in a thread about a die catching up on brass because a ridge needed to be sanded out some where. I don't remember the brand mentioned.
So is a set of Lee Carbide dies at $20, really half as quality as a set of RCBS Carbide dies for $48?
I was just thinking that I could probably set up the tumbler in my crawl space and it wouldn't bother anyone at all.
I was planning on picking up some RCBS carbide dies to go with the RCBS turret press I picked up. I just found some .40 S&W Lee carbide dies on Craigslist for only $20 (ad states near new). I've heard guys like Hoser comment on here about brand specific dies, but I don't remember what he said. It was in a thread about a die catching up on brass because a ridge needed to be sanded out some where. I don't remember the brand mentioned.
So is a set of Lee Carbide dies at $20, really half as quality as a set of RCBS Carbide dies for $48?
IMHO dies are alot like AR's everyone has their favorite brand and touts why it is the best ever. Lee make decent quality products some of the stuff you need to go hi end like powder throwers and scales for safety sake. I have not had any problems with my Lee equipment including the carbide dies. I also really like the factory crimp die option. $20 is not a bad deal at all. I chose to go the cheaper all Lee route because I did not know whether it would be something i would stick with. I am also looking at getting the lee turret press as soon as i get a new place. Hope this helps.
Everyone's input is always very helpful, thank you. I think this is only the 3 die set and doesn't have that factory crimp die. Maybe I'll contact that guy tomorrow.
What SA said about lead and kids.. As far as making it a little quieter, build a 18"X18" base out of 2X4's. Top it with a piece of plywood and a piece of carpet. Then screw or bolt the tumbler to that. Stable enough it won't tip over, and fairly portable enough to move around.
I know I have some carpet, and I might have the rest also, let me take a look.
I could throw it together in about 45 minutes also, if you are interested.
SA Friday
03-02-2011, 17:24
I use a varity of dies from various manufacturers. My criteria is if they get the job done. 9mm ammo id a very different type of loading compared to 308 Win long distance ammo. Any basic die set will work. You get specific on brand and make when you start to specialize. Reloading half a million rounds over 10 years; buy the sherman tank of dies. Reloading a thousand a year, die doesn't really matter. Nothing wrong with either lee or rcbs dies.
I've said I many times though, the lee FCD is a solution looking for a problem and can cause more problems than fixes. I han an old thread in the reloading section about bullet setback you need to read on the issue. I talk about some of the dies. It should help a little on selection.
SideShow Bob
03-02-2011, 18:52
I was just thinking that I could probably set up the tumbler in my crawl space and it wouldn't bother anyone at all.
Just hold your breath while you are down there so you won't be breathing in any of the RADON that is down there.
Only in the past twenty-thirty were brass cleaners popular. If you look at old reloading books there is no mention of tumbling of brass. With carbide sizer dies any dirt is gone when you size at the first station with the exception of dirt on the rim.
Double stack pistols rounds have to roll or slide against each other in the magazine.
Old single stack magazines are much more tolerant of a bit of dirt.
Revolvers are happy.
You can always toss muddy brass in the sink or dish washer. Dry them on a cookie sheet.
I have never owned or used a tumbler.
Marlin: Thank you very much for the offer. I'll hit you up when I actually have a tumbler.
SAFriday: If I remember correctly, that thread about bullet set back was started as a result of something I said. I read it, but will read it again. It's been a while since you've had one of your longer posts like that.
gnihcraes
03-02-2011, 22:16
I agree, polishing the brass is not needed or required. But it is just like anything else in the world, the better it looks, the better you and others think it will be. Cars, women, houses, job salary, fancy ar15 and polished brass.
SA Friday
03-03-2011, 08:20
Marlin: Thank you very much for the offer. I'll hit you up when I actually have a tumbler.
SAFriday: If I remember correctly, that thread about bullet set back was started as a result of something I said. I read it, but will read it again. It's been a while since you've had one of your longer posts like that.
Yes, you and a few others have mentioned I've been remiss in my info posts lately. Hopefully I can get around to a new one during spring break. Calculus and organic chemistry have really been brutal this semester. I've been thinking about doing a real basic training thread on mil-dot scopes and how to use them for range finding and ballistic adjustment. It seems to come up fairly often on the site. Covering the basics in a thread might give people another place to find the info.
I found an RCBS 5-0-5 scale for $40. That's half the price of new on Midway. Is that a decent scale? Reviews seem to either love it or hate it. Sounds like the newer ones are built cheaper.
Also, every reloader should check out Proverbs 11.1
SA Friday
03-16-2011, 07:24
Nothing wrong with a 505 scale. I still have one and used one for years. They are slower than a good digital though. I like to have a manual scale as back up. You never know when electricity won't be available. But, eventually you will want to upgrade to a digital. They are just too convienient to pass up.
So...don't leave your brand new tumbler out on the porch with the walnut media still inside it for more than a few hours. If you do, Son of a Bitch squirrels will EAT the top off your sifter lid and spill your brass all over the porch. I'm so mad at those squirrels right now.
gnihcraes
03-21-2011, 13:17
So...don't leave your brand new tumbler out on the porch with the walnut media still inside it for more than a few hours. If you do, Son of a Bitch squirrels will EAT the top off your sifter lid and spill your brass all over the porch. I'm so mad at those squirrels right now.
[ROFL1] sorry, couldn't resist.
Sounds like a job for TYoD
[Tooth]
Byte Stryke
03-21-2011, 14:13
I agree, polishing the brass is not needed or required. But it is just like anything else in the world, the better it looks, the better you and others think it will be. Cars, women, houses, job salary, fancy ar15 and polished brass.
so Im not the only one that uses brasso on the cases?
[ROFL1]
So...don't leave your brand new tumbler out on the porch with the walnut media still inside it for more than a few hours. If you do, Son of a Bitch squirrels will EAT the top off your sifter lid and spill your brass all over the porch. I'm so mad at those squirrels right now.
epic! sorry Irving that sucks.
So...don't leave your brand new tumbler out on the porch with the walnut media still inside it for more than a few hours. If you do, Son of a Bitch squirrels will EAT the top off your sifter lid and spill your brass all over the porch. I'm so mad at those squirrels right now. Are you serious? We had a couple of squirrels at work here crawling up under the customers cars and chewing up the wires. Lights on the dashes all lit up. Had to buy some live animal traps and send the two squirrels on vacations. ;)
Are you serious? We had a couple of squirrels at work here crawling up under the customers cars and chewing up the wires. Lights on the dashes all lit up. Had to buy some live animal traps and send the two squirrels on vacations. ;)
I found one.
http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/original.jpg
Yeah, you can see the scratch marks on the side of the giant hole. It probably doesn't help that the Lyman looks like a pumpkin either.
gnihcraes
03-21-2011, 20:08
so Im not the only one that uses brasso on the cases?
[ROFL1]
I use NuFinish car polish, does a dandy job.
After tumbling about 1200 pieces of brass, I finally understand why I've heard people make comments like "Winchester White Box ammo is so dirty."
Of all the brass, the WWB is by far the most dirty. The first few batches of cases I did, I'd tumble them for between 2-4 hours. I noticed that while some brass would come out looking nearly new, some brass looked like it did before I started. After about 3-4 loads with the same results, I left one load of 9mm in the tumbler for about 7-8 hours. I still got the same results. I'd say about 10% looks near brand new, 60% looks like it was cleaned, but clearly once fired, and 40% looks like it was just ejected from a gun a few seconds before.
By far, Federal and another brand have been the most clean so far.
Lesson learned: If I get the same results after tumbling for 2 hours, as I do after tumbling for 8 hours, then I'm going to start doing each batch at only 2 hours.
Question: How often do I need to change my media?
I've found the Frankford portable reloading stand useful for reloading in a small area. I have a press and a powder drop mounted on opposite sides. A TV tray table completes the work area. When I'm done, everything is put into the closet.
Here is the page at midway : http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=155024
I was looking into that (another member also suggested it), and it looks like it'd be really easy for me to knock it over.
I think I'll most likely end up with some sort of Black and Decker fold-able work bench.
gnihcraes
03-23-2011, 20:10
After tumbling about 1200 pieces of brass, I finally understand why I've heard people make comments like "Winchester White Box ammo is so dirty."
Of all the brass, the WWB is by far the most dirty. The first few batches of cases I did, I'd tumble them for between 2-4 hours. I noticed that while some brass would come out looking nearly new, some brass looked like it did before I started. After about 3-4 loads with the same results, I left one load of 9mm in the tumbler for about 7-8 hours. I still got the same results. I'd say about 10% looks near brand new, 60% looks like it was cleaned, but clearly once fired, and 40% looks like it was just ejected from a gun a few seconds before.
By far, Federal and another brand have been the most clean so far.
Lesson learned: If I get the same results after tumbling for 2 hours, as I do after tumbling for 8 hours, then I'm going to start doing each batch at only 2 hours.
Question: How often do I need to change my media?
Media should be changed probably once a year depending on how much to tumble obviously. If its tan looking media new and looks dark gray afterwards, probably time to change it. I get many thousands of rounds out of mine before changing it.
Use the NuFinish car polish - a cap full or so with each large batch of brass you do, brass looks great afterwards.
I tumble for 2-4 hours or overnight if I'm not going back in the garage until the next day.
I already threw out all the media I was using. It was a lot darker and was clumping together weird. Maybe it rained or something when I left it outside. Something seemed strange about it. Like it was kind of oily or something.
That's what I was going to say. heh.
ldmaster
03-24-2011, 09:39
I have made almost all the possible errors there are to make with reloading!!! I'm so proud...
But here's a little bit of what I've picked up:
1. I use a product called "microlam" for a bench. It comes in 12 to 24 inch widths and is used for LONG headers in houses. Strong as hell and you have to drill it to get screws to set in it, it is not flexible and is heavy. The stuff I have is 2 inches thick. I picked it up from a construction site where they'd lopped off the ends of a long piece. I ended up building all my garage benches out of it.
2. Primers are the biggest danger, the only true "explosive" that you're handling. I use Dillon products and dont have near the problems I did when I had a Lee press. I will never have a Lee press again.
3. Grounding your reloader. It's a "lee" thing, they were having squib loads occur when a person was using some of the AA powders with a very fine grain, static electricity was building up and the plastic they used for the powder disc wasn't static-free, and the powder would stick in the hole. Grounding helps with this, but not really anything else.
4. Tumbling media. I use corncob for everything. You can get is CHEAP if you buy a 50lb sack from a sandblasting supplier (there's one at Colorado and I70) I add liquid polish (chrome, lapping compound, etc) to it and it helps shine things up. I also add a couple dollops of mineral spirits to it occasionally to redistribute the polish. If it gets discolored, I throw it out. I wouldn't know how long media lasts, since I don't push that envelope.
5. Do not tumble deprimed brass unless you intend to check each and every piece of brass to see if the media is sticking in your primer hole. Outside of brass is most important to get clean, very very little effect on interior dimensions from powder burning.
6. Powder WILL burn if you expose it to direct flame, but it wont explode. Just put a 1 inch pile on the sidewalk somewhere and toss a match on it - just generates smoke and not very fast. Unless it's in a volume restricted area, the powder wont flash-burn - has to do with the pressure the powder is kept at and how fast it's ignited - primers ignite powder very fast. Smokeless powder in uncompressed conditions just burns and stinks.
7. Once you get a decent load, stop experimenting and stick with it. For pistols especially. Not all components are the same, federal primers and different from CCI, etc... They ACT the same, but seem to deliver different results for a given powder and bullet.
8. Watch who you tell you reload. Fire codes in MOST cities have a maximum amount of powder and primers you can have in your home, where i live it's 3 pounds and 1000 primers. Yeah, I know, most of us are breaking the law - my point is that it could get you cited if someone gets freaky and calls management and it could lose you your lease. Doesn't matter that what your'e doing is safe, it scares the sheep - so dont tell nobody.
Thanks for the tips. Right now, I was kind of worried about media stuck in the primer hole, because the media is much smaller than the hole, and easily goes in there. I have yet to actually deprime anything though, so I'm not sure if that is a reasonable concern at this time.
gnihcraes
03-25-2011, 13:58
I made a small punch type device I just poke out the primer pockets after tumbling. I find that if I tumble with old primers installed, the media gets really dirty fast.
Reloading isn't fast, so I might as well take the time to check the primer pockets. I'm in no hurry. Do things in batches, resize a batch, then polish, then expand the neck (pistol), then prime, then reload etc. Each person has their thing or method.
My tip: Unless you do all things at once with a batch of brass, be sure and mark them in some way as to their status. I printed up some brass status cards and reload cards to put in the zip lock bag so I know what has been done with each set or reload. I'll post up a picture tonight.
Walmart has great sterilite (sp) tubs for 1-3$ that work great for storing brass.
gnihcraes
03-25-2011, 21:15
http://www.dcandh.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=978&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.dcandh.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=984&g2_serialNumber=1
http://www.dcandh.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=975&g2_serialNumber=1
gnihcraes, I see you have your Mobil 1 for sizing lube too!
gnihcraes
03-25-2011, 22:06
gnihcraes, I see you have your Mobil 1 for sizing lube too!
Yup, works great. That plastic shoe box next to it has a couple of old wash cloths in it that are treated with the mobile one. Just put a handful of brass in there, roll them back and forth, start sizing. I haven't had any trouble, just don't get too much on them, they will dimple the case due to air pressure and too much oil.
Just a very very light coat.
[Beer]
This question is a bit early.
When developing a load for a pistol, how many rounds do you generally make at each powder level? 5, 10, 20, 50?
Other questions:
I've been tumbling a lot of brass. I have been tumbling about 200 rounds of 45 in walnut for about 3 hours each batch. Then again in corn cob for an additional 2 hours. They are mostly coming out nice.
-The corn cob is getting stuck in the primer hole. Does this matter? I assume that it will just press out when I deprime them.
-How do you go about sifting out the media? I've been just taking the lid off and leaving the tumbler on. Then I take out a hand full of brass and drop the case upside down onto the vibrating shaft in the center, to knock any media out. I leave each case on the post for about a second. I imagine that this is probably the slowest way to do this. I'd like to hear some other people's methods.
I would say 10-20 if your just starting a load recipe. When I first started loading 9mm, two of the three powder charges were too light to cycle the XD. The third would cycle but just barely.
The cob media should come out during depriming. Just check to make sure. As far as sifting, I uses a "gold pan" with slots in the bottom.
gnihcraes
04-13-2011, 20:10
Developing loads, if for an automatic pistol, start medium and work up from there. As stated above by Ah Pook, low end 9mm loads won't cycle most semi-autos. I was very frustrated with this in the beginning of reloading. I load hot most the time for autos or they won't work. Example of low 4.0 grains in 9mm of a power to 5.0 grains high, I'd start at 4.5 and work up from there.
Sifting: I dump the entire tumbler into a plastic shoe box, then use a kitty littler type strainer to pick up the brass from the corn cob and dump them into another tub. Pour the corn cob back into the tumbler, shake the next shoe box of brass to get more of the cob out and after two maybe three times of this, everything is seperated. Only takes a minute or two if that.
I'd buy one of those spin brass things, but it would take up room to store. The shoe box thing neatly stashes on the shelf out of the way and has other uses to dump brass in and sort.
That shoe box idea sounds like a good method. 1-2 minutes after each batch is a lot better than 15-20 minutes after each batch.
I'm looking forward to loading hotter 9mm rounds and staying at whatever works for the .40.
jscwerve
04-14-2011, 17:25
For seperating the brass from the media I have the lyman tumbler that has the slotted top on it. I take the entire tumbler, turn it upside down and shake the piss out of it, the tumbler bowl just barely fits into a 5 gallon bucket, so all the media falls into there. I'm sure other tumblers could be easily drilled out to do the same thing. I have my media seperated in about 30 seconds.
As far as the slotted top, I took a large ziplock bag and poked a hole in the middle so I could cover the slots as it is running.
68Charger
04-14-2011, 17:42
I take the entire tumbler, turn it upside down and shake the piss out of it,
seems funny to me, since the purpose of the tumbler is to shake the piss out of itself... if you could rig some way to turn it on while it's upside down?
[Tooth]
SideShow Bob
04-14-2011, 17:53
For separating brass from media, I have the " salad tosser " that came with my Franklin tumbler. Attach it to the 3 gallon bucket that was included, open it, pour media & brass in, close it and slowly rotate by the handle and after about a minute brass and media are separated. unless you tumbled different calibers together. I find that when I tumble .40 S&W with .45 ACP, some of the .40s get stuck in the .45s trapping some media.
Byte Stryke
04-14-2011, 18:36
For seperating the brass from the media I have the lyman tumbler that has the slotted top on it. I take the entire tumbler, turn it upside down and shake the piss out of it,
I'm Trying to figure out what advantage there is to pissing in your tumbler!
[ROFL1]
I have that exact tumbler. I've tried turning it upside down, but after shaking it (in addition to leaving it on), there is still enough media left in enough of the cases, that I still vibrate out each case individually. Am I just being too anal and expect to have media spilling all over my bench when I deprime?
jscwerve
04-14-2011, 19:43
Bunch of comedians in here!!
I haven't even tried to empty it while turning it on. Maybe it will work. I have found that "shaking the piss out of it" works for me just fine. Especially for pistol cases. Just finished cleaning up about 3k worth of .223 and had very little left in the cases. If there is media in any of them, usually ends up in the tub I'm dumping the brass into after cleaning.
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