VIBRATORY TUMBLER MEDIA??
- Thread starter demon67
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Ground corn cob is the gentlest, especially for electrical parts. I use stainless steel pins in a rotary tumbler for all my steel/cast parts, as it won't wear out, and removes all scale and rust. I'm a reloader, so I use this to clean brass, but it does double duty now for old car parts. I'll bet some other reloaders will chime in.
Divenut
Well-Known Member
Crushed walnut shells work well too. Can get bags of it cheaply at any pet shop. Also a reloader here... ;)
Glass beads work awesome also. You really have to see which media you use most steel has one, aluminum another etc. for the finish you want. Look around on the web for suppliers they usually have a guide..
New to this, what is a reloader??
What would you recommend for a liquid chemical?
Not sure whats best to remove rust, grease, everything. I use brake parts cleaner and a brush. I buy the Wearever brand by the case at the Carquest store. Affodable enough to spray a whole can in a butter tub. Close it up, shake it from time to time.
a reloader is a person that reloads his own ammo.
Divenut
Well-Known Member
Hey demon67,
I handload my own ammo for hunting, target shooting and plinking. Much cheaper to buy the components in bulk then work up an accurate load that works well in a given rifle or pistol. The tumbler is used to clean and polish the empty brass cases before assembling the cartridge.
Be well,
Pat
I am loath to use chemicals to clean parts, especially electrical parts, as it's hard to remove or neutralize the strong acid/bases used to clean the parts. Mechanical means, such as steel pins, don't require any chemicals to n do this. Chemicals can remove certain finishes on bolts, nuts, and other fasteners. Just my opinion.
I use 3 vibratory tumblers daily. Lyman 2500 Magnum's. I rebuild Mopar door hinges and when the parts come from the manufacturer after heat treating they are dark and covered in oil. I Use Purple Power , less than $5.00 a gallon at Wal-Mart and let the parts sit in a bucket of it for 1/2 hour. Use heavy , long rubber gloves. This stuff is strong!! If the coating is real tough, a Scotch-Brite pad takes it right off. This keeps from contaminating the tumbler media so it will last longer. I have one tumbler full of Coarse Walnut shell, one with fine Walnut shell, and the last with treated corn cob. I spray a little Weimans Stainless steel cleaner in it from time to time. The parts come out with a high polish finish. This does not clean threads. A s/s wire toothbrush sized brush cleans the threads without damaging them. If you use a wire wheel on your bolts it is potentially dangerous if it slips out of your grip and it damages the threads. If these are not critical bolts... but if you need them to stay tight, pass on the wire wheel.
6PakBee
Well-Known Member
I've been looking at vibratory cleaners and it seems there are two classes, cheap junk and expensive commercial units. What kind of luck have you had with the durability of the Lyman units? (sorry for hijacking this thread a bit).
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I too reload extensively but in answer to OPs original question, I agree with most all. Corn cob for delicate and SST pins for rough stuff. With regard to Lyman tumblers I have had good luck. I now use a Dillion and I like it better. Not because it does a better job but just because it is quieter. Lyman is relegated to backup.
I use a Thumbler's Tumbler. Made for running weeks at a time polishing rocks, so a day or two with stainless steel pins is easy. No chemicals or dust, and you can't wear out the media.
That looks nice. A 2 gallon bowl? Is that big enough for carburetor parts?
yellow rose
Overnight Sensation
That’s what I use, with stainless media. Cleans everything. My brass, gun parts and any car junk that fits in there.
I gave away the junk vibratory tumbler and a bunch of walnut and corncob crap I had. I’ll never go back.
All I have is a vibratory tumbler and not looking to buy anything else. Will the stainless pins work in this for cleaning rusted nuts and bolts?
yellow rose
Overnight Sensation
I’m not sure. I don’t want to say they won’t work with a vibratory tumbler, but I honestly never even tried the SS media in mine. I bought the media and Thumblers tumbler together.
It can’t hurt to try. I’ve had my stuff for almost 11 years, and for the life of me I can’t remember what it cost. And I’m still on the original media.
Funny thing is, I have a very weird side. I can’t stand dirty brass, and the tumbler like you have would never clean the primer holes in my brass. Drove me wild. What I have now will clean the primer holes to a fine sheen. That I like.
That’s just an FYI. I know many guys don’t care about a dirty primer hole, but like I said, I’m weird. Clean is clean.
So I noticed that you prefer the SS pins over walnut shells. What was the outcome of using the walnut shells on nuts and bolts? I don't plan on doing any brass.
yellow rose
Overnight Sensation
I never got that far. It wouldn’t clean my brass enough so I switched.
Patience I have very little of. I’m old.
MarPar
Young Troubadour
Subscribed.
Im interested in hearing more about the SS media. Ive been using the little gray triangles with a simple green solution in a tumbler and it works, but not well enough me thinks.
Though I have heard the vibratory is the way to go fer old car parts.
Im interested in hearing more about the SS media. Ive been using the little gray triangles with a simple green solution in a tumbler and it works, but not well enough me thinks.
Though I have heard the vibratory is the way to go fer old car parts.
gzig5
Well-Known Member
Pins don’t work well in a vibratory. Need a rotary for them. I have two Thumblers and a Midway vibratory with three bowls. You can make a rotary tumbler any size you need. Lots of plans or videos out there. A big ultrasonic is tough to beat but the don’t come cheap
I tried the ultra sonic cleaner too. Not happy with the results. My Thumbler's Tumbler is the best there is. The stainless pins last forever, and clean the smallest hole/threads there are. As one member said, the flash hole in my brass is better than new. If someone would like try it, I'll send you my vibratory tumbler for shipping cost. First come, first served. I'll keep the HF ultrasonic for my wife's jewelry, but the vibratory tumbler is up for grabs.
Me either and I paid a lot of money for the cleaner I have. It's a big one too. Big enough that it holds a Holley dominator disassembled. I've tried everything in it you can imagine and it does not clean worth spit. Real waste of money IMO. I've been holding off but it's going in the next garbage run. I need my table space back since it's a big POS.
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