Tumblers?

[TrxR]

I am gathering the equipment needed to start making my own bullets and have realized a tumbler will be handy if not an essential tool.

What tumbler do you all recommend or should i make my own?

Im also getting the idea that most prefer to tumble in a glass jar over plastic, is there a specific reason for this and is there a prefered size for doing 500 cores or jackets at a time?

Thanks.

[Tim Oltersdorf]

I had one of the early RCBS tumblers. I can not recommend it. It stopped turning the tumbling container despite the motorized shafts turning. Nothing I attempted fixed the problem. Like an idiot I purchased another unit. It too had the same problem. At the time it was one of the few rotary case tumblers on the market. Unless they have improved this unit I would steer clear of it.

[GeneT]

I had one of the early RCBS tumblers. I can not recommend it. It stopped turning the tumbling container despite the motorized shafts turning. Nothing I attempted fixed the problem. Like an idiot I purchased another unit. It too had the same problem. At the time it was one of the few rotary case tumblers on the market. Unless they have improved this unit I would steer clear of it.

The Thumler rock tumblers are about the best available, and even they have a lot of shortcomings. Mine has evolved to the point that the container is the only original part left - bigger motor (I like to load that container...), bearings (as opposed to bushings), and sturdier shafts (1/2" vs 3/16"). If I had it to do all over again, I'd just order the container as a 'part' and build the rest from scratch. I think I could have done mine with just a drill, so you don't need a full shop to do it.

If you don't load it heavy, the Thumler will do a good job for a long time. I had mine for ~15 years before upgrading it after I switched to wet tumbling.

GsT

[rsmithsr]

tim
if you are talking about their rotary tumbler, the drums sometimes GROW in length.
tap them on a hard floor to shorten them and then try again.
i have 6 drums for mine....working fine for many years.
but i do not make bullets.

I had one of the early RCBS tumblers. I can not recommend it. It stopped turning the tumbling container despite the motorized shafts turning. Nothing I attempted fixed the problem. Like an idiot I purchased another unit. It too had the same problem. At the time it was one of the few rotary case tumblers on the market. Unless they have improved this unit I would steer clear of it.

[TrxR]

The Thumler rock tumblers are about the best available, and even they have a lot of shortcomings. Mine has evolved to the point that the container is the only original part left - bigger motor (I like to load that container...), bearings (as opposed to bushings), and sturdier shafts (1/2" vs 3/16"). If I had it to do all over again, I'd just order the container as a 'part' and build the rest from scratch. I think I could have done mine with just a drill, so you don't need a full shop to do it.

If you don't load it heavy, the Thumler will do a good job for a long time. I had mine for ~15 years before upgrading it after I switched to wet tumbling.

GsT

Ive been thinking about building one and using a windshield wiper motor. They turn about 30 to 40 RPM. Ive also got a couple of old furnace fan motors that are 1/4Hp and either 1340 or 1750RPM but with the right pulleys I could get whatever RPM I need.

What rpm would you all suggest to turn the drum at? Im thinking around 40rpm ? So I would have to get the 1/2" shaft to turn around 720rpm to turn a 8 or 9 inch drum at 40rpm.

[zippy06]

Here's what I use. https://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-r...sugg_q=tumbler
7 hand fulls of jackets. Is about 500. About 1" from the top.
0.8-1.1 gns of lube. 5 min MAX!!!!
Works great. And it's self cleaning. I have never cleaned it.

[GeneT]

Ive been thinking about building one and using a windshield wiper motor. They turn about 30 to 40 RPM. Ive also got a couple of old furnace fan motors that are 1/4Hp and either 1340 or 1750RPM but with the right pulleys I could get whatever RPM I need.

What rpm would you all suggest to turn the drum at? Im thinking around 40rpm ? So I would have to get the 1/2" shaft to turn around 720rpm to turn a 8 or 9 inch drum at 40rpm.

I have a 1750 rpm motor, with a 1.25" pulley on the motor and a 4" pulley on the rotating shaft. The shaft is actually about 1.5" diameter, because I sleeved it with rubber foam for traction. That should be about 550RPM on the roller, which, with the 9.25" diameter container means about 90 rpm of the container. That's fast, but not uncomfortably so. I wouldn't go much faster.

GsT

[Al Nyhus]

I used this Thumler's Tumbler model A-R-12. The barrel is a hexagon rubber with a 12 lb. capacity. Put the jackets or cores into glass jars with the lube on the inside of the jar and let the jar tumble around inside the barrel.

Like we say here on the Northern Plains...it doesn't never not work. -Al

[BillBrawand]

i used this thumler's tumbler model a-r-12. The barrel is a hexagon rubber with a 12 lb. Capacity. Put the jackets or cores into glass jars with the lube of the side of the jar and let the jar tumble around inside the barrel.

Like we say here on the northern plains...it doesn't never not work. -al

put jackets in zip locks to lub and tumble works like charm

[TrxR]

I used this Thumler's Tumbler model A-R-12. The barrel is a hexagon rubber with a 12 lb. capacity. Put the jackets or cores into glass jars with the lube of the side of the jar and let the jar tumble around inside the barrel.

Like we say here on the Northern Plains...it doesn't never not work. -Al

What size glass jar are you using and how many jackets or cores at a time?

Im going to see if i can find just the drum off one of those . I have everything here to build the rest .

[GeneT]

Here's what it looks like now:

[TrxR]

Here's what it looks like now:

I believe Al's whole drum is some sort of rubber

But that essentially what i have in mind but not as fancy .

What kind of glass jars do you use inside the drum and how many cores at a time?

Now i got to find a drum.

[zippy06]

Here's what I use. https://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-r...sugg_q=tumbler
7 hand fulls of jackets. Is about 500. About 1" from the top.
0.8-1.1 gns of lube. 5 min MAX!!!!
Works great. And it's self cleaning. I have never cleaned it.

Yo! it's all here. $50 doollars US.
Drum is rubber....I have miss counted and tumbled 700....works great.

[Tim Oltersdorf]

tim
if you are talking about their rotary tumbler, the drums sometimes GROW in length.
tap them on a hard floor to shorten them and then try again.
i have 6 drums for mine....working fine for many years.
but i do not make bullets.

I wonder if the problem was the semi upright position of the drum. I was unaware of the drums growing in length.

[TrxR]

Yo! it's all here. $50 doollars US.
Drum is rubber....I have miss counted and tumbled 700....works great.

Dont have harborfreight here. Im on the other side of the border.