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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/13/2015 1:04:08 AM EDT
[Last Edit: dryflash3]
Since I couldn't find a thread dedicated just to the Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler I decided to start my own.
I just got one of these for Christmas and so far I really like the results. I still have a lot of trial and error yet before I get it down...basically the proper chemical ratios and general procedures and rinse methods. My best results so far was a load of 600 pieces 9mm brass with hot water, a 2 second squirt of dawn dish soap, and a 9mm case of Lemishine. I believe I had it set to a full time run of 3 hours. Cases came out looking like new. My first run of 5.56 brass came out nice but I used a full teaspoon of Lemishine which I think was too much...not to mention somehow 2 steel cases got in there as well. My brass was very clean but came out more of a darker color as it dried. Also I might add do NOT put a shellholder in for cleaning along with your brass. I have an old RCBS number 10 that I have had for over 20 years. I thought this process might make it look like new again. It did not. It came out of the tumbler having an almost blued finish to it. Yes it did look nice and clean but very dark. I had in a batch of 308 brass and I could tell it stained a few pieces of that brass somehow. Just a few things I have learned so far. Post up your own thoughts and experiences. I'll try and get a few pics when I get time. I have been doing other things and haven't devoted much time at all to the forums. Thanks!!! Yes a thread on the FA wet tumbler is needed. As like the other wet tumbling threads (HF, Thumbler, and Home Made) I will set the "toggle" to keep this thread out of the archives. OP can always find this thread by clicking on MY TOPICS. Please keep comments on other tumblers mentioned above out of this thread, as I will remove them when I see them. dryflash3 |
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CA, USA
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Posted: 1/13/2015 3:27:12 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Blowout]
[#1]
I have a FA tumbler and pre-tumble the brass for one hour w/o pins using only dawn and filling about 2" from the top with very warm water to remove the case lube. They are deprimed and sized. I believe having air in the drum increases agitation and cleaning.
Drain the brass and rinse a few times then use the same recipe you describe for a 3 hr tumble. I have a water softener so minimum lemishine used. Separate the pins while rinsing in clean water and move the brass to a clean bucket of water for the final rinse. Just using the magnet now, but need to get a separation basket to make this step easier. Put the separated brass in a towel and roll to remove most of the water. Put the brass in the dry tumbler to vibrate an hour or so in corncob with Nu-finish where they finish drying. They look like new when they are done. |
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WI, USA
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Posted: 1/13/2015 3:55:56 AM EDT
[#2]
Same here, as I got one for Christmas.
I did 5k of 9mm and 1500 .223 I found a little more soap help make them get shiny, I could always tell if I did not use enough or used to much lem. "Half Gallon of brass" run for 3 hours. Then my process was, Drain just the Black water out, fill back up with hot water, Stir, Drain and repeat until water came out clean and soap free. Drain the whole container into a separator. Spin or shake style of your choice. Dry spread out on towel with fan. .223 Prewashed all the case without media. Put both screens on and Rinse very easy to do with out the media. (Surprisingly clean) Dry spread out on towel with fan. Lube, Deprimed, Resize, Chamfered, deburred Then Washed with media. This way primers pockets get cleaned. Dry and reload. |
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Posted: 1/13/2015 1:44:50 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Sparkvark]
[#3]
I got one for Christmas also. I read Dry Flashes thread on wet tumbling and modified his procedures to fit my needs. I use the cut 2 liter soda bottle as a quantity gauge. I find it works very well. Second I use one squirt of dawn. Third I use three 40 s&w cases of lemonshine. Tumble for three hours then lay on a towel to dry. I do run another towel across them to get the extra water off. The color is great very bright. I am so impressed with how clean the primer pockets are.
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Posted: 1/13/2015 3:43:14 PM EDT
[#4]
"Toggle" set on this thread to keep it out of the archives.
Stay on topic, discuss Franklin Arsenal wet tumblers only in this thread. Thank you. |
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Posted: 1/14/2015 1:51:57 AM EDT
[#5]
one on the way... |
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CA, USA
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Posted: 1/14/2015 12:32:08 PM EDT
[#6]
One complaint with the FA wet tumbler is the noise. I found a plastic garbage can turned upside down over the unit while running reduces the noise to a tolerable level. I can't stand being in the garage with it otherwise.
I also always tumble on the ground and not on the bench. Had a cap not on tight once and it started leaking. I do like the screw on ends better with the unit. I'll use swimming pool gasket grease on the seals next time. It will help to preserve the gaskets too. The pins FA ships with the tumbler are 1mm x 7mm or 0.040" x 0.250". I have not had any pins stick in the flash holes. If anyone finds an inexpensive source for this size pin, please post it up. |
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Posted: 1/14/2015 12:37:41 PM EDT
[#7]
Glad to see a thread on this tumbler. It's on the list if my Harbor Freight cheapie goes down.
What is the total weight you can put in the drum? |
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NY, USA
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Posted: 1/14/2015 6:24:07 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Blowout:
The pins FA ships with the tumbler are 1mm x 7mm or 0.040" x 0.250". I have not had any pins stick in the flash holes. If anyone finds an inexpensive source for this size pin, please post it up. Are you sure your pins are .250"? Some of mine were over .308". Make sure you check your brass. 30 Carbine is bad for stuck pins. 
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/14/2015 7:16:52 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AJE:
Glad to see a thread on this tumbler. It's on the list if my Harbor Freight cheapie goes down. What is the total weight you can put in the drum? The instruction booklet calls for a total drum weight not to exceed 30 pounds. I have not weighed the drum empty but the assembly comes with 5 pounds of media. Also one would have to consider weight of the water as well with the brass included of course. At this point I have not actually weighed anything with a scale I just kinda get close to half way full with the brass and pins and call it good. I also fill it roughly two inches from the top and stop. I have found a small amount of air space tends t enhance cleaning but I have no idea why. The unit is a bit noisy but I run it outside on the back patio so it really doesn't affect me much. I also agree about getting the lids good and tight because it will leak if you do not...personally I think it is just the nature of water doing what it does...but I may be wrong. I will work on a few pictures later tonight. I would also like to thank the admin for the toggle. Thanks Dryflash. oh yea...I cant remember if I mentioned this...but I use really hot water. But it has been cold outside. Just something else to ponder as it does make the lids tough to remove after it cools off. |
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Posted: 1/14/2015 10:59:42 PM EDT
[#10]
I don't know this tumbler, but this is how the Thumbler brand works,
5 lbs of pins 1 gallon of water, which fills drum to about 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the top. 45 ACP case full of Lemishine. Experiment with this, your water may be different from mine. As to how much brass, I cut a 2 liter pop bottle to 6 inches. What fits in cut off bottle is a batch. About 175 223 cases. Try this combo and see how it fills your drum. Adjust as needed to suit your tumbler. May be your first toggle, but you earned it.
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Posted: 1/14/2015 11:12:16 PM EDT
[#11]
30lbs is quite a bit. If you have one gallon of water (8lbs) and five pounds of media (13 total) you still have 17lbs of weight capacity... since I'm used to going 2-3lbs at a time I'd guess there wouldn't even be room for the brass to be filled up to that capacity.
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/15/2015 12:17:30 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Captain_Howdy]
[#12]
Ok, I said I would post a few pics and that is what I intend to do. These aren't so much about results as they are about the tumbler itself. By now we have all appreciated the awesome results of wet tumbling. The 'other' threads do not lie as the evidence cleary speaks for itself.
On to something different...please excuse the cell phone pics as the camera does seem to skew things a bit. First up we have the drum. from end to end with the caps and clear plugs installed it measures 13 and 1/2 inches. 
Secondly I have taken one of the end caps off and as you can see the outside diameter (edit: of the fill opening the drum is larger) is roughly 4 and 1/2 inches. The lighting sucks as bad as the camera but if you pay attention to the lower right side just below the edge of the yardstick you can make out the rubberized liner in the drum. Seems robust enough to me so far...time will tell. 
Inside view looking down into the drum. 5 pounds of pins in the bottom. The pins don't even fill the tapered area on the end of the drum up completely. Also notice the liner and the flats. 
Clear plastic end plug installed. You can see the thick rubber gasket and notice how thick the plastic on the plug is. 
Last but not least a pic of the steel pins. As mentioned earlier there may be some concern about size and consistency...the pins appear to be roughly 1/4 of an inch in length but I personally wouldn't wager any money on the accuracy of my statement especially as to how many are actually the same length...but it is possible I may be wrong...make your own call with this one or comment on the picture... 
Ok, I will try and get some more pics up tomorrow. If there is anything you want to see please ask and either myself or someone on the thread will surely be happy to contribute what we know so far. Thanks, Wes Edit for some clarification |
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Posted: 1/15/2015 9:50:45 AM EDT
[#13]
Bought one early last year. I love it. I couldn't tell you how many 223 and '06 cases I've put through it, probably close to 5000. I don't do anything specific when loading. Fill the container about 3/4 full with brass (I just set it there and toss them in as I deprime them), put 5 lbs of ultra 47 pins in, fill to within an inch of the top with water, good long squirt of dawn, cap and run for 3 hours.
Everything comes out shiny and squeaky clean. I love the thing.
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Posted: 1/15/2015 3:24:46 PM EDT
[Last Edit: dryflash3]
[#14]
Your pics are ok. One thing you can do is edit them after down loading them in Photobucket; In Photobucket, click on pic, Large version of pic opens Scroll to upper right side of pic, drop down menu appears, Select Edit, wait for it to load. Top of page click on the right arrow, the options you want will appear, brightness, ect. Make changes, Can also add lettering here also, save changes, apply, Have better pics to post, Win.  |
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VA, USA
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Posted: 1/16/2015 3:23:56 PM EDT
[#15]
Love mine; every time I pour the brass out to dry it brings a giggly smile to my face.
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MN, USA
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Posted: 1/16/2015 7:38:15 PM EDT
[#16]
Mines still in the box, Monday will be brass day.
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Posted: 1/16/2015 11:33:51 PM EDT
[Last Edit: JonLSU]
[#17]
I just got one also. I just finished running 400 223 cases that were fairly clean and not too bad off.
I used 1/2 tablespoon of dawn and 1/4 teaspoon of lemi-shine and filled it up. The water came out dirty, but the brass was pretty dull and dark, but clean. Ran for 3 hours. So now I'm running it again with exactly 1 gallon of water with the above info to see what happens. It looks better through the windows, but I'll know in a couple hours for sure. Anyone have any ideas what would cause it to come out dark? Not enough of this or that???? And yes I did rinse them off good. Edit: So second round was no better. Third round i switched to the stuff FA sent with it. Guess I'll see. |
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Posted: 1/16/2015 11:38:39 PM EDT
[#18]
Everyone's water is slightly different, so you will have to experiment with the amount of Lemishine, Dawn, amount of brass, and water.
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Posted: 1/17/2015 4:08:22 AM EDT
[Last Edit: JonLSU]
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By . JonLSU:
I just got one also. I just finished running 400 223 cases that were fairly clean and not too bad off. I used 1/2 tablespoon of dawn and 1/4 teaspoon of lemi-shine and filled it up. The water came out dirty, but the brass was pretty dull and dark, but clean. Ran for 3 hours. So now I'm running it again with exactly 1 gallon of water with the above info to see what happens. It looks better through the windows, but I'll know in a couple hours for sure. Anyone have any ideas what would cause it to come out dark? Not enough of this or that???? And yes I did rinse them off good. Edit: So second round was no better. Third round i switched to the stuff FA sent with it. Guess I'll see. The last batch came out shining. Guess now i have to figure out the ratio for lemi-shine and soap. We have pretty hard water here. Lots of minerals in the water. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/17/2015 12:52:51 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JonLSU:
The last batch came out shining. Guess now i have to figure out the ratio for lemi-shine and soap. We have pretty hard water here. Lots of minerals in the water. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JonLSU:
Originally Posted By . JonLSU:
I just got one also. I just finished running 400 223 cases that were fairly clean and not too bad off. I used 1/2 tablespoon of dawn and 1/4 teaspoon of lemi-shine and filled it up. The water came out dirty, but the brass was pretty dull and dark, but clean. Ran for 3 hours. So now I'm running it again with exactly 1 gallon of water with the above info to see what happens. It looks better through the windows, but I'll know in a couple hours for sure. Anyone have any ideas what would cause it to come out dark? Not enough of this or that???? And yes I did rinse them off good. Edit: So second round was no better. Third round i switched to the stuff FA sent with it. Guess I'll see. The last batch came out shining. Guess now i have to figure out the ratio for lemi-shine and soap. We have pretty hard water here. Lots of minerals in the water. I use a good 2 second shot of the dawn concentrated stuff and a 9mm case of the lemishine. Your water is coming out dirty then you are definitely cleaning the brass. I let one of my batches 'sit' in the solution one afternoon...it came out somewhat darker so I don't let the stuff sit...I try to be around. Practice and you will figure it out. Dawn and lemishine are inexpensive. Good luck and let us know as someone else may benefit from what you find. |
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VA, USA
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Posted: 1/17/2015 9:59:27 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Ron_of_Va]
[#21]
I started with the Harbor Freight. I ordered the .047 pins. I only cleaned about one pound of brass per HF container. I really liked how the brass looked. This unit is for small batches only. It is great for a low volume shooter. A squirt of Dawn, and about 1/8 tsp Limshine.
But I can’t understand why everybody cleans for hours. Thirty minutes and my brass comes out looking great. I guess those guys want their brass looking really “really” good. After spending all day cleaning brass from a five gallon bucket, I decided to buy the Frankford unit. It does a great job, just like the HF. One batch spends thirty minutes in the machine and I am done and ready for another batch. I dump the load in my separator, spin out the pins, and then rinse with a water hose. I dump them out on a towel and blot them dry. Then I spread them out on a blanket in the sun. This is where I double check the cases for pins. I used the HF in the house (wife was out of town). Spread out the clean brass on a cookie sheet, and into the convection oven at 200º for thirty minutes. Then they are dry and I am ready for another “tray full” for the oven. Thirty minutes in the steel pins, gets my cases as clean as 4-5 hours in a vibrator tumbler with walnut media. I use the magnet on the end of a screw starter (looks like a pencil) to pick up errant pins. In the kitchen I put a ¼”x ¼ ” rare earth magnet in the bottom of the drain, to catch any pins I might drop down the sink. It catches any that get by me, and they always do. |
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Posted: 1/18/2015 11:58:25 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JonLSU:
The last batch came out shining. Guess now i have to figure out the ratio for lemi-shine and soap. We have pretty hard water here. Lots of minerals in the water. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JonLSU:
Originally Posted By . JonLSU:
I just got one also. I just finished running 400 223 cases that were fairly clean and not too bad off. I used 1/2 tablespoon of dawn and 1/4 teaspoon of lemi-shine and filled it up. The water came out dirty, but the brass was pretty dull and dark, but clean. Ran for 3 hours. So now I'm running it again with exactly 1 gallon of water with the above info to see what happens. It looks better through the windows, but I'll know in a couple hours for sure. Anyone have any ideas what would cause it to come out dark? Not enough of this or that???? And yes I did rinse them off good. Edit: So second round was no better. Third round i switched to the stuff FA sent with it. Guess I'll see. The last batch came out shining. Guess now i have to figure out the ratio for lemi-shine and soap. We have pretty hard water here. Lots of minerals in the water. So I finally got it to shine. It took the 2 squirts of Dawn and at least 3/4 teaspoon to get em like new. Other than the trial and error, this thing works great. I don't think it's all that loud. I put it in my garage while it runs. Honestly doesn't seem much louder than my Harbor Freight vibrating tumbler. |
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Posted: 1/18/2015 12:26:22 PM EDT
[#23]
Just finished tumbling a batch of 9mm. Will need to go get a pan, and some magnets before opening the tumbler to take a look. |
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MN, USA
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Posted: 1/19/2015 11:50:27 AM EDT
[#24]
Good Lord, boys, you had me all worried it would make a racket, this thing is so quiet compared to a vibratory cleaner. I'm thinking as posted before that things will be bright and shiney in an hour.
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MN, USA
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Posted: 1/19/2015 1:34:13 PM EDT
[Last Edit: marko16]
[#25]
Ok now this thing is a pileoshit, if anything the pins are just the right size to get stuck inside the .223 case. I'm thinking other pins, or just wash with this and shine with my old vibratory model. Really turns into a pain in the A$$ trying to get all those pins out, even the non stuck ones have a few pins in every case, so you have to handle, shake and inspect every one. For the sake of shine, it blows unless there are longer pins, and I suppose those will get stuck in .308 or 9mm.
Thought I'd update this, as pins came out of the 9mm and .308 just fine. The cross stuck ones in the .223 still are an aggravation. Get a good magnet as pins find their way to the floor here and there. A good separator is your friend. |
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Posted: 1/19/2015 5:40:37 PM EDT
[#26]
a little darker than I had thought, but I'm reading that that's either because I didn't rinse enough, or used too much lemishine. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/19/2015 10:31:56 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Captain_Howdy]
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By marko16:
Ok now this thing is a pileoshit, if anything the pins are just the right size to get stuck inside the .223 case. I'm thinking other pins, or just wash with this and shine with my old vibratory model. Really turns into a pain in the A$$ trying to get all those pins out, even the non stuck ones have a few pins in every case, so you have to handle, shake and inspect every one. For the sake of shine, it blows unless there are longer pins, and I suppose those will get stuck in .308 or 9mm. Thought I'd update this, as pins came out of the 9mm and .308 just fine. The cross stuck ones in the .223 still are an aggravation. Get a good magnet as pins find their way to the floor here and there. A good separator is your friend. Patience grasshopper...I had a little aggrevation with 5.56 and 300 blk, but I could never get mine that clean with a vibe tumbler...I bought the FA Magnet tool...while not perfect a big help. I would also like to add a very important benefit to this cleaning method. It makes for bad brass easier to detect. Cracks and splits show up very easy when everything is so clean. Edit: forgot to mention...when I do get pin stuckage I use a scribe to get them unstuck. I have several in my toolbox for work purposes but you can get these from harbor freight for really cheap. They look like dental picks. |
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Posted: 1/19/2015 11:06:56 PM EDT
[#28]
I've now successfully tumbled .380, 9mm, .40. .45, .223, and 30 Carbine with my new FA machine. I guess I'm lucky; I haven't found one stuck pin with those provided by FA. Perhaps my separator is doing a better job than others???
I really like the FA. My only complaint is that I've had a hard time getting the screw on caps to completely seal. Once I get them sealed up tight, then it's VERY difficult to get them unscrewed. I may have to find an oversized strap wrench to get the end caps on and off. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/20/2015 1:26:03 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ppknut:
I've now successfully tumbled .380, 9mm, .40. .45, .223, and 30 Carbine with my new FA machine. I guess I'm lucky; I haven't found one stuck pin with those provided by FA. Perhaps my separator is doing a better job than others??? I really like the FA. My only complaint is that I've had a hard time getting the screw on caps to completely seal. Once I get them sealed up tight, then it's VERY difficult to get them unscrewed. I may have to find an oversized strap wrench to get the end caps on and off. yea they are a pain to get tight...I can't offer any help here...I am a big guy with big strong hands...and even I have a tough time...I almost wish the threads had less pitch so the torque would multiply easier...but then they wouldn't work well for plastic. |
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Posted: 1/20/2015 2:06:42 AM EDT
[#30]
I'm beginning to ponder if some kind of sealant might help get the end caps to seal up without so much effort. For example, a little vaseline or the like. Perhaps something like teflon tape? Also wondering if a more pliable or softer gasket might work better. I ain't a big guy and have medium sized hands so dealing with the caps has been a little frustrating.
Maybe there's another trick I'm missing? In reference to the thread pitch...PVC plumbing (sch. 40) seems to work fine with the finer pitches. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/20/2015 2:30:38 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ppknut:
I'm beginning to ponder if some kind of sealant might help get the end caps to seal up without so much effort. For example, a little vaseline or the like. Perhaps something like teflon tape? Also wondering if a more pliable or softer gasket might work better. I ain't a big guy and have medium sized hands so dealing with the caps has been a little frustrating. Maybe there's another trick I'm missing? In reference to the thread pitch...PVC plumbing (sch. 40) seems to work fine with the finer pitches. I wonder if there might be some kind of way to make a more spongy gasket to add in to help with this issue...and yes I would say for many this will be an issue. I wouldn't want to add chemicals or sealants to the mix for sure...but maybe there could be a way to make a soft pliable gasket to add in to make sealing easier? I will start looking into this myself...maybe a thin closed cell rubber or something cut to fit? Heck I don't know...not yet anyway... your sig line...too funny dude... |
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Posted: 1/20/2015 5:03:18 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ppknut:
I'm beginning to ponder if some kind of sealant might help get the end caps to seal up without so much effort. For example, a little vaseline or the like. Perhaps something like teflon tape? Also wondering if a more pliable or softer gasket might work better. I ain't a big guy and have medium sized hands so dealing with the caps has been a little frustrating. Maybe there's another trick I'm missing? In reference to the thread pitch...PVC plumbing (sch. 40) seems to work fine with the finer pitches. Here Ya go, strapwrench, plus some kinda better gasket. |
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Posted: 1/20/2015 7:45:07 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryHere Ya go, strapwrench, plus some kinda better gasket. Ya know.....I had one of those and I'm pretty sure my son grabbed it last time he was here. I can't find it now. I'll definitely pick up another one. I did try something else today. Got out the teflon tape and wrapped one wrap around the threads of the barrel. It seemed to work better than the other day. I will continue to experiment with this. |
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Posted: 1/20/2015 10:33:18 PM EDT
[Last Edit: JonLSU]
[#34]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ppknut:
I've now successfully tumbled .380, 9mm, .40. .45, .223, and 30 Carbine with my new FA machine. I guess I'm lucky; I haven't found one stuck pin with those provided by FA. Perhaps my separator is doing a better job than others??? I really like the FA. My only complaint is that I've had a hard time getting the screw on caps to completely seal. Once I get them sealed up tight, then it's VERY difficult to get them unscrewed. I may have to find an oversized strap wrench to get the end caps on and off. Are you guys letting it run for a bit after you see a leak? It says in the directions that any water caught in the threads is going to leak out when you start spinning. I don't put mine on all that tight. It leaks the water from the threads, take about 15 seconds, and then stops leaking and goes for 3 hours without a drop. Also I'm with you. I've done 800 223 without a pin stuck in a case yet. I use my dillon media separator that I used for my vibe cleaner. Works great to get the pins out. |
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Posted: 1/20/2015 11:19:52 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JonLSU:
Are you guys letting it run for a bit after you see a leak? It says in the directions that any water caught in the threads is going to leak out when you start spinning. I don't put mine on all that tight. It leaks the water from the threads, take about 15 seconds, and then stops leaking and goes for 3 hours without a drop. Also I'm with you. I've done 800 223 without a pin stuck in a case yet. I use my dillon media separator that I used for my vibe cleaner. Works great to get the pins out. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JonLSU:
Originally Posted By ppknut:
I've now successfully tumbled .380, 9mm, .40. .45, .223, and 30 Carbine with my new FA machine. I guess I'm lucky; I haven't found one stuck pin with those provided by FA. Perhaps my separator is doing a better job than others??? I really like the FA. My only complaint is that I've had a hard time getting the screw on caps to completely seal. Once I get them sealed up tight, then it's VERY difficult to get them unscrewed. I may have to find an oversized strap wrench to get the end caps on and off. Are you guys letting it run for a bit after you see a leak? It says in the directions that any water caught in the threads is going to leak out when you start spinning. I don't put mine on all that tight. It leaks the water from the threads, take about 15 seconds, and then stops leaking and goes for 3 hours without a drop. Also I'm with you. I've done 800 223 without a pin stuck in a case yet. I use my dillon media separator that I used for my vibe cleaner. Works great to get the pins out. I guess I missed that little tidbit in manual. Thanks, I'll test that out tomorrow. I also use my Dillon separator for the pins & brass. It really does work well. On the other hand the FA separator does not and I'm sorry I bought it. |
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OK, USA
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Posted: 1/21/2015 1:14:59 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By marko16:
Ok now this thing is a pileoshit, if anything the pins are just the right size to get stuck inside the .223 case. I'm thinking other pins, or just wash with this and shine with my old vibratory model. Really turns into a pain in the A$$ trying to get all those pins out, even the non stuck ones have a few pins in every case, so you have to handle, shake and inspect every one. For the sake of shine, it blows unless there are longer pins, and I suppose those will get stuck in .308 or 9mm. Thought I'd update this, as pins came out of the 9mm and .308 just fine. The cross stuck ones in the .223 still are an aggravation. Get a good magnet as pins find their way to the floor here and there. A good separator is your friend. You need to use a rotary media separator with it submerged in water to make the non stuck ones come out with effort. I can't speak for the stuck ones as i have not had that issue ever. |
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CA, USA
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Posted: 1/21/2015 3:30:26 AM EDT
[#37]
I don't screw the caps on very tight and they seal fine for me but I haven't had the FA for more than a few months now. It does appear to leak in the side that was down when filling, but it's only water caught on the threads and it stops dripping shortly after it begins tumbling.
I clean the gaskets of any particles after each run. I also store the caps off the drum so the gaskets don't get a groove set in them. It would be good to have backup gaskets cause I'm sure they will wear out at some point. |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 1/21/2015 3:44:07 AM EDT
[#38]
I just picked one up and have run a few batches.
One thing I can share is: Do not let your brass sit in there. after tumbling, for a few days. I did this all the time with dry tumbling, but will never make that mistake again with wet tumbling. Brass comes out as green as the statue of liberty, but the good news is that run it through again and all is well. |
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Posted: 1/21/2015 4:10:22 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DADD:
I just picked one up and have run a few batches. One thing I can share is: Do not let your brass sit in there. after tumbling, for a few days. I did this all the time with dry tumbling, but will never make that mistake again with wet tumbling. Brass comes out as green as the statue of liberty, but the good news is that run it through again and all is well. Mine sat for 2 weeks inside my wet tumbler 
Came out dark grayish and the nickel cases were ugly as hell. They still shot fine. |
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Posted: 1/21/2015 11:45:04 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ppknut:
I'm beginning to ponder if some kind of sealant might help get the end caps to seal up without so much effort. For example, a little vaseline or the like. Perhaps something like teflon tape? Also wondering if a more pliable or softer gasket might work better. I ain't a big guy and have medium sized hands so dealing with the caps has been a little frustrating. Maybe there's another trick I'm missing? In reference to the thread pitch...PVC plumbing (sch. 40) seems to work fine with the finer pitches. I used a light coat of silicone grease on both sides of the gasket and it works wonderfully. |
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Posted: 1/21/2015 4:55:26 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 00sdime00:
I used a light coat of silicone grease on both sides of the gasket and it works wonderfully. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 00sdime00:
Originally Posted By ppknut:
I'm beginning to ponder if some kind of sealant might help get the end caps to seal up without so much effort. For example, a little vaseline or the like. Perhaps something like teflon tape? Also wondering if a more pliable or softer gasket might work better. I ain't a big guy and have medium sized hands so dealing with the caps has been a little frustrating. Maybe there's another trick I'm missing? In reference to the thread pitch...PVC plumbing (sch. 40) seems to work fine with the finer pitches. I used a light coat of silicone grease on both sides of the gasket and it works wonderfully. Tried some silicone faucet grease from Home Depot today and it seemed to work much better! Thanks for that suggestion. I also discovered that if you're using HOT water on cold gaskets/caps, after you tighten both sides, wait a minute or two and retighten. The heat seems to soften the rubber a bit and additional tightening (making a better seal) becomes easier. |
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USA
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Posted: 1/21/2015 5:13:39 PM EDT
[#42]
I was using my FA wet tumbler this morning and I discovered that you shouldn't tumble 9mm cases with 223. The 9mm is just big enough that the 223 cases get stuck inside them head first and it can be a real problem getting them apart.
Separate your 9mm from your 223 before you tumble!!!! |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/22/2015 8:49:32 PM EDT
[#43]
I just ran a batch of machine gun brass through a second time for a final finish run. My results were not what I was hoping for. Brass was clean, just came out with an almost olive colored hue to it.
On a good note the case mouths came out far better than I expected. I had to do a lot of case trimming to get this brass back to a length I feel safe using. Measurements before trimming were all over the place. I deburred and chamfered all my brass after trimming but there still seemed to be sharp edges on the case mouths. After being in the wet tumbler for 3 hours the case mouths were smooth and felt as they should. I had a few pieces of OFV head stamped brass in that batch. It was kinda ugly so maybe that had something to do with my lackluster results. The drainage was a dark green as well. |
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Posted: 1/22/2015 11:26:14 PM EDT
[#44]
When mine came out a bit dark, I think it might have had something to do with some brass plated steel cases getting in. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 1/23/2015 7:49:10 PM EDT
[#45]
Ok, I did a test tonight. This may be helpful to some or may not mean anything to anyone and I might have wasted my time.
First picture. 7.62mm machine gun brass once fired as it came out of the tumbler the second time around. I have to heavily lube this stuff to get it to resize properly in my Hornady die. I understand the loose tolerances of a machinegun has something to do with this as well but the brass seems to be robust. Anyway that is why it gets tumbled twice. As you can see its very clean just not shiny. 
Same brass in this picture. I removed all the pins from the tumbler and ran the brass in nothing but hot water and three 9mm cases of lemishine...the results are somewhat different. Just something to ponder. 
I noticed upon draining the drum there was no real discoloration of the water. It did have a foul odor however. So readers feel free to share your thoughts. |
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Posted: 1/23/2015 7:54:03 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Captain_Howdy:
Ok, I did a test tonight. This may be helpful to some or may not mean anything to anyone and I might have wasted my time. First picture. 7.62mm machine gun brass once fired as it came out of the tumbler the second time around. I have to heavily lube this stuff to get it to resize properly in my Hornady die. I understand the loose tolerances of a machinegun has something to do with this as well but the brass seems to be robust. Anyway that is why it gets tumbled twice. As you can see its very clean just not shiny. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k632/Captain_Howdy1/IMG_20150122_154340028_zps7121d481.jpg Same brass in this picture. I removed all the pins from the tumbler and ran the brass in nothing but hot water and three 9mm cases of lemishine...the results are somewhat different. Just something to ponder. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k632/Captain_Howdy1/IMG_20150123_173642276_zpsae530012.jpg I noticed upon draining the drum there was no real discoloration of the water. It did have a foul odor however. So readers feel free to share your thoughts. The first photo is close to the color I got when I didn't use enough lemi-shine. Mine may have been a tad darker. Really clean, just dark in color. I increased to 3/4 teaspoon and it came out like new. |
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Posted: 1/24/2015 8:23:15 AM EDT
[#47]
Has anyone tried ArmorAll Ultra Shine Wash and Wax in place of Dawn?
I have read that it it keeps your cases from tarnishing. I bought a half gallon at Wal Mart but haven't used any yet..... |
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Posted: 1/24/2015 11:04:43 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Grasslander: Has anyone tried ArmorAll Ultra Shine Wash and Wax in place of Dawn? I have read that it it keeps your cases from tarnishing. I bought a half gallon at Wal Mart but haven't used any yet..... Tumble your nice and shiny cases in clean corn cob with a tablespoon of kerosene and they'll stay shiny for years in storage. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 1/25/2015 6:02:25 PM EDT
[Last Edit: lazyengineer]
[#50]
Ordered. Best price at Amazon. Also ordered an RCBS separator, since the FA one had some many bad reviews.
If this sucks, I'm going to blame you guys and hate you forever. |
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