Your original video was one that encouraged me to make the leap into wet tumbling and I still find your 9mm case dose of LemiShine perfect. I'm not sure it was laziness as much as lack of time or tools, but I ended up getting the Lyman tumbler on sale. Thousands and thousands of cases later I still can't believe what a tremendous job this does on brass... even some incredibly cruddy stuff from the range. Thanks again for your all your vids.
Thank you for the update! Actually planning to head to Billings next week and pick one up…Really appreciate you taking the time to produce these…thank you….have a great week from Montana
I built one of these following the directions here two years ago. I have run thousands of pieces of brass through this thing. It works great and is still going today.
Made mine yesterday day, I tried the small PVC inside to help with the tumble, but mine came off. So today I went to Home Depot and picked up some self-adhesive rubber weather strips that are about 1/2” wide. Sanded the inside the. I placed 8 of them about 3/4” apart and they worked great and they are still adhered to the inside!! Thanks for the vids!!!
I tried it and it exceeded my expectations. The only complaint I have is the Harbor Freight tumbler is not that well built. The bearings on the rods got stiff after about an hour of tumbling and I had to lubricate them to get them going again. In hindsight, all you need is a slow RPM motor to turn the drum, like an ice cream maker. Bottom line, I highly recommend this method of brass cleaning.
I followed most of your instructions which worked ok. To create an agitator, I used a 3” Pvc pipe on the inside. I cut three 1” sections which I attached with PVC cement with the curved side facing the middle. Fits snug and does a good job.
Watched your first one a little while ago. I was only surprised that the hot glue worked. I use hot glue more often than I should and it always tries to come loose eventually. When I do your customization eventually I will try the Gorilla glue. I was going to use epoxy but that sounds simpler. Thanks for taking time to redo something to make it better. And yeah, I couldn't believe all the comments about it not turning... you said it did right in the video, but you know, youtube...
After I watched your original video I found a frankford arsenal tumbler for $109 and said heck it, was lazy and just bought it. I kinda wish I went with the harbor freight because its like 2 in one. You have your custom big bin or if you want to clean 40 and 45 cases at the same time, you can put them in separate bins. I’ll probably get a hf cleaner when I upgrade my bench. Thanks for all the videos!
One thing I like about it is it is quieter than the other options ive seen and the whole unit doesn't take up a lot of space. And your right, the small drums still work great for smaller cases like 9mm
I enjoyed this video, and my Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler was a great addition for brass cleaning. I used the steel pins only once because they were more trouble than they were worth when it came time to cleanup. The Lemi shine works well but to much and your brass will have a dull gold appearance. Your tumbler does the exact same thing but a lot less $$$
@@davidcoiner6550 Thank you for the reply David, because my use of the Dillon 650 and my bulk reloading is once fired 9mm cases, I never de-prime before reloading because it would double my time at the bench, so can not comment on primer pockets. But the cases are shiny clean inside and out.
Very cool, I grabbed the single tumbler and so far it does great job with steel pins, teaspoon arm n hammer oxy laundry and hot water 30-45 mins, might upgrade to double but I don't have a huge quantity to worry about
Getting a 4" clear round disk from TAP also works, and is great for a viewing port, easily shows how clean or dirty your brass is mid cycle. Gorilla glue does the job.
@@1982nsu If I'm not mistaken, he's chosen that so that the nut and threads from the cap just barely clear the end of the tumbler. Anything lower and it won't fit. Pretty sure anyway that's the deal.
I've dry tumbled for 15 years using the same Frankford Arsenal tumbler and when it finally gives up the ghost I've thought about going to wet tumbling but there are a couple of things I don't like about it. Size is one but the HF tumbler seems to be sized about right for my needs and the price is right. Drying the brass is another. I'm not about to use the "out in the sun" method and I'm not keen on the oven method. I don't have the space to just lay them out and let them air dry in the garage so I'd like to know what method you use. The dedicated case dryers appear to work well but that's another expense. The other thing that I'm not sure about is how to dispose of the dirty water afterwards. I think most people just dump it down the drain and I do have a utility tub in my laundry room but I'm a little hesitant about that disposal method. How do you dispose of yours? Thank you.
Thanks for posting. I'm looking to upgrade from my dry tumbler, and I'm always looking to save a few bucks. Your solution looks like a "Win-Win", the smaller containers for small batches or pistol brass, the PVC one for bigger jobs. And Gorilla Glue is great stuff, but don't get it on your fingers or they will end up stained and you just have to wait for it to eventually wear off. (DAMHIK)
I made myself, Jesse B Utdoors and Willie Bulletman one. I used the half inch pie for tumblers and used the cleaner/glue method. I have another one with n agitators in it I plan to use for powder coating. Thanks for a great idea.
TreeTopFlier yes, Sir, I try to watch all your videos. My tank is working great. It still has its limitations, but it sure increases the volume of the HF unit. One of these days, I’m gonna buy a powder measure stand from you. Keep up the good work.
I made one of these a couple months ago thanks for making the vid and the tips. The original HF drums were getting pretty beat so followed your instructions from the first vid but skipped the hot glue and went JB Weld epoxy. The epoxy only lasted three sessions before the speed bumps came off. I think i'll take your advice here and go Gorilla glue, as other than the speed bumps working free it works better than the original HF drums
Glad its working for you. Ive had zero problems once I moved to Gorilla glue. There is a coating on the inside of the DWV pipe that is really slick, makes it hard to get things to stick.
@@TreeTopFlier you said it - I was thinking of sanding/roughing the inside first then gluing, but figured if Gorilla Glue worked for yours it will be fine. Thanks again for making the vid!
I've been using a cap full of automobile car wash/wax liquid with a bit of lemishine...seems to leave a very light wax coat which aids in sizing and maybe appearance.
Before Franklin Arsenal released their tumbler there was Rebel 17, it was expensive but was done right and I jumped on that bandwagon. Ironically my uncle replaced the bushings in my HF tumbler with ball bearings at same time but I no longer needed, so it's sitting collecting dust but this idea is really cool, I've seen the first video. I was thinking of making my own thinner expanding plug with having a lathe it shouldn't be hard, just need a thick o-ring to squeeze.
Thank you Sir! I wasnt sure what you were talking about. Then I realized there was a big blank space in the video. Yikes. Not sure how that happened but luckily I was able to use UA-cams crappy editor to cut that out without reloading the whole thing. Thanks for the heads up. Doing this video, for me, is just channel maintenance. I really wish there was a way to put notes in the existing video as changes are needed.
@@TreeTopFlier - You're welcome! :) I know that if I made videos, and something like that happened, I know I'd like to be made aware of it. Thank You for the videos!
As far as gluing the interrupters... There is no better super glue than Starbond! It comes in thin, medium, and thick and can be had on Amazon. Keep it in the fridge after opening and it will stay liquid for years! Another little trick if you need to fill a crack or hole is to put the super glue in and sprinkle some baking soda on it. This will make the glue dry instantly and hard as a rock! I snapped a crown off last year and used that trick and it stayed put for 6 months!
Their called knock out plugs or test plugs and can be found in the plumbing section. www.lowes.com/pd/Charlotte-Pipe-4-in-dia-PVC-Schedule-40-Spigot-Test-Fitting/3339786
Use a squirt of Dawn and a tablespoon of white vinegar and you'll never miss the lemi shine or the pins. Don't use too much vinegar and keep it on contact with the brass for too long but an hour or so won't hurt anything and you don't have little pins all over the place. Try it once and you won't go back.
Those two barrel tumblers (and the singles as well) (from harbor F or lortone or anyone elses name) have two things wrong One the belts are low quality rubber and counter intuitively the belt is too THICK! it makes it difficult for the belt to bend around the small pully Two the FATAL flaw - plastic "bearings" the smallest grain of grit gets in there and things no longer go around. The Fix - the motor is fine, the shafts and pulleys are fine. Build a new or modify the current frame with real, sealed ball bearings and use a good belt (say from an old cassette recorder) My machine can run 1-12 pound drum, 2-6 pound drums and 2-4 pound drums from that same motor and I have never changed the belts in 5 years
Your original video was one that encouraged me to make the leap into wet tumbling and I still find your 9mm case dose of LemiShine perfect. I'm not sure it was laziness as much as lack of time or tools, but I ended up getting the Lyman tumbler on sale. Thousands and thousands of cases later I still can't believe what a tremendous job this does on brass... even some incredibly cruddy stuff from the range. Thanks again for your all your vids.
The Lyman is purpose built, nothing wrong with that. Wet tumbling does a really good job, no doubt. Thanks for watching my vids Jack.
Thank you for the update! Actually planning to head to Billings next week and pick one up…Really appreciate you taking the time to produce these…thank you….have a great week from Montana
Lots of people have made these with good results. Hope it works for you Tye. Thanks for watching sir.
I built one of these following the directions here two years ago. I have run thousands of pieces of brass through this thing. It works great and is still going today.
That's awesome it worked for you too!
Im just wondering, do the fabric from the bras get pretty worn out??
You don't have to explain or apologize for your first video. Most of us heard what you said and took your word for it.
Made mine yesterday day, I tried the small PVC inside to help with the tumble, but mine came off. So today I went to Home Depot and picked up some self-adhesive rubber weather strips that are about 1/2” wide. Sanded the inside the. I placed 8 of them about 3/4” apart and they worked great and they are still adhered to the inside!! Thanks for the vids!!!
I tried it and it exceeded my expectations. The only complaint I have is the Harbor Freight tumbler is not that well built. The bearings on the rods got stiff after about an hour of tumbling and I had to lubricate them to get them going again. In hindsight, all you need is a slow RPM motor to turn the drum, like an ice cream maker. Bottom line, I highly recommend this method of brass cleaning.
Apparently, the aluminum caps for my drums grew legs and ran off! I need to make one of these. Thanks for sharing this video.
They work great. Still use mine all the time.
I followed most of your instructions which worked ok. To create an agitator, I used a 3” Pvc pipe on the inside. I cut three 1” sections which I attached with PVC cement with the curved side facing the middle. Fits snug and does a good job.
Watched your first one a little while ago. I was only surprised that the hot glue worked. I use hot glue more often than I should and it always tries to come loose eventually.
When I do your customization eventually I will try the Gorilla glue. I was going to use epoxy but that sounds simpler.
Thanks for taking time to redo something to make it better.
And yeah, I couldn't believe all the comments about it not turning... you said it did right in the video, but you know, youtube...
I really like this setup. Cost effective and does the job pretty damn well.
After I watched your original video I found a frankford arsenal tumbler for $109 and said heck it, was lazy and just bought it. I kinda wish I went with the harbor freight because its like 2 in one. You have your custom big bin or if you want to clean 40 and 45 cases at the same time, you can put them in separate bins. I’ll probably get a hf cleaner when I upgrade my bench. Thanks for all the videos!
One thing I like about it is it is quieter than the other options ive seen and the whole unit doesn't take up a lot of space. And your right, the small drums still work great for smaller cases like 9mm
With results like that I call it a win
I enjoyed this video, and my Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler was a great addition for brass cleaning. I used the steel pins only once because they were more trouble than they were worth when it came time to cleanup.
The Lemi shine works well but to much and your brass will have a dull gold appearance. Your tumbler does the exact same thing but a lot less $$$
One unexpected bonus to the PVC tumbler is its pretty quiet compared to some of the others.
WRXS but if you aren’t using steel pins do you still get the inside of the cases and primer pockets clean?
@@davidcoiner6550 Thank you for the reply David, because my use of the Dillon 650 and my bulk reloading is once fired 9mm cases, I never de-prime before reloading because it would double my time at the bench, so can not comment on primer pockets. But the cases are shiny clean inside and out.
That PVC is called “cellcore” it is cellular core pvc coated. Sch80 and Sch40 pvc are also labeled DWV by manufacturers, just FYI.
Very cool, I grabbed the single tumbler and so far it does great job with steel pins, teaspoon arm n hammer oxy laundry and hot water 30-45 mins, might upgrade to double but I don't have a huge quantity to worry about
Im with you, this works for me, I have a pretty low volume to process.
Getting a 4" clear round disk from TAP also works, and is great for a viewing port, easily shows how clean or dirty your brass is mid cycle. Gorilla glue does the job.
Sounds good!
@@TreeTopFlier You purchase 4" PVC without the inner core so that you can use PVC solvent to adhere the tumbler strips inside with no problem.
@@1982nsu If I'm not mistaken, he's chosen that so that the nut and threads from the cap just barely clear the end of the tumbler. Anything lower and it won't fit. Pretty sure anyway that's the deal.
I've dry tumbled for 15 years using the same Frankford Arsenal tumbler and when it finally gives up the ghost I've thought about going to wet tumbling but there are a couple of things I don't like about it. Size is one but the HF tumbler seems to be sized about right for my needs and the price is right. Drying the brass is another. I'm not about to use the "out in the sun" method and I'm not keen on the oven method. I don't have the space to just lay them out and let them air dry in the garage so I'd like to know what method you use. The dedicated case dryers appear to work well but that's another expense. The other thing that I'm not sure about is how to dispose of the dirty water afterwards. I think most people just dump it down the drain and I do have a utility tub in my laundry room but I'm a little hesitant about that disposal method. How do you dispose of yours? Thank you.
Thanks for posting. I'm looking to upgrade from my dry tumbler, and I'm always looking to save a few bucks. Your solution looks like a "Win-Win", the smaller containers for small batches or pistol brass, the PVC one for bigger jobs.
And Gorilla Glue is great stuff, but don't get it on your fingers or they will end up stained and you just have to wait for it to eventually wear off. (DAMHIK)
Thanks for watching!
I made myself, Jesse B Utdoors and Willie Bulletman one. I used the half inch pie for tumblers and used the cleaner/glue method. I have another one with n agitators in it I plan to use for powder coating. Thanks for a great idea.
I saw JB's mail call from you. I wondered if you had seen my older video or just came to the same conclusion. Thanks for watching bro.
TreeTopFlier yes, Sir, I try to watch all your videos. My tank is working great. It still has its limitations, but it sure increases the volume of the HF unit. One of these days, I’m gonna buy a powder measure stand from you. Keep up the good work.
@@jh5869 Thank you sir
I made one of these a couple months ago thanks for making the vid and the tips. The original HF drums were getting pretty beat so followed your instructions from the first vid but skipped the hot glue and went JB Weld epoxy. The epoxy only lasted three sessions before the speed bumps came off. I think i'll take your advice here and go Gorilla glue, as other than the speed bumps working free it works better than the original HF drums
Glad its working for you. Ive had zero problems once I moved to Gorilla glue. There is a coating on the inside of the DWV pipe that is really slick, makes it hard to get things to stick.
@@TreeTopFlier you said it - I was thinking of sanding/roughing the inside first then gluing, but figured if Gorilla Glue worked for yours it will be fine. Thanks again for making the vid!
@@leveractiongypsy1848 I didnt rough it up but I do clean it with acetone good first.,
well we'll see how long mine holds up lol a reglue job is no big deal
What length are your 1/2 inch pvc agitators?
1 1/2"
They make Sch10 and Sch20 pvc which is a much thinner wall thus more volume but you can’t use inside fittings.
I've been using a cap full of automobile car wash/wax liquid with a bit of lemishine...seems to leave a very light wax coat which aids in sizing and maybe appearance.
Nice! the wax would keep it shinny in storage also.
Before Franklin Arsenal released their tumbler there was Rebel 17, it was expensive but was done right and I jumped on that bandwagon. Ironically my uncle replaced the bushings in my HF tumbler with ball bearings at same time but I no longer needed, so it's sitting collecting dust but this idea is really cool, I've seen the first video. I was thinking of making my own thinner expanding plug with having a lathe it shouldn't be hard, just need a thick o-ring to squeeze.
I dont know Dima, your lathe time may be better spent on your gas check maker. but it does sound like an interesting challenge.
Good update !!
Did you have some post production problems, pal ?
Thank you Sir! I wasnt sure what you were talking about. Then I realized there was a big blank space in the video. Yikes. Not sure how that happened but luckily I was able to use UA-cams crappy editor to cut that out without reloading the whole thing. Thanks for the heads up. Doing this video, for me, is just channel maintenance. I really wish there was a way to put notes in the existing video as changes are needed.
@@TreeTopFlier - You're welcome! :) I know that if I made videos, and something like that happened, I know I'd like to be made aware of it. Thank You for the videos!
As far as gluing the interrupters... There is no better super glue than Starbond! It comes in thin, medium, and thick and can be had on Amazon. Keep it in the fridge after opening and it will stay liquid for years! Another little trick if you need to fill a crack or hole is to put the super glue in and sprinkle some baking soda on it. This will make the glue dry instantly and hard as a rock! I snapped a crown off last year and used that trick and it stayed put for 6 months!
Thanks for the tip, i like the idea of being able to keep it longer.
where do i buy the knock out plug and what is it called?
Their called knock out plugs or test plugs and can be found in the plumbing section. www.lowes.com/pd/Charlotte-Pipe-4-in-dia-PVC-Schedule-40-Spigot-Test-Fitting/3339786
Great idea JH586 made me one and it works great
Nice! He is a good dude.
JH586 made me one of these and I love it 👍🇺🇸
Nice, he is a good guy!
I might have to make one of these .
Easy peasy James.
What if you spray the outside with some sprayable rubber coating on the outside? To help with traction?
Ive never needed to put anything on any drums ive made to get them to turn.
@@TreeTopFlier that makes sense. Was Just a thought 😇
Where do you get the stainless steel pins and what size? Great video by the way.
Midway USA has them for a full size tumbler you will need 5 pounds
You purchase 4" PVC without the inner core so that you can use PVC solvent to adhere the tumbler strips inside with no problem.
That's the thing. Most folks dont have access to 4" pressure pipe in PVC but cell core sewer pipe is common in 2' lengths at lowes.
Use a squirt of Dawn and a tablespoon of white vinegar and you'll never miss the lemi shine or the pins. Don't use too much vinegar and keep it on contact with the brass for too long but an hour or so won't hurt anything and you don't have little pins all over the place. Try it once and you won't go back.
One of these days Im gona try it without pins. Ive had others mention that.
If you like the gorilla glue for that you ought to try the gorilla adhesive spray on your hair. It'll have you saying "BAD, BAD IDEA" In no time.
Lol
TreeTopFlier, can you build one of these for me if I pay you an agreed upon price?
Send me an email TreeTopTube@aol.com
@@TreeTopFlier Any chance you'll still able to make more? I'd be interested in one as well.
Im going to use a rubber liner sleeve in mine, been thinking about it.
Hmm. Just curious, why would you want or need to do that?
@@TreeTopFlier Cut down on the noise and a little more grip on cases
@@jander6442 Oh got ya. FYI this tumbler setup is already quiet compared to the Frankford Arsenal tumbler
Try using J B weld.
lm sure that would work well too.
Those two barrel tumblers (and the singles as well) (from harbor F or lortone or anyone elses name) have two things wrong
One the belts are low quality rubber and counter intuitively the belt is too THICK! it makes it difficult for the belt to bend around the small pully
Two the FATAL flaw - plastic "bearings" the smallest grain of grit gets in there and things no longer go around.
The Fix - the motor is fine, the shafts and pulleys are fine. Build a new or modify the current frame with real, sealed ball bearings and use a good belt (say from an old cassette recorder)
My machine can run 1-12 pound drum, 2-6 pound drums and 2-4 pound drums from that same motor and I have never changed the belts in 5 years
Lovely prototype