Re: Stainless Steel Media Testimonials
After bumping into this thread, I've been running two Thumler Model B's (one regular speed, one high speed) and I couldn't be happier with the results.
I'm mostly tumbling .223 rounds - I am sticking to the recommended limit of 2 lbs or 175 cases (of .223) per batch.
I am frankly having difficulty telling the difference in efficacy between the high speed and regular speed motor (the high speed has twice as many RPM's, IIRC). After about 2.5 hours in either one, my cases are pretty much done and the primer pockets are acceptably clean, more often than not they are squeaky clean. Hell, if you don't care about primer pockets, they are basically done after 45 minutes.
Recipe is pretty simple: 1 gallon warm water, 1-2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid, and 1/2 teaspoon of lemishine and five pounds of stainless tumbling media.
Bummed to hear about the rusting tumbler interiors (underneath the rubber sleeve). On the bottom rim I'm noticing some rusting myself on the exposed finished metal.
Re: drying. After rinsing a few times and separating media (the media separator sold by stainlessmediatumbling.com is awesome), I'll dunk the brass in a bucket of warm water for a final rinse, then empty the bucket in a kitchen strainer over a five gallon bucket. I'll run my hands through the brass to shake some of the excess water out, then run a blow dryer on high heat over the brass, periodically running my hand through the brass to rotate it. The brass dries very quickly this way (2 minutes) as it conducts heat from the blow dryer. No need to stick it in the oven.
I'm happy, but couldn't help but think if they could just make these things a little bigger for us bulk shooters.
I'm awfully tempted to pull the trigger on this one. A 65 lb monster. 40 lbs of stainless tumbling media and 1,000 rounds of Lake City brass.