New tumdler or not

[HotRod61]

I've been using a Hornaday tumbler for about two years ( bought it new). I just noticed it has three cracks around the rim where the top and bottom of the red bowls are melted or welded together, except the cracks run vertical were as the welds run horizontal.
My question is this repairable or junk. The cracks aren't big enough so the media fits thru it yet ,but is still functional Is there a way to repair this or do I use a heavy grade of tape and wait for the cracks to get bigger.

HotRod

Read More

 

[deadshot2]

Some "Gorilla Tape" might give you some more life from the bowl. One can "stop" a crack in many instances by drilling a small diameter hole at the end of the crack then clean the bowl well using soap, water, and a final clean with some laquer thinner. Then apply the Gorilla Tape which is like Duck Tape on steroids. At the worst you'll just have to replace the bowl. At best, you'll get more service out of it, perhaps only having to add more tape as time goes on.

An alternative of course might just be to get a new tumbler. A rotary one this time and start using stainless steel media for truly clean cases.

 

[nrc]

If you bought it from a place like midway, they'll take it back even if it is a few years old. Otherwise, I'd put some epoxy on the cracks.

 

[lamrith]

Is a replacement bowl not possible? Maybe contact Hornady? Otherwise the above ideas should work.

 

[HotRod61]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.
Deadshot ,I thought about the Gorilla tape, but didn't think about drilling the holes at the end of the cracks. That might work for a while.
Nrc, I bought it local.
Lamrith I'll give that a try , but I've heard that it not too promising.

When it finishes going belly up . I'll invest in rotary tumbler and stainless steel media. Good advice Deadshot.Live and learn.
HotRod

 

[deadshot2]

I'm not a real big fan of epoxies on plastic as the results tend to be hit/miss. Unless you know exactly what the composition of the plastic is it's hard to find the right type of epoxy.

I've found the good old standby J-B Weld to stick like "dung to a blanket" on some plastics and on others, not at all. I have had some great results from Marine Tex on plastic, having used it on a crack in the floor of my Travel Trailer bath tub.

One could always use both, epoxy and tape.

I recently had a more than positive experience with Hornady. I bought a shell holder that was mis-marked. I contacted them via their website Contact Us - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc. They not only sent me a replacement shell holder which I received in the mail three days later. It may pay to just contact them, describe the problem, and see what they say. They may surprise you. What was funny in my case is that not only did they send me a shell holder to replace the incorrect one, they also sent me a shell plate for a LNL Progressive. I called them and they sent me a call-tag for UPS. I took the advantage of the "free return" to include the old mis marked shell holder along with a couple pieces of brass to show it was wrong. I got a free hat out of that, again by return mail. Talk about Customer Service.

 

[Throckmorton]

1st thing i'd do is call hornady,it could be a known problem and be replaced for free.My midway tumbler was replaced for free even after the recall was a couple of years old.

 

[HotRod61]

Thanks
I'll try giving Hornaday a call first chance I get , before I start with other remedies. Who knows? Might get lucky with a simply phone call.
Sorry for the late response.

GREAT forum HotRod

 

[Silver Hand]

When it finishes going belly up . I'll invest in rotary tumbler and stainless steel media. Good advice Deadshot.Live and learn.
HotRod

I just finished tumbling 3,000 various pistol and rifle cases using an old Lortone 12 lb. eleven sided rock tumbler, Stainless Steel Media and just blue commercial dish washing liquid with some spring water right from the tap. The results are outstanding. ''Logged pins are dangerous find them in flash holes and jammed in the cases from time to time''. Other than that WoW.
Consider it a blessing your old dry rig is going out on you. Patch it up or you might buy a new drum if parts are available. I think you would regret that if there was a chance for you to use S.S. media just once. I would start saving and looking for an old 12 Pound rock tumbler. Several I know of, Lortone has an advantage, the rubber liner is eleven sided if I counted correctly more sides equals faster results given the same rpm at the drum. The old Scot Murry system was a good one they had single or multiple 12 pound drum systems and are six sided, as is the Covington 12 and Thumler's tumbler Carrying a 15 lb pay load. Smaller hexagon rock tumblers will work just as well with reduced output. Buy used If money is short, they all work with S.S. media and they are out there!

 

[deadshot2]

''Logged pins are dangerous find them in flash holes and jammed in the cases from time to time''.

On this note I'll toss in how I've modified my cleaning system. There are two minor issues with the pins. As you noted, some will get lodged in the primer pockets. I've found this to be mostly when you first start using the new pins. As you cull the pins that get stuck it happens less and less. Along with another issue, some peening of the case mouth which not only gives the edge a rough look, it also appears that the case neck might be slightly constricted.

I now de-prime all my brass with a universal de-priming tool and then clean it in the SS Media. From there it's sized and trimmed. The sizing removes any dimension change in the case mouth and trimming removes any peening marks, not that they harm the accuracy, looks only.

On the "capacity" of the Thumbler, remember that the gallon of water takes up the first 8 lbs. 5 pounds of pins then only leaves room for 2 lbs of brass. I'd like to see a good 30#+ tumbler that wasn't just a converted cement mixer

 

[HotRod61]

I plan on calling Hornaday this morning.
Where would one find a rotary tumbler? Also do they all use water?
HotRod

 

[Silver Hand]

Not to long ago one went up for sale right here [Thumlers tumbler] in the reloading Classifieds.
Yes you will need a water based tumbler to use SS media. the more sides the better! If they have interior panels, all will work to some degree.
There is some new sonic something or other, I know little about that do use water or some other liquid.

 

[deadshot2]

I plan on calling Hornaday this morning.
Where would one find a rotary tumbler? Also do they all use water?
HotRod

Just Google "Rock Tumblers" and look for Thumbler brand. The Model B High Speed is the best for reloader's purposes. Some will buy cheap ones like the Harbor Freight offerings but the results vary widely. Some work well, and others don't at all. Consistency seems to be an issue. Thumbler has been in the Tumbler business as long as I can remember.

 

[Silver Hand]

I also have a three drums set up, each twelve pounds and running on the same rail and at the same time, originally sold by Scott Murry.

I would not fire a round that was not measured and trimmed if required. All of my rifle brass is categorized within .003. I get serious and +- .0025 for anything else I will be firing in a wheel at random. Auto loaders I have a other considerations depending on the quality of the rig.

With most cartridges, I Have not yet found the neck penning to be a problem after sizing and expanding, Although With 9mm for the first time I have witnessed more than normal shredding during the case sizing stage. I will bet If I were to lube more this could also be avoided.

As for the drum capacity water weight issue. You can now purchase as little as two pounds of SS Media. I will bet an email to StainlessTumblingMedia. A person might buy as little as they would like, by the pound maybe. I have had favorable results on the phone and with emails.
Of course brass and water have weight But so do rocks. My Point was- A person can use any water based, paneled rock tumbler, to get started.

 

[JackThompson]

Being the budget reloader myself I would likely drill small holes carefully up ach side of the crack and like dead shot said, drill one stopper hole at the bottom. Then I would use some spider wire or gorilla braid fishing line and sew the seam together, then cover that outside with some plastic epoxy (or clear tough nail polish enamel) then cover that with gorilla tape.

If you decide to scrap it and buy a new one let me know I'll take the old one!

 

[Silver Hand]

deadshot2
If you were to look at the Scott Murry tumblers you would see a sea green - Thumler's tumbler- from the -1950s or so.
The most successful tumbler and one of the oldest and also used in Jewelry and coin is the Lortone with it's eleven panels @ 29 rpm that is 319 soft turns a minute. The newest fastest thing, I think is this Thumler's tumbler mod. B. I wonder if faster is better on a large panel six sided machine. Do you use one one?

 

[HotRod61]

Just spoke with Hornaday about the replacement bowl. They said it's only under warranty for the first year that you purchased it. A replacement bowl would be 19.95 + s+h seems the cheaper way to go.

HotRod

 

[lamrith]

Just spoke with Hornaday about the replacement bowl. They said it's only under warranty for the first year that you purchased it. A replacement bowl would be 19.95 + s+h seems the cheaper way to go.

HotRod

Good to hear! $20 is not bad. Thanks for updating us!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Silver Hand]

Parts are available. Man in a way I wish they weren't.
That dusty old cob or shell will stick in your brain like it does to Resizing Lube. Keep your eyes out for a used rock tumbler, internet- good will- Ebay- NW firearms classified- Garage sales- Used goods and pawn shops Etc Etc, and Never clean another primer pocket in your life. Pour off the dust and dirt again and again. I use a screened gas funnel to catch the pins during my rinse cycles and a magnet on a wire to pick up the sliders that float on top of the water then to the screen. About the fourth rinse they float on the surface tension, about when the brass is washed clean of soap. I run a few more rinses to be sure the water is clear.
Good to here you are back in and in better shape then when you started.

 

[deadshot2]

Good to hear the bowl is an inexpensive item. Having a vibrator cleaner around isn't a bad idea. Although I use the pins, I'm hanging on to the old "rattler". If I want some real shiny "show off ammo" or need to get a batch with lube on it cleaned, I can drag it out for a 15 minute trip through the "ground Iowa Toilet Paper". Also good to clean any corrosion off any rounds that got wet or spent too much time in the glove box.

One more good use. If you're a mechanic and have a bunch of sockets that are a little "cruddy", put them in the vibrator, toss in some old corncob/walnut shell media, and give it an hour or so. It will clean all the crud out of every part of the sockets better than a bath in solvent. Won't have to wipe them off either.