Review: Frankford Arsenal Platinum Tumbler

[P7M13]

This has thoroughly convinced me that I need to upgrade.

Considering I just burned out the bearing on my Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight) rock tumbler, I looked and just picked up a Platinum 7L from Battenfield Technologies, $153 shipped TYD. They also have it in a 220v model.

Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler 7L

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

I love mine for how little i've used it

I use a very small amount of dish soap and a similarly small amount of lemishine, no problems with any of that using about 45-60 mins.
So far i've also used the towel in the sun method and it works well.

De-prime first.

Amazon have it for $160 delivered. Keep an eye on the price, it keeps cycling round between available supplies, as Amazon become a supplier again, it drops to $159.99.

I found the FA magnet and sieve is actually really worth it when you're draining the stuff later.
Honestly, the pin retrieval is probably the most annoying part without those two extras.

Amazon.com : Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler : Sports & Outdoors (https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-909544-Rotary-Tumbler/dp/B00HTN4R6O)

Amazon.com : Frankford Arsenal Standard Media Separator : Gunsmithing Tools And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J4F09O/ref=s9_hps_bw_g200_i8)

Amazon.com : Frankford Arsenal Media Transfer Magnet for Stainless Steel Media : Sports & Outdoors (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HTN659G/ref=s9_hps_bw_g200_i2)

 

[Member 5605]

Magnet is well worth having....

I use an old salad spinner inner piece to separate media and brass.

 

[Velzey]

I may buy some stainless media first and try running it in my current machine. Only because I have so much money into it. But I think the cases will just float on top of the media. I can crank the vib way up on it, and prolly make the stainless media dance in there pretty good. So I will give it a try.

I have the Thumlers Ultra Vib-45 The thing has a 4 3/4 gallon bowl on it and will hold 1000 30-06 cases. Man I think the thing cost me 600$ If it doesn't work I will stick it on here for sale or craigslist!

 

[Member 5605]

I may buy some stainless media first and try running it in my current machine. Only because I have so much money into it. But I think the cases will just float on top of the media. I can crank the vib way up on it, and prolly make the stainless media dance in there pretty good. So I will give it a try.

I have the Thumlers Ultra Vib-45 The thing has a 4 3/4 gallon bowl on it and will hold 1000 30-06 cases. Man I think the thing cost me 600$ If it doesn't work I will stick it on here for sale or craigslist!
View attachment 300617

Cases will float on top. 100%.

 

[Velzey]

My thoughts also...Not even worth wasting my time trying! That SS media is so heavy.

 

[Member 5605]

My thoughts also...Not even worth wasting my time trying! That SS media is so heavy.

Check this out:

Though they appear to not be using pins. Looks like the other style of media, chips, chunks and such.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

SS pins so far as i can tell are only really for an actual tumbler, but more specifically, wet tumbling, i'm guessing it would be a waste to try (as you'd get the pin set in with the new tumbler if you found it didn't work in the vibrator)

 

[thorborg]

I home made mine, but a hassle in the unload and load department. I bought JoJo's broken gear 6# sears unit and fit it up on my variable speed wood lathe and was up and running in minutes turning to the tune of 33 RPM. The shafts were accessible, extending externally out of the housing. My home made ran corn and rouge then bought a vibratory and corn and rouge.
Stainless and lemishine is the way to go.
In the mean time enough teeth were left of the gear I was able determine the pitch and particulars so maybe I can find it @ Boston gear or a 3D printing company if cost effective, albeit the lathe works just fine.
Vibratory is enough, but if you are anal, skip it and go tumbler. a little more processing hassle but big grins in return for your efforts.

 

[P7M13]

I home made mine, but a hassle in the unload and load department. I bought JoJo's broken gear 6# sears unit and fit it up on my variable speed wood lathe and was up and running in minutes turning to the tune of 33 RPM. The shafts were accessible, extending externally out of the housing. My home made ran corn and rouge then bought a vibratory and corn and rouge.
Stainless and lemishine is the way to go.View attachment 300643
In the mean time enough teeth were left of the gear I was able determine the pitch and particulars so maybe I can find it @ Boston gear or a 3D printing company if cost effective, albeit the lathe works just fine.
Vibratory is enough, but if you are anal, skip it and go tumbler. a little more processing hassle but big grins in return for your efforts.

I have a bunch of gears in my bone yard. What's the pitch/#teeth and shaft diameter?
They're all SS pinion type (i.e. simple spur gears with hub).

 

[PiratePast40]

When did they change the name to Premium Tumbler? It's always been the Frankfort Arsenal Rotary Tumbler.

 

[mjbskwim]

Soooo.
What does the waxy casings do to your chamber?

 

[thorborg]

I have a bunch of gears in my bone yard. What's the pitch/#teeth and shaft diameter?
They're all SS pinion type (i.e. simple spur gears with hub).

The sears unit was made in Canada so not sure if were talking metric or not, nonetheless the large driven gear did not have the same tooth shape as the drive spur gear so with a tweak to motor position, I figure "close" will work.
Inches:
.625 o.d.,
.187 i.d. but I can bush down something larger
.375 thickness . anything less than a quarter inch may be problematic
12 tooth
24 diametral pitch
.5 ? pitch diameter
Boston gear has them in delrin but the lathe is working, and it's summer, with too many irons in the fire to pursue them at this time.
Mighty kind of you to look though, good luck
Thor
As an aside; I decided to keep my vibratory polisher for a few exotic and/or lessor shot calibers. As good as the pins are especially for volume, you cant beat the look and shine of corn and rouge.

 

[ageingstudent]

Soooo.
What does the waxy casings do to your chamber?

I don't know about the wax, but Cabela's polish or nu finnish seems to make my cartridges feed in autos slick as a whistle. Some folks lube lead bullets with Johnson's paste wax so it can't be too bad.

 

[Member 5605]

Soooo.
What does the waxy casings do to your chamber?

Nothing. There isn't enough on there to rub off. There is probably 1/10th or less of the lube you use to size.

Besides, if ther ever were residue, it would be removed when the rifle, pistol was cleared with a bore snake. That's all it would take to remove any of it. It's a polishing agent not a build on the cases product.

 

[Charger]

It is amazing how clean the brass Gets .
Is it just the action of the brass and pins rubbing together
That cleans the brass or is their some sort of chemical reaction happening to.

I use a 550b press and shoot a lot of 9mm.
Sound like a lot of work to resize and remove the primers than clean the brass.
Than back to the press.
How are you removing the primers?
Is their an better, faster way?

 

[Member 5605]

It is amazing how clean the brass Gets .
Is it just the action of the brass and pins rubbing together
That cleans the brass or is their some sort of chemical reaction happening to.

I use a 550b press and shoot a lot of 9mm.
Sound like a lot of work to resize and remove the primers than clean the brass.
Than back to the press.
How are you removing the primers?
Is their an better, faster way?

The rolling action by 10,000 small pins do the cleaning along with the action of the brass rolling along each other

Pistol:
Deprime and size. Then clean. Dry and reload.

Some use a generic decapper. I don't. I setup my pistol brass so it's ready to reload 100% after cleaning.

Rifle:
Deprime & size, tumble, dry, trim if needed, into ready to go bucket.


If you run a generic decapper prior to tumbling on your pistol brass, you will find that the waxed cases will make your press run smoother, especially that sizing step.

 

[ageingstudent]

It is amazing how clean the brass Gets .
Is it just the action of the brass and pins rubbing together
That cleans the brass or is their some sort of chemical reaction happening to.

I use a 550b press and shoot a lot of 9mm.
Sound like a lot of work to resize and remove the primers than clean the brass.
Than back to the press.
How are you removing the primers?
Is their an better, faster way?

I decap my brass on my drill press. I put a shell holder in a small vice and chuck a pin I made from a chrome pointed awl in the press. Fastest way I know to decap. I can do about 600 pistol cases in an hour without trying too hard. I just treat the brass prep as a whole different operation.

 

[ageingstudent]

I decap my brass on my drill press. I put a shell holder in a small vice and chuck a pin I made from a chrome pointed awl in the press. Fastest way I know to decap. I can do about 600 pistol cases in an hour without trying too hard. I just treat the brass prep as a whole different operation.

...make sure the drill press is unplugged first...just sayin'

 

[Charger]

A wet tumbler is the way to go.
I use a walnut shell for my cleaning.
it dose OK but nowhere near what the wet tumbler dose.
I'm glad I found out about having to removing the primers before cleaning.
before I changer over.
I just don't have time to be adding another step to my reloasing.