Cleaning Tumler parts - after tumbling..

vbtalent

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Cleaning Tumbler parts - after tumbling..

So I'm new to the tumbling world of cleaning parts but man are these parts clean... I used cracked corn and the finish is amazing, quick question for you experts.

After the tumbling how do you remove the corn residue from all the parts, can you actually wash them?

I threw my bulbs and all into the mix - so I'm not sure about the washing thing just the first thing that came to mind.

Ideas or thoughts?

Thanks.

VB,
 
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What, nobody uses a tumbler...

Everyone still in Texas at the show???
 
I have one that I got for Xmas, I've used it to tumble some balls and a couple gates and some hardware. I've only used the walnut media so far. I just cleaned everything off with a cloth after they were done tumbling. Nothing fancy...

My balls came out super shiny :eek:
 
Nice to hear about your your balls and their condition... :>o

It seems to me that it isn't the shine but the nicks that cause problems to the playfield - at $1.00 or so I'll just replace them as they are the only thing that wears the playfield out.

Just was curious if peeps were washing after they polished them...

I'm a cheapskate and bought a Harbor Freight unit, seems to be working just fine at the moment but we all know that things made in China don't last, its only a matter of time...

VB,
 
To remove either media that gets stuck (media gets stuck everywhere, especially in screw heads), I use dental picks (yes, the sharp tool the dentist uses on your teeth). It's a tedious job removing stuck media, but after I remove all of it, I clean the metal parts up with Bleche Wite, then wash them really well. The come out looking like new.

If you don't have a dental pick, you can also use a push pin to try to remove the media.
 
I have the model 400 from Cabela's, it's the same as the Berry 400 that got good reviews. As well as the dental pick for stuck stuff already mentioned I just wipe the pieces with a cloth as I put it back togther. I've thought about just blowing it off with compressed air but haven't tried that yet.
Has anyone found a good screen for sifting? I'm getting tired of digging around with a magnet but all the screens I've tried haven't been the right size.

Jerry
 
18 Lb. Vibratory Bowl with Liquid Drain Hose

I bought one of these:

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Works great! Vibratory tumbling is faster than rotary tumbling ...

-Mike
 
I bought one of these:

96923.gif


Works great! Vibratory tumbling is faster than rotary tumbling ...

-Mike

I also have the 18lb one from Harbor Freight. It is the heavy duty model and I am very pleased with it thus far. The large bowl capacity will hold many parts. I also use it to clean my tools. Chrome sockets look like new when they come out. I should mention that I originally purchased the smaller version of this vibratory tumbler and quickly returned it. It did not survive the first night of tumbling without all the hardware stripping and falling apart... (that was quite a mess to wake up too after vibrating for several hours w/o a top on it)....I returned it and picked up the 18lb tumbler (above) for around $150 on sale and then saved an additional 25% with a coupon. Not a bad deal in my opinion.
 
I have a very old 2 barrel rotary tumbler made by Loretone. My Dad used to use this thing back in the 70's to polish rocks.
I use Walnut Media that I get from the Pet Store in the rodent/bird isle. I have a couple of dental picks to clean out the phillips screw heads, and then I wipe off the parts with a rag and use them. For the larger pieces of metal, like ball guides. I will ususally give them a coat of wax as well.
I have never used any liquid in the media, it seems to work just fine dry. Since it is a rotary tumbler, I leave the parts in for a day, Bulbs, a couple of hours. Those Vibrating tumblers clean faster, but this one is quiet.
 
man i need one of these?
question? whats the deal with putting bulbs in there?
 
Bulbs can have the glass or filiment broken by too much tumbling. If you place other parts in with them they will break. Usualy they are not very dirty so a quick spin to knock off the dust is plenty.
 
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