Parts tumbler - useful or indespencible?

[tdskip]

Need to run down to Harbor Freight to pick up a more aggressive media for the blast cabinet and am wondering....

Come clean now (sorry for the bad pun), how often do you really use yours. And for what?

Thanks for the coaching guys.

 

[roger_abbott]

I have the unit shown in your email. It worked great until it busted. It is not built to handle nuts and bolts but rather brass shell casings. Gun enthusiast reloaders use them a lot.

 

[tdskip]

Sorry to hear yours didn't last, but good to know!

Thanks Rogers.

 

[PeterK]

I have a rotary tumbler but (as you suspected) I have not used it in years.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

I thought about getting one, then it dawned on me. If the nuts and bolts have rust, the original protective coating is gone. Meaning the nuts and bolts will rust again, and fast.

I just bought new hardware and saved some bench top.

 

[Tinkerman]

I agree with TR6oldtimer. Besides it is sloooowwwww. I have one for my brass cartridge casings.
I use all new fastners but on occasion I have to use and old one. I stick it in the top of a box or if big enough just hold it in my cabinate gloved hand and bead blast it. Then I wire brush it and coat it with clear or black paint depending on the application.

By the way electrical tape does a good job if you don't want to bead blast a portion of the part your doing. Remember it's just like beach sand, it gets into every nook and cranny and crevice so you have to prepare your part before you bead blast it, and clean it very well afterwards.

Tinkerman

 

[tdskip]

Thanks guys - I think I'll pass and redirect the money into new nuts and bolts.

 

[Tinster]

Thanks guys - I think I'll pass and redirect the money into new nuts and bolts.

<span style="color: #000099">Good Idea to forget. If I'm the powder coat
king and I never used one, for sure there is no pressing need.


dale</span>