How many pounds of the stainless steel pin media should I use in my new tumbler. I believe it has a 15 lb. capacity.
The tumbler is red.

I believe it is called Thumlers Tumbler. I picked it up at a jewelry supply store. It seems larger, and less expensive than the Frankford arsenal tumbler at Sportmans Warehouse, but I don' t know how much media, soapy water to use or how much brass to toss in together?

Any suggestions

Dave, I use 1 to1.5 pounds in a tiny little one I got from Harbor Freight. My guess is 4-5 pounds for yours.

You'll also want one of these. https://www.walmart.com/ip/30-Long-Quic ... 3=&veh=sem

Its a magnet to get the media out of your bucket after you dump your brass through one of these https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsena ... WRQMQDNKEJ

Have fun!

OldRanger wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2017 2:21 pm Dave, I use 1 to1.5 pounds in a tiny little one I got from Harbor Freight. My guess is 4-5 pounds for yours.

You'll also want one of these. https://www.walmart.com/ip/30-Long-Quic ... 3=&veh=sem

Its a magnet to get the media out of your bucket after you dump your brass through one of these https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsena ... WRQMQDNKEJ

Have fun!

Thanks Kris!

Did those decals ever make it to the Great White North?

You can mix 1 part CLR to 5 parts water in a plastic bucket and soak your brass for about 10 to 15 minutes then rinse in clean water before you put the brass in a tumbler. It makes your tumble time short and the stuff will come out looking like new. Be sure to let dry completely before doing anything else.

I have the Frankford Arsenal tumbler, and use about 3 ounces of simple green in with the water. My brass comes out clean and smells "pretty" enough that my wife lets me do my draining and rinsing in the kitchen sink! She's a keeper!

Thank you gentlemen. Any ideas on how many pieces of .308 brass I should toss in the tumbler?


I had considered a light duty concrete mixer from Home Depot and just clean all my brass for every firearm at the same time. I just didn't have anywhere convient to store it.

Dave, I just got the stickers, thanks. I put a few drops of dawn and a squirt of lemishine in each batch. If I run it about 5 hours they are shiny. I would say the media and brass should be 2-3 inches below the rim of the container, then fill all but the last inch with water. Again, thats what I do, but on a smaller scale. Your drum is about 4-5 times bigger than mine.

Oh, and Belinda says "Hi" she loves the green chili sticker.

Old Ranger, I am glad the decals made it there. The peace, love and green Chile decal is the popular one. Glad to hear it.

I've tumbled over 250 .308 cases at a time with no problem. I tend to fiull the drum about 1/2-2/3 with cases add the pins, and then fill to within a few inches of the top with water/simple green.

Thank you very much everyone.

Dave, I have a Model B Thumbler's. I don't bother counting---the drum is about the same size as a coffee can. I will run a can full of higher volume, less heavy brass like 45LC or 44 Mag. 30-06 size about 3/4 to 7/8 of a can. 223 stuff between 1/2 to 3/4 of a can and small stuff that packs tight like 380 ACP or 32ACP about 1/2 can. FWIW, they work pretty good without steel pins with just soap and water. They also work good with just a pound or so of pins. I have a friend who likes to use his with a mild vinegar/water mixture---his results look fine to me---he is shooting mainly black powder.

I load for a bunch of different calibers. The first batch of pins I bought worked fine in everything I load for except 6.5 caliber. They would stick in the neck of the 6.5 cases. I talked to a friend who processes brass commercially and he told me to buy pins that were a mm shorter. They worked fine in the 6.5 cases but stuck in the 243 cases---anyway, just beware, the pins can stick and if they do, there is a cure.