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FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions )

I. Deburring & Finishing

II. Cleaning Your Reloading Brass

III. Extreme Rebel 17 Brass Cleaning

 

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 I. Deburring & Finishing

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How do I select a machine?

All vibratory machines are sold based on a volumetric measurement of the tank. Tumbling barrels are also sold based on their size. Most mass finishing is done in vibratory deburring machines. Tumbling barrels are used for small parts like jewelry and medical device manufacturing. They work well on many other very small parts. It is easy to retrieve small parts from a tumbling barrel using a separation screen. They also work great to polish parts because the media slides by the part as opposed to the more aggressive action of a vibratory machine.

So in selecting a machine you need a tank that will fit the biggest part you want to run and /or a machine that will handle the volume of parts that need to be process in a given period of time. The tank needs to be big enough for the part to freely turn without getting stuck. We sell a full line of both rectangle vibratory tanks, round vibratory bowls and tumbling barrels. The rectangle tanks lend themselves to odd or big parts. The bowls are better for small parts or in cases where you want to change media for doing different jobs. The media changes would be cheaper in a small machine because there is less media required to fill it. 

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How does the process work?

The process is the same regardless if you are de-burring steel, aluminum or any other material. The media in the tank is usually either plastic or ceramic. Plastic media is used on aluminum and ceramic is used on steel. The media has aluminum oxide or other abrasives imbedded in it all the way through. As the media is turning in the machine the base material is wearing down slowly and exposing new abrasive on the surface of the media. As the media goes back and forth across the part it deburrs it. At the same time water and compound (soap) is being circulated through the machine to keep the surface of the media clean. Very similar to having water running over a grinding wheel to keep the surface clean and the pours of the wheel open. If the water is not kept clean or no compound is used, the media becomes glazer over and its ability to de-burr greatly reduced. So it is important to clean the water in your machine often and use compound for the best results.

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What kind of media do I need?

When choosing media you will need to choose the type, size & shape and the level of abrasiveness. Below are some basics to begin with.

Type:

    • Ceramic is most common used for steel and stainless steel.
    • Plastic is used for aluminum and soft metals.

Size & Shape:

The size and shape will be determined by the size of any holes or slots in your parts. You will want to pick a media that will get into the smallest places of your parts but not get lodged. Media lodging is the main thing you want to avoid regardless of the material you are doing. There is something called the 70% rule. Meaning when selecting media, it should be at least 70% the size of any hole or slot. That way two pieces cannot get side by side and get stuck in the part. Also the media can be used for a substantial time before lodging becomes a problem.

Level of Abrasivness:

This is determined largely by the hardness of the material, the amount of deburring and the type of finish you want on your product. We have extensive description the formulations on our tumbling media page.

If you are deburring aluminum such as 6061alloy, plastic media in the VF-X formulation is the most common media used for this. Some aluminum alloys such as 7075 or 2024 are hard enough that they can be de-burred in ceramic media also.

If you are deburring steel or stainless, ceramic media in the VF-SF formulation is the most common media used. 

Plastic parts can also be de-burred in our machines using ceramic media. Plastics have high abrasion resistance, so you need to be aggressive to get good burr removal. Plastic parts will have a matte finished when done. A second step in porcelain media to bring the plastic part back up to a polished surface.

For polishing steel, stainless, aluminum and plastic parts, porcelain media is the most common media used. Any shape of porcelain can be used. One of the most common polish media used is a 3/16-3/8 angle cut cylinder. The theory is that a cylinder has more surface contact with the part than other shapes. If you are polishing aluminum, you need to use balls. The porcelain media is very hard and if you use other shapes like cylinders or triangles the edge of the media will nick the part. The most common ball used is 4, 5 or 6 mm porcelain. To polish brass, dry media such as walnut shells or corncob with rouge coating is the most common. Dry media is not usually used on other materials because the run times will be too long. Plain cob will sometimes be used to dry parts. Most often polishing will require two steps, the first step, called the “cut down” will remove machining marks and imperfections in the part. This will be done with gray ceramic media for steel or green plastic for aluminum. Then there will be a media change, to porcelain for the second step. A special compound will be used for the polishing step.

 

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How long does media last?

The media wears down slowly. The general rule is the media loss will be ½ % per hour of operation. This can vary depending on how aggressive the media is and the size of the media. The aggressiveness of the media is referred to as the formulation. All media comes in different levels of aggressiveness and many different shapes and sizes.

The faster the media cuts, the faster it will wear. In general the larger it is, the better burr removal you will have. The smaller media will gives a better finish, but it will take more time in the machine. Also small media will tend to cause more media lodging issues. Selecting a larger media has the benefit of not lodging in the parts as it breaks down.

Most all media is the same cost from ½” size or larger. Small media can go up in cost and can gets incrementally more expensive the smaller it gets. This is because it is more labor intensive for the manufacturer to make small media.

The actual cost for plastic and ceramic is similar even though the purchase price for plastic will generally be more expensive than ceramic. This is because plastic media even though it wears faster than ceramic, is also more light weight so takes less to fill the tank. Ceramic wears more slowly than plastic and is cheaper, but will require more pounds to fill the machine.

Overall the media cost is low compared to sandpaper, Scotch-Brite pads or other de burring tools. The key is to have the correct media for the job and to have the machine full of parts. The wear rate of the media is the same if the machine has one part in it or is all the way full of parts.

Media wear is a good thing. As it wears it is constantly exposing more abrasive surface on the media which creates an increase in the deburring process rather than a decline. Media only needs to be replaced when the size becomes so small that it begins to lodge in the parts you are processing. The media should be porous and dull on the surface. If the surface is shiny it is not breaking down and not giving you good burr removal. If your media is glazed over it should be replaced.

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What are compounds?

Deburring or burnishing compounds are a liquid concentrate similar to soap which is mixed with water and used in the machine during the deburring process. The water and compound solution play an important role in the deburring process. They lubricate the media and keep the surface of the media clean. Another purpose of the compound and the water is to maintain the suspension of the soils, machining oils or metal removed from the parts and media. Otherwise, the cutting oils on the parts and the material will clog the surface of the media and reduce its action. Compounds can also react chemically with the parts being worked to affect finish and influence cycle times. Some operators of vibratory machines try using water soluble oil in the machines as a rust inhibitor.  This should NEVER be used. The oil will clog the pores of the media and prevent it from deburring. There is a compound with a rust inhibitor in it that should be used for this purpose and it will not leave a film on your parts.

There are general purpose compounds used on all metals like our VF 77. There are also compounds that contain rust inhibitors for steel like our VF 100. Polishing compounds are either acidic VF 150 or alkaline VF 103 depending on the alloy you are burnishing

It is sold in five gallon containers and 55 gallon drums. Mixing concentration is one to four ounces of compound to one gallon of water.

The compound mixture can be circulated through the machine with a pail and submersible pump or as with tumbling barrels and small bench top bowls run as a batch to be refilled with each load. Water systems can also be run as a flow through, where the water and compound are mixed with a mixing valve. The water is fed into the machine slowly, then allowed to drain directly to the sewer. This way the water and compound is always clean. There needs to be traps in your drain system to use this type water/compound process. The trap will segregate the solids from the water and keep it out of the sewer system. If you are circulating or running a batch type system it is very important to change the fluid often. The solution should be changed at least every 4 hours of machine operation or in a batch system every time the parts are finished.

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How long do I have to run my parts?

Most parts will need to have a uniform appearance as well as an edge break. Often times there are machining marks in the surface that need to be removed. To remove machine marks on the surface, it takes longer than to just break an edge.  On aluminum parts run time can be 45 minutes to an hour and a half.  Stainless steel and carbon steel run times can be 45 minutes to two hours or more. These are rough guidelines and actual time may vary. Polishing parts in porcelain or steel media will usually come to a nice shine in about 20 minutes to one hour.

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How many parts can I run at a time?

There is no hard and fast rules about how many parts can be placed in the machine at one time.  You can usually have more steel parts in the machine than aluminum because of part on part contact. The machines can easily handle the load; it is a matter of the part on part contact damaging each other. The media likes to get between the parts and keep them separated. The exact ratio of parts to media is usually a matter of trial and error and will vary some depending on the part configuration.  If you took a 5-gallon pail and filled it half way with parts, that would be a comfortable load for our 3 cubic foot machine. For the 6.5 cubic foot machine, it would hold about three times the parts. You want your parts to be surrounded by the media and not banging into each other.

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To Learn More

This just a rough overview of the de-burring process. There are no hard and fast rules in this industry. Many companies will develop their own process for particular parts. It may also be that you are trying to achieve a certain look to your part that will make it unique in your industry. There are numerous types of media available for doing limitless operations in vibratory machines and tumbling barrels. If you would like to educated yourself further, the best book on the market is by LaRoux Gillespie It is called Mass Finishing Handbook ISBN-13(978-0-8311)3257-6. It has a lot of very detailed information.

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II. Cleaning Your Reloading Brass

Whatever your reloading brass cleaning needs are, you can find your equipment here. From the Weekend Warrior to cleaning brass on an industrial level, you can solve your brass cleaning equipment needs here. 

    • ROTARY BRASS TUMBLERS - Options include Single Speed ( Extreme Rebel 17 ), 2 Speed ( C&M TOPLINE ) and Variable Speed ( C&M TOPLINE ).
    • ROTARY TUMBLER TANKS - Sizes range from 22 fl.oz. up to 8.0 Gallons ( Rebel 17 and C&M TOPLINE ).
    • VIBRATORY FINISHING MACHINES - Rectangular Vibratory Finishing Tanks range in size from 3.0 Cubic Foot ( Mr Deburr 300DB ) to 6.5 Cubic Foot ( Mr Deburr 600DB ). If you have massive volumes of Brass to clean, this is the way to go.
    • BENCH TOP VIBRATORY BOWLS - Range in size from 0.25 CF ( TLV-25 ) to 0.75 CF ( TLV-75 ). Their process can be increased even more, when the Recirculation System and Wall Mounted Timer are used.
    • STAINLESS STEEL TUMBLING MEDIA - Is known for the cleanest brass and primer pockets. Some people say squeaky clean primer pockets lead to consistently seated primers, which lead to consistently ignited powder, which leads to Clover Leafs . There are people on both sides of the Stainless Steel Media and Accuracy gains fence, but the quality cleaning job the Stainless Steel Media does, is hard to ignore.

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    III. Rebel 17 Brass Cleaning

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    FAQ’s Frequently Asked Questions

    Q. How many pieces of Brass can I tumble?
    A. The Rebel 17 will hold 4 lbs of brass. For estimated quantities see the bottom of this page.
     
    Q. How do you keep the brass from tarnishing or spotting after it has dried?
    A. Make sure you occasionally tumble just the Media with soap or Simple Green for a few hours to clean carbon from media.   Use only 1/4 teaspoon Lemi Shine or less, more is not better.  Try using Cold water to tumble and Cold water to rinse brass and make sure you rinse the brass really good.  Let the brass dry on its own and see if that helps.
     
    Q. The brass is shiny but after a week or two it starts to get darker and doesn't look as shiny.
    A. When you clean with SS Media you are cleaning down to the bare brass.  As the brass is exposed to the elements and air it will discolor or oxidize over-time.
     
    Q. Does SS Media work on Nickel Plated brass?
    A. Yes it does.  Typically the tumbling time is about 40%-60% less for nickel plated brass.  Start with shorter tumble time and determine the amount of time from your results.
     
    Q. Do I need to dry the Media out when I'm done using it?
    A. No. You can store the SS Media wet in the tumbler.  It won't rust.
     
    Q. Will the stainless steel pins pass through the flash holes?
    A. Yes, the pins are small enough to pass though all flash holes.
     
    Q. Will the media harm my brass?
    A. No, the media will not harm your brass. It does not work harden, or damage your brass in anyway.
     
    Q. Do I need to use distilled water?
    A. No, tap water works just fine.
     
    Q. Do I have to use Lemi Shine?
    A. Not necessarily. Lemi Shine is the key to get your brass shiny. If you don’t care too much about the shine, then no. It can also help soften the water, which allows the soap to work better.
     
    Q. Is your Stainless Steel Media Magnetic?
    A. Yes it is.  If you spill any pins you can pick them up using a magnet.  Place a plastic bag over the magnet so you can pull the pins off the magnet.

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    Instructions for Rebel 17 Tumbler

    Notice. It takes a few times to get the media broke in. The media is dirty from manufacturing process and has a few burs. 

      1. Add 5 Lbs (2.27 kg) of SS media into the drum.
      2. Next fill with 1 gallon (3.78 Liters) of cold water. (One gallon)=8 Lbs/3.63 kg.
      3. Add your brass into the drum (2-4 Lbs of brass).
      4. Add dish soap. 1 -2 Tbs (15-30 mL) of either Dawn, Ivory, or Joy dish soap (if there are no soap bubbles in the water after you tumble, you need more soap).
      5. Add 1/4 Tsp. (1.25 mL) of Lemi Shine. This is the key to the shine. (Not too much).
      6. Tumble 3-4 hours with the Rebel 17 rotary tumbler.
      7. Pour out as much water as you can without losing any brass or pins (The more you rinse the brass and pins the better your results will be next time).
      8. Fill drum with water, and separate brass by hand or use an STM Media Separator with water.
      9. Rinse your brass off really good with some warm water. Not getting a good rinse can leave water spots on the brass.
      10. Dump brass onto a towel and let dry. If any pins get stuck in the neck of the brass throw those pins away.
      11. Store Stainless Steel Media either wet or dry in drum.

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      Instructional Video

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      Various ways to dry brass

        • Lay wet brass cases on large towel and fold towel in half and dry by hand then lay towel outside on warm day to air dry for 12 hours.
        • Place the brass on a dehydrator (like you use for beef jerky) and run for 45-60 minutes.
        • Use an air compressor to blow out the insides of the cases and dry the outside of the brass 25-30 minutes.
        • Use a clothes dryer that has one of those removable racks used to dry shoes or sweaters. Spread a sheet of muslin fabric on the rack, (it has a lip, so the brass won't roll off), put a layer of brass on the cloth, and run the dryer on "high" for an hour.  If using this method, one must be careful to properly size the muslin fabric so that it goes up the side of the rack, but doesn't overlap the rack thereby causing a snagging hazard with the revolving drum of the dryer.  45-60 minutes
        • Visit different online forums to read about and share ideas of ways to dry brass.  

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      How much brass to add?

      After the water and media is in the tumbler, you have about 2-4 lbs. left for brass. This is for the 17 pound capacity tumbler. 4 Lbs of Brass Equals “about” (for brass not listed below use the caliber close to the same size and adjust quantity accordingly):

        • 410-430 pieces - 9mm
        • 410-430 pieces - .40
        • 300-345 pieces - .45
        • 275-300 pieces - .223
        • 190-230 pieces - .243
        • 150-230 pieces - .308
        • 130-175 pieces - 30-06
        • 120-160 pieces - 7mm Rem Mag
        • 120-150 pieces - 7wsm
        • 120-150 pieces - 300 Mag
        • 100-125 pieces - 300 Ultra Mag
        •      40-50 pieces - 50 BMG

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