Stainless steel wet tumbling and noise

[The Ninja]

I'm planning to get started in reloading this summer after moving (just no room right now) and I've been doing my homework ahead of time. One thing I have decided is that I want to use stainless steel wet tumbling from the beginning to cut down on dust, as I'll be tumbling inside the new apartment. I will have a separate room as a reloading/exercise/storage space, so I can close that off to mitigate the noise (and I will be able to tumble during the day, as my schedule is weird), but I'd still like to muffle things as much as possible to avoid irritating my new neighbors-to-be. I've mainly been looking at the Franklin Armory and Thumbler B tumblers, but the internet seems entirely divided on which is quieter. Does anyone here have experience with either or (ideally) both? The Franklin is currently the more attractive in terms of capacity and price, but I'll take the Thumbler if it might make the difference in preventing a noise complaint.

 

[Sling10mm]

I don't have any experience with the FA, but do have the Thumler Model B. I have it in the garage and can hear it in my family room, adjacent to the garage, with the door closed, if the TV isn't on. I would say it is roughly as loud as a dishwasher, or maybe a tad louder.

 

[bulletsmith]

IMO it's no louder than watching tv. Not nearly as loud as running the vacuum cleaner.

 

[Gluemanz28]

I have the thumblers B and it is in my basement just under my living room. I can just barely or not at all with the tv at normal level. If I had it to do all over again I would get the extreme unit from Thumblers. It has real bearings instead of the plastic bushings.

I I also polished the surface on the shaft under the bushing and added ptfee grease to my unit. The extreme unit will also handle twice the weight as the B

Get yourself one on the cheap timers that has the pins for start and stop times. Take the start pin completely off the timer. Then set the timer for a couple hours and it will stop. If you forget about it, it won't restart without the on pin.

There is a kit online from stainless tumbling media that has the complete extreme kit. It has the media, tumbler, separator and lemi shine. Buy once cry once.

 

[bulletsmith]

I have the thumblers B and it is in my basement just under my living room. I can just barely or not at all with the tv at normal level. If I had it to do all over again I would get the extreme unit from Thumblers. It has real bearings instead of the plastic bushings.

I I also polished the surface on the shaft under the bushing and added ptfee grease to my unit. The extreme unit will also handle twice the weight as the B

Get yourself one on the cheap timers that has the pins for start and stop times. Take the start pin completely off the timer. Then set the timer for a couple hours and it will stop. If you forget about it, it won't restart without the on pin.

There is a kit online from stainless tumbling media that has the complete extreme kit. It has the media, tumbler, separator and lemi shine. Buy once cry once.

^^^
This

DO IT

Stainless Tumbling Media | Thumler's Tumbler High Speed Model B

 

[The Ninja]

That extreme kit is very impressive! Bit more than I was looking at originally, but I also subscribe to the buy once cry once school of thought. I also do have some time to spread everything out, as I won't have my reloading space for a while. Thanks for pointing it out!

 

[jblomenberg16]

I have the Wet FART. From the description of the thumblers it is probably about the same. Sounds like an electric can opener or mixer going non stop. Not overly lound, but noticeable.

 

[17 squirrel]

Sushhhhhhhhhh. Tommy ? Tommy can you hear me ?
Can you hear it running ?
Nope can't hear my Big Blue Dillon Running.......








Reason # 47 to dry tumble with a Dillon Machine......

 

[Mgderf]

If you do nothing more than to set the tumbler on top of a 2" thick piece of insulation foam board, the noise will be cut in half, if not more.
I really don't think you'd be upsetting neighbors at all, unless maybe you set the tumbler on a hardwood or hard tile floor.

 

[Leo]

If you do nothing more than to set the tumbler on top of a 2" thick piece of insulation foam board, the noise will be cut in half, if not more.
I really don't think you'd be upsetting neighbors at all, unless maybe you set the tumbler on a hardwood or hard tile floor.

When I had a drum type tumbler, I put a new plastic trash can over the top. That helped too. You want a big trash can so that there is no heat build up on anything that runs continuously.

 

[The Ninja]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like either is acceptable to me on the noise front, which is good to know.

 

[ART338WM]

I know this is not what you are looking for but the tumbles you speak of are rather IMHO pricy and there are dozens of DIY videos on you tube that show you how to make just as good for 1/2 the cost. Just something to consider.

 

[Gluemanz28]

I know this is not what you are looking for but the tumbles you speak of are rather IMHO pricy and there are dozens of DIY videos on you tube that show you how to make just as good for 1/2 the cost. Just something to consider.

Not quite just as good. The Thumblers units have a hexagon type drum that create a waterfall effect. The drum also has a heavy rubber liner. I have seen the DIY YouTube videos and considered making one because I'm a cheapskate. If I had seen the extreme unit instead of the B unit I would have bought it. Trust me on this get the Extreme.

 

[leakywaders]

built mine for about 30.00

[/IMG]

 

[bulletsmith]

built mine for about 30.00

[/IMG]

I'm a big DIY person. The problem is getting a container that will efficiently agitate the brass to get it to tumble. A smooth interior is not ideal.

 

[leakywaders]

that cooler has a offset in the bottom it works pretty good

 

[tmater]

I made my own fashioned after Bigdawg tumblers.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I'm VERY happy with my FART. Many times I reload with the tumbler running just a few feet away. When I go upstairs I can't hear it at all and have to stick my head in the basement doorway to make sure it is still running. I really like the large capacity of the FART as well as the built in timer.

 

[tallend]

What Cemetery-man said