Vibratory tumbler question

[Bart]

Not quite a welding project but not sure where to post it. I need to remove paint from quite a few small to mid size aluminium parts. I have tried beadblasting but that takes time. I have thought about this

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...emType=PRODUCT

As you can see, the cost is up there. Anyone have any experience with something like this? Homemade units? I have been told that a tumbler will beat the parts up too bad. Help or input appreciated. Thanks.

I have an eastwood tumbler that is the next size down from the one in the link. Eastwood offers a grey media that is more aggressive than the green. I have used the grey to strip paint from nuts and bolts for a car restoration and it has worked great with removing paint, but it could take 8 hours or more. afterwards I use the corn cobb media to get a good finish to replate and or black oxidize the hardware. The finish that you get with the grey is similar to what a part looks like after its been sand blasted. Not sure how big your parts are but make sue you don't put to much weight in the tube. After about a year of loading mine up, I walked in to my garage to find my tube snapped off from the base.

[handyman]

Vicegrip, any chance to get a picture of your home built setup?

[Vicegrip]

It went off to another home some years ago after it became redundant. I built a media blast cabinet and had a smaller parts cleaner.

[STRENGTH AND POWER]

I have used a cement mixer with just sand in it to deburr parts. It works well, but never tried to remove paint in it or put in aluminum parts. Might give that a try. Mixers can be borrowed, rented, or purchased cheap.

Glenn

I was thinking about trying this exact thing after I sat for 3 hours deburring the inside of 2.5"DOM tubing that I cut on the bandsaw. Glad to kknow the theory is valid. What kind of time frame did you have the parts tumbling for?

[FusionKing]

Heck I've just been using the ole lady's dryer when she's gone
She thinks I suck at laundry after that and won't let me wash clothes now either.

[fun4now]

She thinks I suck at laundry after that and won't let me wash clothes now either
great results all around, sounds like a + + to me.

[HAWK]

I've never polished anything in it except for ammunition brass before reloading.

MAC702,

I have a smaller unit (about 12" in OD) from Dillion. It works great on brass and nickel cartridges (rifle and pistol) prior to reloading. I have also used it with a few other things like the antique brass rollers on chair legs. It eventually removed the lacquer coating, but something other than corn cob media (maybe nut hulls) would work better on the tougher stuff.


Dillion is way cheaper than the link originally posted!!!

[etonline]

Handyman you might try Tail Strip also called Aviation Stripper. It's available at most better auto parts stores, reasonable priced and is easy on metal including aluminum. Just hose off when done.

[MAC702]

...something other than corn cob media (maybe nut hulls) would work better on the tougher stuff.


Dillion is way cheaper than the link originally posted!!!

Agreed. And you can't ask for a better company to deal with than Dillon. Would you believe I used to have the very first issue of their Blue Press? Back when they were newspaper size! I can't believe I don't know what happened to them. A collector's dream these days, probably.

[HAWK]

MAC702,

Dillion has great customer service. They have replaced worn out pieces and parts as well as sent out parts that I could not find in a bag. Great for retrofitting on updates too. I wish I had those old editions of the BP, but no.