Like a lot of you, I have literally thousands of bolts, nuts, hardware, and other miscellaneous FoMoCo small metal parts that I have stored for years. Most of these have a little bit of grease and some rust, etc. They all need to cleaned up, and while I have used the glass bead cabinet at times to clean up bolts for a current project, I have so much stuff (and some of it is unique) of course, I would like to clean up everything I've got and set up some storage bins, etc.

My questions are about vibratory tumblers... the kinds that are used to clean up shell casings, etc. Anyone on the forum using a tumbler to clean up small metal parts? What brand/size do you have? How do you like the results and what cutting media do you like to use?

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Daniel, I have one of those Harbor freight jobs that I bought at a cheap price. I also have two kinds of the media. Plastic diamond shape things and Walnut shells.

None of it works to my satisfaction.

I did research on building a tumbler and there is much info on the web about it.

There are high quality tumbler versions available but I couldn't justify the cost.

Most of the time for my pieces it takes a combination of processes to restore the small items and keep track of them.

We have a High quality Aircraft repair business in town that I use when I have bulk items. They carefully soak, strip and either Cadmium plate, anodize or other processes to your request. I found that to be the best deal.
However certain parts (rare or unusual) need to be taken watch of in case you want to keep them period correct or stock. Some unique little bits are just to hard to come by.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

I have a medium sized one (orange) from Eastwood. Works pretty good but takes forever. I hope you have have a garage to run it in that is remote from your living space, as it is also quite noisy.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Hmmm...This might sound funny to your ears, but I had to google "vibratory tumblers" before I knew what you ment. I still never seen machine like that but atleast now I know what it does.

-Not a useless day when you learn something.

Hyvinkää, FI

For my small parts I usually have to clean them in my parts washer first in a basket. After they are dry I have a Skat Blast media blast cabinet that I use. I put the parts in a steel basket and use their "Speed Bead" which is a 50/50 mix of aluminum oxide and glass bead. I shake the basket like an old fashioned corn popper as I'm blasting the parts and it works pretty well.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Rono,

that is pretty much what I do, but I was looking for a way to polish them a little bit for protection and thought the tumbler might be the easier trick. Just flip the switch and walk away.

What kind of basket do you use to blast your hardware? I have a small metal carburetor parts basket that I use, but those bolts like to "jump out" all over the place.

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Do you have any corrosion problems (rust) after you clean them or do put a protectant on them?

"The Master Cylinder"

Enjoying life at the beach in SOCAL

If I use the bolts within a week or two, then generally there is no problem and no need to spray any kind of protectant. If I use a protectant then there is the factor of wanting the paint the head of the bolt or other parts of the hardware later on.

Was that question for me or for Rono? sorry about that...

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

I bought a basket from "TP Tools" who sell the Skat Blast products on Ebay. The basket is a heavy steel basket about 5" in diameter and 6" deep with a frying-pan like handle. You can buy them from Skat Blast or TP Tools.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

I will have to check my TP catalog.

I bought my SkatBlast unit at a Carlisle, PA swapmeet several years back. I have been very satisfied with its performance... when i went with a vertical 60 gallon 5hp air compressor, that blast cabinet came alive. I can run the unit continuously now, and the compressor keeps up and will actually peak and shut off for a minute or two while I blast.

Have you ever purchased any of their painting supplies/tools?

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com