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I too followed David's lead on this over a year ago after seeing his operation and can tell you, this is a process of progress over days, not hours or a day. I set it and forget it, or try too, for a couple of days. I see David has added glass bead as a tumbling media, so I may have to get some of that too.
Simple Green also helps, but don't put too little in, it turns into a mucky nasty mess. If I use simple green, I will lay out my media on some brown paper afterwards and allow it to dry, otherwise it dries into one large chunk or two.
I too followed David's lead on this over a year ago after seeing his operation and can tell you, this is a process of progress over days, not hours or a day. I set it and forget it, or try too, for a couple of days. I see David has added glass bead as a tumbling media, so I may have to get some of that too.
Simple Green also helps, but don't put too little in, it turns into a mucky nasty mess. If I use simple green, I will lay out my media on some brown paper afterwards and allow it to dry, otherwise it dries into one large chunk or two.
I am using four items now Jonathan. I use simple green as a pre-soaker for grease and for a cleaner in the tumbler. I use rust remover for badly rusted parts as a soaker too. I tumble with ceramic media first, then finish with the glass beads. So my sequence is 1) soak in simple green; rinse; 2) soak in rust remover; rinse; 3) tumble with ceramic media; 4) add simple green to green ceramic and tumble; rinse and dry; 5) tumble in glass bead media; rinse; dry; oil; store. I know the negative guys will say this is too much work and I hear them.
The only real work is moving the parts and media around. The time between is used doing other activities while the parts tumble. If you have no patience then don't even try this, you will be disappointed with the results. If you can set it and forget it then you will be happy with the results.
ive got a vibratory tumbler,not a rock tumbler,im using walnut shells,and the green little pyramids from harbor freight,,after 12hours of tumbling there just not clean like new,,
what other media can I use?,or im going back to the blast cabinet [takes way longer]
ive got a vibratory tumbler,not a rock tumbler,im using walnut shells,and the green little pyramids from harbor freight,,after 12hours of tumbling there just not clean like new,,
what other media can I use?,or im going back to the blast cabinet [takes way longer]
I have never heard success using the vibratory tumbler, sorry. I had read of disappointment when using it so I tried the rock tumbler instead and have had great success with it. I set the machines up and I let them do their work. Rock tumblers are a slow and methodical way of cleaning up the parts. If you need fast results then media blasting would be, in my opinion, a better option for you, or some other elctro-mechanical process perhaps. I have limited space to work so I allow the time to do its thing.
I clear the threads after I am done cleaning the parts and then put them back into service when and where I can do so.
Not for everyone, works well for me.
David
I have been using tumbler with green media. Works ok but you have a film to clean off when it's done. I guess it's better then a wire wheel flinging things.
I have been using tumbler with green media. Works ok but you have a film to clean off when it's done. I guess it's better then a wire wheel flinging things.
At the end of my tumbling cycle I empty the green ceramic media, leave the parts in the container, then fill the container half full with simple green and tumble for one or two more days. The parts come out clean. I still wipe them down in a clean shop towel afterwards and let them air dry. If I want to coat them I use a little penetrating oil like chain oil.
Make sure to clean out the slurry left behind or it will harden and would then have to be cleaned again. If you let the simple green dry out it leaves a mess to deal with.
I also use the tumbler with simple green to clean the green media and let it dry afterwards using a strainer. That cleans the media up to be used again.
Since you can't work on your car....maybe we can all send you bolts and nuts to clean in your rock tumbler!! ??
Interesting concept you have there. Pick on the sick guy to do your dirty work.
My tumblers are silent now as I have shut everything down for the next four weeks so I am not tempted to do anything that might do additional damage to my foot. Maybe with a little due diligence I can heal correctly and get back to my hobby.
I too am very fascinated with cleaning bolts. It is therapeutic to reveal the bolt stampings.
I run a similar setup for my hardware. Works like a charm!
For rust prevention after tumbling I use a product called AfterBlast from Eastwood which is a final cleaner as well as puts a phosphate coating back on the part. I follow this up with paint/powder coat and I am assured that the part will not rust for many, many years.
Ahh, the old rock tumblers like I had when I was a kid. Great idea.
One suggestion, get a good thread restorer kit. Don't use tap and die to clean threads as a tap and die are designed to remove material. Thread restorer or "thread chaser" just cleans the treads of galling or grease/sealant without removing any thread material.
If you use a tap and die on a bolt that has to be torqued, like a head bolt (not that I would reuse a head bolt anyway) removing thread material will change the torque holding properties of the bolt.
Hey guys, im from over in the c4 section. i had seen the vibratory tumbler idea on youtube and ordered one.
i used playground gravel as media. i take them greasy and rusty as F and put them straight into the tumbler. i add half a cup of simple green and half a cup of phosphoric acid in a weak concentration. they tumble for a few hours and come out clean and parkerized or “blued” or phosphate coated.
i simply put the bolts into an icecream pail then run hot water over them and haphazardly mix and role them with a dollar store dishscrub brush. this gets any fines that forms paste off.
then i spraymist them with wd40 and results are spectacular. im new to this and like OP David i like my bolts clean!!!!
my goal is zero cost other than a few cents worth of cleaner and electricity. for the phosphoric i use “limelicker”.
im going to try placing the parts in wmo instead of using up wd40 on my next batch, rather not have consumable expenses unless absolutely necessary but i know the cost in time and money for this method is way way way less than the time alone! to find and order the correct fastner new. this method does the cleaning and blueing all at once. i set it and forget it overnight. easy.
thank you to the op for all his notes and hope your foot is healed up!
04-10-2017, 09:48 PM
Cheers 
