Brass/Media Separator

Patriot

Patriot

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I was looking at these things and everyone wants big bucks for them. It
looks like something I could put together in a couple of hours from spare
parts around the house. Anyone know of a link to plans for a home built
brass/media separator?

TBP
 
I paid I think $60 or so for a set from Midway that included the tumbler, a bucket, the separator, and media. But if you want to go cheap, this is essentially the same thing:

Colander.jpg


durable%20water%20bucket-l.jpg
 
This is the one that I have. For $18.99 it would be hard to make one that works as well. When I first started out, I simply used a soil sieve with the largest screen. After much media bounced on the floor, and lots of time wasted, I invested the 19 bucks and got one of these. The adapter fits into any standard 5 gallon bucket. You open the top, dump out your tumbler, close the lid, and a couple of turns later your media is in the bucket and the brass in the cage...

Well worth the money!

Adam
 
Adam_MA said:
This is the one that I have.
Click to expand...

After about 30 years of digging brass out of media with my fingers (which became red or green, depending on which media I was using), pulling bits of ground up corncobs out from under my fingernails, or using various kitchen implements to help me sort things out, I finally ponied up the 22 bucks to buy the Cabela's version, which is essentially the same thing with a cover added to keep the dust down. Looking back on it, I must have been out of my mind to have waited so long. Off the top of my head I can't recall spending so little money on anything else that has saved me so much time and aggravation.
 
MegaPlinker said:
Judging by the picture they are different. The part that contains the media is basically the same, but the cabelas model is enclosed by a cover to contain the dust and media. Both seem to be a good deal though.
Click to expand...

Right - it's the Cabela's model that I have. Adam posted about the Frankfort Arsenal model sold by Midway. I thought the cover was worth a couple more bucks, but I haven't used one without it so can't say for sure.
 
The Cabela's and Frankford Arsenal separators look very slick.

I just took a 5 gallon pail and an old stainless steel strainer my wife didn't need. I pour the media into the bucket, scoop with the strainer, jiggle vigorously to move the brass and dump all the media therein and - voila! A strainer full of brass to dump into the Big Gulp cup or large coffee can of your choice.
 
Many years ago I saw my wife washing (if that is the right word) lettuce under the faucet with a thing that was basically a bowl made out of wide-mesh screen, with some legs so it would stand up.

After dinner I picked it up and said it had a hole in it; she should get a new one.

While she was in the store buying a new thing, I bought a plastic bowl, slightly larger, with a lid, for about $1. (As I said, many years ago.)

Works fine.
 
RKG said:
Many years ago I saw my wife washing (if that is the right word) lettuce under the faucet with a thing that was basically a bowl made out of wide-mesh screen, with some legs so it would stand up.
Click to expand...

That would be a colander.

If you want to get REALLY "hi-tech," get one of those salad spinners. Don't forget to reverse direction every now and then to shift the brass around! [wink]
 
I ended up springing for one of the RCBS separators after using the bucket and colander method for a while. I got sick of having media all over the floor.

The RCBS unit does a better job, and also separates the media much faster - especially when you're doing a lot of cases at once.
 
EddieCoyle said:
I ended up springing for one of the RCBS separators after using the bucket and colander method for a while. I got sick of having media all over the floor.

The RCBS unit does a better job, and also separates the media much faster - especially when you're doing a lot of cases at once.
Click to expand...

That's why the plastic bowl. It is about 18-20 inches in diameter (about 5 inches deep), while the co-lander thing (sounds like a Democratic name for a moon expedition) is only about 12 inches in diameter. Not a grain on the floor.

As for speed, I tumble pistol brass (.38, 9mm or .45 ACP) about 600 at a time (Thumblers, Model B) and separating the finished batch takes about 90 seconds.
 
Walmart and Petco sell a cat litter box that is a three piece unit. A plastic tray, a sifter and a top. The sifter has large holes but will not allow a 9mm casing to go through but the media falls away fast. It will hold a few hundred casings in 9mm and a couple of hundred in .45.

I have been reloading for years, and sifting my brass using a plastic collander....this cat litter box is by far the fastest separater I've ever used.

Its only a few bucks, durable and makes easy work of sifting and separating brass and media.
 
In my mind, the Dillon is hard to beat. It really tumbles the brass, comes in two sizes, [ You could put a baby in the big one! ] and you do not end up with little grains stuck all over your lube tray, if you use the the alcohol based spray lubes.
 
I have tried a couple of rotary separators (one that I made and one from RCBS) and found that it was easier to use a sifter lid (Lyman) over a five gallon plastic pail.
 
Remove the bottom of a bucket and attach some quarter inch wire mesh. Add ingredients and shake over another bucket or other container to catch the medium.

JT
 
jacobtowne said:
Remove the bottom of a bucket and attach some quarter inch wire mesh. Add ingredients and shake over another bucket or other container to catch the medium.

JT
Click to expand...

JT,

Great minds think alike! I spent some time this weekend thinking about solving
my dilemma and continue my search for that elusive (really cheap) media
separator. So I formed some quarter inch mesh along with a small Tupperware
bucket and it works so good I might patent it (just kidding!). Here are some
pics from my P&S camera so they aren't too great.

My Tumbler
DCP_0017a.jpg


My Media Seperator
DCP_0018a.jpg


Media emptied into the seperator
DCP_0019a.jpg


A few shakes of the Tupperware bucket back and forth - Voila! A few large
pieces of media remain but are easily removed, and the brass of course.
DCP_0020a.jpg


The final results - Brass collected out of the basket and media ready to be
poured back into the tumbler.

DCP_0021a.jpg


Only thing left to do is to duct tape the edges of the quarter inch wire to
avoid the inevitable piercing of the skin from the jaggies. I would think this
could easily be scaled up to the larger Tupperware container if your needs
mandated a larger arrangement. The nice part: It didn't cost me a penny
as I had this piece of mesh and the wife donated the bucket. The media
that I am using is the Wally World Corn Cob Pet Litter. The brass I tried
this out with was .38/.380/.45ACP/.357.

TBP
 
Last edited:
I saw an article in a mag last month, I can't remember which one. The writer used 2 5 gallon pails, he drilled 3/8" holes in the bottom of the first pail ( he drilled about a hundred holes) and simply shook the pail with the holes into the second pail. It looked like it would work great. He also duct taped 4 empty pieces of 45 brass to the sides of the pail to prevent the 2 pails from wedging together.
 
Midway sells a sifter that is similar to the borrom of a five gallon pail for about $10. I would buy one before I started drilling, but I'm lazy.
 

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