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Thread: Ball Cleaning

  1. #1
    Fever Hunter David Wile's Avatar
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    Default Ball Cleaning

    Hey folks,

    I know I saw a thread where Arby mentioned using a rock and gem tumbler to polish blemished balls. While I do not have a tumbler machine, I do have a vibratory machine that is used to clean brass shell casings for reloading ammunition, and I wondered how it might work.

    When I recently bought a vintage Pachinko machine, it came with perhaps 150 old balls which had a good bit of discoloration, and perhaps a third of them had some amount of visible rusting (not major pitting however). I threw them in the vibratory cleaner which uses ground up corn cob to polish, and I forgot about them until about 36 hours later. When I checked them out, all rust was gone, and they were really polished very bright and shiney.

    Best wishes,
    Dave Wile

  2. #2
    Site Admin Tulsa's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    That's pretty much the same principle as Arby's tumbler.
    Meanwhile, somewhere in Oklahoma.

  3. #3
    LaughingJim
    Lurker LaughingJim's Avatar

    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    Ground up corn cobb? Would the stuff from pet stores work or is there a certain kind of size that the ground cobb has to be for that toy?

    I wonder if that would work with tokens?

    The big question is, where do I get a big vibrator? (That sounds so wrong!)

    I wonder what my neighbors will think... They already hate the tune to destroyer and neo-planett!

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    Fever Hunter photos8484's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Re: Ball Cleaning

    A vibrating machine to clean brass shells will work also= same principle as a rock tumbler. I have a MINISONIC rock tumbler that will finish in 5 days what a rotary rock tumbler will need 30 days to accomplish. I just looked online & can't find any references to MINISONIC tumblers (so I'm assuming the company no longer exists [or no longer makes them]). Another brand is the Raytech Tumble-Vibe 5, and Raytech has been a big name in rock and gem machines for years & years. There is another vibrating machine called 'lot-o-tumbler', but I know absolutely nothing about these. An advantage of vibrating tumblers is that everything can be used dry (crushed corn cobs & other various tumbling media) as opposed to a rotary tumbler which needs a wet slurry of various grits. There is greater control with the vibrating tumbler, AND less mess, not to mention speed. One disadvantage: they're LOUD (HUH? WHAT? PACHISLO? WHAT? PACHINKO???)... use them in a garage or an area separate from the house.
    If you have a gun shop near you, they probably sell (or can get for you) a brass casing tumbler and the ground corncob or walnut shells (same deal with a rock shop). You may have better luck going online, typing in 'vibrating tumbler' or 'rock tumbler' & then going with the best deal.
    I've used mine for years to tumble rocks & gems & various small metal pieces that need to be cleaned & polished
    **New Trad**Disco Queen**

  5. #5
    Mr. Pachitalk arbycoffee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    PhotoÂ…

    Ball & Token Tumbler, Works great, see video, all you need to polish your balls are Walnut Shells.
    Those can be got at the linc below for Abrasive Depot. All you will need is the 3 lbs. order, they last, it seems forever. Load barrel with balls 1/2 full, Walnut Shells up to about 1/2 from top, put on lid tight. Run for 2 to 3 hours, unload into a screen, reuse the grit. You got shiny chrome looking balls. DO THIS ALL DRY.



    Ball Tumbler #3 Video



    Abrasive Depot
    1900 The Exchange
    Suite 400
    Atlanta, GA 30339
    404-699-7990 (P) 678-627-0221 (F)
    Office Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
    info@abrasivedepot.com - www.abrasivedepot.com

    Order Walnut Shells
    Walnut Shells
    Walnut shell abrasive is used to blast clean and polish soft metals, fiberglass, wood, plastics and stone. It works as a deburring and deflashing product for moldings, castings, and electrical parts. It is an efficient soft abrasive when used to tumble and polish gun casings, jewelry, ink pens and metal parts-and can also be used to prepare surfaces and equipment for painting. In some applications, because of its resistance to breakdown, walnut shell abrasive can be reused many times, reducing costs. Medium Is the equivalent of a 12/20 grit size.
    Part # Description Weight Price *
    WS-M-064 WALNUT SHELL, MEDIUM (#12/20) 3 lbs. $ 8

    PetCo. has Walnut Shells also
    "This is My Personal Opinion and no others"

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    Fever Hunter photos8484's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    I didn't realize rotary tumblers would run dry. Great for those who don't want to spend $$$ for vibrating tumblers. I stand corrected! Rotary tumblers are very inexpensive in comparison to vibrating ones (although the Raytech vibe-5 sells for about $100, which is not too bad, considering).
    **New Trad**Disco Queen**

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    Mr. Pachitalk arbycoffee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    I am going to list two more of them in the for sale today.
    "This is My Personal Opinion and no others"

  8. #8
    Goodwill Ambassador luckydog's Avatar
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    Smile Re: Ball Cleaning

    3 weeks ago i bought a new rock tumbler from goodwill for 10.00, it still had some xmas wrapping paper on it.

    so for 3 weeks i have been polishing the rocks that came with it.

    now i have about 50 nice polished rocks!!!!

    i did two batches of tokens so far and they came out looking like new.

    2 hours tumbling each batch.

    but, it sures is noisy!!!
    幸運わんわん Luckydog or Yukiwanwan in Japanese

  9. #9
    Mr. Pachitalk arbycoffee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    Good Buy LuckyDog!
    "This is My Personal Opinion and no others"

  10. #10
    Sir Carl slotter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    Lucky, how many tokens will it clean at one time?

    I'll bet the tokens are more noisy than the rocks were and the rocks were probably plenty noisy, too.

  11. #11
    Mr. Pachitalk arbycoffee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    It would depend on the size of your tumbler, good rule of thumb is 1/3 grit, 1/3 product, 1/3 dead air space for tumbling. you very as to what works best to person.
    "This is My Personal Opinion and no others"

  12. #12
    Goodwill Ambassador luckydog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    i did about 100 tokens each time with some crushed walnut shells. 2 hrs.

    it's not any nosier than the rocks were.

    i suppose someone could use a gallon bucket and rig it up to turn with a motor and clean 1,000 at a time!!!!

    after waiting 3 weeks for the rocks 2 hrs isn't very long.

    but, i have over 20,000 tokens and over 3,000 balls.

    i guess i'll do the tokens in one machine at a time.
    幸運わんわん Luckydog or Yukiwanwan in Japanese

  13. #13
    The Barbarian johntofva's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    Where do you get the crushed walnut shells? And what grade(size) does it come in?
    Life
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  14. #14
    Goodwill Ambassador luckydog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    petsmart, used for pet bedding, i just bought a bag
    幸運わんわん Luckydog or Yukiwanwan in Japanese

  15. #15
    The Barbarian johntofva's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    I bought a bag there to, but thought it looked to coarse. Thanks
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  16. #16
    Goodwill Ambassador luckydog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    walnut shells versus metal.

    tokens or balls hold up good.
    幸運わんわん Luckydog or Yukiwanwan in Japanese

  17. #17
    Mr. Pachitalk arbycoffee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    Pet smart, I don't Know if grit sized, but here it is

    Quote Originally Posted by arbycoffee
    Abrasive Depot
    1900 The Exchange
    Suite 400
    Atlanta, GA 30339
    404-699-7990 (P) 678-627-0221 (F)
    Office Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
    info@abrasivedepot.com - www.abrasivedepot.com

    Order Walnut Shells
    Walnut Shells
    Walnut shell abrasive is used to blast clean and polish soft metals, fiberglass, wood, plastics and stone. It works as a deburring and deflashing product for moldings, castings, and electrical parts. It is an efficient soft abrasive when used to tumble and polish gun casings, jewelry, ink pens and metal parts-and can also be used to prepare surfaces and equipment for painting. In some applications, because of its resistance to breakdown, walnut shell abrasive can be reused many times, reducing costs. Medium Is the equivalent of a 12/20 grit size.
    Part # Description Weight Price *
    WS-M-064 WALNUT SHELL, MEDIUM (#12/20) 3 lbs. $ 8
    "This is My Personal Opinion and no others"

  18. #18
    The Barbarian johntofva's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    Hey Arby,

    If I needed a thing-a-mabob from whoes-it, I bet you would have the information I needed. Thanks
    Life
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    When you least expect it.

  19. #19
    Mr. Pachitalk arbycoffee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    You want a tumbler to clean your Balls & tokens ?

    Do I have a deal for you

    Ball & Token Tumblers. I have two left of them to sell. I bough these from an old Rock polisher who retired. Please email for reserve and on notification, you can pay paypal. As you can see, I am not making any money off this, just helping out another old farth.


    Ball & Token Tumblers
    Cost: $58.00 boxed & shipped
    Works great, see video, all you need to polish your balls are Walnut Shells.
    Those can be got at the linc below for Abrasive Depot. All you will need is the 3 lbs. order, they last, it seems forever. Load barrel with balls 1/2 full, Walnut Shells up to about 1/2 from top, put on lid tight. Run for 2 to 3 hours, unload into a screen, reuse the grit. You got shiny chrome looking balls. DO THIS ALL DRY.




    Ball Tumbler #3 Video
    "This is My Personal Opinion and no others"

  20. #20
    mku
    Lurker mku's Avatar

    Default Re: Ball Cleaning

    PM sent.

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