I am looking to buy a vibratory polisher to use in cleaning up rusty parts etc. I also might polish silver items I make with it, but the rusty parts are my main concern. I bought a cheap one at Harbor Freight, but it has a tendency to self destruct, and also it isn't aggressive enough.

Any recommendations? I want to stay considerably south of a kilobuck.

Funny timing. I'm going to buy one to clean up all my hardware before plating. Honestly, I am planning on buying the large one at harbor freight. We have one at the shop, it works fine. You just have to reinforce the bowl if you use sharp media. I'll get whatever replacement plan they have so if it does go bad, i can get a new one.

Check with local gun shops or Bass Pro, Cabellas, Midway etc.

https://www.midwayusa.com/case-tumblers-med...ish/br?cid=8940

Will the case cleaners remove rust? I was kinda thinking that cleaning used brass would be an easier chore.

Just depends on the media. Most of mine have already been blasted. I want a smoother finish before plating. Like most things, the prep is important.

If you don't have a bead blaster, soak the part in apple cider vinegar for a couple days to remove heavy rust. Longer if needed. Hardware will come out rust free but will surface rust very quickly unless you spray with WD-40

I have the larger HF unit, works fine.

Currently only running plastic cone shaped media with water and a little detergent for de-burring and getting some of the tooling marks off parts.

I haven't experimented with polishing which I will do one of these days using walnut shells and some other stuff thrown in.

For rust removal prior to plating I have done the electrolysis bath. I cant access youtube at work, but you can find videos using washing soda and a battery charger. I did this and it actually worked.

If you can't access youtube, how are you going to operate? Or diagnose diseases?

I have done the electrolysis but I was hoping for a dump and clean approach. The electricity always needs wires.

I bought this stuff to try and have not but it is safe to eat the rust. Use then put in the vibrator with cat litter and it should work.

Bob B
Click to view attachment

Cat litter?

Never heard that before, will have to look into that one.

Vibrator and cat litter. Making it easy tonight....

That stuff works great, but I've seen mepstein post before about cider vinegar working just as well at a fraction of the cost. So I have a gallon of that I'm going to try on my next derusting round.

worn, thanks for posting this! I'm also getting ready to buy a tumbler and wondered the same thing. Glad to hear the HF unit works okay.

Yes. Saw a YouTube video. I’m going to try it.

I have this one from Eastwood.

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-5-lb-tumb...with-media.html

YEs on the how to make your own vibratory tumbler. I used a Lyman Orange tumbler for years for brass shells. Never broke down.

Bob B

I've moved from vibration tumblers to rotational tumblers.

In specific I'm using Thumblers Tumbler. Works really well and I've found it to clean faster then vibration tumblers. Steel construction so it won't explode.

I've used everything from SS pins to walnut shells to aluminum oxide.

Added bonus. SS pins, some soft scrub and a cap full of Lemmishine gets spent brass looking like new again.

Zach