Tumbling cast round balls- process and method

[James Kopp]

I have seen some threads here about placing cast lead round balls in a rock tumbler for a few hours helps round out the ball.. and adding graphite powder also makes a difference...

My question to those who have done this process is: what type of medium are your using with the tumbling and are you adding water like you traditionally do with rock tumbling...

and if anyone knows of any video on Youtube or else where, please let me know.....Any and all advice is appreciated..

 

[82ndPA]

I have seen some threads here about placing cast lead round balls in a rock tumbler for a few hours helps round out the ball.. and adding graphite powder also makes a difference...

My question to those who have done this process is: what type of medium are your using with the tumbling and are you adding water like you traditionally do with rock tumbling...

and if anyone knows of any video on Youtube or else where, please let me know.....Any and all advice is appreciated..

This video on Bubba Roundtree Outdoors is specific to tumbling round ball (buckshot). Search his channel for more on casting.

 

[hanshi]

You don't need any media in the tumbler, just pour in the balls and turn it on. Tumbling removes any trace of the sprue and gets them looking quite uniform.

 

[ROA457]

I have seen some threads here about placing cast lead round balls in a rock tumbler for a few hours helps round out the ball.. and adding graphite powder also makes a difference...

My question to those who have done this process is: what type of medium are your using with the tumbling and are you adding water like you traditionally do with rock tumbling...

and if anyone knows of any video on Youtube or else where, please let me know.....Any and all advice is appreciated..

I have just started tumbling RB’s myself just for giggles but am impressed by their look when finished, they may be a little more concentric but does it really matter. I just dump a couple of hundred in my tumbler with a squirt of graphite powder and tumble. You will know if you have put too much in as your hands will be black when you take them out. Less is better,

 

[ZUG]

Very interesting subject. I never thought about it as I but mostly swaged round balls. When I do cast them I just use them as cast. I don't feel the need to tumble the cast balls as for me I don't see any accuracy difference from the store-bought swaged balls and my cast balls. I'm not that good of a shot to notice a difference. If I did have a tumbler I would give it a try but for now I don't want to spend the money on a tumbler. The money I would spend to buy a tumbler is money that I can use to buy more swaged balls

 

[Juice Jaws]

I have seen some threads here about placing cast lead round balls in a rock tumbler for a few hours helps round out the ball.. and adding graphite powder also makes a difference...

My question to those who have done this process is: what type of medium are your using with the tumbling and are you adding water like you traditionally do with rock tumbling...

and if anyone knows of any video on Youtube or else where, please let me know.....Any and all advice is appreciated..

Waste of time, the only thing it does is make your balls look pretty

 

[Erwan]

I just dump a couple of hundred in my tumbler with a squirt of graphite powder and tumble

Graphite, what for? The lead is enough auto-lubricant for tumbling, apart from that, don't you use patches?

 

[EC121]

By the time you whack the short starter or ram the ball down, the sprue is flat.

 

[flatcreek]

It's hard enough to get the ball in the center of the patch. Then lining up the sprue to point straight up[ is to much for me, I shot swagged balls, so this has possibilities.

 

[#BPBReloadingFFL]

IMPO it's a waste of time!

 

[Piquant]

I tumble mine in a cheap harbor freight rock tumbler that i also use to make BP. 1/2 hour maybe , just the lead balls. Comes out shiny, no sprue, and dimpled like a golf ball. Is it nessaceary, probably not. But so is alot of other things. I do because I can and I find it's shoots very well. Enjoy your hobby.

 

[flconch53]

How many of you have mic'd the balls after you tumble them? I have found that they are not as round as they look where the sprue was is still bigger. It just makes it harder to tell where the sprue is. That would make it harder to load if the sprue side was loaded against the barrel.

 

[longcruise]

How many of you have mic'd the balls after you tumble them? I have found that they are not as round as they look where the sprue was is still bigger. It just makes it harder to tell where the sprue is. That would make it harder to load if the sprue side was loaded against the barrel.

I've done this and it has made the sprue location irrelevant because the sprue is gone. I use a vibrating case polisher. Just put them in one layer with a little bit of loose space.

BTW, this is something that I've done but haven't bothered with in a very long time.

 

[flconch53]

I've done this and it has made the sprue location irrelevant because the sprue is gone. I use a vibrating case polisher. Just put them in one layer with a little bit of loose space.

BTW, this is something that I've done but haven't bothered with in a very long time.

I agree visually the sprue is gone but if you measure the diameter in different spots I got different dimensions as much as .01

0

 

[longcruise]

I agree visually the sprue is gone but if you measure the diameter in different spots I got different dimensions as much as .01

0

I've never measured them after vibrating. Don't doubt your observation at all.

 

[flconch53]

I've never measured them after vibrating. Don't doubt your observation at all.

It didn't make much difference in accuracy but it seems hardly worth the effort

 

[longcruise]

It didn't make much difference in accuracy but it seems hardly worth the effort

I agree. Only advantage I see/saw is not having to fiddle with the sprue location when loading.