pyrochris732 Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 A guy I know has an old "industrial" rock tumbler that he says was almost $1000 brand new. It comes with a 5 lb jar and a 25 lb jar. He is going to change the pulley for me to get it to spin about 60 rpms. I would like to use the 5 lb drum only because I just dont have the money to fill a 25 lb drum with good media. So, if I opt for non sparking media that isnt pure lead Id like to know what would be ideal. And how much. Ideally, I would love to use brass. Ebay has 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch brass rod that I can cut into small pieces. Would you do .50 or .75 inch for a 5 lb drum? Also, how many 1/2 inch pieces do you think would be idea for a 5 lb drum?More expensive would be round balls that are .50 or .75 inch too on ebay. Would .75 be too big for a 5 lb drum? Id REALLY love to get my hands on lead-antimony round balls that arent 25 bucks for 100ct like on the pyro sites. Anyone have a source for these in bulk ( a few hundred?) If nobody has any suggestions, I will probably just get the half inch musket lead balls from a gun shop. Thanks, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbillyreefer Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Check with your local gun shop for round balls. I'd assume that lead pistol bullets should also work. I'm using a combination of roundballs, and 58 caliber muzzle loader bullets. Seem to work, but my ball milling experience is pretty much nil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrochris732 Posted November 30, 2010 Author Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) funny you mentioned bullets because i found plentyof lead-antimony bullets but i saw that A. they are kind of small and i dont know really how big they are and B. they all said something about being lubricated. It made me think they wouldnt be good to use. If you kind find me a link to the ones that are just lead and antimony and big enough, kindly share! Thanks Edited November 30, 2010 by pyrochris732 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbillyreefer Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Agh, never thought of the lube on them. I cast my own so just use them without lubing them. The ones I have in my mill are 500grn, so a little over an ounce in weight. Shotgun slugs may work better for you. They should not be lubed. You may have to buy a bullet mold and cast them yourself, it is not difficult to do. Melt the lead over a hot plate and ladel into the mold. Pop the mold open, and tap the bullet out, repeat until you have enough. I bet there is someone on this board who casts there own in the US. Post a looking for thread and maybe someone on here could help you out. What do you have in your reef tanks, I have four of my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankRizzo Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) A 2x4, a table saw, some 3" wood screws, & a forstner bit of the correct diameter are all you need to cast media. Just rip the 2x4 down the center, screw it back together, then plunge a forstner bit along the length of the 2x4 in the seam to make mold cavities. Fill the cavities with molten lead, let it harden for a few minutes, then unscrew the halves of the board and remove your cylindrical media. One board will give you 4-5 castings before the holes become enlarged from the burnout. Edited November 30, 2010 by FrankRizzo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peret Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Hornady buckshot is antimony hardened, available up to 350 caliber ("000 buckshot"). Hornady 50 cal musket balls are pure lead though. Missouri Bullet 50 cal ball is hardened. Expect to pay about $25 for 200 50 cal, which weighs about 5 pounds, or $25 for about 600 buckshot, which also weighs about 5 pounds. Don't worry about any lubrication - it's just grease, it will come off if you mill a few ounces of rice hulls or charcoal first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrochris732 Posted November 30, 2010 Author Share Posted November 30, 2010 Hornady buckshot is antimony hardened, available up to 350 caliber ("000 buckshot"). Hornady 50 cal musket balls are pure lead though. Missouri Bullet 50 cal ball is hardened. Expect to pay about $25 for 200 50 cal, which weighs about 5 pounds, or $25 for about 600 buckshot, which also weighs about 5 pounds. Don't worry about any lubrication - it's just grease, it will come off if you mill a few ounces of rice hulls or charcoal first. interesting. Also, I got a quote for brass rods cut, and its pretty expensive.. 150 brass 3/4 inch pieces cut for me is 100 bucks without shipping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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