Cleaning your balls

[Whitewater]

Hi guys

I have about 35 balls in my machines and replacing them periodically is quite expensive.

At the moment when the balls begin showing signs of wear I use brasso followed by mr sheen to clean them.

I remember seeing a thread where someone used a tumbler with walnut shells to get a much better polish and prolong the use of their balls

Just wondering if there is a cost effective tumbler or other method I could use to prolong the life of my aging balls

Any advice would be appreciated

[Boof Head]

Cleaning your balls

I tumble mine every couple of months in a vibratory tumbler with corn cob media and a little autosol metal polish. Something like this would be ok. You could probably find something cheaper that would do the same job.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F182230755198
The media I get from a gun shop. A $30 lot lasts me a couple of restorations and some ball polishing along the way.
I did some average looking keys for my machine today using the same method. This is about 4hrs in the tumbler. The balls I do for around 24 hrs.


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[Railways]

Yep, as above with [MENTION=17818]Boof Head[/MENTION].
My tumbler uses walnut shells and I chuck in some autosol as well. Balls - 24 to 48 hrs helps prolong their life BUT before I waste power and ingredients I check the items over with a magnifying glass to see if its worth doing.

[Whitewater]

Does this mean if they are a bit pitted they can't be tumbled ? When mine start feeling a bit rough to touch with my hand is when I usually polish them , but should I be doing it sooner ?

Yep, as above with [MENTION=17818]Boof Head[/MENTION].
My tumbler uses walnut shells and I chuck in some autosol as well. Balls - 24 to 48 hrs helps prolong their life BUT before I waste power and ingredients I check the items over with a magnifying glass to see if its worth doing.

[ocyen]

Cleaning your balls

I also throw mine in the tumbler periodically. May or may not be cost effective depending on how much you use it, but I like to recycle what I have so I use it a fair bit.

You can tumble them whether they're pitted or not. However tumbling will only polish what's there; it can't remove the pits.

[Boots]

These work nicely:
http://www.gunco.com.au/BER269/TUMBL...R-SR787/pd.php

You can also give them a polish on a buff after for extra shine

[DAG]

Don't you clean your balls in the shower?

Seriously now....If you use the tumbler as per the above link...Thanks BOOTS...
Can you use the standard CORN COB MEDIA for brass bullets to Clean your balls?
The boss has some of these in the warehouse so I might wack my balls in there...
Just checking that the Corn Cob is the way to go...

[Jumpingmanjim]

Do not under any circumstances, use this stuff to clean your balls. Oh god the pain

[DAG]

Do not under any circumstances, use this stuff to clean your balls. Oh god the pain

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How long did the pain last...? lol

[Boots]

Don't you clean your balls in the shower?

Seriously now....If you use the tumbler as per the above link...Thanks BOOTS...
Can you use the standard CORN COB MEDIA for brass bullets to Clean your balls?
The boss has some of these in the warehouse so I might wack my balls in there...
Just checking that the Corn Cob is the way to go...

Yes corn cob is good

[john17a]

or you can try this
you get a small peice of timber drill a hole in it with a 25mm spade bit 15mm deep doesnt need to be accurate
put ball in hole of wood and use a bench grinder to polish them there are different grades of buffing wheels
and cutting compounds start with the coarse and finish with a sisal rag wheel the ball in the timber can and does rotate allowing the ball to be polished on all sides also
you are not holding the ball so the heat transfer shouldnt be an issue
ive a tumler here with 2 grades of media and run it for 48 hrs the bench grinder method shits on the tumbler
taking about 3 mins a ball and with more effort and time you can bring back some very average balls

ball pictured was in average cond done this with MAV here sunday 2 mins only used 2 wheels

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yes i need a new spade bit

thanks KJS

[extendo]

[MENTION=10178]john17a[/MENTION] that's a very cool and neat idea, zooming in I can see a very shinny ball and ya six pack



- Con

[john17a]

[MENTION=10178]john17a[/MENTION] that's a very cool and neat idea, zooming in I can see a very shinny ball and ya six pack

https://www.aussiearcade.com/attachm...hmentid=147250

- Con

Closer to a carton than a six pack Con

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[john17a]

Just want to show you what I meant you could achieve with a little more effort i have some rusty ball here
This is 1 i will I'll spend that little more effort

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Just want to show you what I meant you could achieve with a little more effort i have some rusty ball here
This is 1 i will I'll spend that little more effort

- - - Updated - - -

This is the end result 5 mins 3 different buffing wheels and a perfectly useable ball I'll do very rusted 1 with a member present here and get him to add his opinion

Sorry pics aren't brighter raining and very overcast here

[robm]

Wow. Amazing result!

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