Cleaning Fasteners, Rowlocks, Etc.

[smallboatshop]

Has anyone had experience with cleaning pieces and parts with a tumbler? A visitor to the shop asked if I wouldn't find that to be the way to go.....

 

[Dave Osborn]

I clean screws and small parts in a tumbler. It’s a rock tumbler. Wish I had an bigger one for row locks and larger parts, but....
First I clean them with paint remover or acetone. I do that in a varnish can that fits on my tumbler.
After rinsing, I put the parts in a rubber drum with treated walnut shell media and let them tumble a couple of days.
Bits of the walnut get caught in the screw slots, but they are easily removed.
I bought the tumbler from Harbor Freight and get the media on eBay. It’s normally used for polishing bullet casings.

 

[charvey]

Tumblers are awesome for polishing all metals. I pick up my walnut shells at pet supply stores. Experiment by adding your choice of polishing liquid to the walnut shells while tumbling. Be sure to print a 20% coupon from harbor freight.

 

[Todd Bradshaw]

The tumblers like the Lyman Turbo Tumbler which are sold for cleaning brass cartridges for reloaders can be had in the $50-$60 range and do a nice job.

 

[Gary Willoughby]

I tried to clean up some cup washers with a lyman tumbler using walnuts. Ran it two days did nothing no clean up at all.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Drop them in Coca Cola for a day or two. Shines he pennies up real nice. Don’t think about your internals.....lol