Review on 🔍 Frankford Arsenal Polishing Separator for Reloading by Erick Hernandez

I don't write reviews shortly after receiving an item, but I'll make an exception here. I've read a lot of reviews and also watched videos on You Tube where the common thread is that it's rather awkward for the end result. Well, yes, to an extent it is, but it depends on how you process brass. The only real downside for me is that it's a lot heavier, but of course it's a lot bigger than what I've used before. I did 3 big downloads and found that there is an optimal download size to get a really shiny case, not very clean but more golden color. When machining 9mm cases, I found that loading 25 handfuls of brass was the best load size: that's just over half a full drum, steel pins included. Then I add water just below the neck, I use warm, not hot. After that I add dish soap (I prefer Dawn); about 3 tablespoons (press gently and count to 5 if you don't want to measure). After that a teaspoon of Lemi Shine grains and then comes the top. Dry the threads of the locking screws first, otherwise you will get some leakage when tilting. Make sure they are tight. The process takes 3 hours. Once everything is ready I pop open one end and remove the clear lid and replace it with a slotted mesh. I also used the netting as a template and cut 4 circles out of the insect netting which, after inserting the netting, I slipped over the open end and then screwed on the cap to hold it in place. This allows you to drain dirty water without losing the steel pins. It also allows you to refill clean water to spill and drain again, saving you from excess dirty water and soap scum. Then I take off the sieve, roll it up again and empty it into the mop bucket. I use a mop bucket with a spout so I don't have to use a magnet to pick up material. The pens hold very little water and are clean, so all you have to do is tip the mop bucket and slide the pens back into the drum, scraping the ones underneath with your hand, but before you do. that you have to remove the brass! I use a salad bowl (large) and manually load some brass in it and shake it so all the brass pins fall to the bottom of the container. Then put them on the towel and keep going for a bit until I'm done. There won't be many brass pins if you shake the drum well while dumping the pins into the mop bucket. When the brass dries it will shine bright and the primers will be clean. You don't need to shell out $17 for a Frankford brass cleaner, although the sample that came with the jar did a good job. You also don't have to spend $16 to buy a magnet to grab a steel bar if you're using a mop bucket with a spout (not a real spout, just a V-shape at the top). That means you don't have to buy a separator either. Look, all that money saved; the tumbler almost paid for itself. :) The only downside to all of this is that I'm disappointed that the screws on the ends of the drum aren't true. They aren't quite round, so make a small gap between the threads. Therefore, you must ensure that you screw them on tightly to achieve a good seal on the clear end caps. I hope this doesn't become an issue as I use it more, but for now I can live with it. It's also noisy when it's running, so you can leave it running in the garage and when you put it on a table. Make sure it doesn't vibrate when you move it. It's a great cleaner, and even if you're only working a moderate amount of brass, it gets the job done much quicker than the little Harbor Freight stone jar I used before I bought the Frankford Arsenal jar.