Gents...my FART is acting up. This is my first cleaning attempt since this thread ran it's course. Since there are dozens of FART users on this forum I thought I'd tap into your collective brain for help.
My tumbler just sits atop the machine without spinning at all. When the motor starts there is an initial movement on the drum....but only about 1/2 inch...then the drive wheels just spin happily under the tumbler.
I've tried my usual 500-600 9mm case load, as well as half that, and nothing makes a difference. I've apparently lost all friction from the loaded drum. In previous runs, a bit of water from the drum onto the drive wheel would cause some visible slipping, but the drum would still rotate pretty well. I would just run a shop towel over the drive wheel until in was dry and the drum would happily run for hours, or as long as I allowed it. Now, nothing. Even giving it a boost by hand produces no result.
To get through the project this weekend I added rubber bands onto the drive wheels to complete my tumbling, but this requires constant monitoring as the action heats the rubber bands, producing breaks, or the band creeps off the drive wheel and onto the shaft. It's a jury rig at best, and, I have better things to do on reloading days than to watch a tumbler spin.
My tumbler just sits atop the machine without spinning at all. When the motor starts there is an initial movement on the drum....but only about 1/2 inch...then the drive wheels just spin happily under the tumbler.
I've tried my usual 500-600 9mm case load, as well as half that, and nothing makes a difference. I've apparently lost all friction from the loaded drum. In previous runs, a bit of water from the drum onto the drive wheel would cause some visible slipping, but the drum would still rotate pretty well. I would just run a shop towel over the drive wheel until in was dry and the drum would happily run for hours, or as long as I allowed it. Now, nothing. Even giving it a boost by hand produces no result.
To get through the project this weekend I added rubber bands onto the drive wheels to complete my tumbling, but this requires constant monitoring as the action heats the rubber bands, producing breaks, or the band creeps off the drive wheel and onto the shaft. It's a jury rig at best, and, I have better things to do on reloading days than to watch a tumbler spin.