SMT Wet Tumblers
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plodder
Member
If you are using LemiShine or another type of citrus cleaner in your wet tumbler concoction, it is important to rinse the brass with fresh water in a thorough manner after tumbling. Otherwise, I do not have a big issue with oxidation of stored brass. If some gets a little duller looking than I like, I may run the finished rounds through a few minutes of dry media tumbling so that I can remain a proud craftsman that is happy for others to see my work.
CLP
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I rinse, then run the wet brass through a traditional media separator with a shredded up old t-shirt to absorb the water. Set the brass aside for a couple of days before I prep it further. When dry, I run it through the media separator again sans rags to knock off any media pins that might have stuck to the inside of the brass when it was wet. It's definitely more work than just popping brass in some walnut or corncob media, and I don't do it with all brass, but I like the end result much more.
LiveLife
Member
If you tumble in media treated with NuFinish, the residual polymer on the brass surface will prevent tarnishing/corrosion for years.plodder said:
oldpapps
Member
I 'rattle-tub' 40s and 45s, so I don't have a lot of bulk processing.
All others (for the most part) get an initial 'rattle-tub' cleaning before being sized/deprimed. Then they go into roller buckets followed by a squirt of Dawn, steel pins and filled with water.
Tumble. I only want them clean, inside and out, and have no interesting in 'polished' shinning brass, so I don't use any chemicals other than the Dawn to break up the sizing lubrication.
After tumbling, the whole mess is dumped into a round bottomed steel bowl and flushed with clean water, lots of it. Now comes the slowest part, pick up and shake each casing under water to be rid of the steel pins and check primer pockets for double pins wedged in. And toss on to a towel.
The wet brass on the towel goes on a cookie sheet and into a pre-heated oven set to 250 to 300 degrees. In the hot over, close the door and turn off the heat. When the oven has cooled, the brass is dry. Temps are too low to cause any damage.
Back to the steel pins. Pour off the excess water and strain threw a shop towel. I sling the towel with pins in a ball to get rid of excess water. This towel is spread on an out of the way place on the carpet and all dry.
Brass and pins clean and dry, ready for the next use
All others (for the most part) get an initial 'rattle-tub' cleaning before being sized/deprimed. Then they go into roller buckets followed by a squirt of Dawn, steel pins and filled with water.
Tumble. I only want them clean, inside and out, and have no interesting in 'polished' shinning brass, so I don't use any chemicals other than the Dawn to break up the sizing lubrication.
After tumbling, the whole mess is dumped into a round bottomed steel bowl and flushed with clean water, lots of it. Now comes the slowest part, pick up and shake each casing under water to be rid of the steel pins and check primer pockets for double pins wedged in. And toss on to a towel.
The wet brass on the towel goes on a cookie sheet and into a pre-heated oven set to 250 to 300 degrees. In the hot over, close the door and turn off the heat. When the oven has cooled, the brass is dry. Temps are too low to cause any damage.
Back to the steel pins. Pour off the excess water and strain threw a shop towel. I sling the towel with pins in a ball to get rid of excess water. This towel is spread on an out of the way place on the carpet and all dry.
Brass and pins clean and dry, ready for the next use
plodder
Member
Thanks bds, I know I have read this trick numerous times in the past but since I didn't have the problem at that very moment, I have never used it. I will now.
No need to dry stainless pins unless you just like that extra work - mine sit in water for weeks, never had an issue. Have you had problems leaving wet?I 'rattle-tub' 40s and 45s, so I don't have a lot of bulk processing.
All others (for the most part) get an initial 'rattle-tub' cleaning before being sized/deprimed. Then they go into roller buckets followed by a squirt of Dawn, steel pins and filled with water.
Tumble. I only want them clean, inside and out, and have no interesting in 'polished' shinning brass, so I don't use any chemicals other than the Dawn to break up the sizing lubrication.
After tumbling, the whole mess is dumped into a round bottomed steel bowl and flushed with clean water, lots of it. Now comes the slowest part, pick up and shake each casing under water to be rid of the steel pins and check primer pockets for double pins wedged in. And toss on to a towel.
The wet brass on the towel goes on a cookie sheet and into a pre-heated oven set to 250 to 300 degrees. In the hot over, close the door and turn off the heat. When the oven has cooled, the brass is dry. Temps are too low to cause any damage.
Back to the steel pins. Pour off the excess water and strain threw a shop towel. I sling the towel with pins in a ball to get rid of excess water. This towel is spread on an out of the way place on the carpet and all dry.
Brass and pins clean and dry, ready for the next use
FROGO207
Member
I paid a little bit more but mine are enough SS that they will not corrode. I also tumble either the brass or the finished round in corn cob and NU-Finish to keep my rainy day ammo clean and bright before putting it away in freezer bags and those inside of ammo cans. If I am going to use my reloads within the next 3 weeks or so I do not bother with anything more than dumping in a plastic coffee can until I use it.
oldpapps
Member
"No need to dry stainless pins unless you just like that extra work... " airlar73
I get enough heat just rinsing my brass in the kitchen sink and drying in the oven. Don't think I want to dribble water all the way to my loading room down stairs. Then I just spread the shop towel out on the floor. Out of the way and drys after a day or two if I don't have another batch to clean.
Life is sweet, don't mess it up any more than I have to.
I get enough heat just rinsing my brass in the kitchen sink and drying in the oven. Don't think I want to dribble water all the way to my loading room down stairs. Then I just spread the shop towel out on the floor. Out of the way and drys after a day or two if I don't have another batch to clean.
Life is sweet, don't mess it up any more than I have to.
how I treat Brass and Steel
Rinse the brass, dump it on a bath towel, fold the towel over it and rub it back and forth. Does a pretty good job of getting the outside dry. Then I dump them on a cookie sheet and pop in a hot oven for 5 min. this makes sure the inside is dry too.
Media- I found you can run hot water in the tumbler until its clear and thats about all you need to do. I have dumped it on the still hot cookie sheet and baked it 5 min. that gets the grease off really good. I dry the inside of the tumbler and dump the COOLED media back in.
I love stainless media. It does such a thorough job!
Rinse the brass, dump it on a bath towel, fold the towel over it and rub it back and forth. Does a pretty good job of getting the outside dry. Then I dump them on a cookie sheet and pop in a hot oven for 5 min. this makes sure the inside is dry too.
Media- I found you can run hot water in the tumbler until its clear and thats about all you need to do. I have dumped it on the still hot cookie sheet and baked it 5 min. that gets the grease off really good. I dry the inside of the tumbler and dump the COOLED media back in.
I love stainless media. It does such a thorough job!
TheBigUnit75
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- Joined
- Apr 2, 2013
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- 3
I use the old dish soap with Lemi Shine/Lyman brass cleaner and SS media and dry them on large baking pans on towels in the oven as well. I make sure to use plenty of towels and roll them around to make sure any water INSIDE the case has drained.
I then place brass in large Zip Lock bags with dessicant bag and my brass stays new and shiny. There may be some water spots or slight tarnish but still pretty clean and I know inside/outside/and primer pockets are all clean. That's what is most important to me.
After a trip to the car wash today, I got to thinking, "why couldn't I add a liquid wax to my tumbler mixture or just spray wax on like the DIY car washes have?"
I am not one for the shiniest brass, but wouldn't mind having the "cleanliness" of SS tumbling and the protective layer of treated dry media without the abrasive dust. Any thoughts, comments or products that you could suggest? Seems simple enough. If I could add one more product and get the extra protectiong, why wouldn't you?
I then place brass in large Zip Lock bags with dessicant bag and my brass stays new and shiny. There may be some water spots or slight tarnish but still pretty clean and I know inside/outside/and primer pockets are all clean. That's what is most important to me.
After a trip to the car wash today, I got to thinking, "why couldn't I add a liquid wax to my tumbler mixture or just spray wax on like the DIY car washes have?"
I am not one for the shiniest brass, but wouldn't mind having the "cleanliness" of SS tumbling and the protective layer of treated dry media without the abrasive dust. Any thoughts, comments or products that you could suggest? Seems simple enough. If I could add one more product and get the extra protectiong, why wouldn't you?
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