Toaster oven or dehydrator?

I have been using an old toaster oven and it's working fine for me. The one I have is an old analog with 2 dials, one a timer and the other the temp. I set the temp at 200* and the timer for 30 minutes. After the timer goes off I leave it in until it's cool enough to pick up bare handed. Oh, I have also been doing this with the spent primers still in the brass and so far no wet brass.

When I am done rinsing a batch of 9mm brass, I dump into a good sized wire colander. I shake for a few seconds then let it drip for a minute, then maybe do that one more time.

At this stage I dump the brass onto a old t-shirt, and hold the shirt like a hammock and swish brass back and forth for about 10 seconds. A bunch of water gets on the t-shirt, then I dump brass onto old cookie sheet. It is dry in a few hours just sitting on my workbench. Great benefit of no additional energy used.

johnandersonoutdoors said:

When I am done rinsing a batch of 9mm brass, I dump into a good sized wire colander. I shake for a few seconds then let it drip for a minute, then maybe do that one more time.

At this stage I dump the brass onto a old t-shirt, and hold the shirt like a hammock and swish brass back and forth. A bunch of water gets on the t-shirt, then I dump brass onto old cookie sheet. It is dry in a few hours just sitting on my workbench. Great benefit of no additional energy used.

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I had my one and only squib fire right after starting to wet tumble my brass. After I got home that day and broke down the remaining rounds I found 2 more rounds with wet powder in them. Now those cases had been sitting in a room at about 80* for about 2 weeks before I loaded them. Now I will not load wet tumbled brass unless it's been thru some sort of drying.

ohihunter2014 said:

Well after sitting in a sifters pan for 4 days by brass is still wet. I’m debating on a toaster oven or a dehydrator. I can get a toaster oven for free but I’m worried that it may get too hot and anneal the brass.

So should I spring for a dehydrator or will the oven work?

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Did you deprime
And did you make sure the brass is primer side up?

Doing so, my brass dries within a day. Usually much sooner in summer.

Air drying...your drying time will vary depending on temperature and humidity.

If you like to diy, you could build yourself a “drying rack.” Google diy dehydrator...you could probably go as cheap as $20-$100 (anything over $40 I would probably just buy something already built).

brass starts to anneal @ 480 degrees fahrenheit.

murf

p.s. I use a toaster oven to dry my brass.

Anything free is better than cheap. Set your sifter on the heating register.

Use a small fan to move air across the brass to accelerate drying

I got a dehydrator that I can set the temp and the time. I have used toaster oven and regular oven, neither are as easy to use and convenient as the dehydrator.

I also use Wash 'n Wax which tends to darken and not work as well after it goes through the oven. No issues with that in the dehydrator.

I got it for $55, it stays in the garage and never has touched food.

The toaster oven could be used to powder coat bullets too.

johnandersonoutdoors said:

When I am done rinsing a batch of 9mm brass, I dump into a good sized wire colander. I shake for a few seconds then let it drip for a minute, then maybe do that one more time.

At this stage I dump the brass onto a old t-shirt, and hold the shirt like a hammock and swish brass back and forth for about 10 seconds. A bunch of water gets on the t-shirt, then I dump brass onto old cookie sheet. It is dry in a few hours just sitting on my workbench. Great benefit of no additional energy used.

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You must have low humidity. Good job on not being wasteful.

Why toaster oven rather than regular oven? Temperature control and distribution of the regular oven is likely much better. Many regular ovens can be set for 180 or even as low as 150°F. And most are electric these days even in gas stoves. I don’t handload so there maybe something basic I am not familiar with, but just wondering.

Go GREEN Live of the grid! Spend money on a Solar or Wind Powered generator to dry your brass.

You want that stuff in the same place you cook food?
I don't, no matter how clean they appear. Same for folks who use dishwashers and clothes washers and dryers.

Am I the only one who cleans brass with dry media anymore?

ohihunter2014 said:

So should I spring for a dehydrator or will the oven work?

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I just put them in cardboard flats in front of a fan overnight ...

A box fan with a window screen on top.

I don't see the danger of using an oven to dry brass. I put mine on a baking sheet/tray and not directly on the oven grate. But, I have noticed that my waxed brass turns darker with heat. I'm thinking about a dehydrator. In the Summer the baking tray works well in the Sun. Not so well in the Winter though!

I think I tried the kitchen oven before I got a dehydrator and it turned the brass pretty dark. (Either I tried it or I read that that happens.) Haven't seen a toaster oven in a few decades so don't know if they can go lower in temp than a regular kitchen oven.

I bought my dehydrator at Harbor Freight for something like $25. Craigstlist might be an option. I've also heard anecdotally that inventories at local Goodwills have gone up thanks to the Marie Kondo phenomenon on Netflix. People are getting rid of all kinds of stuff. Haven't been into my local Goodwill recently to see if that's the case.

Am I the only one who cleans brass with dry media anymore?

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No. I own a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner but primarily tumble brass the old fashioned way; walnut or corncob. But then, it isn't often I need perfectly mirror-shiny brass and I don't clean the primer pockets; at least not on pistol brass. I tumble first, then deprime, size and reprime on a one stage press for rifle brass.

George P said:

Use a small fan to move air across the brass to accelerate drying

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I do the same. Its simple, brass is dry overnight.