Wet Tumbling

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lpsharp88

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I’m looking into getting into wet tumbling but have a concern or two.
First, does wet tumbling make brass stick when loading like when you buy new brass from Starling etc? I’ve read some people use Wash and Wax in their solution because the wax leaves a protectant film on the brass, but does it also act as a lube so brass doesn’t stick?
Second is “recipe”. If you use the Wash and Wax, is a detergent like Dawn no longer needed?
Lastly, does using the SS pins help anything? Or do they just create an extra step in having to separate the pins from the brass?
Looking at the larger “FART”, the model that does up to 1k 223 brass
Thank you for your time
 
When I got my fart I retired my dry tumbler. I have the bigger tumbler and love how clean the brass gets inside and out. I decap all of my brass before tumbleing.
I use a half a teaspoon of LemiShine Booster, a cap full of ArmorAll Wash & Wax and a small squirt of Blue Dawn dish soap
You don't need really clean brass, but why not?

I also made up drying racks for my wet tumbled brass. I really enjoy all aspect of reloading and it att starts with nice clean looking brass cases.
 
First, does wet tumbling make brass stick when loading like when you buy new brass from Starling etc? I’ve read some people use Wash and Wax in their solution because the wax leaves a protectant film on the brass, but does it also act as a lube so brass doesn’t stick?
The Wash & Wax does make the cases slicker. I've never experienced cases sticking, but I also don't use a powder through expander and I lube my 9mm brass before resizing

Second is “recipe”. If you use the Wash and Wax, is a detergent like Dawn no longer needed?
The detergent component of Wash & Wax holds debris in suspension, so you don't need another detergent. You'll still need the Lemi-shine to loosen the carbon

Lastly, does using the SS pins help anything? Or do they just create an extra step in having to separate the pins from the brass?
If you deprime before tumbling the stainless pins clean out the primer pocket and the interior of the cases. If you don't deprime first, the pins are mostly redundant
 
First, does wet tumbling make brass stick when loading like when you buy new brass from Starling etc?
It definitely changes the amount of sizing force required, but I use carbide dies for pistol and it doesn’t “stick”. For rifle I use Imperial wax and don’t notice any difference between dry and wet tumbling.
I only have tried dawn 3x and citric acid for the wash cycle, and then use Hornady one shot to just ease the sizing force. The jury is still out on how much extra smoke any of these add to the equation. It might be a concern for those that do indoor dark stages.
I don’t deprime but still use the SS pins since I like a nice clean interior of the case, it helps me see the powder level. I’d recommend the magnet they sell, it helps manage the pins. I’ve found once you climb the learning curve dealing with the pins they’re not an issue. Good luck!
 
PTX can stick in any case but it can be made worst with squeaky clean brass.. The car wash wax does help besides putting a protective layer on the bras to prevent/slow down tarnishing. You only need to use one of the soaps, would recommend the car wash since it has a wax to protect the brass. The pins like said will clean out the primer pockets if you deprime before cleaning. Starline recommends sizing new brass to remove a protective coating they apply during mfg. Like said the magnet is a big plus when it comes to handling the pins.

The amount of LimeShine (citric acid) depends on the pH of your water. When I was on my well water I only needed 1/2 tsp, now that I'm on county I need a full tsp to get them clean. The amount of soap you use depends on how much and how dirty. If not enough you will have a black/dirty film on everything. With the proper amount it keeps all the dirt in suspension so it can be disposed of down the drain. And your pins will be clean. Use the pins as a indicator as to if your using enough. Using a little more does not hurt any thing and may put a better layer of wax on.
 
Thank you all for the help! In the middle of a move so it’s still not an immediate changeover. Just trying to figure out logistics
Edit to add
I’m trying to weigh any extra prep time with the reduction in lead/media dust and any potential exposure to gunk I don’t need to ingest. Shinier brass is an added plus I guess
 
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Thank you all for the help! In the middle of a move so it’s still not an immediate changeover. Just trying to figure out logistics
Edit to add
I’m trying to weigh any extra prep time with the reduction in lead/media dust and any potential exposure to gunk I don’t need to ingest. Shinier brass is an added plus I guess
I seem to recall a state executive order saying “thou shalt not plan ahead during the Covid crisis...”, just sayin.
It’s definitely a trade off of dust vs dirty water, but I prefer dealing with water. You may want to factor in how much more brass you’ll do in a shorter amount of time, my average batches are 2-3 hours for 10#s of brass, and I couldn’t match that with my vibratory tumbler. And remember you’ll need to dry, but I just lay them out on a towel. Good luck!
 
Some commercial polishes marketed for copper alloys are acidic and can cause dezincification. This is normally not noticed, because the polish also contains an abrasive. When the polish is rubbed on the surface, the abrasive removes the copper-rich surface as fast as the dezincification occurs. If the polish is left on the surface, however, dezincification can be observed.
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservati...on-institute-notes/dezincification-brass.html

Check the SDS or MSDS of products online using Google.
 
First, does wet tumbling make brass stick when loading like when you buy new brass from Starling etc? I’ve read some people use Wash and Wax in their solution because the wax leaves a protectant film on the brass, but does it also act as a lube so brass doesn’t stick?
Squeaky clean brass does cause the expander to stick. I had that problem when using Dawn. Changing to wash-n-wax helped a lot, but has not totally eliminated it.

Second is “recipe”. If you use the Wash and Wax, is a detergent like Dawn no longer needed?
Correct, you only need one.

Lastly, does using the SS pins help anything? Or do they just create an extra step in having to separate the pins from the brass?
They help clean the inside of the case and the primer pockets. I have tumbled a large batch of 45acp recently without using pins, and it does save time by not having to separate the pins. The outside of the brass looks the same as if it was tumbled with pins, the inside of the cases don't have any dirt but they are still dark. I have yet to try loading these, but I am betting that they will have less problems sticking on the expander, since the combustion residue is supposed to act as a lubricant of sorts.
 
I’m trying to weigh any extra prep time with the reduction in lead/media dust and any potential exposure to gunk I don’t need to ingest. Shinier brass is an added plus I guess
When wet tumbling:
1. I usually do larger batches than will comfortably fit in my vibratory cleaner...about twice a many
2. It takes less time to produce clean cases...1.5 hours vs. 3-4 hours
3. During the summer I dry in the sun for a few hours; during the colder months I throw them in the oven for 20 mins

When cleaning handgun cases, I neither deprime nor use pins when wet tumbling...eliminates the most tedious part for me
 
One thing I found.

If the brass is dirty you need to run it twice. Once to clean it and once to put the wax coating on it.
 
When wet tumbling:
1. I usually do larger batches than will comfortably fit in my vibratory cleaner...about twice a many
2. It takes less time to produce clean cases...1.5 hours vs. 3-4 hours
3. During the summer I dry in the sun for a few hours; during the colder months I throw them in the oven for 20 mins

When cleaning handgun cases, I neither deprime nor use pins when wet tumbling...eliminates the most tedious part for me
I had read that wet tumbling with primers still in, and not depriming can cause trouble like stuck primers or only partially decapping. Do you not have that issue?
 
I had read that wet tumbling with primers still in, and not depriming can cause trouble like stuck primers or only partially decapping. Do you not have that issue?

If you de-prime/decap before tumbling you can feel crimped primers and deal with them, then and there.
A crimped primer is difficult to feel on a progressive with all the other stuff going on and is often sticks on the primer pin and is sucked back into the primer pocket, tying up/stopping the press.
If you're loading on a single stage, never mind :uhoh:

I put wash/wax in my final rinse bucket and still wet tumble with Dawn.
There's a lot of wash/wax in the final rinse and I use it over and over, stored in a jug between uses.
This works as a lube but I only do it on pistol brass, it may not work on bottle-necked rifle cases.
jmo
:D
 
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I had read that wet tumbling with primers still in, and not depriming can cause trouble like stuck primers or only partially decapping. Do you not have that issue?
Nope, never had that issue in 20-30k rounds that I've wet tumbled. The only primers I've had that wouldn't come out were very rare heavily crimped primers...luckily this has only happened maybe 5-8 times. They wouldn't even deprime when I tried with a depriming die on a single stage.

Primers that get "stuck" in primer pockets are usually being held there by corrosion from being exposed to the elements too long. When I dry my cases, either out in the sun or in the oven, I make sure they get hot enough to boil out any water that might get into them. The cases should be more than slightly hot to the touch...hot enough that you'll flinch when you touch them...in the oven, I heat them to 215 degrees (Fahrenheit)
 
Ten pounds of brass. Ten pounds of pins. Ten pounds of water. A Forty Five auto case of Lemi-shine and a tablespoon of Rain-X wash and wax. Forty five minutes of operation.
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Depriming before cleaning dries them faster in the oven and preheats it for cookies, as well as cleaning out the pockets. I don’t need the pockets spotless, just clean enough to seat the new primer easily.

If you’ve ever nested a case vibratory tumbling, it’s a pain. It you nest them in a rotary tumbler you may be throwing them out. Choose case companions wisely.;)

I get dirty and have to force everything at work.
When I hand load ammunition I want clean, precise and shiny. A wash and wax and some OneShot makes any brass processing effortless.
 
I have been wet tumbling and have tumbled over 10k pieces of brass. Stainless steel pins are a one time investment if you take care of them. I use a cheap $30 toaster oven to dry my brass. I have never notices any brass sticking.
 
So I am also new to wet tumbling, so I am still learning as I go. I have been doing 500 pc batches of 5.56mm brass. I knock the primer out witha lee universal de-priming die. Load them up with the pins, fill with hot water, give it a squirt of dish soap and 1/4 teaspoon of lemishine. Its all range pickup brass so I have been letting them go for 3hrs. Put them in the drier for 2hrs max and they look brand new.

Now in the learning curve I did find that if I left the prmers in I had to be carfule because the pins would some times stick in the flash hole with no way out. Luckily I was doing a small load of 40 S&W and could check each one and clear them. Now I wouldn't use the pins if I left the primer in. Also don't leave the cases sitting in the water over night. They came out an off color and I had to redo them.

Best of luck
WB
 
Now in the learning curve I did find that if I left the prmers in I had to be carfule because the pins would some times stick in the flash hole with no way out.
... Now I wouldn't use the pins if I left the primer in. Also don't leave the cases sitting in the water over night. They came out an off color and I had to redo them.
Your two choices are to either not deprime and not use pins or deprime and use pins.

If you're going to the trouble to deprime, you minds as well get the full benefit of the pins
 
I've used every cleaning/polishing method known to man at one time or another.... you name it, I've tried it, since the 1970s. A couple years back I bought my first wet tumbler, along with stainless pins. I'm never going to use a different method now. Cases come out looking like little jewels... you just kind of want to fondle them after gazing at them for a while.... :) I digress. Sometimes when I've got really grimy brass, I've put them in with the pins, some Dawn, and hot water. They come out darn near as bright as with brass solution. I'll do that sometimes before sizing, to keep from scratching my sizing dies. Otherwise, after annealing, sizing/punching the primers, trimming and deburring, everything goes into the tumbler with the pins. Spectacular results. After a while you'll get good at not losing pins (get one of the magnets made for picking up the pins, Frankfort makes a good one) as you perfect your method of separating pins from brass. It just takes a little practice. That's a whole different topic. Have fun. Use wet, use pins.
 
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