barnfrog
Member
220 degrees for half an hour in the toaster oven seems to work fine for me with no discoloration. Usually small batches of 50 or less, so one layer not crowded together in the pan, which may speed the process.
Baking My Wet Tumbled Brass
- Thread starter jski
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Chuck R.
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I just use a re-purposed dehydrator with a timer.
It also gave me an excuse to buy a newer, larger model for making jerky.
It also gave me an excuse to buy a newer, larger model for making jerky.
Insignificant bill
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I put mine in my toaster oven in my reloading room
RashQuestion
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I de-prime before wet tumbling as you do. It makes everything inside much cleaner. I use a salad spinner to separate the pins from the brass which removes most of the excess water inside the cases. I do not bake in an oven or other. I use a heavy duty hair drier after spreading the clean brass on an old absorbent bath towel with a fan directed toward the brass. It might take about 10 or 12 minutes to complete while moving the brass around as I heat with the dryer. This also allows me time to make a preliminary visual check on the condition of the cases. Brass only gets hot to the touch. I leave the fan on for a short time after finishing with the dryer just to completely cool everything off.
Try it you might like the results. This works for me!
Try it you might like the results. This works for me!
Blast from the past:
Handloader’s Manual
Early Naramore, Major Ordnance Dept Reserve, Small Arms Publishing , 1937
“The best and surest way of drying cases is with the use of artificial heat, but care must be taken not to overheat them, as too much heat will soften the brass and may render it incapable of withstanding normal pressures. Most modern stoves, whether electric, gas, or coal, have oven thermometers that are, at least, fairly accurate. For stoves sold in the United States, these thermometers register degrees Fahrenheit and brass can be heated up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit without undergoing any change in its grain structure. For drying cases it is best to keep the temperature as low as 300 degrees. This heat is amply high for the purpose and offers a liberal allowance for any inaccuracy of the thermometer. If you oven has no thermometer, one can be purchased at small expense in almost any department or five and ten cent store. The thermometer should be placed near the cases as the temperature will not be the same in all parts of the oven. It is also well to place the cases on one of the sliding shelves or racks, away from the bottom of the oven, or the heating element if it is an electric stove.”
I doubt anyone has coal fired ovens anymore; this was written in 1937.
Based on reading Major Naramore’s book, it is obvious that the gentleman had a technical education in materials or materials engineering. He also worked in an era when the Army actually made rifles, cannons, cartridges and had research labs. Today everything is contracted out and data sharing just does not exist between contractors or anyone else. But then, he could call up an Army buddy and find out within the system whom had material data on cartridge cases.
I put my oven on low, or the toaster oven at 150 ° F and in a half hour or so, my “five and dime” store thermometers read 212 °F, and doesn’t go any higher. Since water boils at 212 °F (at sea level) I know my brass is dry. I don’t set the oven any higher than warm because all the grease in the oven evaporates on my brass.
Handloader’s Manual
Early Naramore, Major Ordnance Dept Reserve, Small Arms Publishing , 1937
“The best and surest way of drying cases is with the use of artificial heat, but care must be taken not to overheat them, as too much heat will soften the brass and may render it incapable of withstanding normal pressures. Most modern stoves, whether electric, gas, or coal, have oven thermometers that are, at least, fairly accurate. For stoves sold in the United States, these thermometers register degrees Fahrenheit and brass can be heated up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit without undergoing any change in its grain structure. For drying cases it is best to keep the temperature as low as 300 degrees. This heat is amply high for the purpose and offers a liberal allowance for any inaccuracy of the thermometer. If you oven has no thermometer, one can be purchased at small expense in almost any department or five and ten cent store. The thermometer should be placed near the cases as the temperature will not be the same in all parts of the oven. It is also well to place the cases on one of the sliding shelves or racks, away from the bottom of the oven, or the heating element if it is an electric stove.”
I doubt anyone has coal fired ovens anymore; this was written in 1937.
Based on reading Major Naramore’s book, it is obvious that the gentleman had a technical education in materials or materials engineering. He also worked in an era when the Army actually made rifles, cannons, cartridges and had research labs. Today everything is contracted out and data sharing just does not exist between contractors or anyone else. But then, he could call up an Army buddy and find out within the system whom had material data on cartridge cases.
I put my oven on low, or the toaster oven at 150 ° F and in a half hour or so, my “five and dime” store thermometers read 212 °F, and doesn’t go any higher. Since water boils at 212 °F (at sea level) I know my brass is dry. I don’t set the oven any higher than warm because all the grease in the oven evaporates on my brass.
EXACTLY! Brass is best when baked at 300°.
This made me shoot my drink right out of my nose when I read this. Thanks for the laugh!
GeoDudeFlorida
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Exactly again!And basted often…
And basted often…
When done properly, cases have a nice crust on the surface, yet have a juicy interior!
Crunch, crunch.......................
reloaded_in_pa
Member
If I put brass in the oven the Mrs would not be happy.
Atavar
Member
I still think an air fryer (just a glorified convection oven) would be a great way to dry brass.
westernrover
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too small
If you're processing brass every couple of hundred rounds, get more brass. I don't process until I have at least 500 and only then because my tumbler is too small to fit more with pins. For rifle, 500 is not bad, but I mostly shoot revolver and would rather process in batches of 1000 or 2000. I don't even shoot that much, maybe 8,000 to 12,000 rounds a year at most but if I had to do it in little batches, I'd be processing brass every weekend. I only want to do it a few times a year. Save my reloading time for powder charging and bullet seating. Brass cleaning is just a chore like laundry.
If you're processing brass every couple of hundred rounds, get more brass. I don't process until I have at least 500 and only then because my tumbler is too small to fit more with pins. For rifle, 500 is not bad, but I mostly shoot revolver and would rather process in batches of 1000 or 2000. I don't even shoot that much, maybe 8,000 to 12,000 rounds a year at most but if I had to do it in little batches, I'd be processing brass every weekend. I only want to do it a few times a year. Save my reloading time for powder charging and bullet seating. Brass cleaning is just a chore like laundry.
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
There’s the graphic I was looking for!
Well, yeah.
But do you bake them?
If so, at what temperature?
And, does your wife think she’ll be poisoned by the surgically clean brass?
I dispensed with the wife so I bake my brass, and cookies for the kids, both with reckless abandon.
My cases and cookies are convection perfection.
Well, yeah.
But do you bake them?
If so, at what temperature?
And, does your wife think she’ll be poisoned by the surgically clean brass?
I dispensed with the wife so I bake my brass, and cookies for the kids, both with reckless abandon.
My cases and cookies are convection perfection.
Akula69
Member
Like other folks, I wet tumble after primer removal (and even sizing/trimming in some cases). I rinse them to dislodge the SS pins, then shake in a towel for a minute before baking them for 20 minutes @200 degrees. Wife doesn't care that I use the main oven - just as long as I don't make a mess....
westernrover
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There’s the graphic I was looking for!
Well, yeah.
But do you bake them?
If so, at what temperature?
And, does your wife think she’ll be poisoned by the surgically clean brass?
I dispensed with the wife so I bake my brass, and cookies for the kids, both with reckless abandon.
My cases and cookies are convection perfection.
I don't bake them because I don't find it necessary. The humidity here is very low and they dry quite well after a rinse in hot water to remove pins, a roll in a towel and left to air dry. If I were anywhere humid, it's much more likely I would put them in the 30" convection oven. Mine will go as low as 170 F and that's where I'd set it. With the convection, that's plenty.
You could use your daughter’s easy-bake oven?
Akula69
Member
I live in the middle/north of Louisiana, and use an old pizza pan that has perforations across the bottom and spread the brass flat in one layer. 200 degrees for 20 minutes does the trick easily...but I do shake them inside a dry towel before spreading them on the pan.
I de-prime bottle neck brass (straight wall usually does not get de-primed)
Tumble for 1 hr.
Separate pins. shuffle brass around on a dry towel,
Spread 'em out on (4) cookie sheets. 20 minutes at 200 degrees in the oven.
Dump hot brass onto a towel to cool.
I can process a gallon of brass in an hour-and-15 this way.
Usually wait until I have 6-8 loads to run. Set up everything and tumble until done.
Tumble for 1 hr.
Separate pins. shuffle brass around on a dry towel,
Spread 'em out on (4) cookie sheets. 20 minutes at 200 degrees in the oven.
Dump hot brass onto a towel to cool.
I can process a gallon of brass in an hour-and-15 this way.
Usually wait until I have 6-8 loads to run. Set up everything and tumble until done.
Carl N. Brown
Member
When drying brass in the oven, I preheat to 250, turn the oven off, put the wet brass in the oven in a pie pan over a paper towel, forget about it. By the time I remember they are dry.
AJC1
Member
I see a lot of people using less than 212f. I guess I'm curious why one would choose less than boiling, loosing an added benefit of steaming off.
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