Broke down-wet tumbling.

[rocirish]

I agree with splattergun. I use dryer sheets and a little polish in the media. I just don't see the dust or the dirty fingers you guys are talking about.

 

[Malamute]

I have changed out my dry media and will see if the dust goes away before i "waste my time" on wet tumbling. When i would separate the media form the brass even outside i would get a lot of dust and then touching the cases to deprime, size, load, etc i would get a lot of dust on my fingers. I have a blue rag on the bench that i wipe the lube off if I'm only doing 10-20rds and don't want to tumble again and its turning black. Yes i wash my hands and all that good stuff but being the snowflake i am id rather just make it a little cleaner for myself and my family.

Last night i put about 400pc of LC 5.56 brass and 200 9mm brass in a bucket with lemi shine and dawn soap and swished it around every hour or so and let it sit over night and rinsed it all off and the brass is shiny and no dust that may or may not be harmful to me but why take a chance.

That may be all you need to do to get brass clean enough to load and be clean to handle. Many are not using pins and some, besides enjoying the less hassle from not messing with the pins, like the results of no pin wet tumbling better than with pins, as the expander doesn't stick in the cases coming out..

I looked into that and funds are kind of limited now so i picked up a harbor freight one on sale for $50 but then i priced the magnet, pins and separator and was over $100 so ill try the wash and soak method and see how that works. I could care less about shine and what not i tumble them more so because they are mostly range bucket brass from my private hunt club and sometimes i get 10pc and sometimes 500pc. My buddies brother purchased an AR the other night and brought about 500rds of the federal M LC ammo and gave the brass to me for free. Usually its only 100rds I'm processing at a time the rest just sits in bags.

From what Ive seen in others use, and what influenced me to start wet tumbling, the pins aren't needed in most cases, nor does it take as long as some are running their tumblers. The guy that uses a concrete mixer to clean 5 gallons of 9mm brass said he did a short plain water pre-wash for chunky junk, then used a teaspoon of Lemi-shine (or generic citric acid), a dash of dish soap, run 20 minutes to an hour (don't recall) then his final cycle was armor all car wash and wax, unrinsed, and he didn't have to use case lube I believe. I think the pre-wash was 10 or 15 minutes, main wash an hour or less. Food dehydrators seem to be the tool of choice for volume drying, and is done in a couple hours.

So far, with the very cruddy partially corroded 30-some year old 556 brass that was in a flood has been surprisingly good for the little effort Ive put in with the Harbor Freight dual drum rock tumbler. Very good, not perfect from the deep corrosion, but the dry tumbler took ages to get them acceptable, but not perfect. I have exactly zero interest in messing with pins. If I cant get cases clean enough without, I'll toss the cases or give them to someone willing to mess with them. I don't see that being an issue at this point.

I use about 1/4 teaspoon lemi-shine, small dash or drop of dish soap per drum, warm tap water, and run it an hour or two until I remember to check them. Rinse in sink in the drum over cheap colander, roll around in the drum to get most of the water out, dump on towel to dry out of the way. I lay the rifle cases out in line and tip them so any water can run out, them leave them alone a day or two on the towel. Havent tried the car wash and wax final wash/rinse yet. Interested to see if it does in fact negate the need for case lube. That may have been for pistol loads, I didn't ask in detail. The car wash and wax is also good for washing your car.

 

[Axis II]

I just let the brass tumble for about 6hr and the corn cobs black again.

 

[Malamute]

I got a fair amount of dust in my dry tumbler media, it turned my fingers black when digging cases out (instead of dumping it all in a separator), and dark when handling freshly tumbled cases. I got visible airborne dust dumping the media and cases into the separator. It didn't bother me until reading of some people finding they had elevated lead levels, and finding they had lead dust in their house on the bench and floor around the reloading press. Despite the tortuous experience of trying something new, I found it wasn't as painful as expected, and actually am enjoying the wet case cleaning.

The wet tumbler is also far quieter than the Dillon dry vibratory device. Far quieter.

 

[Axis II]

letting sit in lemi shine and soapy scalding hot water overnight was very clean. I let them dry and threw in the tumbler and the media is now black but the inside of the cases are clean and brass not black like usual. I think so I don't have to spend more money and pins, magnets, etc ill just wash, rinse, dry and then tumble cause the insides have no carbon or anything in them anymore. they aren't super bright like pins do but why go through all that when I'm going to turn them black in seconds. going to find some screen or something and wash the media out and try it again.

 

[Paddy]

I switched for the reasons of dust. Got tired of trying to hold my breath and just didn't like the experience of dry tumbling. The wet hasn't been thrilling either, but it's case prep so it's not supposed to be fun.
I feel like the water caries away most of the toxic stuff that otherwise is going in my nostrils.

I bought a bills blue tumbler for 115$ delivered that kicks butt.

 

[Paddy]

I looked into that and funds are kind of limited now so i picked up a harbor freight one on sale for $50 but then i priced the magnet, pins and separator and was over $100 so ill try the wash and soak method and see how that works. I could care less about shine and what not i tumble them more so because they are mostly range bucket brass from my private hunt club and sometimes i get 10pc and sometimes 500pc. My buddies brother purchased an AR the other night and brought about 500rds of the federal M LC ammo and gave the brass to me for free. Usually its only 100rds I'm processing at a time the rest just sits in bags.

Don't use pins, no separator, just some car wash liquid and citric.

 

[horsey300]

letting sit in lemi shine and soapy scalding hot water overnight was very clean. I let them dry and threw in the tumbler and the media is now black but the inside of the cases are clean and brass not black like usual. I think so I don't have to spend more money and pins, magnets, etc ill just wash, rinse, dry and then tumble cause the insides have no carbon or anything in them anymore. they aren't super bright like pins do but why go through all that when I'm going to turn them black in seconds. going to find some screen or something and wash the media out and try it again.

I went sonic, citric solution, hot water, and a few minutes later I lift the basket out, rinse them, and voila dry in the oven! None of the gunk touches my skin, and is not exposed to anyone else either, the solution (admittedly "aromatic") is a concentrate and lasts a long time. Don't haveta worry about what's stuck in the pockets, and it's not polished shiny, but it's CLEAN! It'll be a couple months before I do another batch, but if you'd like I can send you pictures of the whole process and results.

 

[dh1633pm]

I put the finished product in an old heavy aluminum frying pan I purchased at good will. I rinse both the pins and the brass with water. I separate the brass on an old towel. Leaving the pins behind in the pan. I shake the towel out. When its warm outside I place the towel on the deck to dry using solar power. In the winter I heat in the stove at 225 for about 20 minutes on an old sheet tray. Stray pins are retrieved with a magnet.

I then drain the water from the frying pan, leaving the pins in place. I heat them over the stove until dry.

Many have covered how they clean, but not how they clean up afterwards.

 

[jmorris]

I just don't see the dust or the dirty fingers you guys are talking about.

The amount of dust is directly related to how much polish you run how dirty your fingers get is related to how much you run your hands through the media.

The same outfit I made the above wet tumblers for also post load tumbles dry that is dusty but they evacuate the tumblers.

And the media is never touched as I built them a separator that rolls down the line.

 

[RussellC]

as long as you color with us!

when i touch my cases after corn cob tumbling my fingers get black and there is dust on the cases after tumbling therefore i don't want to touch thousands of cases a night and have the particles floating around my house. I'm just making sure my safe space is clean so i can color in my book! why not take the precautions if you can? I guess your a bigger man then all of us!

Right! I will reload with a brain and low lead, rather than the other way around. Plus, I dont want the gunk in my dies, either.
As far as the coloring book insult by others, it speaks for itself without my further comment, lol!

Russellc

 

[RussellC]

I put the finished product in an old heavy aluminum frying pan I purchased at good will. I rinse both the pins and the brass with water. I separate the brass on an old towel. Leaving the pins behind in the pan. I shake the towel out. When its warm outside I place the towel on the deck to dry using solar power. In the winter I heat in the stove at 225 for about 20 minutes on an old sheet tray. Stray pins are retrieved with a magnet.

I then drain the water from the frying pan, leaving the pins in place. I heat them over the stove until dry.

Many have covered how they clean, but not how they clean up afterwards.

Like the old frying pan method...I use old baking sheet with an edge around it and a couple layers of paper towels, oven at 200. Paper doesnt burn anywhere near that low, and it absorbs water off the cases so there isnt water spotting. The spots dont hurt, but are not pretty is all.

Russellc

 

[Axis II]

well as of this morning after rinsing the cases with scalding hot water in the basement sink the cases are clean inside and out. not super clean but good enough. some might say this is too much work but if i can stay away from another tumbler and pins ill keep trying this.

 

[RussellC]

When I first started, 5 gallon bucket, squirt of dawn and a little lemishine, stirred them with a 1" x 1" piece of lumbar, then rinsed. That was just 9mm, it got them clean enough, not so much the primer pocket though...but good enough to reload.

Now and again you will find the F Arsenal unit on sale, I think I got mine on amazon, 150 or so. Expensive, but it is tough and does a wonderful job.

Here it is...

https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Ser...097&sr=8-1&keywords=frankford+arsenal+tumbler


HMMMM just saw this, expensive but wouldn't heat the kitchen up in summer. (could put in garage) Wonder if a fruit dryer is cheaper?

https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Ar...rd_wg=pmahw&psc=1&refRID=9DZPTANGVFAPYNZ6Y0XV
Here we go?

https://www.amazon.com/Presto-06300...F8&qid=1498078946&sr=1-1&keywords=fruit+dryer

Russellc

 

[jmorris]

The Sun this time of year in Texas will not only dry 2000 cases in 2.5 beers but make them too hot to hold in a bare hand. It's also free and you can tell your tree hugger friends you use solar.

 

[Dudedog]

Here is the magnet I use $13
https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Ar...091625&sr=8-1&keywords=frankford+media+magnet

The pins I use came with my tumbler so I don't know the best place to get them but there were a couple of suggestions in threads here on THR.

113 here today, hotter in direct sunshine cases dry quick and anything metal gets to hot to touch, have to cover up the gearshift knob in my car because it has a metal plate on the top of it gets painful to touch. Ahh the joys of summer.

The Sun this time of year in Texas will not only dry 2000 cases in 2.5 beers

Were those 12oz beers or 16s

 

[horsey300]

Were those 12oz beers or 16s

Careful, coulda been 8 oz.........they're sneaky like that!

 

[Axis II]

just rinsed them again and put a towl out in the back yard and spread them out to dry. inside the 9mm and 38spl range pickups they are so clean I can see brass and not black soot. I think ill try it this way for awhile and maybe when funds come back in ill get a wet tumbler.

 

[Ghost In The Fog]

For everyone else out there please remember not everyone in CA is nuts, it just seems like it.

Hmmm.... I spent about three quarters of my life there and I am very suspicious of what you say. Although I hope to possibly work out that trip in November and make it up your way so you can prove me wrong...
We shall see. We shall see my friend.
ROFL. Just kidding.

I do know 2.5 people in the PRK that are not completely stark raving mad. The .5 is an old friend who is schizophrenic and is okay, sometimes... when not delusional, he is a pretty good guy.

What ain't nut and fruits is flakes.

(Last time I attempted humor here I was severely reprimanded for telling a fart joke so I will see how this one goes)

 

[Ghost In The Fog]

well as of this morning after rinsing the cases with scalding hot water in the basement sink the cases are clean inside and out. not super clean but good enough. some might say this is too much work but if i can stay away from another tumbler and pins ill keep trying this.

I on occasion when I have really dirty pick up range brass have put the brass in a half gallon OJ bottle- the kind with the big mouth. Fill it 3/4 full of brass add hot tap water, a 9mm case full of Lemi Shine and a small squirt of dish soap. I then sit on the couch, wait 5-15 and shake shake shake. Repeat 1 to 3 more times and then rinse thoroughly. The brass will be surprisingly clean and shiny.

I do this at times and then de-cap off press and then into the F.A.R.T. they go for about 2 hours (with pins) and it is as shiny and clean as new brass.

 

[Malamute]

The Sun this time of year in Texas will not only dry 2000 cases in 2.5 beers but make them too hot to hold in a bare hand. It's also free and you can tell your tree hugger friends you use solar.

^^^ I just realized I had some high volume solar drying racks in my basement, I thought they were window screens!

 

[Axis II]

just some advice guys. don't go overboard on the lemi shine. I had mixed brass bags from 9mm-45-70 and let it soak overnight with about a 38 case of lemi shine maybe more and the brass looks funny and the water was a little pink. I rinsed it in a bucket about 10 times and now its soaking in plain water till 5pm.

 

[Malamute]

That was mentioned in the discussion I saw elsewhere. I use about 1/4 teaspoon in the small Harbor Freight rock tumbler drums. I think the guy that was using the concrete mixer and 5 gallons of brass was using 1 teaspoon or so. It really doesn't take much at all. I don't know if it hurts the brass in the short time its in the water though. One person mentioned using a 9mm case full for his tumbler, I believe a Frankford Arsenal rotary.

 

[Axis II]

Well incase you guys didn't know the harbor freight tumbler went back cause my lemi shine and dawn soak and then into the tumbler worked very well at getting both inside and outside clean.

1) wash brass with scalding hot water and some soap and then rinse to get the dirt and stuff off.
2) put brass in bucket with half teaspoon lemi shine and hot water with dawn and let sit overnight. I agitated it every 30min or so.
3) rinse brass thoroughly to remove lemi shine, soap and dirt. I just put in a spaghetti strainer and dump several buckets of hot water on it and then shake most the water out with the spaghetti strainer.
4) Now for the one I'm going to get burned for-throw the wet brass in the dry tumbler and let it run for 2-3hrs and then out in the sun on a towel to dry or oven but no towel in the oven.
5) i don't like the dust from the dry media so probably just going to soak and be done with it without dry tumbling and then rinsing again.

My brass came out clean inside and out. the inside didn't have the brand new shine to it but id say 90% of the carbon and whatnot was removed. the only thing I'm going to change is the wet brass in corn cob media as the corn cob was still wet and clogged the 223 brass so i had to let it dry longer or blow the media out. My 9mm, 44mag, 38spl, 45acp brass had 0 issues with the wet media sticking to it but I'm thinking walnut from harbor freight would be a little better at not being mucky when wet. let the media dry out with the lid off the tumbler for a day or two and good to go.

 

[Berger.Fan222]

You post now makes me wonder what the pollution foot print difference between wet and dry tumbling is.

I don't know how many tens of thousands of cases I tumble with a single bag of corncob but I know every 2000 or so cases in my wet tumbler is another 3 gallons of water that contains everything I knocked off the cases.

All the residue from shooting ends up in the environment eventually. For the best reloads, I like it off the cases quickly which means down the drain in a few gallons of water after a stainless tumbling media for a few hours and 200 cases or so.