Wet Tumbling with SS media - The How and the Why.

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I think it should be easy to fabricate a replacement lower unit using the existing axles/rollers.
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Yeah, but at that point you just build a 12.7 gallon tumbler using a couple 100lb chlorine buckets and pillow blocks and motor that will last forever with only 100 lb load.

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No magic to them but if your going to build one yourself you could pick better parts from the start. I imagine keeping the plastic housing together wouldn't be that difficult but the plastic gears would be more difficult to repair for most folks.
 
USSR said:
Put them in an aluminum lasagna pan and pop them in the oven set as low as it goes for 30 minutes.



Don
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I spread out the brass on a towel covered cookie sheet and place that on a shoe drying rack inside our household dryer. After about 20 min on high with the hot air circulating, the brass is spot free and dry.
 
eddies66 said:
I spread out the brass on a towel covered cookie sheet and place that on a shoe drying rack inside our household dryer. After about 20 min on high with the hot air circulating, the brass is spot free and dry.
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I've done that before as well. (Don't tell my wife, I don't want her to find out that I know how to work the dryer). ;)

I've since made a wooden frame out of 1x2 and covered it with screen. It is large enough that I can place 1000 casings on it. I elevate it off the floor a few inches and place a small fan blowing across it, it usually takes about an hour to dry them all. I figure it takes a lot less power to do it this way.
 
Find a food dehydration unit. They work so well you'll wonder why they are so cheap at garage sales. After vigorous spin separation I also dump the brass on a towel. Ball the towel gently and shake a bit more. Then load in the foodehydration special. Couple hours and brass is bone dry.
 
i put the "neo" magnet in the separator for the last few turns. when i get no pins on it i'm good to go.:)
 
I use the Dillon separator and have the tub full of water to rinse and dump it out through a very fine mesh bag I picked up at the container store (not sure what the intended use was but is is quite strong).

For drying I either use a heated fan or the fast way is setting them in the Texas sun. During the summer, in 2.5 beers they are not only dry but too hot to hold in your hand.

IMG_20130727_144639_090_zpsd9095290.jpg
 
Toprudder said:
I've done that before as well. (Don't tell my wife, I don't want her to find out that I know how to work the dryer). ;)



I've since made a wooden frame out of 1x2 and covered it with screen. It is large enough that I can place 1000 casings on it. I elevate it off the floor a few inches and place a small fan blowing across it, it usually takes about an hour to dry them all. I figure it takes a lot less power to do it this way.
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Can you take any pics of your drying setup please?
 
This is what I use when the weather is bad. Just a heated blower and perforated metal, set on top of two wood blocks so the heated air flows both above and below.

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I need a better way to sift the pins from the brass. I bought the FA wet tumbler and have used it twice, but it's a PITA to deal with the little pins.
 
Olympus said:
I need a better way to sift the pins from the brass. I bought the FA wet tumbler and have used it twice, but it's a PITA to deal with the little pins.
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These are what I use.

The FA sifter fits into a 5 gal bucket. Pour in the contents from the FART and shake good. Gets 99.9% of the pins. I use the RCBS (optional) separator to rinse the brass and remove any pins the sifter may have missed. The magnet is a must for gathering pins from the bucket and any that may have escaped. makes the job easy and fast.

So easy that my 9 yr old granddaughter loves doing it. :rolleyes:
 

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I REALLY like the FA sifter. Deep, simple, holds a lot of brass and works great for effortlessly separating the pins from the brass.
 
konertjm said:
I use an RCBS media separator, go slow, reverse directions every 4 or 5 turns.

Pins are wet, so the stick to anything else wet.

After tumbling, I dump the cases onto a large towel. One trick I picked up, is to flip the edges of the towel under on all 4 sides, creating a slight lip. Doesn't stop cases from rolling off, but it sure slows them down.
Try to spread the cases down to one layer with my left hand, while looking for the elusive pins. Ready to grab them with the large magnet in my right hand.

Another little trick I discovered involves the drain in the utility sink. I place a 1 inch round magnet in the very center of the metal drain. I am not sure it gets all of the pins that escape, but it will get a lot of them.

As one poster stated in another thread, the pins will never wear out, but they will disappear.
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I also use the FA tumbler. Mrs got it for me for Christmas, prior to that, I had been using a Thumbler unit that belongs to my buddy for a few years.
I don't use any kind of a separator.

When done, I keep all media and cases in the drum. I carefully pour off the dirty wash water, refill the drum, and pour it off again 4-5 times until I have crystal clear water, and leave the drum full. I fish my cases out of the drum 2-3 at a time, case neck down, and all the pins fall right out. Even stuff as small as 204

I don't lose any pins, and it takes me maybe 30 minutes to pull 400 or so pieces of brass.



OilyPablo said:
Super simple, in layers in a food dehydrator.
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$37
Made in USA. Works like a champ.

Nesco FD-37A American Harvest Food Dehydrator, 400-watt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CS5ZI6G/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_KFuzvb0E2MAYX

I have mine on a simple timer. I like the push button and walk away. 30 minutes will dry 400 pieces of brass no problem.

Belkin Conserve Socket F7C009 Energy-Saving Outlet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003P2UMS0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_-Guzvb1NJ17P0
 
GBExpat said:
That one appears to be, with the exception of the outer shell color, almost identical to the RCBS product.
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I've not fondled the RCBS separator but I quite agree they do look the same pictorially. As stated mine works like a champ. I just crank slow at first with a few quick rotational direction changes, then pick up speed. On average I would say less than one pin left in a batch of brass, often times going many batches with zero pins. The "worry" of pin separation is distant memory, although I do keep a vigilant watch!
 
I bought one of the Graf and Sons media separators and tried it out last night. Works perfectly! No more messy pins to pick up and pick out of the brass. It is a must-have for the stainless media.
 
re: Dawn or ArmorAll Wash&Wax

I recently acquired 2068 (I count as I decap while humming/singing to the tunes :)) 9x19 range-pickup brass ... pretty dirty.

I decided to pre-wash this pile with a touch of Dawn before making them look new.

All 2068 fit in the FART tank, but that is too many to allow proper s/s pin movement, so I am splitting the Final into 2 batches ... with my (now) standard, ArmorAll Wash&Wax.

~1000 (½-full tank, dry) has great movement to it ... more than enough for the pins to work their magic. ;)
___

I was pleased with myself following the long, mind-numbing decapping session because I had managed to not, for a change, punch any holes in my left index finger with the decapping pin while I was "wandering". :D

And, yes, I think that this session has finally convinced me that, to me, it is worth paying a penny or so more per case to have them decapped and precleaned.
 
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