Ironicaintit
Member
You guys are lousy salesmen!
Wet vs. dry case cleaning.
- Thread starter dirtengineer
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OilyPablo
Member
Not trying to sell anyone. I just like, ok LOVE, ultraclean, untarnished brass. I readily accept that I do it for looks. Clean primer pockets are important to me, and again, I readily accept 1000's of people reload successfully with grimy primer pockets and some level of residue inside the brass. The thing is, there are many OTHER variables that can make reloading go wonky. I just start with clean brass and concentrate on the heavy hitters.
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
I dry mine in the oven during the winter and leave them out in the sun in the summer. I don't have a problem them tarnishing since I also use car wash with wax. I clean them twice. Once to remove the dirt and the second time to remove the sizing lube. If I really want them dry fast, I use my air compressor to get the water off them then finish up in the oven. Much faster. I dry the pins in a frying pan on the stove.
USSR
Member
You can't go by the numbers on the dial. When I stuck an oven thermometer in my oven, I found out I had to set it to about an inch below the 250 degree mark on the dial. I leave them in for 30 minutes and all is well. Oh, and my dry tumbler continues to see use. After wet tumbling I spray the brass with my homemade lanolin/alcohol mix, resize them, and then they go into the dry tumbler to remove the lube.
Don
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
I go to 225 and never had an issue. However, I never make the mistake of using my wife's pans.
Sunray
Member
"...It's not strictly necessary to clean brass..." Yes, it is. It is not necessary to clean 'em to shiney. And a 250F oven, while too hot(set the oven on the lowest temperature), will not cause the cases to tarnish.
Wet cleaning just adds another step. Lot of people, myself included, started out with liquid cleaning but quit using 'em when they bought a tumbler. Too much unnecessary mucking around. There's really no advantage to it.
Not convinced tumbling in SS pins is a good idea either.
Wet cleaning just adds another step. Lot of people, myself included, started out with liquid cleaning but quit using 'em when they bought a tumbler. Too much unnecessary mucking around. There's really no advantage to it.
Not convinced tumbling in SS pins is a good idea either.
Thats why they maske chocolate and vanilla
We all have our preferences. As soon as I come in from the range I do a 30 min+ run in the cheap vibrator with 1/3 walnut and 2/3 corncob + dryer sheet strips. Then I decap and run again 30 min+. (I do this over the week in batches) If I change out the dryer sheets regularly, the media seems to last forever. The brass is nice and clean and shiny - but then I don't pick up range brass either. Then I inspect the shells for any issues, and find 2 or 2 out of a hundred with a corn cob piece in the primer pocket which I poke out. This works well for me, the brass is clean and reloads fine. I reload about 3000 to 5000 rounds a yr of 38 spcl, 357, 45ACP, 556, 308, and 458 SOCOM combined. It is very easy, inexpensive, and works just fine for me. If I trim brass or swage, I "wash" in a 1 liter plastic bottle to make sure the brass bits are cleaned out.
We all have our preferences. As soon as I come in from the range I do a 30 min+ run in the cheap vibrator with 1/3 walnut and 2/3 corncob + dryer sheet strips. Then I decap and run again 30 min+. (I do this over the week in batches) If I change out the dryer sheets regularly, the media seems to last forever. The brass is nice and clean and shiny - but then I don't pick up range brass either. Then I inspect the shells for any issues, and find 2 or 2 out of a hundred with a corn cob piece in the primer pocket which I poke out. This works well for me, the brass is clean and reloads fine. I reload about 3000 to 5000 rounds a yr of 38 spcl, 357, 45ACP, 556, 308, and 458 SOCOM combined. It is very easy, inexpensive, and works just fine for me. If I trim brass or swage, I "wash" in a 1 liter plastic bottle to make sure the brass bits are cleaned out.
I feel wet tumbling brings any case to as new condition, no matter how old.
I used to dry tumble all of my cases some times for many hours. Still they came out clean but never as new. The other thing is media getting stuck in the flash hole.
I also tried US cleaners I was not impressed.
When I switched to SS pins and wet tumbling, I was hooked.
I tumbled 1917 45 APC brass I shot 40 ago, after 4 hours the water was black ant the brass looked new inside and out.
I also have a breech loading cannon that uses copper repair coupling for the case and brass for head. Black powder really turns copper a dark blue black. Four hours in the tumbler and they come out as new.
I sold all of my tumblers except one that I use for things that need to be deburred.
I used to dry tumble all of my cases some times for many hours. Still they came out clean but never as new. The other thing is media getting stuck in the flash hole.
I also tried US cleaners I was not impressed.
When I switched to SS pins and wet tumbling, I was hooked.
I tumbled 1917 45 APC brass I shot 40 ago, after 4 hours the water was black ant the brass looked new inside and out.
I also have a breech loading cannon that uses copper repair coupling for the case and brass for head. Black powder really turns copper a dark blue black. Four hours in the tumbler and they come out as new.
I sold all of my tumblers except one that I use for things that need to be deburred.
Bula
Member
I've been vibe tumbling for probably close to 10 years on the same Lyman. If that gives up the ghost, I may consider going wet. But the extra work does concern me. For precision rifle brass, makes sense as those pockets shine like a diamond in a goats rear with SS pins. Dry tumbling just makes more sense to me given I shoot 95% pistol calibers. I say go for both. The vibe tumblers are cheap.
Ed from Maine
Member
re drying after ultrasonic cleaning, I take them out hot, run very hot tap water over colander full of clean brass, then put a handful into a towel,into a ball, swing that around every which way, dump into shallow tray over old toweling and put under a photo reflector lamp for about half an hour. Too hot to touch, any water evaporated right off. Works better if you decap first, especially for rifle rounds, so they drain better.
I have been trying to get a hold of Ron Popeil to invent a all in one set it and forget it machine for brass cleaning.
It would tumble, wet dry and air dry all in one operation, Just dump in the brass, set it and forget it.
His agent has not returned my calls
A true hand-loader would polish each piece of brass by hand with a soft cotton cloth and Q tip with polishing rouge and give it a close up inspection with 10x loop.
It would tumble, wet dry and air dry all in one operation, Just dump in the brass, set it and forget it.
His agent has not returned my calls
A true hand-loader would polish each piece of brass by hand with a soft cotton cloth and Q tip with polishing rouge and give it a close up inspection with 10x loop.
OilyPablo
Member
If that "As seen on TV" unit would deprime, you might have something there!
jcwit
member
If I was just starting out or 20 years younger I would go wet tumbling, much better IMO.
But at 72 I'm not going to invest in a whole new setup no more than I reload & shoot anymore!
But you younger folks, GO FOR IT.
But at 72 I'm not going to invest in a whole new setup no more than I reload & shoot anymore!
But you younger folks, GO FOR IT.
maxxhavoc
Member
I used to dry tumble, then switched (mostly) to wet. The SS pins just get everything cleaner and makes the loaded rounds look much better.
I recently ended up with a large lot (for me) of 30-06 brass from a fellow who decided the buckets of once-fired surplus brass were just taking up too much space. So I ended up dry tumbling some, wet tumbling some.
For Dry, I used a bit of nu-finish and mineral spirits in Zilla walnut, what I always did. 3 hour tumble, deprime/size, 2 hour tumble.
For wet, Wash and Wax with lemishine. 2 hour tumble, deprime/size, 1 hour tumble. 1 hour dry at 200 degrees.
The results (note that this was 1953 brass, so both showed great improvement.):
Guess which half are dry vs wet. Both will work fine...there is no functional improvement that I have seen.
I recently ended up with a large lot (for me) of 30-06 brass from a fellow who decided the buckets of once-fired surplus brass were just taking up too much space. So I ended up dry tumbling some, wet tumbling some.
For Dry, I used a bit of nu-finish and mineral spirits in Zilla walnut, what I always did. 3 hour tumble, deprime/size, 2 hour tumble.
For wet, Wash and Wax with lemishine. 2 hour tumble, deprime/size, 1 hour tumble. 1 hour dry at 200 degrees.
The results (note that this was 1953 brass, so both showed great improvement.):
Guess which half are dry vs wet. Both will work fine...there is no functional improvement that I have seen.
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Hy folks.
I do not dry tumble, nor have an ultrasound wet cleaner.
I just put the shells in a heavy liquid soap. There is a cheap liquid soap used to clean airplanes. Use the recommended dilution, leave the shells there about 15 min, rinse with clean water and leave the shells dry under the sun.
Gives shiny clean shells, not damaged by ultrasound or thumbler.
I do not dry tumble, nor have an ultrasound wet cleaner.
I just put the shells in a heavy liquid soap. There is a cheap liquid soap used to clean airplanes. Use the recommended dilution, leave the shells there about 15 min, rinse with clean water and leave the shells dry under the sun.
Gives shiny clean shells, not damaged by ultrasound or thumbler.
How do you figure wet tumbling or ultrasound cleaning damages the brass. I have tried both methods and cannot see how ultrasound could possibly cause any damage. As for wet tumbling (which I have been doing for several years) I can see where cleaning the same brass numerous times may weaken the brass but I have not heard of any proof or complaints about this happening. I know I have cleaned and shot 44 magnum brass 7 times now and it is still seems to be holding up okay. I would think that cleaning in Walnut with brass polish would cause just as much damage as the pins.
RainDodger
Member
I just spent a whole $28 on Amazon prime (free shipping) for a 700 watt food dehydrator that only lacks the "Hornady" logo to be identical to the one Midway sells for $60. Works great. No tarnishing. Life is too short to mess around worrying about it any more than simply doing it the way you want. That's what makes our country great! Freedom of choice!
Da Yooper
Member
And the name of this cheap liquid soap is ?
And Is this cheap liquid soap available to the public at a reasonable cost ?
Comrade Mike
Member
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I went from a dry tumbler to a wet tumbler, and I'll never go back. Wet tumblers with stainless steel pins are seriously amazing
Stainless steel tumbling does not damage your brass at all. Do not listen to anyone who says it does, it's absolute nonsense.
Stainless steel tumbling does not damage your brass at all. Do not listen to anyone who says it does, it's absolute nonsense.
It is still a toss up for me, pistol I'll do dry with primers in, and then load them.
Rifle, I can't really see the time savings by decapping first, then drying them.(other than shorter tumbling times)
Yes, it gets the primer pockets clean, and they look good.
But dry tumbling in walnut, separating media in the dillon separator, and brushing the primer pockets with a powered case prep center is faster For me.
So I'm not 100% sold on it As a faster solution to clean brass. I can run 2-3x the capacity of cases in a dry tumbler than a wet one.
Rifle, I can't really see the time savings by decapping first, then drying them.(other than shorter tumbling times)
Yes, it gets the primer pockets clean, and they look good.
But dry tumbling in walnut, separating media in the dillon separator, and brushing the primer pockets with a powered case prep center is faster For me.
So I'm not 100% sold on it As a faster solution to clean brass. I can run 2-3x the capacity of cases in a dry tumbler than a wet one.
Cheap soap name is BH-38.
About USD 5.00 per gallon at my local market. 1 gallon to be dilluted and reused many many times.
Dry thumbling weaknes brass. Just because of friction. Ultrasound might be a better method I would love to try, but in my local market I cannot fond it. I might buy one in my next visit to the US next november.
About USD 5.00 per gallon at my local market. 1 gallon to be dilluted and reused many many times.
Dry thumbling weaknes brass. Just because of friction. Ultrasound might be a better method I would love to try, but in my local market I cannot fond it. I might buy one in my next visit to the US next november.
danlnga
Member
My son in law's father, who reloaded, passed some 10 years ago. I was given over 400 pieces of 308 brass that had been sitting in an open container for that 10 years in a garage in south Georgia. Dirty would be an understatement. I bought a Thumlers Tumbler & used Dawn dish detergent & some Lemonshine to wet clean. I would run 150 or so for 7 or 8 hours. They came out like new. No more vibratory for me.
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