Tumbling brass

[supernova]

I just use a vibratory tumbler and corn cob with FA polish. The polish eliminates the dust and speeds up cleaning times. RCBS separator keeps the mess under control. I have all week to reload so after a weekend range trip I dump the brass in the tumbler and run it for 24 hrs. Brass comes out very clean and very shiny. Seperate it after I get home from work and its ready to go.

 

[Big bore dinosaur]

I run my Rcbs side winder for 7 to 8 hours
To get that shine.
Night time in the garage, cant here it and those motors will run forever , why not

Walnut media , and a used bouce sheet from the dryer. Keeps the media clean.
I agreee with the dust. Always empty out side. Saftey t shirt over my face lol.
No jok . Bad for your lungs

 

[PPCLI-Jim]

I dump mine on the carpet downstairs, spread them out , dry the next day.

During the summer I use a black painted cookie sheet. I used to use my heater exhaust , but i got a high efficiency one so now it's alternative methods

 

[sonichanxiao]

Web tumbling without SS pin, just some warm water with dish soap and lemon shine for 1-1.5 hours, it would do the work.

 

[DiMP]

If the complaint is dull/matte/ugly coloured brass, I have found (by accident) that if a steel case works it way into your dirty brass pile and/or you use too much lemishine/acid it can discolour your brass when wet tumbling

 

[Butcherbill]

put a squirt of mineral spirits or car polish in your walnut and tumble longer. Dull looking brass is always too short a tumble.

This, a bit of varsol and liquid car wax not only makes brass shine but it eliminates the dust everyone complains about.

That said the wet tumbler and stainless steel pins are hard to beat for the complete cleaning.

I wet tumble large amounts of brass and small batches go in the dry vibratory tumbler, both have their place and both work well.

 

[franktank]

You don’t even need the stainless pins to get good results
Supposedly tossing a handful of spent 22 casings in the tumbler works good too

The flash holes will still be dirty at the end, as pins ARE the way to go.

 

[Geoff B]

Another benefit of wet tumbling is that the patch of grass where I dump the dirty water gets a healthy green from the powder residue!

 

[.30/06 FTW]

You don’t even need the stainless pins to get good results
Supposedly tossing a handful of spent 22 casings in the tumbler works good too

Much easier to remove the pins with a magnet than .22 cases.

 

[.30/06 FTW]

Dull brass shoots just as good as shiny brass, just saying

The cleaner it is, the easiest to see that you dropped powder in the case.

 

[Butcherbill]

Much easier to remove the pins with a magnet than .22 cases.

Dry media separator spins out the pins as well, have the FA magnet and only use the media spinner as it works so well.

 

[yomomma]

The cleaner it is, the easiest to see that you dropped powder in the case.

This seems simpler...

 

[B]

Dry media separator spins out the pins as well, have the FA magnet and only use the media spinner as it works so well.

I just shake it into a bucket while rinsing. FA kit comes with strainer caps. The few leftover pins end up on the drying towel or just fall out at some point. Has served me well for a really ridiculous amount of brass.

Why is it so hard to properly quote after a post is made..??

 

[Butcherbill]

I just shake it into a bucket while rinsing. FA kit comes with strainer caps. The few leftover pins end up on the drying towel or just fall out at some point. Has served me well for a really ridiculous amount of brass.

Why is it so hard to properly quote after a post is made..??

I do that first as well but find there’s still pins in the wet cases, the media spinner/separator gets out the remaining pins. Might find 1-3 pins on the towel I dry them on the odd time, usually they’re all out.

This is pretty typical when I rinse/spin, I rinse the FA drum with strainer cap through the strainer into a pail and get the majority of the pins. The rest gets spun in the media separator and the last of them are caught in the process, works well for me and is quick.

 

[B]

I understood what you are doing. The pins left behind when wet always make their way out so I have never bothered with the separator.

 

[I Dont Care About You]

If you want brand new looking brass pins can help improve the shiny aesthetics. Wet without pins works just as well from a functional standpoint, without the hassle of pins.

Doesn't clean the primer pocket.

Some dish soap and Lemi-Shine, hot water. About 1 hr, I drain through a french fry basket then dry either in the summer sun or in a dehydrator

I use a heat gun with the brass in a shallow, metal baking pan. Five minutes and the brass is nice and dry.

Web tumbling without SS pin, just some warm water with dish soap and lemon shine for 1-1.5 hours, it would do the work.

Without the pins, the inside of the case and most importantly the primer pocket do not get cleaned.

 

[HIGHLANDBEAGLES]

If the complaint is dull/matte/ugly coloured brass, I have found (by accident) that if a steel case works it way into your dirty brass pile and/or you use too much lemishine/acid it can discolour your brass when wet tumbling

I have not used Lemi-Shine yet, but have used lemon juice and too much of it for too long will turn the brass a pinkish colour.

 

[CaribooBC]

What about using an ultrasonic cleaner?? That is what I use, they end up not 100% shiny, but the primer pocket and flash hole get clean, without having to use pins. My process is to decap and size, then into the ultrasonic bath, then prime, flare (if needed) and load powder, bullet and crimp… my slightly duller reloads shoot perfectly fine.

 

[GreenBob]

Wet tumbling without stainless steel pins is a viable option. Simply add a drop or two of Lemon Shine and dish soap, then run the tumbler for a couple of hours - just be sure to keep an eye on it. Additionally, consider investing in a case separator, as they are well worth the cost and can significantly speed up the drying process. As many here have stated already, you do not need the steel pins at all, i wouldn't use them with high end brass anyhow.

 

[Gatehouse]

Doesn't clean the primer pocket.



I use a heat gun with the brass in a shallow, metal baking pan. Five minutes and the brass is nice and dry.



Without the pins, the inside of the case and most importantly the primer pocket do not get cleaned.

Not everyone cares about shiny primer pockets. Because that's what you are actually talking about, shiny- not clean. If you decap then wet tumble without pins your primer pockets are going to clean, just not shiny. And many shooters don't even bother to decap prior to cleaning because it isn't necessary most of the time anyway.

There have been so many tests done that show that cleaning primer pockets has zero effect on accuracy that primer pocket cleaning should be considered optional for most shooters, as long as carbon buildup isn't preventing good seating of the primer- which most of the time it doesn't.

Shiny primer pockets (and new looking shiny brass inside and out) really only became fashionable with the introduction of stainless pin cleaning. Then all of a sudden some shooters decided they just had to have the shiny new thing (pun intended)

Obviously how a person uses their time is up to them but for me using pins is a waste of time, especially when cleaning a large volume of brass.

Anyone can google a bunch of comparisons of clean vs dirty primer pocket. Here's one from F Class John shooting 20 round groups. The Dirty primer pockets actually performed slightly better.