Case Cleaning Methods

C

CharlesT

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I'm in the market for a case cleaning system. What should I get?

I currently load for 3 calibers and usually load 50-100 rounds at a time. One of the calibers is 44-40 and they have a thin neck if that makes any difference.

Noise is not a factor as case prep will be done in the shop.

I know there are as many opinions on this as there are flakes of snow on my driveway.

Thanks

CT
 
I bought my tumblers tumbler from Cabelas.
I bought my pins from Rooky on this site.
You turn your brass into gold in 3 hours.
1 teaspoon of lemmyshine,[bought at ctc].
Put your pins in the tumbler and your casings.
Add alittle bit of dish soap.
Make sure the water is not hot.
Put on the cover, and tumbler.
You brass will be like gold in 3 hours.
Old Timer Lou
 
Only thing I don't like about wet tumbling is waiting for the cases to dry. Some have suggested a water & alcohol wash after they have been cleaned but that's just added expense IMHO.
 
Well, Chuck, I'd go with a cheap vibratory tumbler and some corn cob or walnut media. Your brass won't come out looking brand new, but they will be ready for the next round. Use a primer pocket reamer just before priming (to remove the last of the primer deposits that this cleaning method will not address) and all will be well. JMHO.
 
I have owned both a vibratory tumbler and rotary, now only use the rotary with ceramic media, wet. No dust to deal with, just strain the cases over the utility sink, and dry in the oven on a cookie sheet for 30 min at 150 degrees F.
 
Rotary tumbler wet with stainless pins. Is the only way to clean the flash hole. Strain and use a magnet to help clean up. Dry in oven @ 200 for 30-60m minutes. I do it in large quantities so I use a cement mixer.
 
Drying isn't really that big a deal.
I roll my batches around in a towel and spread tgem out on boot trays... they dry over night without the use of hydro, nat. gas or any other utilities.
 
I have both a rotary Thumbler tumbler (with steel pins) and a Ultra sonic cleaner. I like both. Brass does come out brighter using steel pins in a tumbler but Im uncertain if it does as good a job on the inside as the ultrasonic.
 
1 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of dish soap, 1L of water (or enough to cover the brass). Let soak in a bucket, shake it up every so often, if you're around. It's amazing how well it cleans. De-primed cases, of coarse. Rinse thoroughly, roughly dry on a towel, then spread the cases out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 220F for 10 to 15 minutes until all water is gone.

I then tumble in corn cob media mainly just to clean the inside of the cases. I usually throw them in then go do something else, so they tumble for a good hour at least.

I did this a couple days ago on some cheap bulk .223 brass that has been sitting in a box for over 8 years. They are cleaner than new.
 
1/4 cup of dish soap sounds like a lot of soap. For a cleaning wash I use 1quart water, 1 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon dish soap, 1 tablespoon salt. I usually wash if I have really dirty brass like if I pickup when the ground is muddy etc.

I just bought a dual 3lb rock tumbler from Harbor Freight for $40 on sale. We'll see how that works out.
 
silverfoxdj said:
That's the ticket no dust nothing extra to buy for supply's and you don't need a big 5 lb tumbler 3lb will do the job
Click to expand...

If you don't mind me asking what's your recipe/ratio of steel pins, brass and water for a 3 pounder. Just about to pull the trigger on a tumbler now that I "know" santa isn't bringing me one (how many hints does a fella have to drop?). For rifle brass and don't need to polish huge batches at a time....yet anyway.
 
Armedsask said:
Rinse thoroughly, roughly dry on a towel, then spread the cases out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 220F for 10 to 15 minutes until all water is gone.
Click to expand...

I dry my brass on a cookie sheet set on top of the heating duct in the basement. This old house, the ducts are warm all winter.
 
wet ss media gives you the best looking brass.
to just "clean quick between reloads", I prefer to just toss in corncob because I don't have to separate the pins, rinse the brass, rinse the tumbler, then shake the brass to remove water, then dry, then wait to be dry,...
a quick toss into corncob will "quickly remove all debris and shine a bit", quick.

I use both. SS is more for large batches and very dirty brass.

I built a home made SS tumbler with a 2/3 hp motor.... I can tumble 100 pounds of brass all night and it will not sweat.
But it's just heavy and bulky and a hassle to use, so I only use it for really large batches or super dirty brass.
 
got to go said:
What's the best rpm for a tumbler ?
Click to expand...

For a 6" dia.cyl. I read 60-70 rpm is good.
Mine runs at 65rpm and I find thst results are excellent.
I suggest people surf over to ar15.com and under the reloading forum find a thread titled... "How I Built My Own Rotary Tumbler"
OP's screen name is "Bigdawg"...
Pages and pages of details and ideas/plans/pics on the topic
 
Unsure about the exact rpm. It was a tad too fast at first so i put a slightly larger pulley so now its fine... Approx 50-60 rpm. As fast as it can turn without the brass holding on the sides
 
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