So I finally got a Wet Tumbler with stainless media

Gobc

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Maple Skids, BC
I hate vibratory tumblers because of the dust. I live in a condo so I don't have a garage to work in :(. I tried ultrasonic but the results were meh. Now this thing freaking rocks. I'm just in tears of joy.

Oh and a shout out to Budget Shooter Supply - fantastic site sponsor.

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You're going to wonder why you didnt go this route first.

Well i started reloading 6 or 7 years ago. I'm not sure they were on the market then. If your starting out, this is the route to go.

When i rinsed the brass off, I added half a teaspoon of a dishwasher drying agent, (you know like jetdry or finish). My cases are in the dryer, no water marks. Yeah, I'm happy. Really happy :)
 
Well i started reloading 6 or 7 years ago. I'm not sure they were on the market then. If your starting out, this is the route to go.

When i rinsed the brass off, I added half a teaspoon of a dishwasher drying agent, (you know like jetdry or finish). My cases are in the dryer, no water marks. Yeah, I'm happy. Really happy :)

I have the dvd's of all the Handloader magazines and I found on the cover of a late 60's edition a rock tumbler and pins to clean brass. So the process has been around for 50 years but it has just become popular in the last 5 years or so. I love my setup.
 
I hate vibratory tumblers because of the dust. I live in a condo so I don't have a garage to work in :(. I tried ultrasonic but the results were meh. Now this thing freaking rocks. I'm just in tears of joy.

Oh and a shout out to Budget Shooter Supply - fantastic site sponsor.

1wMeMFv.jpg

Great to hear! I'm looking at getting into reloading and will just go this route right away and save the BS....nice to hear the results are fantastic
 
What does a decent wet tumbler and stainless media set a guy back these days? And what are the top/problem free brands of tumblers?

Gobc can probably tell you since mine is a diy tumbler (With 6" pvc drum and timer) and I picked up the pins at a local gunshow.
 
15 ml of powder dish washing machine detergent (Cascade with Dawn) plus 7.5 ml TSP plus 15 ml Lemi Shine detergent booster and tumble in my RCBS rotary tumbler with SS pins for 2.5 to 3 hours. The cartridge cases come out nice and clean.
I use a universal de-capping die to press out the primers and clean our the primer pocket prior to putting the case into the tumbler.
Sometimes I add Simoniz auto wash and wax (for the wax) in the rinse bucket. I roll the cases on cheap Walmart cotton towels to dry the oust side. I leave the cases on the towels over night to dry. If I’m in a hurry to dry the cases l put them in the clothes dryer on the stationary rack (towel on the rack cases on the towel). The kitchen oven on low heat works good too. I have a couple of dedicated large baking trays to put the cases on during the drying process.
 
try a few run without the SS media, you'll probably never go back to that unless you really get weird about primer pockets
 
What does a decent wet tumbler and stainless media set a guy back these days? And what are the top/problem free brands of tumblers?

Honestly I have no idea. I went with what Budget Shooting Supply had simply because they were close to me and in Canada. All they really are is a big AC motor, belt and timer. I don't think there is a whole lot to go wrong with. That being said the Frankford Arsenal one has really good reviews on cabelas.

The wet tumbler kit was $280 cad. A little steep but totally worth it IMO, considering the results. I also wanted the case dryer, but that was only $80. I've used the oven to dry, but I usually ended up with lots of drying marks.
 
I've always used a Lyman vibratory tumbler, tried a Sonic Cleaner. Recently got the Frankford Rotary and love it
 
I am one of the rare that dislikes wet tumbling, sold all my wet tumbling stuff to go back to dry! cou:
If you are aware of the downside and are ok with the process needed for wet tumbled brass, you will have beautifull inside and out brass.
 
Whats the downsized? Zinc leeched brass?

It does have it's benefits, and I don't want to rain on your parade, just knowing the side effects a bit better can save frustration.
We all know the good sides so I don't need to elaborate on them, on top of taking care of lead dust found in dry tumbling.
The fact I went back to dry was heart breaking for the lead dust.

When I had initially switched to wet, I immediately notice quite a bit more resistance running my 40SW ammo in my Dillon 650.
I then had to start doing something I never did before, lube pistol brass.
Which eventually gums everything up, as my Dillon lanolin based lube gets sticky.

This was o.k. and was ready to live with it, as I had shinny new looking brass in and out, without any lead dust fumes in my home.

Where things got tricky was when I started reloading single stage 308.
I really had these neck sizing irregularities, neck turning problems, and bullet seating irregular resistance to seat bullets.
After many threads wanting to know what was going wrong in my setup, where I was blaming dies and neck turning pilots, Mystic Precision asked for my full process and pointed out it was caused by wet tumbling.
The cure for this, was graphite based dry lube.
Never got there.

As when I got the old dusty setup back out, processing all my precision rifle ammo literally became a breeze without effrot.
And I had forgot how smooth and easy a Dillon 650 could be.

As when I dry tumble, I do it with a cap of nu finish, which really gives the brass some luster and makes it ''slippery'' in my dies and equipment.
And wet tumbled brass was ''sticky'', too clean it would catch on anything without lube.

My experience, opinion and 0.02$, YMMV, but going wet, make sure you get some good lube that isn't too sticky for pistol in a progressive, and dry graphite for a rifle on a single stage (as you don't want neck interiors wet)
 
I have also experienced excessive brass "scratching" and case mouth peening on wet tumbling

Me too.

I now deprime and wet tumble, then resize and ultrasonic to get case lube off.
I was getting way too many case necks peened that would shave bullets on loading, but I do love how clean they get so I don't mind the extra step.
 
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