wet ss tumbling starting to piss me off

[Kryogen]

Too many steps, get rid of the pins, dry, etc etc. makes a mess in the house, picking pins everywhere, works to clean a ton of super filthy cases, but takes too much time for regular prep.

Too bad I just bought a brand new 1/2 hp motor for close to 200$ for the tumbler. That thing is unstoppable with that motor though, doesnt even seem like it's hard to start that 50 pound drum.
Had an old used 1/4 hp motor but it burnt in smoke last tumbling session... eh.

What do you use to lube bootleneck brass and then how do you remove the lube?

that lyman tumbler with the quick dump valve looks like a charm to use. pull the plug, dump media, clean brass already separated.

 

[porpoise]

I use rcbs lube i used to rinse them in soapy water swab the neck with a q tip and re rinse in clear water. This lube is so water soluble i now just swish them around in warm water and dry them, lube is gone. No tumbling, waste of time i.m.o.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

who did you buy the motor from?

 

[canoetrpr]

Kryogen, which Lyman tumbler are you referring to. I just picked up the cheap Turbo 1200 one today. Maybe I'll return it and get this fancy model you speak of.

 

[Shibby!]

I tumble on a treadmill I got for free that was apparently "broken". Fixed in 1.5 hours.

I have a spinner that works with some water and never have I had to pick a pin. I then quickly rinse the brass then set them out to dry. I dump off the majority of water off my pins, throw the rotating washer in the container it spins in with the drying pins and put in the basement.

Easy and perfectly clean brass.

I don't like to wait for the brass to dry which is the only downside. If I want to hurry I throw them in the oven at 175 for 1.5 hours and they are ready to rock. Total time from dirty to clean and dry is then 4 hours.

Total investment in my stainless tumbler was $70

 

[Armored Metal]

that lyman tumbler with the quick dump valve looks like a charm to use. pull the plug, dump media, clean brass already separated.

It does look kinda cool and trouble free. I almost bought that one at Wholesale Sports but went with the cheaper model when I calculated the total amount of my order.

 

[Armored Metal]

Kryogen, which Lyman tumbler are you referring to. I just picked up the cheap Turbo 1200 one today. Maybe I'll return it and get this fancy model you speak of.

The auto-flow model. Check it out on YouTube.

 

[canoetrpr]

The auto-flow model. Check it out on YouTube.

Ok that is pretty cool. I'm going to call my local LeBaron where I purchased the 1200 from today and see if they have the Auto-Flow in stock. If so, I'm swapping it. Man this reloading thing is expensive.

 

[bigedp51]

After I'm done tumbling I dump the cases and pins into a small ice cream bucket and rinse until soap free. I then dump the cases and pins into a dry media separator (pictured) with the gray bucket full to the brim with hot water. Slowly tumble and separate the pins, shake cage and dump wet cases into towel lined bucket and shake. Any pins that fall out into the sink are picked up with a telescoping magnet and occasionally two pins might get wedged in a flash hole. Bottom line very few pins get lost or go down the drain and the ones that do are picked up from the drain trap with the telescoping magnet.

A five gallon bucket and a plastic kitchen colander can also be used, and just agitate submerged cases and pins by hand to separate. KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid

When reasonably dry after agitating on a towel the cases are dumped in a five gallon bucket and a hair dryer is used to completely dry the cases.

Feeding two AR15 rifles and a bolt action .223 is a chore, the cleaning/tumbling is the easy part the sizing and reloading is the time consuming part. Below is one five gallon bucket of Remington .223 brass and I have two more five gallon buckets of military Lake City brass.

But the mailman dropped the box below off yesterday to speed things up.

 

[Drillbit]

^I didn't think Stainless Steel pins would be magnetic??

Looking at switching over from tumbling right now, but all this washing a drying seems like more work than tumbling & dumping out?

 

[Gatehouse]

^I didn't think Stainless Steel pins would be magnetic??

Looking at switching over from tumbling right now, but all this washing a drying seems like more work than tumbling & dumping out?

That's what I decided when I looked at the SS pin cleaning. Tumbling with walnut shells has worked for decades, is a few simple steps and is cheap. Dump cases in cleaner. Walk away. Dump cases out into separator. Separate. Clean primer pockets as required. Brass is clean and shiny enough.

 

[bigedp51]

^I didn't think Stainless Steel pins would be magnetic??

Looking at switching over from tumbling right now, but all this washing a drying seems like more work than tumbling & dumping out?

Key words "stainless steel" defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5% to 11% chromium content by mass, and steel will stick to a magnet. The little magnet in the photo finds a lot of escaped pins.

The advantage of stainless steel media is your cases will not have any type abrasive polishing compound to get in your bore or any tumbling dirt or embedded grit to scratch you dies. And when lubed these cases are slicker than snot on a door knob.

Its six of one and a half dozen of the other and your choice, wet cases that need drying or cleaning flash holes and primer pockets of dry tumbling media.

NOTE: a little over a year ago all I had were bolt action rifles, now I have rifles that throw perfectly good brass away and shiny brass is easy to see on the ground.
(if the government lets us keep these brass chuckers across your border in the U.S.)

 

[667]

If stainless tumbling is too much work.... You're doing it wrong. Lol.

 

[thump_rrr]

Another advantage to cleaning with SS pins is that there are no airborne lead compounds floating around.

I use the RCBS media separator which is covered.I fill it with water then I spin it 10 times in each direction and all the pins are separated.
The water is then dumped out and the cases are spun several more seconds to get the majority of the water out.

I then roll the cases around in a large towel to get most of the water out.

For those using an oven even as low as 200F the temperature in various poins in the oven can greatly exceed the desired temperature. The only way to ensure you don't overheat the brass and fuse case head separation is to warm up the oven and when it gets to the desired temperature turn it off then put the brass into the oven.
There will be enough residual heat in there to dry the brass completely.

 

[667]

As far as drying goes... You guys are impatient.
I roll the brass around in a towel then dump them onto a boot tray.
Leave them overnight and they're dry.
Usually mine sit for a couple of days anyway so no matter.... They just dry sitting there.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

2200 Auto-Flo® Tumblers

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/tumblers/2200-auto-flo-tumblers.php The Original Auto-Flo The ultimate in case cleaning convenience, Lyman's Auto-Flo Enhanced Tumblers automatically separate clean cases from media using the unit's normal vibrating motion. When cases are clean, the user simply pulls the drain plug and the media drains from the exit port into the media drain pan (included). The 2200 features a high strength "Ultra-Thick" Roto Molded bowl which will last as long as you own your tumbler. The 1.5 gallon capacity is ideal for the large volume user and can clean 750 38 Special cases in one cycle. The 2200 also features a clear see-thru lid for inspecting cases during cleaning. A media drain pan is also included. WEIGHT: 13 lb

Price Part # $164.95 7631601 (115V) FAQ $166.50 7631611 (230V)

Prices listed are USD.

I suspect you can get this from many of CGN's sponsors.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Me I use the older version. Looking at this however, I might just order the conversion kit.

[youtube]i3qFDbVm7sA[/youtube]

 

[dead meat]

I`ve been reloading for 40+ years and still don`t own a tumbler. If i my brass is dirty or gritty with sand i will wash it but shiney doesn`t make it shoot better. Oh well i get more loading done with less work. Maybe i should start an anti tumbling cult, would be required after each loading session.

 

[bigedp51]

I`ve been reloading for 40+ years and still don`t own a tumbler. If i my brass is dirty or gritty with sand i will wash it but shiney doesn`t make it shoot better. Oh well i get more loading done with less work. Maybe i should start an anti tumbling cult, would be required after each loading session.

Your cases are safe, no one in their right mind would pick one of them at the range.

Can a Cult just have one person it it?

Besides, no worries the Enfield chamber is designed for dirty muddy cartridge cases.

Its not a crime if they shine.

 

[NShunter1254]

I`ve been reloading for 40+ years and still don`t own a tumbler. If i my brass is dirty or gritty with sand i will wash it but shiney doesn`t make it shoot better. Oh well i get more loading done with less work. Maybe i should start an anti tumbling cult, would be required after each loading session.

I agree

If i figure my cases are getting to dirty to see case neck splits or other problems i give them a dip in vinegar and hot water for fifteen minutes mixing often.