The clean-up nightmare from wet tumbling with stainless steel media is a pain in the ass. I need to find a better way. Trying my sonic cleaner next, and maybe tumbling with just the cleaner and not the media.
- Thread starter rustyinbend
- Start date
How do you avoid shaking steel media out of every case?
How do you avoid washing steel media down the drain?
How do you dry the media?
I use a dual-stage sifter and it's still a PITA.
Clearly I'm doing it "wrong".
With bottleneck cases can not be avoided - with straight wall pistol cases usually not a problem.
Plug the drain.
Spread it out on newspaper in a cardboard box.
Agreed and that's why I normally don't use media in the wet tumbler.
This is a good product to separate the brass from the media. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016958652?pid=271904
There are others like it from various manufacturers. I use something like that and then double check it with a strong rare earth magnet because I'm OCD. When I pour the water out of the bucket, I put the magnet on the underside of the bucket to hold the media in. Never had an issue with media going down the drain. I usually shake the brass in a towel and then put them in the oven (preferably on the convection setting) on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil at the lowest temp (around 200 degrees) for 30-ish minutes. When I take them out of the oven, I put the media in for about the same amount of time.
There are others like it from various manufacturers. I use something like that and then double check it with a strong rare earth magnet because I'm OCD. When I pour the water out of the bucket, I put the magnet on the underside of the bucket to hold the media in. Never had an issue with media going down the drain. I usually shake the brass in a towel and then put them in the oven (preferably on the convection setting) on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil at the lowest temp (around 200 degrees) for 30-ish minutes. When I take them out of the oven, I put the media in for about the same amount of time.
A Dillon media separator helps. So does dry tumbling your rifle cases.
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I have gone to using very hot water and no Southern Shine media or regulars pins for my wet tumbling on every loading. The primer pockets are still a bit dirty but I feel it's more time effective to touch them on a appropriate pocket brush on the prep center than separating media with a FA separator. They are still plenty shiny...
this...works perfect for me...also dump them on a towel before the dehumidifier as a quick double check as I don’t want the pins in my AMP.
I guess I’m just doing it the easy way, Hornady Sonic Cleaner, it will fit 150 6.5 CM. Run the temp up to 170 (it never reaches that) normally gets up to 150’s and run it twice at 20 minutes each. Rinse with distilled water, then cookie sheet in the oven at 225 for 20 minutes. That gives me time to start a second batch. They are clean enough inspect them and then get dirty at the next match.
New to this as well, and I have only done two tumblings. But what I do that I think seems to work well.
1. Put a screen strainer over a small bucket, preferably with a screw on lid that holds a gallon of liquid.
2. Dump liquid and any pins that come out through the strainer. Screw lid on bucket to reuse later (I use Boretech case cleaner, it is reusable. I found if you let it sit, the contaminants settle to the bottom.)
3. Grab 5 gallon bucket with your strainer with it's pins, and put the strainer end cap on the other side of tumbler and take it to the bath tub.
4. Fill your bucket with hot water and shake and spin the hell out of it. Dump the water and pins from the bucket through the strainer.
4a. I do this three times, it's doesn't get all the pins out, but enough for me to say it is good.
5. Rinse pins and leave in strainer over bucket, they will dry just fine.
6. I dry my cases over a towel, no case dryer or media separator yet, and it's last on my list of things to buy. Once dry I run a magnet to pick up whatever is left in pins. It will also pick up any cases with pins, just slide the brass off and pins will stick to magnet.
I probably spend maybe 30 mins after brass is done tumbling, if even that. I knew it was going to be a process, but I don't mind.
1. Put a screen strainer over a small bucket, preferably with a screw on lid that holds a gallon of liquid.
2. Dump liquid and any pins that come out through the strainer. Screw lid on bucket to reuse later (I use Boretech case cleaner, it is reusable. I found if you let it sit, the contaminants settle to the bottom.)
3. Grab 5 gallon bucket with your strainer with it's pins, and put the strainer end cap on the other side of tumbler and take it to the bath tub.
4. Fill your bucket with hot water and shake and spin the hell out of it. Dump the water and pins from the bucket through the strainer.
4a. I do this three times, it's doesn't get all the pins out, but enough for me to say it is good.
5. Rinse pins and leave in strainer over bucket, they will dry just fine.
6. I dry my cases over a towel, no case dryer or media separator yet, and it's last on my list of things to buy. Once dry I run a magnet to pick up whatever is left in pins. It will also pick up any cases with pins, just slide the brass off and pins will stick to magnet.
I probably spend maybe 30 mins after brass is done tumbling, if even that. I knew it was going to be a process, but I don't mind.
Cleaning cases with steel media is overrated... Getting cases squeaky clean is also stupid
I use the Frankford tumbler along with the extra cost mesh screen straining caps. After tumbling I unscrew the top cover, put in this mesh, screw the ring back on, and then invert to drain. I then open the other end to put more rinse water through. Once rinsed, I use the media separator to spin out the pins and I've yet to find media pins stuck in any cases run through it. I've done it with 25 SST, 6GT, 6BR, 300NM, and 6.5CM brass.
Here is pic of the mesh straining caps
Tumbler - https://www.frankfordarsenal.com/ca...platinum-series-rotary-tumbler-7l/909544.html
Strainer Caps - https://www.frankfordarsenal.com/ca...y-tumbler-straining-caps/1097883.html#start=1
Separator - https://www.frankfordarsenal.com/ca...rs/wetdry-media-separator/507567.html#start=1
Yes, the prices do seem a bit high are present on their site. They had some great deals on BF.
Sounds like your doing something wrong. Done right, Its a breeze. With or without media its the same to me.
Tumble, separate, rinse, dry.
I started annealing them as part of the drying process. Cuts the need to use the oven or dryer.
Just did 200 cases this evening.
The main reason I clean is because I dont like dirt and crap in my dies and press. It's such an easy step to return brass back to like new condition I dont see why not.
If you remove all the soot from inside the case mouths you are opening yourself up to issues with bullet weld, neck tension release inconsistencies unless you relube the inside of the neck with dry lube..... Pistol cases especially range pick ups... Sure I can see that but my brass rarely touches the ground unless I'm at a match in which case I simply chuck them in the vibrator with blasting media for 30 min before I resize..wip them through my separator for 5 min, then lube in mass and rock n roll. I hate extra time at the reloding bench for no reason other than a cosmetic benefit
All good perspective. Next time I tumble without steel media, and then try my sonic cleaner. If one of those works well, I'll ditch the steel media. If not, I'll try some of the other stuff listed here to reduce the steel media "PITA-Factor". Thanks.
I only tumble my brass to get the sizing lube off. If there is dried mud on one, I wash it off first. Other than mud there is not much that is going to stick to a slippery dry brass case.
Maybe we should start a pole and see how many people have actually scratched die. Steel dies are way harder than brass. It seems more likely to me something gets embedded in the brass, than something scratches the die.
Maybe we should start a pole and see how many people have actually scratched die. Steel dies are way harder than brass. It seems more likely to me something gets embedded in the brass, than something scratches the die.
I hate adding unnecessary steps to the already tedious reloading process.
I have never wavered from walnut media, and have never understood the wet tumble bandwagon.
I have never wavered from walnut media, and have never understood the wet tumble bandwagon.
If you want pretty brass, you can't beat corn cob and NuFinish. I still don't get it. I think it was a marketing ploy by abrasive media salesmen to get rid of surplus stainless pins. lol
I’ll just drain as much water from the barrel as I can which is 98% of it, and then pull out each piece of brass, inspect it, dump out the pins in the cases, and transfer to a large plastic cup to rinse. I’ll rinse several time in luke warm water, drain, dump out in a towel and dry them, then stick them in a toaster over for 30 mins on 150F. The whole process takes maybe 10 minutes.
I use the Frankford tumbler along with the extra cost mesh screen straining caps. After tumbling I unscrew the top cover, put in this mesh, screw the ring back on, and then invert to drain. I then open the other end to put more rinse water through. Once rinsed, I use the media separator to spin out the pins and I've yet to find media pins stuck in any cases run through it. I've done it with 25 SST, 6GT, 6BR, 300NM, and 6.5CM brass.
Here is pic of the mesh straining caps
Tumbler - https://www.frankfordarsenal.com/ca...platinum-series-rotary-tumbler-7l/909544.html
Strainer Caps - https://www.frankfordarsenal.com/ca...y-tumbler-straining-caps/1097883.html#start=1
Separator - https://www.frankfordarsenal.com/ca...rs/wetdry-media-separator/507567.html#start=1
Yes, the prices do seem a bit high are present on their site. They had some great deals on BF.
The strainer screens are the cats pajamas! Reasonable price, better price on Amazon.
Standard vibratory case tumbler with corncob media and a dab of polish. I do 25 large rifle brass at once and sift the media through a standard noodle strainer in the kitchen. Bee using this method for years with no issue. Occasionally I'll get a piece of media lodged in the flash hole but that's nothing a paper clip wont fix. It's all very quick compared to what Iv'e see other people do. And my brass always looks new without even trying.
This is the answer you seek. I don’t wet tumble though unless the brass is extremely filthy. Like dirty range pick up brass or 223 shot through my suppressed AR.
bolt gun ammo gets tumbled in rice
Just remember you dry media tumblers are filthy machines and all that dust is full of lead from your primers. I'd rather wash the lead down the drain than inhale it lead stays in your system for many years. It took me over 15 years for my blood to test normal after inhaling vaporized lead from a faulty casting machine.
A media separator works well for getting pins or dry media out of cases. The whole point of wet tumbling is to get the inside of the case clean. If you just wanna clean the outside then you can dry tumble. Either way you will need a media separator.
If you run some form of polish and a dryer sheet I don't think you too much to worry about especially if you have it running outside
Scratched dies isn't as much a problem as is getting a tiny particle of brass smeared on the die wall. Won't scratch the die, but you end up with a nice streak that you have to clean up before you start ruining brass. I ended up with a couple dozen pieces of brass that have streaks on the sides because I wasn't paying super close attention while sizing. Cleaned up the die with super fine wet/dry sandpaper & steel wool.
Just bought the strainer screens and media separator ... let's see if the combination reduces the "PITA Factor" to an acceptable level.
Good advice ... for many aspects of our lives. LOL
I have a policy of never putting anything together dry, but I didn't use any lube for bullet seating.
Which actually invokes another Newbie-Question ...
Should I be lubing for bullet seating? I haven't thus far, and have had no issues.
I dump my drum out into a plastic tub in the sink and run enough clear water through it to be able to see the brass. Then I pick the cases up 2,3,4,5 at a time and give them a shake and swish them through the water before dropping them on a folded towel.
I put a strong magnet across the sink drain to catch any loose pins.
I don't try to dry the media. I do rinse the pins when I get all of the brass out. Then they go back to the drum until next time.
I only wet tumble the dirtiest of my brass or any surplus brass that I want to sell. The cleaner brass goes into the tumbler with corncob media. If its out of my match rifle I don't even tumble it.
Wet tumbling is not for everyone. Its just another method that works well.
Media seprerator.
I place a 1/2 inch square rare earth magnet in a plastic container, and use it to pic up any loose SS pins.
Place it over the tumbler and remove the magnet and they all fall back in for the next use.
I place a 1/2 inch square rare earth magnet in a plastic container, and use it to pic up any loose SS pins.
Place it over the tumbler and remove the magnet and they all fall back in for the next use.
I use two gold panning pans in my wife’s utility sink. One with 1/4 inch or half inch hole to catch the brass and one under that with a fine steel mesh to catch the pins. Dump all brass and pins in wash with warm water and tap pins out of the brass a handful at a time. Toss clean brass on a towel then dry them in a food dehydrator.
Another vote for no media. Gets cases plenty clean. No issues seating bullets.
I know there is this whole wet vs dry cleaning and neck lube but for an idiot like me I just wet tumble no media. Pleased as punch with results.
Super Easy
I know there is this whole wet vs dry cleaning and neck lube but for an idiot like me I just wet tumble no media. Pleased as punch with results.
Super Easy
To me there is nothing much prettier than a loading block full of freshly loaded shiny Copper and Brass
My process may not address everyone's needs, but it works very well for me. I separate the media using a Frankfort media separator (separator mounted to a 5 gal bucket) by rocking the separator back & forth with the bucket nearly full of water. I do this in our laundry stationary tub. To avoid media going down the sink, I found a large round magnet which I place on top of the drain. This is not the actual magnet that I use, but pretty close:
As I pour the water out of the bucket, the water can flow over the top of the magnet and down the drain, but any media that get out of the bucket (minimal), will be trapped on the magnet. I see folks asking about drying the media, but I have no idea why. After separation, I pour off as much water as is practical without pouring out the media. I am left with a 5 gal bucket with the media and perhaps a cup of water. I pour this all back into my tumbler and put the end plate back on awaiting the next run of tumbling. As mentioned by a few others, I put the brass on a large towel and shake it to get out most of the water and spread out the brass on the towel to air dry. This whole process takes me about 10 minutes.
About a year ago I converted from SS pins to SS chips. It was something I had seen Jerry Miculek use and figured it must be a superior product. I find that the SS chips are more of a pain to work with, so I am going back to the pins. YMMV
I wasn't aware of wet media tumbling before this post. Essentially it combines the steps I would perform to clean my cases. Every method has its own plus and minus factors.
That said, I process my cases in the following sequence. I recently processed about 2,000, .223/5.56 cases along with all the other loose brass I found in my Dad's garage. I used my Lyman sonic cleaner first to clean the cases (there was a lot of grit & grime as some cases had been sitting for many years). This reduced the carbon build-up from building up in my dies. Then I dry them in a case dryer though I have used my oven and a cookie sheet lined with newspaper or paper towels. After sizing cases I place them in a vibratory tumbler with dry media (this bottle is 'Lyman's Corncob Green' with rouge) to polish the cases. I always check the cases and primer pocket for any remaining media, before priming charging and seating the bullets. I get very nice clean cases.
That said, I process my cases in the following sequence. I recently processed about 2,000, .223/5.56 cases along with all the other loose brass I found in my Dad's garage. I used my Lyman sonic cleaner first to clean the cases (there was a lot of grit & grime as some cases had been sitting for many years). This reduced the carbon build-up from building up in my dies. Then I dry them in a case dryer though I have used my oven and a cookie sheet lined with newspaper or paper towels. After sizing cases I place them in a vibratory tumbler with dry media (this bottle is 'Lyman's Corncob Green' with rouge) to polish the cases. I always check the cases and primer pocket for any remaining media, before priming charging and seating the bullets. I get very nice clean cases.
I’m not understanding the issues here. A simple media separator does it. Dump all brass into it. Spin about 20 revolutions, and all ss media is out of the brass and in the bottom of the separator. Then dump brass onto the dehydrator screens and run it for 30 mins. Then dump a pile of shiny brass onto my loading bench.
I empty out the tumbler's dirty water then refill to top. The trick is to flip the case upside down underwater. Steel media will easily fall out. I only do 100-200 cases at a time, grab a handful oriented upside down, goes quick enough. Then stick them into a food dehydrator for 30 minutes.
I pour my cases into a media separator (looks like a gold pan with slots in the bottom) and give it a few shakes. Then I pour whatever’s left onto a beach towel. I grab the towels corners and seesaw the brass back and forth. Grab the pins with this magnet
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and return them to my drum. Come back in a few hours and do the whole towel shake thing again and magnet up the rest of the pins. Nothing down the drain, and any pin that falls on the rug is easily found with the magnet.
Frankford Arsenal Reloading Tools Media Transfer Magnet 909271 Weight: 1.5 lb,
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