Cleaning Fluid for Rotary Wet Tumbler what do you use

[phaedra]

Yes, 12 years not 8, I think lockdown is getting to me

After the final rinse I put the cases in the middle of a towel, gather the corners together and swing them round (like a sling shot), centrifugal force gets most of the water out that way.

15-25mins in the halogen at 70-80c dries them quite nicely.

 

[25 Sharps]

I don't know how long you tumble them for normally...you will see a difference if you periodically stop and photograph the process at stages part way through...the cases in the citric will be further advanced and will be fully cleaned sooner.

When I was making and tumbling silver jewellery I had it in an open Nivea pot revolving on a tilted record deck and would keep picking the bits out to see when they were done and chucking them back in to carry on with out stopping the machine. When I had my 1.5 tonne (!) vibratory rumbler going for the forged steel work, again that was an open trough and the ceramic media, abrasive soap and work pieces would cycle round and you could grab the bits out as they went past to see how they were doing. I bought the big rumbler because I had got most of the way through making the frame and hexagonal drum for a large (1200mm x 600mm A/F) rotary tumbler, just needed to resolve the drive gearing, when I realised that an enclosed drum would be a pain in the neck because I could not tell when the stuff was done with out stopping it and undoing the 12no. hatch plate nuts...

I describe that history to indicate not only my commercial interest in the speed of the process but also in the minimising of any excess time processing. Even though the process was largely unattended I was always looking to make it happen as fast as possible...not only from the financial point of view but also the aesthetic one...overly finished items lose there crispness and freshness of form. A half-sucked sweet springs to mind. Carrying that into my case prep for reloading I also want to do the minimum of intervention with the case, so leaving them being burnished for hours does not sit well with me...anything you can do to reduce that time being burnished is an advantage...hence the advantage of adding citric acid.

I ended up opting for case cleaning with just a 10 minute zap in the U/S tank, with citric acid and a drip of washing up liquid. No work/skin hardening through burnishing, or any noise going on for an hour or two.

Alan

I went the other way, started out US cleaning and since i got the rock tumbler it has not bee touched - I like shiny!! That said I only 'deep clean' every 3 or so loadings, in between neck size and primer pockets only!

 

[25 Sharps]

Yes, 12 years not 8, I think lockdown is getting to me

After the final rinse I put the cases in the middle of a towel, gather the corners together and swing them round (like a sling shot), centrifugal force gets most of the water out that way.

15-25mins in the halogen at 70-80c dries them quite nicely.

I roll mine around in a tunnel then stack in a box and sit on a radiator in winter or green house in the summer.

 

[Alantoo]

Yes, 12 years not 8, I think lockdown is getting to me

After the final rinse I put the cases in the middle of a towel, gather the corners together and swing them round (like a sling shot), centrifugal force gets most of the water out that way.

15-25mins in the halogen at 70-80c dries them quite nicely.

I roll mine around in a tunnel then stack in a box and sit on a radiator in winter or green house in the summer.

Me too, I spin mine around in a towel (carefully...not enough room to swing a cat in our cottage) and spread out on a baking tray on the night store heater (we have one running all year keeping a damp wall dry)

I shoot most of mine in a tunnel.

Many washing up liquids contain citric acid which helps soften hard water and cuts through fats

Spot the deliberate mistake...duh! All my degreasers are alkali based...I was thinking of the phosphoric acid cleaner used in dairies but that is to get the calcium, (milk stone) off and not the milk fat...doubted my own words when I read it back, so looked it up... my apologies.

Alan

 

[phaedra]

Blame it on Lockdown

Of course reading all this got me to thinking (usually a bad idea!) the Frankford is 5yrs old, apart from getting a bit noisier (I put some nice grease on the "quality" plastic gearing) it's still running OK but you never know!.

I've stuck one of these in my MidwayUSA cart for our next trip over (we were booked to go on the 11th but that didn't happen!).



Midway had them on offer a few weeks ago for $94, almost identical to the Frankford and still 7L capacity.

 

[Odders]

The addition of citric acid in a hard water area is of benefit as it helps break down the calcium carbonate which is the main "hardening agent" in the water.
Heck, it even helps disperse the arsenic salts in Albuquerque water & ensures minimal tarnishing or powdery deposits on the brass.
Frankford tumbler with a full load (800 .45 ACP/700 .223/400 .308) gets 40ml Dawn dish soap & ½ level tsp Lemishine (which is nowt but citric acid in powder form) & everything comes out clean & shiny after a 3hour run

 

[Martin2]

Yes, 12 years not 8, I think lockdown is getting to me

After the final rinse I put the cases in the middle of a towel, gather the corners together and swing them round (like a sling shot), centrifugal force gets most of the water out that way.

15-25mins in the halogen at 70-80c dries them quite nicely.

 

[JockStalk]

1/2 a dishwasher tablet.
Dishwasher stuff doesn’t foam as it cleans as it shines.
Less messy, great results.
Lemon aroma.

 

[gonzo]

A squirt of washing up liquid and a squirt of rinse aid. A couple of gal of hot water and about 4kg of stainless pins.
About three hours of racket, then dump them out through a bucket of clean water, to separate the pins.
Then pour them out on an old duvet cover to dry in the sun.
(I do a couple of big batches a year!)

Using lanolin as the case lube, I tend to prewash the cases in paraffin to get the lube off. Otherwise the cases come out of the tumble covered in dirty mank.
Any paraffin residue tends to evapourate off when drying.

I do find that the cases all come out dull after such an agressive clean. But that doesn't bother me.

I'd be interested in any ideas for a media separator. I've seen the little rotary basket ones, but need something a bit bigger!

And I might try dishwasher detergent now, after reading this thread.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

one squirt of orange degreaser hand cleaner
one to one mix of Bore Tech Carbon cleaner and water

 

[JockStalk]

A squirt of washing up liquid and a squirt of rinse aid. A couple of gal of hot water and about 4kg of stainless pins.
About three hours of racket, then dump them out through a bucket of clean water, to separate the pins.
Then pour them out on an old duvet cover to dry in the sun.
(I do a couple of big batches a year!)

Using lanolin as the case lube, I tend to prewash the cases in paraffin to get the lube off. Otherwise the cases come out of the tumble covered in dirty mank.
Any paraffin residue tends to evapourate off when drying.

I do find that the cases all come out dull after such an agressive clean. But that doesn't bother me.

I'd be interested in any ideas for a media separator. I've seen the little rotary basket ones, but need something a bit bigger!

And I might try dishwasher detergent now, after reading this thread.

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