Vipa. I like your approach. Merry Christmas. JCS
Tumbling brass
- Thread starter finnbear270
- Start date
Vipa. I like your approach. Merry Christmas. JCS
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
Provided the case length does not go over the SAAMI maximum I am not really that bothered if there is a few thou variation, after the cases have been reloaded several times they seem to vary anyway. The criteria that I use are consistent accuracy and not too much variation in MV.
atb Tim
Hornet 6
Well-Known Member
The first stuff I used, both tumbler and media.
The tumbler leaked and was noisy as well as slow.
The first brass I did was 100 once fired hornet brass, it all ended up in the bin
complete with the media which was wedged in each case.
The stuff may be ok in big roomy 30 cal brass, but not in anything smaller.
Neil.
Ultrasonic cleaning and tumbling achieve different things as the former will not, in my experience, produce the luster of new factory brass, whereas the latter if used with a good polishing media will. Two separate operations but in truth the polishing is simply one of cosmetics that some will consider unimportant.
I have zero experience of the steel pins approach that I’m assuming delivers cleaning and polishing in one operation albeit how well the inside of each case is cleaned would be the deciding factor for me.
K
Hornet 6
Well-Known Member
I have all the following:-
Lee Zip Trim with wire wool & Scotchbrite. OK for externally cleaning a couple of cases & use it for chamfering, deburring & polishing case mouths after trimming.
Ultrasonic - great for washing stuff (removing case lube, loose surface muck etc) & especially good for carburettors! Won't remove hard deposits or polish surface of cases.
Dry media Lyman 1200 tumbler - ok-ish but a bit slow - needs additive (rouge etc) to speed it up - I used heavily polish loaded media first to get off all the heavy external crud then as a final clean after lube/sizing I would use a clean fine dry untreated media. - It worked ok but never cleaned out the primer pockets, so that was an extra time consuming operation. Now this tumbler is just about redundant.
Then I got my wet Thumlers tumbler with stainless pin media - put in media, cases (lots!),Ecover & acetic acid & cold tap water - 3 hours tumbling & cases are perfectly clean and polished inside & out including primer pockets. ---- Perfect results every time - best cleaning - quickest for bulk cleaning - great time saver. Start it leave it on a timer plug - go back after 3 hours - rinse cases in cold water, separate pins & dry - job done.
Of course the market place moves on & now there is the Rebel 17 wet tumbler that is better built than the Thumlers & is cheaper.
Ian
Lee Zip Trim with wire wool & Scotchbrite. OK for externally cleaning a couple of cases & use it for chamfering, deburring & polishing case mouths after trimming.
Ultrasonic - great for washing stuff (removing case lube, loose surface muck etc) & especially good for carburettors! Won't remove hard deposits or polish surface of cases.
Dry media Lyman 1200 tumbler - ok-ish but a bit slow - needs additive (rouge etc) to speed it up - I used heavily polish loaded media first to get off all the heavy external crud then as a final clean after lube/sizing I would use a clean fine dry untreated media. - It worked ok but never cleaned out the primer pockets, so that was an extra time consuming operation. Now this tumbler is just about redundant.
Then I got my wet Thumlers tumbler with stainless pin media - put in media, cases (lots!),Ecover & acetic acid & cold tap water - 3 hours tumbling & cases are perfectly clean and polished inside & out including primer pockets. ---- Perfect results every time - best cleaning - quickest for bulk cleaning - great time saver. Start it leave it on a timer plug - go back after 3 hours - rinse cases in cold water, separate pins & dry - job done.
Of course the market place moves on & now there is the Rebel 17 wet tumbler that is better built than the Thumlers & is cheaper.
Ian
Brass tumbled in these pins, along with a dose of water /soap/lemon, came out in my opinion better than new brass, & you don't struggle to see how clean the primer flash hole / cartridge base is either.
Dorsettaff
Well-Known Member
Well ...for what its worth...here my twopenneth ...
Was "undecided" for quite a while on the STM tumbling..having bought the kit and was until recently "underwhelmed" with the results, preferring the ultrasonic approach... Followed the instrucions, bought the cleaning chemicals etc etc but wasn't getting the shiny shiny cases often demo'd. Looked into what is in "Lemishine" and found it was essentially citric acid....so changed the STM approach slightly...using a spoon of citric acid and some detergent began to get the shiny cases I was looking for with clean primer pockets and holes. So the regime is now:-
1/ Deprime
2/ STM with citric acid & detergent for 1hr. Remove cases, neck down from under the water..giving a shake to remove pins
3/ Rinse with rinse aid
4/ Dry.
5/ Inspect and remove any "wedged" pins from case mouth
6/ Lube
7/ Size (F/L or neck)
8/ Check length & trim if required
9/ Chamfer in & out
10/ Dry tumble with some rouge/Brasso
11/ Check and remove media from primer pockets/holes
12/ Prime
Sometimes add another step between 1 & 2....anneal!
Works for me. I think as long as you have a system that you are comfortable with, is safe, repeatable and gives you good results....stick with it!
Was "undecided" for quite a while on the STM tumbling..having bought the kit and was until recently "underwhelmed" with the results, preferring the ultrasonic approach... Followed the instrucions, bought the cleaning chemicals etc etc but wasn't getting the shiny shiny cases often demo'd. Looked into what is in "Lemishine" and found it was essentially citric acid....so changed the STM approach slightly...using a spoon of citric acid and some detergent began to get the shiny cases I was looking for with clean primer pockets and holes. So the regime is now:-
1/ Deprime
2/ STM with citric acid & detergent for 1hr. Remove cases, neck down from under the water..giving a shake to remove pins
3/ Rinse with rinse aid
4/ Dry.
5/ Inspect and remove any "wedged" pins from case mouth
6/ Lube
7/ Size (F/L or neck)
8/ Check length & trim if required
9/ Chamfer in & out
10/ Dry tumble with some rouge/Brasso
11/ Check and remove media from primer pockets/holes
12/ Prime
Sometimes add another step between 1 & 2....anneal!
Works for me. I think as long as you have a system that you are comfortable with, is safe, repeatable and gives you good results....stick with it!
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
The first stuff I used, both tumbler and media.
The tumbler leaked and was noisy as well as slow.
The first brass I did was 100 once fired hornet brass, it all ended up in the bin
complete with the media which was wedged in each case.
The stuff may be ok in big roomy 30 cal brass, but not in anything smaller.
Neil.
Push the magnet down into the case, the pins all stand to attention against the magnet, withdraw magnet, swipe off pins back into drum.
No need to procure "Lemishine".....just get this,Google Image Result for http://img.tesco.com/Groceries/pi/205/0000050147205/IDShot_540x540.jpg
Last edited by a moderator:
Hornet 6
Well-Known Member
Find a magnet that will pull the funny shaped flying saucer ones out of a hole 4 thou smaller than the disc.
Neil.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8gR8-4q3SQSlEy04j-k6XdsJSXR8CobKYQ6RXzIpzLZdtnGGc0wFind a magnet that will pull the funny shaped flying saucer ones out of a hole 4 thou smaller than the disc.
Neil.
Now you have got me here, flying saucer shapes?..... & a 4mm magnet clears .17 just fine.
Hornet 6
Well-Known Member
Finding a magnet to fit is easy, pulling a disc bigger than the case mouth out is not.
How did the tumbler force them in was question, but each case had at least one in.
I did try deforming the case to shake them out, but lost my temper with them.
I now use straight pins and a Thumbler with no issues at all.
Neil.
Neumo
Well-Known Member
Nice thread, as I am just starting to process my collection of brass that I have acquired. Did my first lot in the Aldi Ultasonic bath yesterday with the 4x water, 1x white vinegar, teaspoon of salt & a small squirt of Fairy liquid. The end result was not bad & the primer pockets are pretty clean, but will get a clean with a tool anyway to make sure. So far so good, as I don't want to invest in a tumbler & pins yet.
Very interesting to hear the order that people do it in, as each book I am reading does it in a slightly different order. Lots of good information here. Thanks.
Very interesting to hear the order that people do it in, as each book I am reading does it in a slightly different order. Lots of good information here. Thanks.
Finding a magnet to fit is easy, pulling a disc bigger than the case mouth out is not.
How did the tumbler force them in was question, but each case had at least one in.
I did try deforming the case to shake them out, but lost my temper with them.
I now use straight pins and a Thumbler with no issues at all.
Neil.
Seems to be a fixation here on disc shapes, don't know of anyone using disc shaped stuff?........... PINS!!!!!!!
Dorsettaff
Well-Known Member
See Ferritic stainless