308 Winchester Reloading Diary

[arakboss]

The tumbler is going to get a workout this morning. This was range brass I picked up on a rainy day a few months ago and it's been sitting in a plastic bag since.

View attachment 2140249

They cleaned up nice. The water was pretty blue as I dumped it off.

 

[RVTECH]

That lemishine is no joke.

Hmm, I may have to get some of that and give it a try.

I wonder if there is a $1.25 store 'off brand' of it.

 

[arakboss]

Hmm, I may have to get some of that and give it a try.

I wonder if their is a $1.25 store 'off brand' of it.

I'll bet there is. @Flat45 sent me a link to a recipe for a homemade version but I took the easy way out. The $10 jar I bought will last for years.

I lost the link to the video, maybe @Flat45 can repost it here and share his experience with it.

 

[Flat45]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HemwLNvrkL0


I've never used the real stuff, so I don't have much of a reference. But this stuff works great.

 

[bentoncity]

They still make this model and it looks the same. The old belt was hard, not pliable. The new belt worked fantastic. I oiled the shafts as well.

Thumler's 140 Tumbler Model B Rock Tumbler 1550RPM - Thumler's Tumbler

Thumler's 140 Tumbler Model B Rock Tumbler 1550RPM, Rock tumbling is a hobby the family can enjoy together.The Model B Tumbler is extensively used by serious hobbyist, laboratories, schools, and industry for an unlimited variety of tumbling and mixing ope

thumlerstumbler.com

I have that unit & used stainless pins but separating the brass from the dirty scummy water & the pins was a real pita..

 

[arakboss]

I have that unit & used stainless pins but separating the brass from the dirty scummy water & the pins was a real pita..

I got pins too but decided to try it without using pins first. They get plenty clean enough for me without pins so I am not going to use them. It seems like it would be a real pain to separate them.

 

[arakboss]

I have that unit & used stainless pins but separating the brass from the dirty scummy water & the pins was a real pita..

Also I drain it straight into kitchen sink. If I got pins in the disposer my wife would be pissed. I already have to watch for bits of gravel. No thanks to pins.

 

[RVTECH]

but separating the brass from the dirty scummy water & the pins was a real pita..

Here is my system. A plastic colander with holes BIG ENOUGH for the pins to fall through. I rinse the brass and shake it and all the pins drop out and into the bedpan. Set the colander aside and I dump the dirty water out of the pan, rinse the pins a bit and pour the pins into a fine mesh hand size strainer, rinse and let dry HOWEVER....

If the Lemishine works that well I may forgo the pins as well...

 

[bentoncity]

I have/use 2 Thumblers vibratory anymore with coarse media in one & corncob in the second one. Brass looks like new even though I'm doing a 2 stage process.
Add...I run them for 24~48 hours with zero issues.

 

[osprey]

I have backed way out of tumbling brass for several reasons. I do still tumble dirty range pick up brass but for my precision shooting where I start with new brass I basically quit tumbling between loading for the following reasons.
1. It dents and peens the case mouth and necessitates a chamfer and debur
2. Not tumbling does not affect accuracy negatively and you will throw brass away before the possibility. According to Erik Cortina, the carbon inside the case neck actually helps with consistent bullet tension/release.
3. I am lazy and who doesn't want to omit superfluous steps?

 

[arakboss]

I have backed way out of tumbling brass for several reasons. I do still tumble dirty range pick up brass but for my precision shooting where I start with new brass I basically quit tumbling between loading for the following reasons.
1. It dents and peens the case mouth and necessitates a chamfer and debur
2. Not tumbling does not affect accuracy negatively and you will throw brass away before the possibility. According to Erik Cortina, the carbon inside the case neck actually helps with consistent bullet tension/release.
3. I am lazy and who doesn't want to omit superfluous steps?

I do have some concerns about "dezincification" but if the brass is dirty it can make for much harder passes through the sizing dies.

Pink Brass "dezincification"?

I put some used brass in some iosso liquid brass cleaner, sloshed them around for several minutes and some turned out slightly pink around the neck area. Others turned out great. I did a quick search for pink brass and came upon some forum discussions that pink brass is a symptom of...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[arakboss]

Here are my 10mm casings, that I ran for 45min. They weren't horrible to start with but they look much nicer now.

 

[RVTECH]

It dents and peens the case mouth and necessitates a chamfer and debur

I won't necessarily disagree with you on the other issues but I have NEVER experienced denting or peening of case mouths. Then come out looking smooth and round as went they went it - and this is with pins.

I of course chamfer and debur rifle case mouths but this is after trimming - not because of 'denting or peening'.

 

[osprey]

I won't necessarily disagree with you on the other issues but I have NEVER experienced denting or peening of case mouths. Then come out looking smooth and round as went they went it - and this is with pins.

I of course chamfer and debur rifle case mouths but this is after trimming - not because of 'denting or peening'.

It is a function of time the longer you tumble the worse the case mouths get beat up. If you have to trim anyways it is a moot point. Look close under magnification at case mouth before and after tumbling and you will see a difference.

 

[RVTECH]

Well I didn't find any quasi Lemi-Shine at the $1.25 store but I DID discover it's now the $1.50 store as most of the previously 'basic' items are now $1.50.

 

[Mono1]

Well I didn't find any quasi Lemi-Shine at the $1.25 store but I DID discover it's now the $1.50 store as most of the previously 'basic' items are now $1.50.

I still have a supply of regular brass cleaner to use up. Should I use it half and half with Lemi-Shine? Haven't tried the Lemi-Shine before. Is it at Dollar Tree?

 

[RVTECH]

Haven't tried the Lemi-Shine before. Is it at Dollar Tree?

Well, not in the LaPine store anyway. I did NOT find it, or an alternative when I looked yesterday.

I'll just stick with lemon or lime juice. I did a load of .223 brass yesterday with JUST lime juice and Dawn (no pins) and it came out fantastic.