SS media not preforming

[fstdraw]

When I started doing the wet tumbling thing, I was impressed. Now not so much. For great shine I've got back to corn cob media in a vibrating tumbler. What am I missing with my soap formula? That has to be the problem. I do love my shiny brass...it shoots better!!!

I use a couple tablespoons of Dawn and a tiny squeeze of Lemishine when I have it.

Thank you.

Read More

 

[Camelfilter]

Are you using SS pins which come with most tumblers, or egg shaped chips which normally you have to buy separately?

I believe pins start to wear over time...

 

[fstdraw]

The pins. I have discovered that running smaller batches with the SS pins works better. I've been running 250 .223 cases at a time. That may be too many.

 

[deadeye]

The pins. I have discovered that running smaller batches with the SS pins works better. I've been running 250 .223 cases at a time. That may be too many.

It just needs to go longer; it depends on the amount of brass but also how dirty it is. I usually check the cleanliness after two hrs in my set up and if it isnt good enough I let it go a while longer. Just need to make sure there is enough room in the drum for the brass to tumble and not be locked in place too much as the other brass actually helps clean the outside not just the pins.

 

[fstdraw]

Good advice deadeye, I'll go back to the basics that sold me on this type of cleaning in the first place.

 

[HighlandLofts]

I have the larger Frankford wet tumbler.
I fill.it about 3/4 full of brass.
1/4 teason og lemishine booster
A cap of ArmorAll Wash n Wax
A small squirt og Dawn dish soap.
Hot tap water

Let it run for an hour.

Drian the dirty water off and rinse until tje water is clea.

Fill back up with hot tap water, add a cap full.of ArmorAll Wash n Wax
Let to run for fifteeninutes ,
Drain & drry.

I knock the primers out before I tumble

 

[eb in oregon]

Just need to make sure there is enough room in the drum for the brass to tumble and not be locked in place too much as the other brass actually helps clean the outside not just the pins.

I use a vibrating tumbler for no more than 100 cases (or there about's) at a time. Works fine. A few hours at most. I use an old rotating rock tumbler of about an estimated gallon size (two sides 1/2 each) with one quart water, a 1/4 cup vinegar, and a squirt of Dawn for large runs of brass, or really tarnished. The worst cases will clean up. It's a matter of time. I once had a large batch of .45ACP that was essentially black. I let it run all night, looked brand new and was dimensionally fine. You do have to leave enough room for the brass to throw itself about as trying to stuff too much in there is self defeating.

 

[Mikej]

When I started doing the wet tumbling thing, I was impressed. Now not so much. For great shine I've got back to corn cob media in a vibrating tumbler. What am I missing with my soap formula? That has to be the problem. I do love my shiny brass...it shoots better!!!

I use a couple tablespoons of Dawn and a tiny squeeze of Lemishine when I have it.

Thank you.

I don't really know anything more than what I've read and seen here about stainless pin tumbling. But I do know about Dawn liquid dishwashing soap. We buy the fanciest stuff at costco. But even plain old generic, run O' the mill stuff would be way too much at TWO Tablespoons, you said? Seems to me, "Chief Cook and Bottle Washer around here, that two TBSP of dollar store liquid would be too much. The thought occurs to me too, that dish soap is a grease cutter. Not a lot of grease on dirty brass.

 

[eb in oregon]

Dawn does more than cut grease. It cleans and adds a bit of lubrication to my thinking. And loosens carbon deposits. It's worked for 35 or so years for me. I just use a small squirt.

 

[eb in oregon]

Two hours, rock tumbler, one quart water, 1/4 cup vinegar, squirt Dawn. Rinse and agitate for a few minutes. Dry. Reload.

 

[eb in oregon]

I have the larger Frankford wet tumbler.
I fill.it about 3/4 full of brass.
1/4 teason og lemishine booster
A cap of ArmorAll Wash n Wax
A small squirt og Dawn dish soap.
Hot tap water

I think you're over thinking the issue. It need only be clean.
And how long will that hot water stay hot?

 

[HighlandLofts]

The hot tap water helps with the cleaning procrss, when you hands are dirty you use hot water.
You ask a hundred people you get a hundred answers.
What ever works for you keep at it.
I'll stick to my procrss.
When obama was in office and reloading supplies got dried up I bought & sold about three tons of wet tumbled range brass all across the country.
I sold a lot of 9mm to the compitition guys.
Four to five thousand pieses at a pop.

I still have about eight hundred pounds of brass on in my reloading shed and i'm adding to it for the next dry run.
With the back ground check and double digit ammo tax coming more people will be getting into reloading.

 

[eb in oregon]

Wow. Your hot water must stay hot longer than mine when tumbling 60 minutes or more. Yet I've noticed cold water makes no difference when tumbling for the same time.

 

[fstdraw]

eb in Oregon, I love that pretty brass! nice.

 

[Mikej]

Dawn does more than cut grease. It cleans and adds a bit of lubrication to my thinking. And loosens carbon deposits. It's worked for 35 or so years for me. I just use a small squirt.

Okay, sure it does. TWO TBSP is still a LOT of dishwashing liquid though.

 

[eb in oregon]

Okay, sure it does. TWO TBSP is still a LOT of dishwashing liquid though.

I said a "small squirt," not two tablespoons. What others do is not my concern.

 

[Mikej]

I said a "small squirt," not two tablespoons. What others do is not my concern.

My original post was responding to the OP that wrote he used 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in a batch of wet tumbled brass. and was getting less than satisfactory results.

 

[fstdraw]

Thanks guys, I'm all set.

 

[HighlandLofts]

I'll continue using hot tap water, when the water is hot it helps to cut the carbon and other crude from the cases while it is still hot.
The dawn dish soap helps to suspend all of the crude.
I know guys who just use a squirt of dawn and no pins, that works for them, so go have at it.
There are still guys out there that still don't tumble their brass, dry or wet.
They can have at that.

We all have our own process. Because some one has a different point of view of the way they clean their brass who gives a rats azz.

Same goes with reloading dies and presses,
Some cheap out, some go high end.
But in the end they all make ammo.
So who give a crap.
Do what works for you.

 

[eb in oregon]

Do what works for you.

My point exactly.