Tumbling with SS pins

[kmk1012]

I use a rotary media separator like Dygital but with a twist. I fill the collection bowl (bottom half) with water enough to submerge the bottom two inches of the rotating basket. Literally give it twenty five turns each way and I have never (I mean never) found a pin inside the cases. Even bottlenecked like 223/556. Then I put the cases in a paint straining bag over the heater vent in my house as I generally only load in the winter time.

 

[DLS]

I use a Dillon media separator (from my vibratory cleaner days) just like kmk1012. It gets ALL the pins for me each and every time. Only takes say 15 seconds of cranking.

 

[DizzyJ]

What I use to get the wet pins out of all the brass is Cow Magnets.
after running the cleaned brass through the separator, I toss in a couple of Cow Magnets to catch the last of the pins. turn the separator a few more seconds and they catch any extra pins. DR

Cow magnet?

 

[jordanka16]

Fresh batch of 9mm

 

[RVTECH]

Cow magnet?

Ha ! We'll let ya research that one on your own!

 

[Crohnos01]

I follow almost exactly the same process as Thorborg and it works well for me, although I too have been acused of being anal about clean brass . Really the only difference is that my drying takes place with cases stacked on top of my electric baseboard heater. They dry in an hour or so and if the heater is on when you take them off, they are warm enough you dont want to hang onto them too long

 

[FortRock]

I went through a number of vibrating tumblers with walnut shell media and RCBS cleaning/buffing compound over a number of years. A friend had told me about the benefits of SS pin process but I didn't catch the bug until I witlessly bought a good volume of .44 mag brass from a fellow on this forum. I sent him money. He mailed me the brass. Upon arrival it appeared to be stuff he found abandoned in the dirt in the woods for a long time. Green. Badly tarnished. I tumbled it in walnut for over 4 hours. That knocked the loose junk off but it was still not brass I would ever stuff in one of my .44's. My friend got a big kick out of the whole thing. After I re-sized and de-primed all of it, he ran the brass through his SS pin tumbler and gave it back. I couldn't believe it! It looked like brand new brass. Inside and out. Primer pockets totally clean. I have been using a Thumbler ever since. I'm not trying to sell SS pin tumblers. But I have discovered that totally clean brass has advantages in accuracy and function. Good shooting all.

 

[Camelfilter]

I went through a number of vibrating tumblers with walnut shell media and RCBS cleaning/buffing compound over a number of years. A friend had told me about the benefits of SS pin process but I didn't catch the bug until I witlessly bought a good volume of .44 mag brass from a fellow on this forum. I sent him money. He mailed me the brass. Upon arrival it appeared to be stuff he found abandoned in the dirt in the woods for a long time. Green. Badly tarnished. I tumbled it in walnut for over 4 hours. That knocked the loose junk off but it was still not brass I would ever stuff in one of my .44's. My friend got a big kick out of the whole thing. After I re-sized and de-primed all of it, he ran the brass through his SS pin tumbler and gave it back. I couldn't believe it! It looked like brand new brass. Inside and out. Primer pockets totally clean. I have been using a Thumbler ever since. I'm not trying to sell SS pin tumblers. But I have discovered that totally clean brass has advantages in accuracy and function. Good shooting all.

Yah. That green, awefull looking brass cleans up really well in wet tumbling. As a practice & to see how it work I tumbled some brass we ran thru some PTR91's...and they had sat in a wet ziploc baggie. Fluted from the roller block chamber all gnarley/green.

Cleaned up near perfect (some flute marks remain, but appear useable brass).

Kinda neat.

Now, mind I do not reload rifle...yet.

 

[DizzyJ]

Well I wandered out into the garage last night and guess what I spied still sitting in its box.....

Frankford Arsenal EZ Rotary Separator : Cabela's

Looks like I already had got to the point of wanting to try out your guys extra method, but stopped short of actually doing it. After reading several success stories, looks like it's going to come out of storage.

 

[DizzyJ]

Fresh batch of 9mm

View attachment 406714

Oh sure... Keep poking me about how great they do....

 

[DizzyJ]

Ok, so what's your guys recommendation on how much Lemi-shine to use?

I think I didn't use enough last time, and I know if I overdo it, it can leach the brass and make it unuseable....

 

[jordanka16]

Ok, so what's your guys recommendation on how much Lemi-shine to use?

I think I didn't use enough last time, and I know if I overdo it, it can leach the brass and make it unuseable....

Probably about a 9mm case full in a FA tumbler, and I use lukewarm water, the warmer the water the more the lemi shine seems to do.

I think it takes a lot to damage cases, I used to use 2-3 times that when I started, the only thing it did was waste it, no damage. There are also theories that the lemi shine wont actually damage cases, only make damage that has already occured more visible, IDK.

Use plenty of soap though, there should be significant suds in there.

 

[DizzyJ]

Probably about a 9mm case full in a FA tumbler, and I use lukewarm water, the warmer the water the more the lemi shine seems to do.

I think it takes a lot to damage cases, I used to use 2-3 times that when I started, the only thing it did was waste it, no damage. There are also theories that the lemi shine wont actually damage cases, only make damage that has already occured more visible, IDK.

Use plenty of soap though, there should be significant suds in there.

Cool. Thanks. So how much Dawn dish soap would you use?

 

[RVTECH]

Pour a splash of lemon juice in the water also

 

[DizzyJ]

Pour a splash of lemon juice in the water also

Doesn't that do the same thing as the lemishine?

 

[jordanka16]

Cool. Thanks. So how much Dawn dish soap would you use?

I don't measure it, just squirt it in, if I had to guess probably about 1/8 cup, maybe even a little more.

 

[DizzyJ]

You guys are making me hungry now.

 

[DizzyJ]

I don't measure it, just squirt it in, if I had to guess probably about 1/8 cup, maybe even a little more.

Cool. Thanks.

 

[jordanka16]

Pour a splash of lemon juice in the water also

Lemi shine is just solid citric acid, they do the same thing so you don't need both. I just like the convenience of it, I use it in my dishwasher too.

 

[DizzyJ]

Lemi shine is just solid citric acid, they do the same thing so you don't need both. I just like the convenience of it, I use it in my dishwasher too.

Wait, lemon or lime?