Tumbling with SS pins

[Crohnos01]

Ok, so here's a question regarding the implications of wax on/in the brass... Does anyone know what the manufacturers do with fresh brass? I have some sitting around from one off calibers I haven't gotten around to loading for a couple years and its still looking pretty. They must put something on them to keep them shiny?

 

[CLT65]

It might be better to think of it less as a waxy substance on the brass, and more as a hard, slick coating; not entirely unlike the lacquer or polymer coating on steel cases, only much thinner.

I've experienced absolutely no problems with bullet tension in the case neck. It's not an issue at all as far as I can see.

 

[RVTECH]

In any case, I don't store clean brass that long so I haven't been bothering with the extra step.

Same here - even if I DID experience a little darkening of the brass I still would NOT use any type of wax or any other coating on my brass. I want to reload clean and dry brass with no residue of anything on it.

 

[CLT65]

Have you ever experienced brass sticking or galling on the expander? After I wet tumbled a couple thousand 9mm and they were nice and shiny inside and out, I set up to load a bunch.

The first thing I noticed was that the handle was hard to pull down with a shell in the expander/powder station. It got progressively worse and I noticed they were galling. I did some research and found that I was getting them too clean, and others had experienced the same trouble. The solution it seems would be to tumble them less so they weren't as clean, or apply a trace coating as some claimed the ammunition manufacturers do. A final rinse in dilute Turtle Wax worked great. It's quite common practice among wet tumbler users.

We usually think of wax as sticky and attracting dust and grime, but when you wax your car it's anything but. It leaves a hard, slick surface that dust won't stick to.

I was leery about it at first too, but then I did some research and read a lot of stuff on it. You can do as you like, but I'll continue using a thin rinse of Turtle Wax. It works for me. I wasn't terribly concerned about shiny brass, but the galling was driving me crazy.

 

[Gonzales]

The problem is that wet tumbling gets the brass too clean. You need to reintroduce something to the mix for optimal results.

Do you use lube with your dies? That is a hell of a lot more gunk on your brass than a microscopic amount of carnuba wax that gets deposited on the brass during a rinse cycle. It's even less material than gets deposited by dry tumbling with nu finish. Even dry tumbling with nothing leaves more media residue than this so-called "wax." Which actually helps with the reloading process.

Most folks don't even lube pistol brass with carbide dies. That does not work as well with crazy dry brass that has started to oxidize.

Google dry neck lube, and why folks use it.

All I'm saying, is that folks have already worked out what works and what does not. The carnuba wax is a non issue. If it was, i'd consider dry tumbling my brass after wet tumbling.

 

[FortRock]

I have that Central Oregon water. I store my dried brass in sealed containers with a silicon gel packet and they seem to stay bright. Works for me. Lots of great info in this thread though!

 

[UserNameInUse]

Have you ever experienced brass sticking or galling on the expander?....

I have not. There is definitely a difference in effort during sizing for waxed vs. no wax cases.

I assume you mean a wet application of Turtle wax. I would like to try that. Can you tell me exactly what Turtle Wax product you are using and how much? Do you do this rinse it in a wet tumbler?

 

[UserNameInUse]

Google dry neck lube, and why folks use it.

Googled it and I get it. Since I only reload pistol that is my world and I tend to forget how involved reloading for rifles can be.

Does anyone use dry lube on straight wall pistol cases?

 

[CLT65]

I have not. There is definitely a difference in effort during sizing for waxed vs. no wax cases.

I assume you mean a wet application of Turtle wax. I would like to try that. Can you tell me exactly what Turtle Wax product you are using and how much? Do you do this rinse it in a wet tumbler?

I just use wash & wax of some kind, pretty sure it's Turtle Wax. I'll check when I get home. My procedure is to empty the tumbler when it's done, rinse and remove the pins with a magnet, then rinse again with a small cap full of wash & wax diluted in water. Once they're dry you can't tell there's anything on them at all. It's just a microscopic coating that's in the pores of the metal. It's not really even a coating per se that you can detect. I think it's more like wax molecules in the pores of the brass.

 

[UserNameInUse]

I just use wash & wax of some kind, pretty sure it's Turtle Wax. I'll check when I get home...

Thanks for the reply. Since I only just now got interested in trying it again I totally glossed past the previous posts where folks mentioned what they are using.

 

[Larry243]

I just use wash & wax of some kind, pretty sure it's Turtle Wax. I'll check when I get home. My procedure is to empty the tumbler when it's done, rinse and remove the pins with a magnet, then rinse again with a small cap full of wash & wax diluted in water. Once they're dry you can't tell there's anything on them at all. It's just a microscopic coating that's in the pores of the metal. It's not really even a coating per se that you can detect. I think it's more like wax molecules in the pores of the brass.

Thanks for the reply. Since I only just now got interested in trying it again I totally glossed past the previous posts where folks mentioned what they are using.

Hello,
If you use cob or walnut shells, just put a cap full of Nu-Finish car polish in the tumbler. The Brass will come out looking like a new Gold wedding band that sparkles. I tumble about 25-30 cases for 2 hrs. I like the fact that they do not tarnish again. I always remove the primers, and brush the bottle necks before tumbling.
Enjoy!

 

[ageingstudent]

Have you ever experienced brass sticking or galling on the expander? After I wet tumbled a couple thousand 9mm and they were nice and shiny inside and out, I set up to load a bunch.

The first thing I noticed was that the handle was hard to pull down with a shell in the expander/powder station. It got progressively worse and I noticed they were galling. I did some research and found that I was getting them too clean, and others had experienced the same trouble. The solution it seems would be to tumble them less so they weren't as clean, or apply a trace coating as some claimed the ammunition manufacturers do. A final rinse in dilute Turtle Wax worked great. It's quite common practice among wet tumbler users.

We usually think of wax as sticky and attracting dust and grime, but when you wax your car it's anything but. It leaves a hard, slick surface that dust won't stick to.

I was leery about it at first too, but then I did some research and read a lot of stuff on it. You can do as you like, but I'll continue using a thin rinse of Turtle Wax. It works for me. I wasn't terribly concerned about shiny brass, but the galling was driving me crazy.

It aids chambering and ejecting in those new fangled self loaders. I like the feel of the polished/waxed cases dropping in and ejecting from my wheelguns as well.

 

[Gonzales]

Just an FYI. Many folks have asked why do you even bother wet tumbling?
Yes, it is more steps, but I have small kido's. Lead dust gets everywhere with traditional methods. And it accumulates over time. I don't want to expose my children to this nasty toxin. Fairly sure they already have a challenge ahead of them, given this crazy world they live in...

I feel that with wet tumbling, I am better able to control lead exposure. It's all contained in a concentrated solution that I can dispose of more easily.

So for me, it's worth the extra steps / time it takes to prep my brass.
Plus, there is something oddly satisfying about crazy clean brass and primer pockets!

 

[jordanka16]

The lack of lead dust is certainly nice, I mainly do it for clean primer pockets. I clean them anyway, so this actually saves me a step.

 

[RVTECH]

I find liquid tumbling to be a bit LESS of a hassle than dry - and without the aforementioned dust!

 

[Larry243]

It aids chambering and ejecting in those new fangled self loaders. I like the feel of the polished/waxed cases dropping in and ejecting from my wheelguns as well.

Sounds good,
I agree about how shinny brass is. It was just about what the condition was after tumbling. I always use a very little high pressure anti sizing wax on every third cartridge also when loading. The brass does not corrode, even after setting for 3-4 months if needed.
Thank you for the info!
Larry 243

 

[FortRock]

Reckon I'll have to try some of that Turtle Wax on my next batch of .308's. Us old geezers get set in out ways.

 

[Larry243]

Reckon I'll have to try some of that Turtle Wax on my next batch of .308's. Us old geezers get set in out ways.

You bet,
It is not turtle wax, but Nu-Finish car polish..... Wall-mart, Orange bottle. 1 Cap per 25-30 in the tumbler...
Us old guys rule...LOL

 

[jordanka16]

You bet,
It is not turtle wax, but Nu-Finish car polish..... Wall-mart, Orange bottle. 1 Cap per 25-30 in the tumbler...
Us old guys rule...LOL

The nu-finish is used with walnut media, we're talking about stainless media and wet tumbling, the other guys are doing a final rinse in a wash and wax solution. The nu finish might work but I think the soap in the wash and wax would help it disperse more evenly.

 

[CLT65]

I love Nu-Finish in the dry tumbler. It's like a miracle additive for walnut shell media. It doesn't do so well in the wet tumbler though, at least it didn't for me. I actually don't use the wash and wax in the wet tumbler either, just as a final rinse.

I have a couple dry tumblers that I never use anymore, probably should sell them. One is a Midway 1288 that I've had for nearly 30 years. I just can't seem to bring myself to sell something I've had that long.