Tumbling with steel pins

[Helocat]

Not worn out for me. Just now and then toss an OZ of the purple cleaning in with some water and just the pins and let them run to de grease.

 

[DizzyJ]

Not worn out for me. Just now and then toss an OZ of the purple cleaning in with some water and just the pins and let them run to de grease.

I posted a link to that video more for a reference of the media they recommended.

 

[gunfreak]

Now that I have been using the chips for some time now I have some feedback.
I do like the way it gets into the primer pockets better than the needle pins.
There are however a few drawbacks, rust easily, the media likes to get log jammed into cases like 223 and it doesn't pick up on the magnet as well.
Other than that I will keep using it as I have mixed the two together for the best chance of cleaning the brass.

 

[DizzyJ]

Now that I have been using the chips for some time now I have some feedback.
I do like the way it gets into the primer pockets better than the needle pins.
There are however a few drawbacks, rust easily, the media likes to get log jammed into cases like 223 and it doesn't pick up on the magnet as well.
Other than that I will keep using it as I have mixed the two together for the best chance of cleaning the brass.

Good to know!

 

[03A3Sporter]

I can agree with this. Brass cleanliness can contribute to brass which cycles better in the action, but there definitely is a point of diminishing returns . Walnut is still what I tumble with and it does the job just fine , my brass gets as clean as it needs to so that I can see any defects that might exist and I am ok with that.

I've never understood this Uber clean brass trend.
My current lot of 260 brass has already killed 1 barrel and is over halfway through another.

It has been tumbled maybe three or four times if it gets muddy or I need to recut the neck/shoulder junction and deepen the primer pockets

It's not like accuracy or SD is a problem for me.
View attachment 608394
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[awshoot]

I do too but they are from the dry side, I don't have running water or a sink in the shop....

View attachment 610919

I don't either. I do have a five gallon plastic water jug and the great outdoors. Wet tumbling is worth it, even if you have to carry the water.

 

[Trez]

I built this, just got a used tread mill for free off of Craig's list. Looked for a larger one so it had plenty of power. Bolted a couple of 2x4s to my bench, ran some lag bolts through the rollers from the tread mill, used the motor and controller, also screwed to the bench and had what i needed for the price of the 8" sewer pipe an end cap, adapter and rubber cap. It didn't run perfectly true so I put a bearing on a dowel to keep the tumbler from running off the rollers. still need a cover for the controller and the motor fan. It's not OHSA approved and it's not pretty but I've run 14-3-1/2 gallon buckets of brass through it and it works great. I bought 20# of over-sized pins, (don't remember where). I can tumble as much as I want to lift, up to about 2 gallons of brass. I built it in my shed so I can keep the noise away from where i'm reloading.
I forgot, I also had to add fins to the inside of the tub, just some 2" pipe cut in 4 ths length wise and bolted to the tub before the caps were glued into place. A Goggle search for DIY brass tumbler will get you most of the info. This is not an original idea. I just used the tread mill to get my parts from so I could build it on the cheap and make it easy.

 

[Trez]

another cheap, wet tumbler

I discovered that I don't like cleaning primer pockets. Actually, I discovered that I hate cleaning primer pockets. After reading the many posts here showing off brass cleaned using a wet tumbler, I decided that I needed one too, and that I could probably put one together without spending much...

castboolits.gunloads.com

This guy just shortened the tread mill and used it as is... I don't have a welder so my way worked for me but I like his thinking.

 

[Fez]

I hope this isn't off topic. I use a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner for my brass. It comes out nice, but I'm wondering if a tumbler of some kind would make them even shinier and thus easier to find when shooting in the wild.

 

[TM-Salem]

I use SS pins in a tumbler for my brass.. And for the last 4 days I have been running 80 2 3/4 " 12 gauge hulls at a time in my tumbler. I got 2000 shells years ago from ranges and just boxed them up not realizing how much mud and crap was all over them. Now they look great!!

 

[DizzyJ]

Got shipping notice today that the SS tumbling "chips" are on the way!

Interested to see how they do compared to the pins.

 

[Trez]

Fez,
I have ultrasonic and a wet tumbler and I think the wet tumbler does clean the brass better and make it shine. YMMV

 

[Fez]

Fez,
I have ultrasonic and a wet tumbler and I think the wet tumbler does clean the brass better and make it shine. YMMV

Thanks Trez.