Wet tumbling help

[Nwcid]

I have been dry tumbling for all of my reloading life. I typically use a walnut since it does not stick in primer holes with a bit of Fitz.

I do not care about shiny, but I do want clean and my current set up works well for 90% of what I do.

I always end up with some brass from pick ups, sales or given to me that is in moderate to rough shape. This could be very discolored, green or other colored spots. Also, any brass that comes out of my suppressed guns has a lot of build up on them and if I do not get them right in a tumbler they are bad quickly and leave a heavy residue.

I get not all of this brass is salvageable, but I would like to get it clean to inspect it well. This has me looking at getting a wet tumbler. Since I do not expect this to see a lot of use, I would like to keep the cost below $200.

It looks like I can pick up the Frankfort Arsenal 7L with pins for that price. I see reports that this is a fairly large unit. If I want to do smaller batches of brass, will it still work fine? I see some reports saying you need to run this type of tumbler mostly full.

Any other thoughts?

EDIT: Bought one more questions in thread.

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[kenboy]

I just got the same one and run it no more than half full with brass.

You do have to fill it up with water to make it heavy enough to continue to tumble. I have found that I get better results by leaving the water level down, about an inch and a half.

A shot of Dawn soap and smidge of lim-shine.

 

[DizzyJ]

I have been dry tumbling for all of my reloading life. I typically use a walnut since it does not stick in primer holes with a bit of Fitz.

I do not care about shiny, but I do want clean and my current set up works well for 90% of what I do.

I always end up with some brass from pick ups, sales or given to me that is in moderate to rough shape. This could be very discolored, green or other colored spots. Also, any brass that comes out of my suppressed guns has a lot of build up on them and if I do not get them right in a tumbler they are bad quickly and leave a heavy residue.

I get not all of this brass is salvageable, but I would like to get it clean to inspect it well. This has me looking at getting a wet tumbler. Since I do not expect this to see a lot of use, I would like to keep the cost below $200.

It looks like I can pick up the Frankfort Arsenal 7L with pins for that price. I see reports that this is a fairly large unit. If I want to do smaller batches of brass, will it still work fine? I see some reports saying you need to run this type of tumbler mostly full.

Any other thoughts?

Get it, use it. You'll be happy with it.

Yes you can run smaller batches. No worries.

 

[oremike]

If I run smaller batches I still use the same amount of water to keep the chemistry right. Easy peasy that way.

 

[SHPD_Retired]

The stainless steel chips work better than the pins. A lot quicker and don't get caught in the flash hole

 

[Local Loader]

I like to use a sonic cleaner for wet clean my brass and I've found it give an added bonus of exposing cases that have less or have had the nickel or tin leached out of them, or cases that try to pass of as brass but are closer to being bronze or copper.

 

[Nwcid]

Thank you for the replies. I ordered one last night, I will play with it next weekend.

 

[dangerranger60]

I see I'm late to this party, But for small batches Harbor Freight's rock tumblers have gotten lots of people started .
https://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html They also make a single drum kit that goes on sale a couple times a year for around $40

 

[Nwcid]

I see I'm late to this party, But for small batches Harbor Freight's rock tumblers have gotten lots of people started .
https://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html They also make a single drum kit that goes on sale a couple times a year for around $40

I did look at those but my biggest concern with the big machine was small batches. Sounds like it is a non-issue.

 

[Camelfilter]

I see I'm late to this party, But for small batches Harbor Freight's rock tumblers have gotten lots of people started .
https://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html They also make a single drum kit that goes on sale a couple times a year for around $40

Great point! Started out on one of the HF doubles. Really a decent unit.

I did switch to a PVC pipe with fins glued on the inside of the drums for "better" & more volume tumbling. (a couple youtube/online videos of this HF tumbler mod)

Recommend, especially for small batches.

For folks who know they will be doing some higher volume batches, even if only on occassion? Skip the HF & get a wet tumbler which will accommodate the largest reasonable batch size you'll do. You can always do small batches in a large tumbler...

 

[HighlandLofts]

I buy and sell lots of range brass.
I sort it and wet tumble all of it.
Water quality make a huge difference in how much Lemishine Booster you use.
My formula is 1/2 teaspoon of Lemishine Booster,
A cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax
And a small squirt of Dawn Dish soap.
tumble in hot tap water.
run the tumbler for one hour.
drain and rince the brass a few times,
then fill it back up with hot tap water and add a cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax and let it run for another fifteen minutes.

I made drying racks to dry the brass.

We have city water, a 1/2 teaspoon of Lemishine works good for me, my brother is on a well.
He has to cut back on the Lemishine to about 1/8 of a teaspoon other wise the brass comes our really dull.
Deprime your brass before you tumble it, the primer pockets will be 100% clean.
I have two of the big Frankford Arsenal wet tumblers and a smaller Frankford Arsenal lite tumbler.
They are the only way to go.
Good purchase there, when it comes to reloading DONT CHEAP OUT.
The harbor freight tumbler is sub standard.

 

[conditor22]

Sinnce I made my own wet tumbler, I just use a bucket with wood screwed to the inside to accept a peanut jar with pins for small loads.

 

[conditor22]

homemade stainless media brass tumbler

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bXLq_9CW4c

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




there are a lot of DIY Tumbler ideas on YouTube. I made my first one out of wood and stuff lying around.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Everyone has their own favorite recipe for a cleaning solution. I too Have a Frankford unit and only use Frankfords solution that is available. Only takes about 1 capful per 'load'.
I use steel pins but have a small magnet that has a release on it. After the rinsing tumble 99% of the pins drop to the bottom of the bucket. I take the brass and spread it out on a large towel and then run the magnet over the spread. It finds the pins and can pick them up. Dry them in the oven and the brass is clean and shiny.

 

[Nwcid]

I got the kit that has pins, the magnet and FA cleaner.

I am not super worried about shiny, I just want clean. Some of the brass I have is rough and walnut is not cutting it.

I have not decided how I will dry yet. While it seems silly, I might just drop them in the vibratory tumbler. Or I might just leave them out as most of the time I will not be reloading them right away.

 

[Camelfilter]

I got the kit that has pins, the magnet and FA cleaner.

I am not super worried about shiny, I just want clean. Some of the brass I have is rough and walnut is not cutting it.

I have not decided how I will dry yet. While it seems silly, I might just drop them in the vibratory tumbler. Or I might just leave them out as most of the time I will not be reloading them right away.

Multiple ways to dry. Oven, sunny outside on a dark towel, food dehydrator, brass dryer.

Easiest I've found is a brass dryer (looks like a food dehydrator).

Food dehydrators can be found second hand, if you have a chance to look.

Don't forget the carwash step in your wet tumble process. Keeps the brass "nice looking" AND more importantly can act as a lube.

See: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/what-did-you-reload-today.287426/page-297#post-3818354

 

[Katonk]

I quit using SS pins.....too much of a hassle separating it all...I just use Brass Juice Case Cleaner. Granted, the primer pockets don't get really squeaky clean, but pretty darn close. It is concentrated so a little goes a long way and can be re-used if not too dirty.
As far as the Frankford Arsenal tumbler, you'll really enjoy using it. This is a "must have" if you're getting one: FART WRENCH

 

[YippeeKiYoRed]

You'll find wet tumbling gets the insides much, much cleaner than dry, vibrating systems.

Hornady's One Shot solution already has citric acid in it. That's what all the fuss about lemon juice is.

Be sure to have a good media separator.

Rinse thoroughly or those soap suds in the primer pocket will dry into a film in the flash hole.

The pins can get everywhere. Be sure to get magnetic pins. Then get one of those mechanic's magnets with the telescoping handle from an auto parts store.

Water surface tension will make pins stick to your hands, etc.

Double check for stuck pins in case mouths and primer pockets.

 

[Horn Ridge]

I'll be back tomorrow to add my 2 pennies worth.

 

[RVTECH]

Start saving your deprimed primers.

They work great as 'media' for pre tumbling range pickup brass, etc. BEFORE you resize and demprime them.

I do this occasionally with range pickup brass and sometimes don't even tumble a 2nd time after sizing and depriming.

Plus if you loose any they are easy to replace !