What do you tumble your brass with?

[metalhead68]

For all of you out there that reload a lot what do you tumble your brass with? I've always used a Hornady vibratory tumbler with they're media and one shot case polishing compound but not all the cases come out clean and then there's always the media that sticks inside that has to be blown out with air. I just recently purchased a Frankford Arsenal rotary case tumbler and am waiting for it to arrive. Does anyone else use one and if so what kind of cleaner and ratios do you use?
Thanks in advance

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[partsed]

I use the stainless pins and the packets that I bought along with the machine. I may try some different things once I run out of the cleaning packets-I will say that the brass comes out squeaky clean!!

 

[PiratePast40]

I've been using the Franklin tumbler for a few years, most of it 9mm. I put in about 500 pieces of 9mm brass, or about 1/2 full. Fill to about 3/4 with warm water. I add a 45 shell full of Lemi-Shine and several capfuls of Armorall Wash & Wax. The exact amount doesn't matter as long as you still have some suds left at the end of the cycle. I tumble for about 45 minutes. The brand of wash & wax doesn't really matter, I just happen to be using Armorall since it works. The wax in the Armorall significantly reduce the pressure on the sizing and belling dies. Use warm of room temp water to keep from washing off the wax.

I also use the STM media separator. After rinsing and then spinning out the water and pins, I dump the brass onto a towel to remove remaining water and lay the brass out on cookie sheets and leave them in the sun to dry. You can also dry the brass in the oven, in a food dehydrator, or in the dryer on the shelf.

You'll have plenty of other suggestions for how to get the job done. Some prefer to deprime prior to cleaning, I haven't seen that need for 9mm and it's more of a personal preference.

 

[metalhead68]

That's definitely what I wanted to hear especially when cleaning brass from .44 mag and .45 long colt with powder that generates a lot of soot

 

[PiratePast40]

When I first started using the tumbler, I weighed out the brass and determined the water weight so I wouldn't exceed their max tumbler weight. Now I just eyeball it. There are some household cleaners that will discolor and/or weaken the brass. I believe ammonia is one of those. I don't even think about it any more, just keep doing what's been working and get it done.

 

[Lesliet]

I have the big orange Lyman Cyclone tumbler, pretty similar to the Frankford one, I think. Seems like a nice heavy duty rig, with bearings in the rollers. I should try the lemi-shine thing sometime, but a few capfuls of the turbo-sonic concentrate just works so well, I haven't been motivated to try anything else. Tumble with stainless pins, I usually run close to full loads, just have to leave a pocket of air at the top, water just over the brass. Separate out the media in a DAA separator, dry in a DAA dehydrator for an hour. Tumble times vary, it really only takes about an hour and a half on dirty brass that's been on the ground a while, but I often just set the timer for 3 hours, and go do something else.

 

[AMT]

I've been using the Franklin tumbler for a few years, most of it 9mm. I put in about 500 pieces of 9mm brass, or about 1/2 full. Fill to about 3/4 with warm water. I add a 45 shell full of Lemi-Shine and several capfuls of Armorall Wash & Wax. The exact amount doesn't matter as long as you still have some suds left at the end of the cycle. I tumble for about 45 minutes. The brand of wash & wax doesn't really matter, I just happen to be using Armorall since it works. The wax in the Armorall significantly reduce the pressure on the sizing and belling dies. Use warm of room temp water to keep from washing off the wax.

I also use the STM media separator. After rinsing and then spinning out the water and pins, I dump the brass onto a towel to remove remaining water and lay the brass out on cookie sheets and leave them in the sun to dry. You can also dry the brass in the oven, in a food dehydrator, or in the dryer on the shelf.

You'll have plenty of other suggestions for how to get the job done. Some prefer to deprime prior to cleaning, I haven't seen that need for 9mm and it's more of a personal preference.

I do pretty much this. Except.... i use a small squeeze of dawn dish detergent instead of any "wash & wax" stuff that a lot of folk use.

I am slightly OCD and size and remove the primers prior to cleaning, so the primer pocket is nice an clean also. Then when running through the tumbler it cleans the sizing solvent off the brass too. I do that for all calibers. The shells come out like brand new.

Don't forget, after 3-4 cycles of brass cleaning you may need to wash the tumbler and pins with warm water and dish detergent to get the "grim" (built up crud) off the tumbler walls and pins. You'll know when to do this when you start noticing your brass isn't coming out "as clean as it used to".

 

[Lesliet]

Don't forget, after 3-4 cycles of brass cleaning you may need to wash the tumbler and pins with warm water and dish detergent to get the "grim" (built up crud) off the tumbler walls and pins. You'll know when to do this when you start noticing your brass isn't coming out "as clean as it used to".

I have literally never done this. The media separator gets a rinse after each use, but so far no build-up has occurred in the tumbler after tens of thousands of cases tumbled. Brass still comes out superbly shiny.

 

[AMT]

I have literally never done this. The media separator gets a rinse after each use, but so far no build-up has occurred in the tumbler after tens of thousands of cases tumbled. Brass still comes out superbly shiny.

Then I must have started with uber dirty brass on more than 1 occasion. Even my blue (Frankford Arsenal) separator has black "stains" that cannot be washed off.

I usually run the brass for a minimum of 1.5 hours. (that's just me).

 

[BigDog67]

I use the Frankford vibratory with walnut sandblasting media for cleaning, and corncob for absorbing sizing lube.
I don't care how SHINY my brass is, only that it's CLEAN. Shiny is only a visual thing, doesn't change how the round shoots.

 

[Lesliet]

Then I must have started with uber dirty brass on more than 1 occasion. Even my blue (Frankford Arsenal) separator has black "stains" that cannot be washed off.

That one kinda made me scratch my head, and have to go take a look. I often run really dirty brass, too, like " collected from the range, under the gravel, damp for a year, have to be sure it's brass and not steel, it's so tarnished" as well as the usual stuff I pick up after I've shot it myself, so just carbon/soot. Looks like there's no stains, although the inside of the tumbler is black to begin with, so it might be hard to tell... makes me wonder if you need more or different cleaning solution?

Not meaning to start a big argument about nothing, I hope my tone is coming across as interested and friendly and curious. As BigDog67 said, being shiny don't make it shoot any better or more accurately, but I like shiny.

 

[AMT]

No offense taken.

Discussion is good, plus it might help @machinst68 when they get theirs.

I wonder why mine comes out so black after a while. I wonder if the dawn is somehow causing the black rubber inside the tumbler to discolor and "stain" the brass, pins, etc. Maybe Dawn is too harsh?

Maybe i should try some wash & wax of some kind the next time i process brass.

 

[Ironbar]

For all of you out there that reload a lot what do you tumble your brass with? I've always used a Hornady vibratory tumbler with they're media and one shot case polishing compound but not all the cases come out clean and then there's always the media that sticks inside that has to be blown out with air. I just recently purchased a Frankford Arsenal rotary case tumbler and am waiting for it to arrive. Does anyone else use one and if so what kind of cleaner and ratios do you use?
Thanks in advance

As a recent convert to wet tumbling, here is what I have found:

1) NEVER use hot water- the pressure will build up and force water to leak out the tumbler.
2) Don't overload the tumbler.
3) Don't tumble brass that fits inside other cases or they won't get clean, you'll waste time pulling them apart, and the pins will get stuck inside.
4) Don't use too much Lemi-Shine!!!! About ½ teaspoon is all you need. More than that and you'll actually make the brass dull.
5) Instead of Dawn detergent, use a car wash soap with carnauba wax- about ½ to one full tablespoon.
6) A food dehydrator will act as an excellent case dryer. I use this one that I got at Bi-Mart: https://www.amazon.com/Presto-Dehydro-Digital-Electric-Dehydrator/dp/B008H2OEKK I'd strongly suggest getting these so the smaller shells don't fall through the shelves: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08F42B682/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I get it. I believe that shiny brass also makes it easier to locate defects and to judge anealing colours. But to each....

 

[galvweld]

Started with corn con and Berry's brass polish in a vibratory polisher. Berry's MFG manufactures Cabelas vibratory machine. Moved up or down, depending on point of view, to Lyman tumbler with steel pins. Used their supplied chemicals. Researched citric acid. First purchase of citric acid was during canning season from Walmart. They don't always carry it. Was really pleased in clean state of brass and it was sparkling. Recently bought a five pound bag of citric acid from Amazon at .19 per ounce. Probably use an ounce plus for each batch. Rinses clear. Two things I prefer about citric acid. It is harmless to the user and can be poured down the drain w/o worry about downstream pollution.

 

[Brass80]

Like a lot of posters above I use the Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler with Dawn soap and lemi shine. I personally don't measure out exact amounts but I'm careful not to dump to much lemi-shine in. If you want the primer pockets super clean you will need to use the stainless pins. They are a pain to deal with but with a magnetic its not to bad. I always use a food deydrator to dry the brass after I'm done cleaning them.

 

[metalhead68]

Then I must have started with uber dirty brass on more than 1 occasion. Even my blue (Frankford Arsenal) separator has black "stains" that cannot be washed off.

I usually run the brass for a minimum of 1.5 hours. (that's just me).

I think it may depend largely on what powder your shooting, I've loaded a lot of pistol calibers with unique which tends to be a lot more dirty than say Bullseye or 296

 

[Member 5605]

You've opened a can of worms. That genie will never go back into the bottle.

 

[PiratePast40]

Concerning the pins getting a slimy feel after awhile, I've noticed the same thing myself. I also run just the pins once in awhile. The slimy feel might be detergent or wax. Don't know, but I like to have things clean before putting them away for long periods of time.

 

[RVTECH]

Something you might want to eventually consider is performing a pre-cleaning of your shot or range pickup brass before processing and using spent primers as 'media'

After shooting I will separate my brass to avoid 'nesting' and run them with a squeeze of dawn, a 'splash' of dollar store lemon juice, the primers and an hour later I have this.

Dry and they go into storage for eventual processing. The upside of pre-cleaned brass? You can see defects much easier and clean, shiny brass runs through the sizing die much better!