My View of Stainless Media Cleaning

[Broz]

Well, I have always wanted to try this. So I ordered a tumbler from STM Stainless Steel Reloading Supplies | Tumblers, Seperators, Media & More! and followed one of their handy tutorials on the site. Then the choosen brass was my nasty old .338 LM brass with 14 firings on it. It was very dirty and has only been tumbled in a vibratory tumbler a few times in its life. And once in a heated ultrasonic cleaner. Neither one ever impressed me. I always worried about the build up if I used a polish in the vibratory tumbler. It could cake or build inside and I hate cleaning the media from flash holes. That alone is train wreck waiting to happen. As you can see in this pic this brass was nasty, ugly and full of burnt powder.

So in it went with 2 TBL spoons of Dawn dish soap and 1/4 tsp of Lemishine.

Four hours later I pulled it out and rinsed it off. The crud that came out in that water was pretty bad. I am ashamed at how dirty this brass was. Here is the finished brass after only 4 hrs.

Even the primer pockets are clean and bright. The inside of the cases are as clean as the outsides. I am in love!!

So, I have tumbled in a vibratory with media, I also have a heated ultrasonic cleaner and now I have found what I should have bought years ago. If you want clean brass this is the ticket!!
Jeff

 

[4bycamper]

Right on!

I want one.

 

[sp6x6]

I have a gazzilion year old tumbler that looks just like that but drum is different, says Tumblers on it. Drum has a large ''o'' ring that hold cap in groove. Wonder if I can just get a new drum?

 

[Nomosendero]

May have to give that a try

 

[Broz]

I have a gazzilion year old tumbler that looks just like that but drum is different, says Tumblers on it. Drum has a large ''o'' ring that hold cap in groove. Wonder if I can just get a new drum?

Or see if the rubber drum liner ould fit your drum?

Jeff

 

[SidecarFlip]

I have a gazzilion year old tumbler that looks just like that but drum is different, says Tumblers on it. Drum has a large ''o'' ring that hold cap in groove. Wonder if I can just get a new drum?

Thats what Jeff has, his is newer. You have a Thumlers Tumbler........... The Thumlers might be worn off........

Added benefit is it's really a rock (gemstone) tumbler so you or your kid can use it to tumble rocks to polish them. With rocks, no stainless media, just rocks and water. The rocks abrade each other and polish each other......;

Takes a copule days however..... (rocks).....

 

[SidecarFlip]

Additionally, you can easily build your own with even more capacity with a 5 gallon plastic pail and a small motor and some axles.... if you are enterprising.

 

[D.ID]

I am sold.......just have not stepped up.............yet.

 

[dig]

Been using this system for a year and a half and would never go back. Have am Ultrasonic that works great on parts now but all my cases go in the stainless. Just eliminating the primer pocket cleaning step is proof enough for me, let alone no build up on the inside.

 

[Oliveralan]

How is the noise level compared to a traditional corn/walnut mediea tumbler?

 

[Broz]

How is the noise level compared to a traditional corn/walnut mediea tumbler?

Comparing my two, the SS media is quieter. But that could depend on what vibratory unit you have.

Jeff

 

[SidecarFlip]

Comparing my two, the SS media is quieter. But that could depend on what vibratory unit you have.

Jeff

...Or the wife has.........

Interestingly, I borrowed a friend's Hornady Ultrasonci cleaner for a try before buy and it did nothing (IMO) to my cases that I could see. So I didn't buy one.

I'm still using cob because I have a lot (I bought a 10 pound bag at Wallyworld on the cheap) and I add a dab or two of Dupont fine rubbing compound for polish, much cheaper than the gun store stuff.

I tend to wash the cases in the vibrating tumbler with some water and dish soap after tumbling in cob to get the inside clean. At some point I'll probably ger the stainless rods too but I'll be on the lookout for a Thumlers Tumbler at garage sales or do the 5 gallon pail build beforehand.

 

[SHRTSHTR]

I have been using a Ultrasonic cleaner for two years and have been very pleased with it. The primer pockets on some brass needed cleaning afterwards. I always ran my primer uniformer after UC anyway so this operation did not matter to me.

After seeing what "Bros" review, I must say that my brass has never looked that good even when it was new!

Thanks for the review Jeff . Guess I will order the S/S deluxe kit. No milk and cookies for the Grandkids this month .

 

[JeffVN]

Nice review Jeff.

My only concern is the need to tumble / clean for multiple hours (this is the single biggest down side that I can see), then rinse before drying. Two questions:

How many 338LM cases or Edge cases can you clean at one time?

What was your rinse and then separation procedure?

Jeffvn