Cleaning Tumbler and Pins

[Stang66]

I just walk up to my target a poke it with a pen to get the groups I want, take a picture and show all my friends.

200yard fun on 2 year old beer…1click was center on the next one. That beer must have gone 10 feet in all directions…don't worry we drank the good stuff later.

 

[dfrahm]

I've been tumbling brass for at least 10 years and only remember rinsing the media once. I've changed from pins to chips, they seem to do a better and faster job . I pour off most of the filthy water then separate the chips from the brass with a RCBS media separator. Triple rinse with water then soak brass in a bucket of Wash & Wax for about 5 minutes then triple rinse with water again. Without the Wash & Wax the brass would start to tarnish soon after tumbling. Mostly do range pickup or bulk purchased once fired brass after the primers are removed.

Please tell me the details of 'wash & wax'. What brand or kind do you use, and how much per batch of brass please?

 

[Termite I]

dfraham,
I use Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax. You could probably use Armor All, not sure if there is any difference between them.
I took a 5 gallon plastic bucket with a lid and put about 3 gallons of water and the entire bottle (48 ounces) of Meguiar's.
I put the triple rinsed brass in then swirl the brass around and let sit for a few minutes. I pour the majority of the W&W mix into another bucket, triple rinse the brass then pour the W&W mix into the bucket with a lid.
I've used the same bucket for years and just recently bought another bottle to add a little to the mix.
I tried using the W&W instead of Dawn but it seemed to take longer for the brass to get clean.
This has kept my brass from discoloring or tarnishing.

 

[jasonco]

No.

Rinse all with fresh water and call it done, til the next brass cleaning session. Don't over think it.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Has anyone - removed the pins and tumbled with rice? Supposedly, it cleans nearly as good without the neck peening that is common with SS pin tumbling. I use pins but am considering the rice as an alternative.

 

[.30-06]

Has anyone - removed the pins and tumbled with rice? Supposedly, it cleans nearly as good without the neck peening that is common with SS pin tumbling. I use pins but am considering the rice as an alternative.

Rice sticks to the inside of the cases.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Rice sticks to the inside of the cases.

Many guys are using it successfully in vibratory systems. Maybe you shouldn't cook it first.

 

[quigley257]

After reading through these posts, I see there is confusion on what different people call a tumbler. Stainless pins and chips will only work in a rotary style tumbler(I use a Lyman Cyclone) using water, lemishine, or Dawn as a cleaner. Walnut, corn cob and rice should be used in a vibratory tumbler as dry media with metal polish as an additive. I do a combination of the two. Really dirty brass gets stainless wet tumbled, then rinsed. I then finish it in a vibratory tumbler using corn cob with NuFinish car polish. The stainless tumbling removes all the carbon and dirt while the corn cob/NuFinish gives a nice shine while adding a protective layer that prevents tarnishing. The Hornady media sifter works fantastic for separating stainless chips from wet cases as well as dry media from dry cases. Good luck!

NuFinish - Amazon product ASIN B000BPSW7C
Lyman Cyclone - Amazon product ASIN B01A3PNX1E
Hornady tumbler - Amazon product ASIN B07KCVLJSN
Sifter - Amazon product ASIN B00GVF9XVU

 

[.30-06]

Many guys are using it successfully in vibratory systems. Maybe you shouldn't cook it first.

I know you have the money, maybe you should stop being cheap and just use Corn cob media !

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I know you have the money, maybe you should stop being cheap and just use Corn cob media !

That's interesting; when did we meet, because I don't know you. LMAO I gave away all of my corncob and walnut media with the vibratory machine once I switched over to the STM tumbler and SS pins. The only issue that I'm aware of is that when you tumble too long you can get case mouth peening. I was originally tumbling for 2 hrs in the STM which uses a high speed tumbler. Eventually, I went to shorter and shorter tumbling time because longer times proved unnecessary and that's when the mouth peening takes place. Now I get clean brass in 30min, maybe not shinier than new but very clean.

Using rice apparently works very well in vibratory systems and you don't get any peening. I was told that it works just as well in a tumbler but I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet. Besides, I have no issues with the pins but it certainly is worth a try.

Lastly, why would you use corncob rather than rice? At least you can eat the rice when you're done tumbling!!

 

[.30-06]

never had no peening at all with corn or SS pins. Good luck with your rice.

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

I put on my screen and use hot water to rinse.After all brass is out I put pin back in tumbler with Dawn soap with a cap full of Bleach and tumbler it 30 mins a n d rinse twice.
No more than pins cost It's nit worth too much time and effort. But I do want my tumbler spotless.I clean each time after I done using it so I don't start back with it dirty.I ama little OCD about things being clean and things being level and square.

You got any free time feel free to come on over. Free Beer ! Really wishing I had a little OCD right about now. lol