Those who wet tumble, what is your reloading process?

[SavageHunter11]

Been decapping and cleaning brass with my wet tumbler since we moved into our new house this past July and I'm starting to get to the end of it. Starting to look at loading everything and realized I'll have to tumble everything again after I resize everything to remove the resizing lube. Are you wet tumblers cleaning everything twice? I really don't want to retumble and air dry what equates to about seven full 5-gallon buckets of rifle brass again if I can help it but this will probably be a "live and learn" situation for me.

 

[Mram10us]

Shoot
Clean/dry
Resize and prep
Clean/dry
Load

I'm sure there is a better way

 

[MadCowRacer]

Decap (option if plinking ammo)
Wet Tumble
Dry
Anneal (option for plinking ammo)
Size
Dry Tumble
Trim
Prime
Load

 

[LongBomber]

Decap
Aneal
Wet tumble/dry
Resize - wip off lube
Trim/neck turn if needed
Prime
Charge
Seat bullet

I use an old cotton rag to wipe off lube, I use rcbs lube, one end of the rag damp. Takes no time at all to wipe with damp end then dry end.

 

[SavageHunter11]

Decap (option if plinking ammo)
Wet Tumble
Dry
Anneal (option for plinking ammo)
Size
Dry Tumble
Trim
Prime
Load

I hadn't thought to dry tumble to remove lube. How long do you usually let them go for? I can't imagine they'd need to run for more than 45 minutes to an hour

 

[Bang4theBuck]

Decap (option if plinking ammo)
Wet Tumble
Dry
Anneal (option for plinking ammo)
Size
Dry Tumble
Trim
Prime
Load

This is exactly how I do it as well. Works great. I am trying to keep 200 pcs of each caliber in hand, so I can have 100 pcs in the process of reloading and 100 pcs loaded and ready to go. Getting to a multiple 5 gallon bucket state tells me you have had some fun since July! But time to get to work on all of that brass.

 

[SavageHunter11]

This is exactly how I do it as well. Works great. I am trying to keep 200 pcs of each caliber in hand, so I can have 100 pcs in the process of reloading and 100 pcs loaded and ready to go. Getting to a multiple 5 gallon bucket state tells me you have had some fun since July! But time to get to work on all of that brass.

We lived in a 400 sq/ft apartment for almost 6 years.... The buckets have been accumulated over the years while I had no space to reload. I wish I had that much fun in one summer

 

[Alibiiv]

I hadn't thought to dry tumble to remove lube. How long do you usually let them go for? I can't imagine they'd need to run for more than 45 minutes to an hour

I dry tumble maybe some day will buy a wet tumbler, but here's what I do:

1. if it's new brass then don't have to decap, otherwise decap.
2. anneal and then dry brass with compressed air; 100-120 PSI
3. tumble brass
   
4. air dry for another day or two, may go back for a second go at the compressed air if there was not enough time to air dry
   
5. full-length resize without expander plug
6. mandrel neck size and turn neck if necessary
7. uniform/ream primer pockets
   
8. trim brass to overall length
9. deburr case neck inside/outside
10. wipe brass off with microfiber cloth
11. prime, powder charge and seat bullets

If I'm fireforming I skip the steps 6 and 7 go to 8 and 9.

 

[MadCowRacer]

I hadn't thought to dry tumble to remove lube. How long do you usually let them go for? I can't imagine they'd need to run for more than 45 minutes to an hour

I don't pay much attention but usually an hour has been plenty. I usually start it and walk away or I'm putting the dies away getting powder out setting up the trimmer etc.

I'll be doing some loads coming up so I'll see if I can check on a minimum time. Generally the RCBS or Imperial wax comes off rather quickly visually.

 

[Tumbleweed]

I size and deprime cases. Then, I wet tumble in a harbor freight rock tumbler for a half hour. I put dawn dish soap in with a pinch of lemi shine using southern media shine small stainless chips. Hot tap water.

I rinse out the tumblers and re-apply the soaps. This time it stays in for 1.5-2 hours, I've found it needs close to 2 hours to really get the primer pockets clean. I then rinse really well with clean, hot water and put them in the oven on a cookie sheet for a half hour at 180 degrees. Key is getting them very dry or you get ugly water spots, possibly even mild corrosion on the cases over time.

 

[SavageHunter11]

I size and deprime cases. Then, I wet tumble in a harbor freight rock tumbler for a half hour. I put dawn dish soap in with a pinch of lemi shine using southern media shine small stainless chips. Hot tap water.

I rinse out the tumblers and re-apply the soaps. This time it stays in for 1.5-2 hours, I've found it needs close to 2 hours to really get the primer pockets clean. I then rinse really well with clean, hot water and put them in the oven on a cookie sheet for a half hour at 180 degrees. Key is getting them very dry or you get ugly water spots, possibly even mild corrosion on the cases over time.

So are you sizing your brass dirty? That has got to be terrible for your die

 

[Tumbleweed]

So are you sizing your brass dirty? That has got to be terrible for your die

I keep my brass very clean after firing, it's never been a problem. If it were to hit the ground then it would get wiped down first

 

[Deputy819]

1) Dry tumble in corn-cob media
2) Decap
3) Anneal (Salt Bath)/drop in water-bucket
4) Wet tumble
5) Dry in a dehydrator
6) Spray with Hornady One-Shot
7) Size
8) Dry tumble in corn-cob media again
9) Spend precious/tedious time poking corn-cob media out of flash holes
10) Run 'em over an expander mandrel
11) Trim
12) RCBS case prep center for deburring/chamfer/primer pocket cleaning
13) Curse, breathe a sigh of relief and then remind myself why I do it.
14) Load 'em up

 

[SavageHunter11]

1) Dry tumble in corn-cob media
2) Decap
3) Anneal (Salt Bath)/drop in water-bucket
4) Wet tumble
5) Dry in a dehydrator
6) Spray with Hornady One-Shot
7) Size
8) Dry tumble in corn-cob media again
9) Spend precious/tedious time poking corn-cob media out of flash holes
10) Run 'em over an expander mandrel
11) Trim
12) RCBS case prep center for deburring/chamfer/primer pocket cleaning
13) Curse, breathe a sigh of relief and then remind myself why I do it.
14) Load 'em up

This is probably the most honest description of someone's reloading process I have ever read.