Brass Cleaning Using Stainless Tumbling Media System-Review

[ADMIN]

This article shows how to clean brass inside and out using small stainless steel pins from STM, Stainless Tumbling Media. This does not harm the cartridge brass and the results are excellent. A water-tight, rotary tumbler is required along with the stainless media.
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This is a thread for discussion of the article, Brass Cleaning Using Stainless Tumbling Media System-Review, By Jason Koplin. Here you can ask questions or make comments about the article.

 

[CentreHit]

What about 'work hardening' the brass, does the stainless steel work harden it?

Four hours is a long time, I generally only tumble in the standard vibratory tumbler for 1.5 hours using treated corn cob (Hornady case polish treatment). Granted it usually only cleans the exterior nice and shiny.

Cheers.

This is a thread for discussion of the article, Brass Cleaning Using Stainless Tumbling Media System-Review, By Jason Koplin. Here you can ask questions or make comments about the article.

 

[Forester]

I like everything about the sounds of this system except the drying part.

How can you be sure that a drop of water is not hiding inside a case somewhere waiting to ruin a primer?

Perhaps some sort of drying rack with a heated base could be fabricated that would get the brass up to 80 or 90 degrees and ensure complete drying?

 

[Bob 11B50]

I first read about using stainless media for cleaning brass about 1990. I used it for several years and it did a great job of cleaning and polishing the brass. Drying the cleaned brass was no problem...I just laid it out on pie plates in the sun to dry. It didn't take long to dry, an hour or two.

After doing this for several months I began to notice some things that caused me some concern...split necks. I began to experience some cracks in necks of 30-06 and 45-70 brass. So I tried annealing the necks to stop this problem. It helped, but didn't end the cracks.

I think that the stainless media tends to work stress the brass and perhaps thin it a bit. I would only use it for an hour or two now, and only if the brass were really cruddy. I think that it does shorten case life.

Bob llB50

 

[Forester]

I first read about using stainless media for cleaning brass about 1990. I used it for several years and it did a great job of cleaning and polishing the brass. Drying the cleaned brass was no problem...I just laid it out on pie plates in the sun to dry. It didn't take long to dry, an hour or two.

After doing this for several months I began to notice some things that caused me some concern...split necks. I began to experience some cracks in necks of 30-06 and 45-70 brass. So I tried annealing the necks to stop this problem. It helped, but didn't end the cracks.

I think that the stainless media tends to work stress the brass and perhaps thin it a bit. I would only use it for an hour or two now, and only if the brass were really cruddy. I think that it does shorten case life.

Bob llB50

Interesting, that is the first case I have heard of work hardening from this process. I always thought it was accepted wisdom that to some small degree a conventional tumbler could work harden brass-again, slightly-. If that is the case then steel media would have to do the same or worse.

 

[Geno22]

This is a thread for discussion of the article, Brass Cleaning Using Stainless Tumbling Media System-Review, By Jason Koplin. Here you can ask questions or make comments about the article.

I saw the same set up at H&H in Okla City but they were using brass instead of stainless as the media and the brass coming out of it looked beter than new.

 

[ssineden]

Plain and simple IT Works. I tried it and will continue to do so.

 

[Geno22]

Plain and simple IT Works. I tried it and will continue to do so.

Plain And Simple? Brass media or Stainless.

 

[ssineden]

Stainless steel rods to clean brass

 

[BrianS]

I like everything about the sounds of this system except the drying part.

How can you be sure that a drop of water is not hiding inside a case somewhere waiting to ruin a primer?

Perhaps some sort of drying rack with a heated base could be fabricated that would get the brass up to 80 or 90 degrees and ensure complete drying?

I grabbed one of my wife's shorty nylons and stuffed the brass in those after ultrasonic cleaning. My vertical dryer has a stand that you can put in that holds 'delicates' like wool sweaters and well nylons still so they don't tumble. The drum rotates around the stand and hot air is circulated from underneath directly onto the brass. That's it! Takes about 30-40 minutes maybe a couple sheets of fabric softener would take care of the work hardening, eh?

BS

 

[noneck180]

this how I dry mine..I absolutely love my STM..

 

[Tumbleweed]

If you have an air compressor and a blow nozzle, especially a nozzle that will fit down inside the mouth of the case, this will work quick and very effective. I do this after neck turning Remington brass. I chuck the piece of brass in the drill and cut at high speeds. In order to keep it cool I spray soapy water on it which makes a really nice cut, but it requires drying out the inside of the case. I just blow dry it nice and throw it in the tumbler.

 

[Forester]

I grabbed one of my wife's shorty nylons and stuffed the brass in those after ultrasonic cleaning. My vertical dryer has a stand that you can put in that holds 'delicates' like wool sweaters and well nylons still so they don't tumble. The drum rotates around the stand and hot air is circulated from underneath directly onto the brass. That's it! Takes about 30-40 minutes maybe a couple sheets of fabric softener would take care of the work hardening, eh?

BS

I can just hear my wife's comments about "now you want to know how the dryer works"

And if I show up with nylons I better have a receipt, she will sure know they are not hers, I have never seen her wear such a thing.

 

[noneck180]

Just cleaned up 160ish 7mm rem mag brass..

Good as new