SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
Midway and I think Graf's has the STI nedia.
Brass Cleaning Using Stainless Tumbling Media System-Review
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Uh oh.. It's me that has the dehydrator... 
She doesn't like anything to do with me and my deer meat... I just got into reloading so I'm trying to come up to speed as fast as possible without getting stupid about it.
I really liked the idea of the stainless and one of my customers has been loading since the 70's and he swears by it so I already bought them and have used them for about 400 shells. I did notice water when I didn't de-prime them first. I thought they were dry and then when I decided to take the primers out ahead of time it seems they wicked up the moisture. My press got a bit wet. Primers are coming out ahead of time from now on...
Thanks for the answer...
G..
She doesn't like anything to do with me and my deer meat... I just got into reloading so I'm trying to come up to speed as fast as possible without getting stupid about it.
I really liked the idea of the stainless and one of my customers has been loading since the 70's and he swears by it so I already bought them and have used them for about 400 shells. I did notice water when I didn't de-prime them first. I thought they were dry and then when I decided to take the primers out ahead of time it seems they wicked up the moisture. My press got a bit wet. Primers are coming out ahead of time from now on...
Thanks for the answer...
G..
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
+10 on the Harbor Freight Chicom tumbler or get an RCBS Sidewinder or get industrious and make your own from a 5 gallon plastic pail with a gasketed snap on lid.
I have a 3 point cement mixer out in the barn that would make a dandy bulk tumbler. I could do a couple thousand cases at a time......
I have a 3 point cement mixer out in the barn that would make a dandy bulk tumbler. I could do a couple thousand cases at a time......
motrophyhunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2010
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- 126
Agree!!
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
I hate to bust your bubble but they aren't clean inside, especially down at the base of the cartridge and the backside of the primer pocket.. No dry media can provide the agitation/cleaning down there, it's impossible to effectuate with a dry cleaning like cob or walnut shell parts, no matter how long you have them rolling around in there.....
The only way you can get agitation action down there is a wet clean. I don't use STM, but I do use water, Lemishine and cheap washing detergent, in my case, whatever the wife has under the sink..... I use stainless but not STM.
They might appear clean at the case mouths and part way down the walls but they arn't clean at the bottom.
Far as a goats butt, I have no idea if it shines..... Neither do you.
motrophyhunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2010
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- 126
Agree on the wet vs dry, and I cannot speak about the shine of a goats butt.
My buddy and I got into reloading at the same time. I bought the Stainless Tumbling Media and Thumblers model B and he went the dry media method.
After we compared results he was always asking me to clean his brass because he couldnt get it as nice as how the wet method would produce. It got a little annoying that I was the brass cleaner but no big deal. It was always a challenge to keep our brass seperate because some are the same calibers.
He has eventually ordered his own Stainless Steel system and will have it by the end of this week.
That is my experience with both methods so take it for what it is worth.
After we compared results he was always asking me to clean his brass because he couldnt get it as nice as how the wet method would produce. It got a little annoying that I was the brass cleaner but no big deal. It was always a challenge to keep our brass seperate because some are the same calibers.
He has eventually ordered his own Stainless Steel system and will have it by the end of this week.
That is my experience with both methods so take it for what it is worth.
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
It's the 'wet' part that does the actual cleaning, not the media, though the media provides the 'scrubbing' action. Most powders react very favorably to water and detergent removal.... Why smoke pole owners joke about 'taking a shower' with their rifle....
You could use any media except media that would absorb water and the media needs to be harder (in Rockwell) than the brass. I don't use the STM. I do use stainless but not theirs.
You could use any media except media that would absorb water and the media needs to be harder (in Rockwell) than the brass. I don't use the STM. I do use stainless but not theirs.
shepardsonp
Well-Known Member
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- Jul 25, 2010
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- 79
I have had my stainless media tumbler for 5 months. It is the best new toy I have purchased in a long time--- awesome!
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
Toy, agreed. Practical versus cost (in media and related equipment), not sure.
You can run your vibrating tumbler and bags of cob or shells for what it costs up front.
Not a must have here but I use spehical stainless instead. You can use those in a vibrator as well.
Just happened to have a bunch from a job left over.
I tend to load the tumbler and let it go in the shop for at least 8 hours (with cob/shells). I'm not in a production scenario so time isn't an issue.
IMO, it's a gimmick. Practical, maybe, up front cost, excessive. I can put that money toward something else.
You can run your vibrating tumbler and bags of cob or shells for what it costs up front.
Not a must have here but I use spehical stainless instead. You can use those in a vibrator as well.
Just happened to have a bunch from a job left over.
I tend to load the tumbler and let it go in the shop for at least 8 hours (with cob/shells). I'm not in a production scenario so time isn't an issue.
IMO, it's a gimmick. Practical, maybe, up front cost, excessive. I can put that money toward something else.
motrophyhunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2010
- Messages
- 126
T me it is an upgrade to my reloading equipment which to me was a good decision. It is amazing how it clean brass to look like new inside and out. Primer pockets are clean as can be as well. Once you get the process down it takes no more time than media tumbling.
Boostmeister
New Member
I've been using the STM method for about 18 months and have been very pleased with the process. I've noticed that there seem to be little downside listed here in the forum and thought I would pass along my observations:
* The brass can be to clean! I realize that this sounds like BS but when loading pistol brass on my Dillon 550, I found that the sized brass would stick to the powder through die in the second station. I played with this for quite a while and found that with just the oils in my fingers applied to the wall of the powder through die, the brass would not stick for one or two rounds. I tried a very minimal application of Imperal Sizing Die Wax to the powder through die and found that I could go five or six rounds before the sticking occurred. I finally sent a note to Dillon explaining the problem and they indicated that I was likely using an ultrasonic or cleaning with STM. Apparently the leftover carbon that remains from the tumbling in corncob or walnut media in a vibratory tumbler acts as a lubricant. Who da thunk you could get the brass overly clean! I finally polished the powder through die with some very fine emery cloth and Scotch-Brite pad. The sticking has been greatly reduced. The problem is worse with .45 ACP (more surface) so I often spray the brass with some Hornady One Shot case lube which makes the press run smoother than a babies bottom. Rifle brass is not an issue for me as I use my single stage press with a touch of Imperial Sizing Die Wax to the neck/shoulder area.
* The STM process takes longer and is a bit more putzy. The dry media in a tumbler is less work, but with only fair results. If you can live with the inside of your brass and primer pocket being less than clean, then it is the way to go. I'm just detailed enough to want pristine brass and am willing to go through the extra detail to have it my way. It's not that much extra messin around once you have done it a few dozen times, and the results speak for themselves.
* Drying time can be a pain. The old dry media and tumbler allowed you to use the brass immediately. Not so with the STM process. I learned the hard way that you need to give the brass a few days of drying time before use. I didn't allow adequate drying time (only 24 hours) with some 9mm brass and killed about 20% of the primers from moisture remaining in the flash holes. Since that episode I place the brass in a towel and shake the crap out of it to minimize moisture in the flash hole. I then give it a minimum of 48 hours of dry time (rotating it once or twice per day) prior to loading. About three weeks ago I purchased an inexpensive WalMart food dehydrator. I looked at one from Harbor Freight, but it didn't have a fan. This unit has a fan and the temps remain well below the point where annealing of the brass can take place. Now my cleaned brass is dry and ready to load in a couple of hours. Yep, it's one more piece of equipment to purchase, and one more piece of the process that you don't need to do with tumbling in dry media.
I offer the above, not to be critical of the STM process, but rather to point out my own observations with the product. I am pleased enough with the STM results that I gave my Lyman Pro tumbler to a buddy that was just getting started in reloading, and don't miss the red rouge discoloration on my hands from the old process at all. I have likely processed over 30K pieces of brass with the STM process and feel that it is far superior to the tumbler/dry media or ultrasonic process. Just my $0.02 and YMMV.
Gary
* The brass can be to clean! I realize that this sounds like BS but when loading pistol brass on my Dillon 550, I found that the sized brass would stick to the powder through die in the second station. I played with this for quite a while and found that with just the oils in my fingers applied to the wall of the powder through die, the brass would not stick for one or two rounds. I tried a very minimal application of Imperal Sizing Die Wax to the powder through die and found that I could go five or six rounds before the sticking occurred. I finally sent a note to Dillon explaining the problem and they indicated that I was likely using an ultrasonic or cleaning with STM. Apparently the leftover carbon that remains from the tumbling in corncob or walnut media in a vibratory tumbler acts as a lubricant. Who da thunk you could get the brass overly clean! I finally polished the powder through die with some very fine emery cloth and Scotch-Brite pad. The sticking has been greatly reduced. The problem is worse with .45 ACP (more surface) so I often spray the brass with some Hornady One Shot case lube which makes the press run smoother than a babies bottom. Rifle brass is not an issue for me as I use my single stage press with a touch of Imperial Sizing Die Wax to the neck/shoulder area.
* The STM process takes longer and is a bit more putzy. The dry media in a tumbler is less work, but with only fair results. If you can live with the inside of your brass and primer pocket being less than clean, then it is the way to go. I'm just detailed enough to want pristine brass and am willing to go through the extra detail to have it my way. It's not that much extra messin around once you have done it a few dozen times, and the results speak for themselves.
* Drying time can be a pain. The old dry media and tumbler allowed you to use the brass immediately. Not so with the STM process. I learned the hard way that you need to give the brass a few days of drying time before use. I didn't allow adequate drying time (only 24 hours) with some 9mm brass and killed about 20% of the primers from moisture remaining in the flash holes. Since that episode I place the brass in a towel and shake the crap out of it to minimize moisture in the flash hole. I then give it a minimum of 48 hours of dry time (rotating it once or twice per day) prior to loading. About three weeks ago I purchased an inexpensive WalMart food dehydrator. I looked at one from Harbor Freight, but it didn't have a fan. This unit has a fan and the temps remain well below the point where annealing of the brass can take place. Now my cleaned brass is dry and ready to load in a couple of hours. Yep, it's one more piece of equipment to purchase, and one more piece of the process that you don't need to do with tumbling in dry media.
I offer the above, not to be critical of the STM process, but rather to point out my own observations with the product. I am pleased enough with the STM results that I gave my Lyman Pro tumbler to a buddy that was just getting started in reloading, and don't miss the red rouge discoloration on my hands from the old process at all. I have likely processed over 30K pieces of brass with the STM process and feel that it is far superior to the tumbler/dry media or ultrasonic process. Just my $0.02 and YMMV.
Gary
huntintoo
Well-Known Member
I've had mine for about 4 months and so far it works "GREAT"! I'm afrais I'll wear it out as my regular vibratory cleaner took a dump on me just after I gor my new stainless steele set up. All smiles from this end!!!
