Harbor freight model works fine. I ditched the pins after a couple of runs.
Use Dash and they come out looking great.
Use Dash and they come out looking great.
Case cleaning
- Thread starter Marc Young
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crkckr
Well-Known Member
Having had one for over 40 years, I highly recomned the Thumblers Tumbler Model B. They essentially last forever for around $150 at Midway. I have replaced many belts and replaced the rollers once but the tub itself is more or less bullet proof. I clean all my brass and moly plate many bullets with mine.
My belts went bad for two reasons. 1, I tend to overload the tub and 2, I didn't used to take the belt (essentially a clear plastic o-ring) off when the tumbler wasn't being used. I now remove the belt when it's not in use and they last a whole lot longer. I think the current belt has been on there a couple of years! I also clean the belt with Brake Clean when it starts looking greasy or slips a bit. I keep a can of Break Free next to my tumbler and give it a squirt into both of the lube ports on the motor, everytime I tumble anything. I also put a bit of the Break Free on all 4 of the nylon rollers. I keep the tumbler on a piece of carpet in the basement. I usually run it for 4 to 6 hours. All nickel brass only takes a couple of hours.
The tub will hold perhaps 4 or 500 .223 cases. I decap all my brass first, then use the tumbler with BoreTech liquid cleaner and steel pins. Thd brass comes out looking like brand new, inside and out, including perfectly clean primer pockets.
I've used all kinds of stuff to clean cases, from walnut hulls to corn cob grit, to Dawn and steel pins and now the BoreTech (when I had a comnercial reloading operation, I used corn cob grit & Brasso in a cemet mixer!). I've never had *anything* work as well as the BoreTech! I happen to like my brass looking like new before I load it!
Yes, occasionally a couple of the steel pins will get stuck in a flash hole. Easy to spot and easy to remove. There's simply no way you're going to prime a case with a couple of pins stuck in it! I take the brass and pins and dump them into a heavy duty gallon jug with a lot of holes it, shake the brass around over a bucket and rinse the brass well (I don't want anything left in my cases before I load them!). I dry it for a couple of days on a towel, picking up any stray pins with a magnet, just to make sure there's no water left in a primer pocket.
This works perfectly for me. Of course, everyone can use whatever lights their candle! There is always a different way to skin the proverbial cat! If you're happy with what ever you are using now, why switch? When I first started reloading (using Lee "basher" dies), I used vinegar to (sort of) clean my cases! Doesn't work all that well and the brass doesn't like it long term but it was a start! But evolution happens, until you get to where you really want to be! Ah yes, progress!But
Cheers,
crkckr
My belts went bad for two reasons. 1, I tend to overload the tub and 2, I didn't used to take the belt (essentially a clear plastic o-ring) off when the tumbler wasn't being used. I now remove the belt when it's not in use and they last a whole lot longer. I think the current belt has been on there a couple of years! I also clean the belt with Brake Clean when it starts looking greasy or slips a bit. I keep a can of Break Free next to my tumbler and give it a squirt into both of the lube ports on the motor, everytime I tumble anything. I also put a bit of the Break Free on all 4 of the nylon rollers. I keep the tumbler on a piece of carpet in the basement. I usually run it for 4 to 6 hours. All nickel brass only takes a couple of hours.
The tub will hold perhaps 4 or 500 .223 cases. I decap all my brass first, then use the tumbler with BoreTech liquid cleaner and steel pins. Thd brass comes out looking like brand new, inside and out, including perfectly clean primer pockets.
I've used all kinds of stuff to clean cases, from walnut hulls to corn cob grit, to Dawn and steel pins and now the BoreTech (when I had a comnercial reloading operation, I used corn cob grit & Brasso in a cemet mixer!). I've never had *anything* work as well as the BoreTech! I happen to like my brass looking like new before I load it!
Yes, occasionally a couple of the steel pins will get stuck in a flash hole. Easy to spot and easy to remove. There's simply no way you're going to prime a case with a couple of pins stuck in it! I take the brass and pins and dump them into a heavy duty gallon jug with a lot of holes it, shake the brass around over a bucket and rinse the brass well (I don't want anything left in my cases before I load them!). I dry it for a couple of days on a towel, picking up any stray pins with a magnet, just to make sure there's no water left in a primer pocket.
This works perfectly for me. Of course, everyone can use whatever lights their candle! There is always a different way to skin the proverbial cat! If you're happy with what ever you are using now, why switch? When I first started reloading (using Lee "basher" dies), I used vinegar to (sort of) clean my cases! Doesn't work all that well and the brass doesn't like it long term but it was a start! But evolution happens, until you get to where you really want to be! Ah yes, progress!But
Cheers,
crkckr
BrentM
Well-Known Member
I use a franklin, works great. SS pins, soap mix, and love it. I have a little process to dry and get the pins out but for me, having done multiple methods, it works the best. I just pop the primers with a hand depriming tool after I get back from a hunt or training session. When I am ready to clean those cases I just drop them in the solution, spin it up for a few hours, drain, dry, etc. It gets the pockets amazingly clean and the necks. The biggest issue with this method is that I lube the inside of the necks since I mandrel expand and there is no carbon film left.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
Here you go:
stainlesstumblingmedia.com
Stainless Steel Reloading Kit
Package Deal Includes: - 5lbs Stainless Steel Media (size is .047"x.255") - Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17 Rotary Tumbler (click here for details) - 12 oz. LemiShine Detergent Note: The 230v is for International use and comes with a UK style plug. You will need to supply the motor with a plug for...
I can second the recommendation of the Extreme Rebel 17 tumbler with their pins as linked above. I would also recommend their media separator. Takes a few seconds is all to seperate the pins from the brass.
Then I put 7-8 paper towels in with the empty brass and tumble the brass with the paper towels and that will get the outside of the cases dry. Dump on a towel and let dry overnight.
Can reuse the paper towels over and over...I just let them dry after each use.
Then I put 7-8 paper towels in with the empty brass and tumble the brass with the paper towels and that will get the outside of the cases dry. Dump on a towel and let dry overnight.
Can reuse the paper towels over and over...I just let them dry after each use.
Upsidedownjack
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2017
- Messages
- 288
Thumber Timber, walnut and corncob with some rue. Just clean enough and not looking "like Brand New"! But Not dirty, not "gritty"! Been using for some 45-50 years!
To each their own. I have rotary and vibratory and don't deal with the pins. The issue I have with rotary is it cleans the inside of the necks too good. My neck tension is crazy high and all over the place. I have seen a noticeable decline in accuracy due to being too clean. It must strip every bit of surface lube off. (Dawn and Lemi shine) Almost exclusively back to the vibratory and a little brasso on the outside of necks. Still use the rotary on range, pistol, bulk brass, etc.
BrentM
Well-Known Member
Just lube the neck, easy fix, so easy a cave man can do it.
Jim’s Hunt
Well-Known Member
My two Pennie's on the subject. Have a dry vibrating type set up I hate. Went to a sonic cleaner which I love. I'm not a super shiny freak all I want is clean. I use distilled water as recommended with sonic solution I get from Amazon. I mix it stronger than directions call for also a shot of Simple Green 30 minutes with heat then in clean water rinse then it goes into the oven in a cake pan for 10-15 minutes at 175°. Then it goes in for annealing and ready for sizing. They are happy clean.
BrentM
Well-Known Member
Nothing. Just looks nice. All you want is clean brass to feed into the chamber etc and not gunk up the dies. Shiny brass is just a look some people want. Me, I like clean brass and to see the anneal line distinctly. To me that is what custom ammo should look like. Otherwise, I have just wiped down brass and reloaded it because I didn't have time to deal with cleaning.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
I use the Extreme 17 Rotary tumbler. It tumbles at a higher rate than many others and has roller bearing that should las forever. I've reduced my SS tumbling time considerably since I started. Brass gets sufficiently clean in 20-30 minutes and it will not remove the carbon from inside the neck in that short period of time. Many reloaders are tumbling for 2-3hrs because it makes their cases really shiny, but it will remove the carbon and will ding necks slightly.
My only complaint with the supplied SS pins is that they are just the right size to get stuck in 6.5mm necks.
I'm very amused by all these different ways to clean brass, some have 10 steps to perfect brass and some just give them a wipe down and everyone has THE perfect solution that others should follow. Some use stainless pins and others decry them because they are a pain to remove, sometimes. Some hate dry tumbling but are happy with wet tumbling or ultrasonic and dealing with drying cases, sometimes with a dedicated case dryer. Then some pro shooter comes along and doesn't clean their brass at all...
