Wet Tumbler

I like the SS pin wet tumbler. Cleans inside, primer pockets and outside. Some tumble too long in the wet tumbler. If you want very shiny brass, tumble in walnut after wet tumbling. Just a matter of preference.


I have been using S.S. pins for about 2-3 years now & they do a great job on my brass. I just recently started using Brass Juice from https://www.thereloadingstation.com/ it does just as good as the SS pins without the hassle of having to remove all the pins. Use only one ounce per 1/2 gal. distilled water in your wet tumbler.
 
I have been using S.S. pins for about 2-3 years now & they do a great job on my brass. I just recently started using Brass Juice from https://www.thereloadingstation.com/ it does just as good as the SS pins without the hassle of having to remove all the pins. Use only one ounce per 1/2 gal. distilled water in your wet tumbler.
Are you saying you do not include the stainless pins, just the the brass juice?
 
I've only ever had a dry tumbler for my brass. I hate the dirty primer pockets and inside cars. So I've been contemplating trying a wet tumbler or sonic cleaner. I don't clean large batches. I just want the brass clean. What do you guys use?

Sinclair primer pocket reamer lightly turned. Use it in a drill press with a vise to hold your brass to ream out the primer pocket during your first re-sizing along with smoothing the flash hole from the inside of the case.
 
I've only ever had a dry tumbler for my brass. I hate the dirty primer pockets and inside cars. So I've been contemplating trying a wet tumbler or sonic cleaner. I don't clean large batches. I just want the brass clean. What do you guys use?
Like mentioned earlier, I deprime using a universal RCBS die, then ultrasonic clean in a Lyman then dry in a dehumidifier. This seems to get the cases pretty dang clean, I then resize and throw in corn cob media with some RCBS polish in it and it looks brand new.
 
Deprime, clean I.D. of neck with S.S. bore brush on power drill.
Anneal- removing carbon from I.D. before annealing is advised.
Tumble for 1.5 hrs approx with S.S. media, car wash soap WITH wax in its formula and a tad of Lemi-Shine. Separate in a separator, rinse with water, magnet up all the S.S. pins. Rinse again with Purified water (Menards, Walgreens). Dry in your wifes
stove if you dare or the sun during warm weather. A dehydrator by Hornady or similar supplier for 1.5-2 hrs dependent on qty and size.
When they are shiny clean and dry proceed with your reloading process. One more step, yeah I know we don't handle them little buggers enough, I have a bore mop mounted on my bench that I
wipe lightly with resizing lube, and I LIGHTLY rub the bullet across this mop in the seating area of the bullet that contacts the
brass I.D. Bullet seats very easily, no deformation and repeatable
Ogive dimension. Confused yet? Now there's two of us!
 
I use the birchwood casey chemical cleaner solution. It gets the cases cleaner then a tumbler with no dust on them and it is fairly fast. Submerge them in the solution for 2 minutes then rinse them in water 3 or 4 times to make sure all the solution is gone. Then pat them dry in a clean towel and dry the inside with compressed air. I have also put them in the oven on the lowest setting for 15 or 20 minutes to dry them. There is still a little carbon in the primer pockets if you don't brush them.
I like it because its fast and no dust going in your die. Shines them up pretty good and cleans the inside. The solution lasts for a long time. I have used 1/2 a bottle of product on 2 or 3000 cases and still going.
I don't like it because you are using harsh chemicals. Sulfuric and phosphoric acid i believe. Wear gloves and safety glasses as a precaution. And a few pieces turn pink and get thrown away. Or if you leave them in too long I suppose it would ruin all your brass. Probably not the best way to clean but its what I use.
 
IMHO it seems like everyone has "thier" way of doing the job and getting the results they are happy with. As I said, I dry tumble, and then ultrasonic clean to get lube off. Dry in a dehydrator after a quick towel dry. Nice clean bright brass. Once in a great while if the primer pocket is not completely clean, then I clean it to ensure the primer seats correctly. That is what I found that works for me after looking at other methods. Plus the initial acqusition cost was low (thanks eBay and Harbor Freight) and supplies are also very inexpensive (thanks Petland and Walmart.)
 
If you have a air compressor, try drying using compressed air after wet pin tumbling. No tarnish, just clean shiny brass. I used compressed air to dry cases after ultrasonic cleaning when I had it as well. I've noticed some people tumble too long, use too much Lemishine or too much Dawn or not rinse well. All contribute to peening, tarnish and the rainbow tinted brass.
 
If you have a air compressor, try drying using compressed air after wet pin tumbling. No tarnish, just clean shiny brass. I used compressed air to dry cases after ultrasonic cleaning when I had it as well. I've noticed some people tumble too long, use too much Lemishine or too much Dawn or not rinse well. All contribute to peening, tarnish and the rainbow tinted brass.
Agree - that is what I saw as I refined my practises. A little is good, to much is bad - time or additives.
 
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I SS wet tumble with 1/4 tsp of lemishine and 2 tbsp dawn, rinse and separate pins with Frankford wet/dry media separator and dry with a lyman case dryer. Very satisfied with results and ease of process.
 
All you guys that dry brass are killing me. After wet tumbling, I never assist the drying of my brass. It comes out of the tumbler, pins separated, gets rinses in tap water, and then goes onto a bath towel and gets "shook back and forth" for 10 seconds. I then let them sit on a dry towel overnight. The next day, everything is dry and the brass is still shiny and bright - all ready for resizing.
 
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