tumbling media question

phipp13 · Oct 3, 2015

Currently I'm using a vibratory tumbler, walnut shell with a bit of Nu Finish Car polish to clean my brass. It works great but could do a bit better on the flash holes. I bought 5lbs of stainless .47 pellet pins.
Question is: Has anyone used stainless pins in a dry media? If so how did it work out? thanks for any help Phipp

ted76 · Oct 3, 2015

I talked to a reloading dealer at a York show and they said the ss pins wouldn't work in a vibratory tumbler wet, said they would just sink to the bottom. Never thought about mixing it with the dry Media, it should work, as bullets float and move throughout the media and don't just sink to the bottom.

Sticky · Oct 3, 2015

You need a rotary tumbler to use SST pins...

j8064 · Oct 3, 2015

Sticky said:
You need a rotary tumbler to use SST pins...

That was my thinking too. Steel is heavier than brass and walnut or corncob media. After a short time in a vibratory tumbler it would seem the steel would sink to the bottom and the cases and media would simply float on the top of the SS pins...

Never tried it so :shrug:

phipp13 · Oct 4, 2015

Thanks for the input guys. I won't be adding pins to my current set up, maybe down the line I will get a tumbler too.

Phipp

Traveler · Oct 4, 2015

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/tips/

Sticky · Oct 4, 2015

Wet tumbling with pins will clean the primer pockets better, but you are doing fine with a vib and dry media, just a little primer pocket attention once in a while and it works fine... did it that way for years, but I honestly like wet tumbling with pins better. It just gets the brass cleaner and is quicker and easier for me.

DocAitch · Oct 4, 2015

SS Pins

I just finished my first experience with the SS pins.
The pin system does clean very stained and discolored brass but the procedure is labor intensive. The primer pockets are clean(er), as is the interior of the case, but I suspect that you could simply clean the pockets with one of the wire brush tools in less over-all time.
It requires a source of running water, a place to dump the dirty/toxic water, and will require about 3 times(at least) as much time as dealing with dry media.
Must haves for me were magnets (2). I also found that a new sifter(the FA sifter with side shields) and a brass dryer were helpful but not necessary.
You will need a couple of magnets to deal with these pins which are of a magnetic alloy. Frankfort Arsenal sells a good magnet but I also found that one for picking stuff up off the floor from Harbor Freight is a good second magnet, it actually fits inside the barrel to pick off the wet sticky pins, and helps to police up the ones that invariably become scattered during rinsing and sifting .
You will also have to inspect each piece of brass to make sure that you don't leave any pins inside.
I much prefer to use dry media and a case vibrator to do large amounts of brass (I shoot mainly pistol), and I will save this set up for extremely stained brass which I will sort and save until I have enough to worry about.
I would rate the SS pin set up as an expensive, rarely used luxury for most shooters.
DocAitch

paxfish · Oct 4, 2015

Try lizard litter from Petco as media - only 1 in 30 primer pockets get jammed up instead of 90%!

ironpony · Oct 5, 2015

My latest thoughts were either two tumblers or a 5 gallon cement mixer "dry". Has anyone seen a small cement mixer used for cleaning? Guys with range brass contracts swear by them.

DocAitch · Oct 5, 2015

I am using walnut media, Dillon polish (because I have it around), a splash of mineral spirits, and dryer sheets. It polishes well, the dust is reduced (which I find to be a significant problem with walnut) and the brass has a nice slick feel with a good polish. This has become my preferred process.
The stuff that comes out of the SS media process is uniform in color with no stains, and is slightly duller and, as noted above, is subject to more rapid oxidation. It may benefit from an hour in the walnut mix, adding more time to the process.
I have also found that reducing the load in my large Dillon tumbler/vibrator makes it run much more smoothly and quietly.
DocAitch

DocAitch · Oct 5, 2015

ironpony said:
My latest thoughts were either two tumblers or a 5 gallon cement mixer "dry". Has anyone seen a small cement mixer used for cleaning? Guys with range brass contracts swear by them.

I believe that I saw an article on line in which Jerry Miculek uses a cement mixer.
DocAitch

BigDaddy · Oct 5, 2015

DocAitch said:
I believe that I saw an article on line in which Jerry Miculek uses a cement mixer.
DocAitch

I thought it was going to be a joke

DocAitch · Oct 5, 2015

Another use for rotary tumbler

I am also a pipe smoker and had a pile of nasty used pipe cleaners lying around.
I hate to simply discard them even if they are cheap.
For S&Gs, I washed a bunch in the rotary tumbler using dishwasher detergent and dried them in the brass dryer. They were clean and still stained but totally usable.
Probable waste of time, but I AM retired

.
DocAitch

Traveler · Oct 5, 2015

I just tumble with Dawn dish washing liquid, and a bit of Lemishine. I use a Dillon media separator to get most of the pins out. Then it is off to a towel, I dump the brass on it, give it a quick roll on the towel. The next day I tip the rifle brass up and tap it, but I rarely have pins stuck in there.

Easy peasy.

Melnic · Oct 5, 2015

DocAitch said:
I just finished my first experience with the SS pins.
The pin system does clean very stained and discolored brass but the procedure is labor intensive. The primer pockets are clean(er), as is the interior of the case, but I suspect that you could simply clean the pockets with one of the wire brush tools in less over-all time.
It requires a source of running water, a place to dump the dirty/toxic water, and will require about 3 times(at least) as much time as dealing with dry media.
Must haves for me were magnets (2). I also found that a new sifter(the FA sifter with side shields) and a brass dryer were helpful but not necessary.
You will need a couple of magnets to deal with these pins which are of a magnetic alloy. Frankfort Arsenal sells a good magnet but I also found that one for picking stuff up off the floor from Harbor Freight is a good second magnet, it actually fits inside the barrel to pick off the wet sticky pins, and helps to police up the ones that invariably become scattered during rinsing and sifting .
You will also have to inspect each piece of brass to make sure that you don't leave any pins inside.
I much prefer to use dry media and a case vibrator to do large amounts of brass (I shoot mainly pistol), and I will save this set up for extremely stained brass which I will sort and save until I have enough to worry about.
I would rate the SS pin set up as an expensive, rarely used luxury for most shooters.
DocAitch

+1
I started with wet tumbling. Then added steel pins cleaning after de priming.
I now just tumble in the pet store stuff and then de prime after.

EVERY once and a while, if I find enough 30-06 at the range, I'll we tumble with steel pins to clean it up the first time.

byf43 · Oct 5, 2015

ironpony said:
My latest thoughts were either two tumblers or a 5 gallon cement mixer "dry". Has anyone seen a small cement mixer used for cleaning? Guys with range brass contracts swear by them.

I used to have a "quckcrete" 5 gallon mixer with a lid that seals.

Like an IDIOT, I cut the fins out of the thinig, so that I could use it for cleaning the hot tub filters.

The darned thing is no longer produced.

Now, there's a molded concrete mixer that MAY work. Haven't seen one first-hand, though.

10xclean · Oct 7, 2015

if you are going stainless media route, do not spend $ on anything other than this....

Buy it right the first time. This will do 750 .223 rounds easily and does a nice job.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Frankford...ls-Platinum-Series-Rotary-Tumbler-7L/35847728

DocAitch · Oct 9, 2015

That's the one I use, and the one that I described the steps with.
DocAitch

outrider58 · Oct 10, 2015

My mom uses stainless steel media in her vibe/tumblers on jewelry. She's a goldsmith. I'll ask her about it...

tumbling media question

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