I have read that Dawn and Lemi Shine work well. mtmuley
Stainless steel tumbler?
- Thread starter mtmuley
- Start date
Neither of those should cause a problem. I've probably tumbled nearly 15,000 pieces of brass using either Dawn or Lemi Shine in my tumbler without any hiccups.
Dan O
Well-known member
I use them both at the same time with ceramic media. It cleans up my cases after shooting black powder silhouette match's. Quite a few of the guys use SS pins. Some experience some peening of the case mouth. Fill the tub so it just covers the media and cases according to some and that helps the peening issue.
Dan
PaulRevere
Well-known member
Thanks mtmuley, I need all the help I can get Merry Christmas. By the way, the Stanley tumblers are the best. ❄
huronmtns
Well-known member
Wipe dust or dirt off, Inspect, Size, Trim, Tumble, Dry, Load, is my order.
Have you noticed any "peaning" on the case mouth after trimming and then tumbling to be an issue?
I first deprime the brass with a universal depriming die. Then tumble, dry, inspect, size, trim.
I want my brass clean before I run through my dies.
MJE2083
Well-known member
Same here
huronmtns
Well-known member
I have not. The diameter of tumbler I use and the amount of water in it when it is running prevents any gravitational impacts to the brass. The water as a fluid also slows tumbling movement to prevent fast impact as it tumbles. The pins are just tough objects that rub the surfaces inside and out and their weight is heavier and tuffer than the material that you are trying to remove. The water and soap really flows and suspends the dirt matter away from the brass.
OleRedbeard
Well-known member
I really like mine. It is a PITA to use sometimes if I am doing small batches. However I get much cleaner brass and the majority of my primer pockets are good to go. The hardest part about it is probably waiting on the brass to dry out. I have the Frankfort Arsenal tumbler and it came with the bingo machine mesh tumbler to get the pins and water out for the most part. You do however have to rinse the brass pretty good after you do it so you get all the dawn and lemon shine off of everything.
all in all its got its place. Especially for big batches or mixed batches. I made a drying screen out of some rat wire and just sit it in front of a box fan in my reloading room overnight to dry it out.
You will get much cleaner brass than you ever thought possible with it. Especially if you change out your water a couple of times on the dirtier stuff.
all in all its got its place. Especially for big batches or mixed batches. I made a drying screen out of some rat wire and just sit it in front of a box fan in my reloading room overnight to dry it out.
You will get much cleaner brass than you ever thought possible with it. Especially if you change out your water a couple of times on the dirtier stuff.
buffybr
Well-known member
I still use both. The ss pins do a better job on tarnished brass and inside the cases.
I deprime all bottleneck cases first.
With the ss pins I also use a few drops of Dawn and a tablespoon of Lemon Shine.
I tumble for 3 hours then dry in the sun.
Small caliber cases (.223) will often pack the pins inside and are a PITA to shake out.
Occasionally pins will stick in primer pockets (with or without primers) and if not noticed will bend or break de-prime pins.
I deprime all bottleneck cases first.
With the ss pins I also use a few drops of Dawn and a tablespoon of Lemon Shine.
I tumble for 3 hours then dry in the sun.
Small caliber cases (.223) will often pack the pins inside and are a PITA to shake out.
Occasionally pins will stick in primer pockets (with or without primers) and if not noticed will bend or break de-prime pins.
morley.tyler
Well-known member
I understand, perhaps you’d prefer Crown Royal or a little Jameson.
To each his or her own.
Happy New Year
Chippewa
Member
- Joined
- May 5, 2019
- Messages
- 95
I to switched to ss wet tumble. Mainly because the wife hated to smell of the walnut/lead dust in our basement but just the efficiency of it. I also found Boretech cleaner is awesome. Dries with less spotting an conditions the brass. Lastly for accuracy finatical minded guys when cleaning this way you end up with necks that are squeeky clean an if loaded dry can in time supposedly start to cold weld to the bullet. This weld can change neck tension an maybe pressures. Seems like a minute error but I just lube base of bullets with Hornady Unique sizing lube. Ive read other top shooters use the dry graphite based stuff with much success. I am tought at work to not use graphite lube due to is corrosive issues. Who knows..
Fun stuff though. Nothing beats bright shiny reloads ready for the next adventure.
Fun stuff though. Nothing beats bright shiny reloads ready for the next adventure.
fishing4sanity
Well-known member
I love the stainless steel tumbling method, we use a Rebel 17 tumbler. De-prime the cases, run the tumbler with some Dawn dishwashing soap & Lemi-Shine, towel dry. When rubbing alcohol was around and cheap I used to do an alcohol bath and let them air-dry. This also worked well for cosmetic purposes. Who wants spots on their cases!? Anneal the brass, size, a quick run through a vibratory tumbler with cob media from Grainger's to get rid of the sizing lube. The media from Grainger's was cheap and doesn't stick in flash holes very often. Chamfer & de-burr and load, shoot, repeat ......
Not familiar with the pods. My tumbler arrived today. Waiting on the pins. mtmuley
