Brass Case Cleaner

C

campingnights

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Started processing my 38 brass with the Lee Challenger press I just set up. Love it! The brass is dirtier than I like it though, so I am thinkingof a case cleaner. I don't want to spend more than $60 or so. Usage is smalllots, 100 cases or so at a time, and Lyman, Frankfort Arsonal, and the Chinese company that I can't recall at the moment. If anyone has had personal experience with one of these, I'd like to know your opinion of it. Don't know if thishas beencovered before, but my Nook won't let me use the sesrch function. Thanks
 
I have been using a frankford arsenal one for a little over a year now. It works like it is supposed to. I clean in walnut shell, and still have about half the box of lyman media left that I got with the tumbler. Occasionally the center threaded rod works loose a little, but a quick turn with a wrench snugs it back up.

So far it is one of the few things I haven't seen a need to upgrade.
This is the one.
http://www.btibrands.com/product/quick-n-ez-case-tumbler/

After a year I did upgrade the media sifting pan I was using to a rotary media sifter, and it was one of those things I wished I had done when I started tumbling brass.
I ended up with a dillon cm-500 for that task, and am extremely pleased with it for my needs/uses.


The tumbler has seen many full loads, of pistol and rifle cases, and still works fine.
If it quit I would replace it with another probabally of the same brand/size.
 
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from surveyor: I have been using a frankford arsenal one for a little over a year now. It works like it is supposed to. I clean in walnut shell
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I have the same setup & I like it.
If you plan to use walnut, buy a bag from your local pet store. It's the same product sold by Lyman but quite a bit cheaper.
 
Thanks Jrobin & Surveyor,
I appreciate your response. I seriously considered a Frankfort Arsenal but reviews had a significant number of single star ratings. Appeared it was hit or miss on whether you could get a good one or not, obviously you guys got good ones. Once I rejected the Chinese imports Cabelas Berry Bullet units and Lyman were in my price range. Since I'll only do 50-100 38s at a time, the Lyman seemed the best choice for me. The Lyman comes with corncob media, but when I need more I'll probably get the walnut. It always worked well in a shaker I had a couple of decades ago. Say, are you guys adding anything to the media, or using it straight?

Thanks
 
I've had a Lyman 600 for over 20 years, sometimes it runs continuously for days, still going strong, never any problems. (now it will blow up tomorrow). The dryer sheets are great, although I don't use them for dust control, they do absorb a lot of dirt/grease etc. and keep the media cleaner longer.
 
Wires in the Frankfort Arsenal clearner sometimes break at the terminal. If yours suddenly stops, check there first. It is an easy fix. Just install a new terminal available at the auto parts store.
 
I have a Cabela's vibratory cleaner and I use crushed english walnut shells along with a dryer sheet and some nu finish auto polish. My cases come out like brand new.
 
Don't know if you are in a large or small city but if you have a Harbor Freight their unit works fine and is generally cheaper than others. If you have a Graingers you can buy corn cob in a 40 pound bag for around $30. Should be a lifetime supply for you. And yes, used dryer sheets (get them free from your wife) and Nu Finish are popular additives.
 
Panfisher, your post struck home. On another thread on case cleaners some were talking about their units going dead after 2 years, etc. and I reflected how my Lyman 1200 was still good after 19 years of use and I load 17 calibers. TWO days later all I heard was a hum. Motor died. I replaced it with a Cabelas' unit made by Berry Mfg. Has an in-line switch and is much more quiet than the Lyman.
 
Yep, when the included corn cob media wears out (or if I don't like the results) I do plan on lizard bedding. I had good luck previously with walnut shells. I never tried corncob before, so we will see. :)
 
I still have con ob media left because I bought a bucket of it a few years ago. plugged the Lyman 600 in tonight and it started again, need it to make it through a few more hundred cases at least. Hopefully several thousand more.
 
I've read, and experienced, walnut cleans but doesn't shine. Corn cob shines. Even if I add case cleaner and Nu-Finsh. So I got the best of both worlds by using one 1-lb coffee can full of crushed walnut, 2 cans of corn cob, case cleaner when it gets dirty and Nu-finish.
 
I've been using the Frankfurt arsenal for years. I use the corn cob media with a few gluggs of mineral spirits. I was never very impressed with just the corn cob but adding the mineral sprirts really makes em shine.
 
Case Cleaning

Of all the different brands of vibratory brass cleaner machines, I am only aware of one that will give a warranty on the motor more than one year. Even Dillon with their great "No-B.S.-Warranty" will not guarantee the motor longer than a year. If you don't care what color yours has to be, take a look at Mid-South-Shooters, I haven't bought one for a while, but they used to warrant the motor for 3 years.
My method is to put a couple of capfuls of mineral spirits in the ground up walnut, let it mix 5 minutes or so then throw in the brass. That usually cleans the brass nicely in a couple hours. If I need a really bright shine, I run them a second time in corn media. I tried mixing corn and walnut media a long time ago, I thought it was a waste of time. Walnut cleans, and corn shines they do not a good job of either when mixed.
 
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