Pins getting stuck during tumbling solutions

T

TruthTellers

New member
Currently I'm only having this problem when tumbling .32 revolver brass. I have two different lengths of pins, one is .355" in length and the other is the standard .25" length.

I have run the .355" in the .32's before and didn't have too many with stuck pins, but the last time I did .32 tumbling I used the .25" and near every one got stuck. Thankfully I decap before tumbling, so I can push the pins out with a rod thru the flash hole, but I'm getting tired of the stuck pins

So, I'm wondering if anyone here has ever used ball bearings or very small steel shot for tumbling? This is the only solution I can think of to completely eliminate the issues of stuck pins for the smaller calibers.
 
pretty sure you are saying they are hanging up in the primer cavity and not the flash hole. I gotta say, I do not recall ever having pins hang up in the cavity in 10 years. I have rarely had three pins wedge themselves in the flash hole together though.

have you had these .25" pins long and have you actually measured them because that's an odd size. the standard length is .255" and probably that length to specifically avoid the problem you are having. I can understand the rare and occasional short pin getting through the manufacturing process though.

as to your question about other media, a while back I recall someone selling little diamond/triangle shaped media but can't find them right know.

edit: I found these but have no experience with any of these. I'd measure my flash holes and cavities large and small then select the size you hope will work. Sorry I am unable to provide any real help.

https://www.kramerindustriesonline.com/product/stainless-steel-tumbling-media/
 
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You are saying the collect as a sort of block in the case mouths? That's a new one on me. It sounds like the case diameter is just the wrong size for the pin diameters. Are the 0.25's a different diameter than the .355's?
 
The .25" and .355" figures are the lengths of the pins. The diameters are a bit different, but they have no effect on them getting stuck.

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In my quest for the perfect tumbling media, one of my less disastrous departures from SS media were small porcelain polishing beads which come in every size and shape you can imagine. Spring manufacturers use them. I came across them as a few would come in bulk deliveries of stain less steel rings I use to make chainmail armor. -

Here's a link / example - https://cmtopline.com/products/angle-cut-cylinder-3-16-x-3-8-porcelain-ceramic-polishing?variant=56606724491&matchtype=&network=g&device=c&keyword=&campaign=1595725157&adgroup=pla-542341867671&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3vnq7ci_6AIVUdyGCh0M7wJOEAQYAiABEgJio_D_BwE

Find a size too large to get stuck in a flash hole for your brass.
 
Yep...this sure looks familiar. I just wet tumbled about 500 .300 AAC Blackout cases with SS pins. More than half were just cut down from .223 Rem, so I was tumbling to remove the burrs prior to resizing/forming, and the rest were once fired that required cleaning.
Anyway, I had 4 or 5 pins get stuck just like that across the flash hole. It was pretty easy to dislodge them with a push pin through the primer cup. Given that it was less than a handful out of a large quantity of cases, I wouldn’t bother changing anything.

Anyway, if you were looking for a different SS media, check this out:

https://www.ammobrass.com/product-page/stainless-steel-cleaning-media-chips-for-wet-tumblers
 
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OK. They are stuck diametrically down where the brass thickens near the head. Yes, you just need some too long or too short to do that. I would guess any pin long enough so it tilts at least 30° crossing from one side of the case to the other would avoid that. So, anything over 0.357". I think you proved that to yourself with your 0.355's, which were right on the edge of that number. If you can find some that are 3/16" (0.1875") it doesn't look like they will get stuck, either.

I did a search on stainless media, and the 6mm×1mm (0.24"×0.039") and 6.5mm×1.2mm (0.256"×0.047") seem to be most common. They are just too short.

I would call STM and ask what size theirs is. It's $40, but you get 5 lb. If it is the same stuff, obviously, don't bother.

This stainless pin process was actually invented by board member Hummer70 about 30 years ago and shared among some top competitors. He got his pins from this company, which is a manufacturer. He found a diameter of 0.041" works best, which is closer to 1 mm, rather than the 1.2 mm 0.047" pins commonly sold. The pin maker will cut them any length your request, but the catch is you have to order 50 lbs minimum to order direct, so you would want to line up a number of friends to share the cost with.

One other thing that might make a difference is using more soap. Hummer70 says he likes Ivory dishwashing detergent best with Dawn second. He uses a full ounce in a Thumbler B. That much detergent will provide more slipperiness than the usual teaspoon, and that may help with preventing things from getting stuck. Liquid soap (dissolved soap flakes) might be even better.

I forgot to ask: Did you tumble the pins by themselves for a time before first use to dull the wire's cut edges? That, too, should make them less prone to sticking.
 
Unclenick said:
OK. They are stuck diametrically down where the brass thickens near the head. Yes, you just need some too long or too short to do that. I would guess any pin long enough so it tilts at least 30° crossing from one side of the case to the other would avoid that. So, anything over 0.357". I think you proved that to yourself with your 0.355's, which were right on the edge of that number. If you can find some that are 3/16" (0.1875") it doesn't look like they will get stuck, either.

I did a search on stainless media, and the 6mm×1mm (0.24"×0.039") and 6.5mm×1.2mm (0.256"×0.047") seem to be most common. They are just too short.

I would call STM and ask what size theirs is. It's $40, but you get 5 lb. If it is the same stuff, obviously, don't bother.

This stainless pin process was actually invented by board member Hummer70 about 30 years ago and shared among some top competitors. He got his pins from this company, which is a manufacturer. He found a diameter of 0.041" works best, which is closer to 1 mm, rather than the 1.2 mm 0.047" pins commonly sold. The pin maker will cut them any length your request, but the catch is you have to order 50 lbs minimum to order direct, so you would want to line up a number of friends to share the cost with.

One other thing that might make a difference is using more soap. Hummer70 says he likes Ivory dishwashing detergent best with Dawn second. He uses a full ounce in a Thumbler B. That much detergent will provide more slipperiness than the usual teaspoon, and that may help with preventing things from getting stuck. Liquid soap (dissolved soap flakes) might be even better.

I forgot to ask: Did you tumble the pins by themselves for a time before first use to dull the wire's cut edges? That, too, should make them less prone to sticking.
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No, I've never done that, but since I got a lot less pins stuck in the .32 when using the longer pins, I figure I'll just stick with those and deal with the handful that get stuck.

The shorter pins I'll use with .38 and larger.
 
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