Reloading for the condo dweller on a budget.

E

EddieBangBang

Inactive
I shot a lot when I was younger as a teen and with the military and even did some competition shooting with Army. I lacked the funds to continue shooting regularly while supporting a new family and I am just getting back into it with what I consider to be frequently. I shoot a couple of times per month averaging 200-400 rounds per month. I've been collecting my brass and am currently sitting on a few thousand empty cases of once fired brass in .223/5.56x45, .308/7.62x51 and 9mm Luger/9x19/Nato.

I'd like to start reloading this year not just to offset some of the cost of ammo since these rounds are easy enough to find in bulk at decent prices but mainly because it seems like a waste to not try and reuse what I can and to play around with some custom loads and subsonic for the 9mm. I expect maybe 200 reloads per month. I'm still on a budget and I'm not ready to go full tilt yet but sitting on dirty brass is irking my OCD something fierce.

I live in a condo with limited space and plan to do my reloading in a small shed in a private patio. Id like to get this brass clean and dry as I collect it until I'm finally ready to start loading and I have a few questions.

1) What method of cleaning this brass would be most advantageous to the K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid) method ultrasonic, wet tumbling or dry. Shiny brass is not my goal but very clean and useable brass is.
2) Does over tumbling shorten the useable life of the brass.
3) Can I get away with using only an ultrasonic cleaner or is it recommended to tumble as well.
4) I've never used tumblers before, what kind of noise do these things make if I were to leave them running overnight?
5) Does it make sense to purchase a hand de-priming tool now to get this stuff cleaned and stored or does it not matter just wait for the press?
6) Can the ultrasonic solution be filtered and reused a few times or does it just stop working after its dirty?

I appreciate your thoughts and advice.
-Ed
 
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I use two vibratory tumblers, one with walnut and one with corn cob. I have never used a wet rotary tumbler or ultrasonic. Both obviously require drying of the brass afterward which has always put me off these methods, but I have been tempted. Rotary tumbler with SS pins is going to give you the absolute cleanest shiniest brass possible. But, you say that is not your main goal. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. The quietest method is going to be ultrasonic, but the machines are expensive and the amount of brass you can clean at one time is limiting from what I have seen. Vibratory tumblers do make noise. I have mine in the basement so it is not a problem. If it is quiet and I am in the room upstairs directly above them, I can hear them running. Not any way annoying, but I can hear them. Kind of a low humming noise. Here is a good read on ultrasonic, however I think it is a little biased toward getting you to buy one but some good info.: https://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=12779/GunTechdetail/Ultrasonic_Case_Cleaning

Hope this helps
 
All that has ever been necessary for me is dry tumbling even when I want shiny brass for my M1, nearly 20 years of tumbling/cleaning brass (I reloaded 12 years before I got a vibrating cleaner and just wiped each case with a solvent dampened rag as I inspected it before reloading). Lizard Litter and or commercial corn cob blast media works quite well alone, but many add auto polish for more shine. I bought a 40 lb. bag of corn cob blast media (14/20?) two years ago and have prolly 20 lbs. left, so it does last a long time. Would the vibrating (wobbler) tumbler bother the neighbors?

This will work OK; http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11678-G...&qid=1433267402&sr=8-2&keywords=lizard+litter
 
When i use my vibe tumbler, i turn it on in another room and close the door behind it. The noise doesnt bother anyone
 
I'm not sure if the noise would bother anyone or not, currently both units on either side of me are empty but that won't last forever and Id rather not have to explain to the neighbor if it did bother them that I'm just making bullets back here don't mind the noise.

That brownells article sure got deep! but sounds like the ultrasonic may be a good bet, I have read in a few places people only use to preclean, then trim, resize etc and then tumble but it seems like the ultrasonic if given enough time will get them perfectly clean just not shiny and I'm good with that. As far as having to let them dry, I plan on cleaning long before maybe even months before reloading so this shouldn't be a problem.

So hand de-primer and ultrasonic coming up.

Thanks
 
"...if the noise would bother anyone or not..." Cardboard box over the tumbler fixes that. Cereal box.
"...plan to do my reloading in a small shed..." Re-think that. Depending on where you are. Humidity is bad for all things involved in reloading.
2) No.
3) You only need one or the other. Dry tumbling is less work, but can get dusty. Drying of the brass afterward is done on a cookie sheet in your oven set on warm. 15 minutes is enough. Giant pain in the buttocks though. Dry tumbler you just dump out into a plastic colander with the bottom holes enlarged in a cardboard box.
4) See above, but over night isn't necessary for normal cleaning.
5) Decapping by hand will make you crazy. Isn't done unless you're using a Lee Classic anyway.
I'm in a one bed room apt. My bench lives in the dining room.
 
With your description... if it was me, I would do all of my brass tumbling in that little shed and I would do all of my handloading inside the condo. As a bench with the smallest footprint, you could use some manner of a small rolling desk/microwave cart, etc. As much as we enjoy a big mean bench, it isn't necessary for quality and enjoyable handloading.

I would not care to set up my workspace in any shed, climate and humidity control is important. Likewise, I would not ever do my handloading in a garage for the same reasons, although many do.
 
The equipment will not be permanently affixed within the shed, setup when in use and put away when not. It's also an attached shed heated and A/C more of an outside attached utility closet. Anything that is safe in the dining room is just as safe there except maybe for a few more bugs. Thanks for the advice, It seems to me, hanging a mesh bag full of wet brass next to the dryer in the laundry room or next to the furnace to dry for a few days is far less hassle than dry dusty media and having to sort/separate and pick the occasional corn cob or walnut shell out of a primer hole. If I had a larger area with which to do this My opinion may likely be different.
 
I can't speak for store bought/factory built wet tumblers, but my home built with 3/8" thick 8" PVC pipe is very noisy. a loud brass clanking against brass sound.

Fortunately my home built is built into a utility cart so I can roll it out into the driveway and close the door while it's running (clanking away).

Don't get me wrong, I really like the wet tumbling, but I doubt it will work for you in a condo environment.
 
No tumbler

I used a towel to clean grit off my brass for decades. Brass looked dingy, but shot just fine.

I have a tumbler now. My brass looks GREAT. Doesn't shoot any better, but looks great.

I started loading with my press mounted on a 2x6 board about 30" long. I would wedge the board into the drawer of a nightstand. Powder and scale on another nightstand or the coffee table. When done loading, everything would go into storage boxes.

Even now, I use the same 2x6 (shorter now) and I mount in in a folding workbench. All my dies, scales, measures and press fit in three medium toolboxes.

Lost Sheep
 
If you don't need shiny brass, why go to all the complication and noise of using a tumbler?
A good wash works just fine, a lemon based soap and some stirring and shaking gets brass quite clean, with minimum fuss and bother.
 
"...if the noise would bother anyone or not..." Cardboard box over the tumbler fixes that. Cereal box.


You'll burn up the motor or start a fire.
 
I have never used a vibratory tumbler that made the noise you men described. It is all I have used too. A corn cob loaded vibrating tumbler isn't noisy. Screw the nut on tight and it is not loud. Put it in a room away from everyone, close the door and once it has run for a few minutes, you'll not even notice it. I sleep with mine on when I have a large amount in the tumbler and intend to do it over night.

Dust? I have never experienced this phenomenon. I reckon it is the media or the fact I put a drop of Hoppe's in the tumbler every batch.

To the op, if i were you and just wanted clean brass, simple soap, water, and a sink will do fine. However, I like clean brass, so I'd buy a Frankford Arsenal tumbler kit, a bag of corn cob media, and do it that way. God Bless
 
I will point out something about vibratory cleaners.

I use a Harbor Freight tumbler with their 25# bag of walnut media. The dust produced from sifting cases from the media is substantial and it's enough that I have to wear a dust mask. The dust gets everywhere. Plus the thing is fairly loud.

In your case I would get an ultrasonic or just wile them by hand.

On a side note, the Lee Hand Press Kit is a very competent piece of hardware. I've reloaded tens of thousands of ammo with mine, up to 30-06.
 
If you really don't want to, you don't even have to tumble the brass. Let it sit in some soapy water or put it in a large plastic jug with some detergent (some folks will swear by a couple drops of lemon juice or acetic acid) and shake it... Or just let it sit a few hours. Then dump it into a colander, then onto a rag or towel. You can easily hand wipe the outside of the cases.

But since you have a shed, you could try the tumbler inside, then move it outside of need be. I do think they're noisy, but less than a vacuum cleaner with agitator on. Maybe about as loud as a hair dryer but lower pitched with a rattling quality. I doubt the sound would penetrate to the neighbors if you set it on top of something so the floor doesn't vibrate however opening it up and straining the media from the cases (I use a kitty litter scoop and another colander) creates a lot of dust that I do not want to inhale or contaminate the house with lead. Maybe do that part on a porch/patio/outside or in shed.

If money is not an issue, wet tumble or sonic would be the ultimate in quietness. Ultrasonic could do double-duty to clean jewelry or firearms parts, wet tumbler for hobbies involving coin and rock collecting/polishing.
 
To the op, if i were you and just wanted clean brass, simple soap, water, and a sink will do fine. However, I like clean brass, so I'd buy a Frankford Arsenal tumbler kit, a bag of corn cob media, and do it that way. God Bless
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Works just fine for me too. It makes a noise, but more of a "hummmm" than anything else. I just put it in a closet and close the door.

Oh, I live in an apartment.

On a side note, the Lee Hand Press Kit is a very competent piece of hardware. I've reloaded tens of thousands of ammo with mine, up to 30-06.
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Same thing for me. I used to have a Lee Turret press years ago when my ex and I had a house, but I don't think it was any better than the hand press. I suppose if you need to load big lots it would be a bit slow, but it's plenty fast enough for my casual couple of hundred rounds of 38/9mm/41 mag, a week.
 
Couple of thoughts; the "noise" from a vibrator cleaned isn't so much from the actual noise the unit makes but from the vibrating/resonating through the bench/walls/floors...

If you sonic clean, the cases are cleaned down to the bare metal and brass will tarnish/discolor fairly quickly. No big deal, just mentioning "potential" drawback. Stored brass may appear tarnished after a short time...
 
I'm on my second vibratory tumbler. The first was unbearably noisy ... so much so that I stopped using after the first month and sold it for half what I paid for it, with a full disclosure of why I was selling it. The one I use now is a Hornady. It's also loud, but not AS loud. When I had it in the basement it was audible throughout the entire first floor of the house. I moved it to the garage and now it's mostly audible only in the kitchen

I use corn cob media with purpose-made brass polish. One hour of tumbling got my brass (.45 ACP mostly) clean. Two hours makes it almost like factory new. Overnight should definitely not be necessary.
 
If you sonic clean, the cases are cleaned down to the bare metal and brass will tarnish/discolor fairly quickly. No big deal, just mentioning "potential" drawback. Stored brass may appear tarnished after a short time...
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Have you tried "lemi-shine" in your solution? I use it in my pin tumbler, with a couple drops of dawn. Brass won't tarnish as long as I don't rinse with water.
 
All I've ever used is a Frankford Arsenal dry tumbler with corncob. It's easy, inexpensive and very effective. I put a used dryer sheet cut into quarters in with every load of brass and have never ever had a problem with dust. The dryer sheets absorb most of it, evidenced by their dark gray color when you remove them.
 
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