Stainless still pins and . . . no water?

[hdwhit]

Prof Young wrote:
So, what happens when you tumble with SS pins but don't use the water and soap? I'm guessing it's not a good idea but thought I'd see if anyone has experience.

As others have already noted, the water provides the "sink" into which the detritus removed from the case can be held pending the end of the tumbling and final rinse.

Also not mentioned in the previous posts is the fact that water provides both a cushioning effect as the cases strike one another and the pins strike the cases as well as a lubricating/buoyancy action to allow the cases and pins to more readily move around with respect to one another.

Yes, you can tumble without water, but your results will be less than satisfactory.

 

[dahermit]

Cut down on the dry time? 30 minutes in the oven and they are dry. What the heck is 30 minutes?

Depending upon the heat in the oven it can make a difference between nice dry cases and bombs waiting to rupture when fired.

 

[USSR]

Quote:
Cut down on the dry time? 30 minutes in the oven and they are dry. What the heck is 30 minutes?

Depending upon the heat in the oven it can make a difference between nice dry cases and bombs waiting to rupture when fired.

Uh, considering we are talking about guys using primers and gunpowder to load cartridges that are set off just inches from their face, I am assuming you guys have a modicum of intelligence and don't run the oven at such a high temperature that you anneal the brass.

Don

 

[F. Guffey]

Depending upon the heat in the oven it can make a difference between nice dry cases and bombs waiting to rupture when fired.

As we all know water boils at 212 degree and then there is that thing with a decrease of 3 degree with ever 1 pound of reductions in pressure; so, 212 degree is the limiter when it comes to temperature when boiling water.

And then there is the vacuum.

F. Guffey

 

[Prof Young]

FrankenMauser has the info . . .

FrankenMauser - Thanks for telling your father's tale. I suspected that might be the case, but wasn't sure.

Yeah, you gotta have the water and soap etc to carry away the dirt. I like wet tumbling but only do it when I have a thousand or so 9mm cases. I have a table I can spread out on so the drying it no big deal. Hardest part is separating the pins from everything else. I didn't buy one of the suggested magnet pick ups as I don't use the pins all that often. Most of my tumbling is smaller loads with walnut media.

Life is good.
Prof Young

 

[LBussy]

Hardest part is separating the pins from everything else. I didn't buy one of the suggested magnet pick ups as I don't use the pins all that often. Most of my tumbling is smaller loads with walnut media.

I have one of the tumbling separators and I can't imagine using the pins without it. Not only is it extremely effective at separation (even works well with .223 cases) it helps when doing final rinsing of the cases in cold water. I'd assume it would be as effective separating dry media.

My process is to first use hot water a few times to rinse out the tumbler/cases, trying not to dump the pins of course. I keep a magnet next to the drain to catch any that slip away. Then I go into the tumbler with as little water as possible. I fill the tumbler up with cold water and give a slow spin/tumble for 2 minutes. This gets 99.99% of the pins out. I do this one more time just as a belt and suspenders thing but I rarely get any more pins out after that.

For whatever reason, using a final cold water rinse seems to be a key part of making sure the cases don't get spotty afterwards.

 

[hounddawg]

I made a case dryer from some plywood, a light bulb, a clothes dryer thermostat, a plastic fluorescent light grid and a bathroom fan. All bought at a big box hardware store for less than 40 dollars. I drain my cases using a plastic food colander sitting on top of a 5 gallon bucket then use the Franklin Arsenal magnet to transfer the pins to the case dryer with the cases and fall to the bottom. They get dried off and I just leave them there till the next batch of cases. It is the easiest way I have found

https://imgur.com/a/1md1X

the colander/bucket also works well for dry media separation and storage also