Thumler,s tumbler question

[F. Guffey]

I use corn media and nothing.

http://www.brownells.com/reloading/.../ultra-vibe-45-sku100010868-54712-111121.aspx

I have the 45 model, it holds 1,000 30/06 cases, and it is not recommended using more than 45 pounds of media and cases. If I added something to the media I would have to cut back on the cases or media. I also have the #10 for less serious work. And then when I feel the need for bling I make case spinners. The only time I need bling is at the range. I have no problem with being out dun but I always have a box of ammo that has that bling JIC.

F. Guffey

 

[mikld]

Here we go again! "My brass is shinier than yours, nah, nah ,nah". This subject is the most talked about but least important part of reloading and I believe it's 99% personal choice.

I reloaded, quite successfully for 12 years before I got a tumbler and I had no scratched dies, and I could spot any defects in the cases. Also I wasn't embarrassed by my reloads at the range (it's my ammo, my guns, and I have no need to impress anyone). I just wiped each case with a solvent dampened rag when I inspected it prior to any processing. But that was pre-web and before shiny brass became a necessity.

If Nu-finish degrades the rubber liner, don't use it! There are tons of "special hints/recipes" for media out there and you'd see most here. I began using nuttin' but plain old coarse walnut lizard litter (worked well) and soon graduated to corn cob blast media. I tried/experimented with a bunch of things for media from beach sand to wood chips, glass bead blasting media, commercial hard plastic and ceramic media, rice, dried beans/peas, cat litter (not diotomacious earth), charcoal, BBs, and prolly a half dozen more that I can't remember. Most worked to some extent, but I settled on ground corn cob blast media, 14-20 grit. A dollop of auto wax (not cleaner) on occasion to prevent tarnish if I want to store my brass for a while, but believe it or not, plain old cob media (or even zilla) will get your brass clean and shiny, all by itself...

 

[cw308]

I dried tumbled for 25+ years, with both corn cob & walnut media, this past year switched to wet tumbling with stainless steel pins. Cleans the cases inside and out also primer pockets. I liked getting the inside of the case clean with on buildup. In some cases using the dry media, some media will stick to the inside of the case. Shooting 308 benchrest only, weigh every case, bullet & charge. Didn't want 41.5 grains of IMR4064 & in some cases .2 media Using dry media on rifle cases, use a Q-tip inside the case & see how much media sticks to the inside before you load, Wet tumbling is my new way of preping my brass, and it comes out looking like new. Dies and press are cleaner, if you haven't tried it,check out some of the vedio on line, that's how I got hooked.

 

[mehavey]

This:http://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-...RED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED-=cleanbrass
(For the man who has everything)

 

[schmellba99]

Bayou
Wet Tumbling ? Using Walnut I open the Tumbler dump in the brass place the lid on and plug in . Next morning Dump the brass out and load it .

Total time spent Maybe 5/6 Minutes . For that time I get very clean brass .
No pins no water no soap no Mess ? And the big thing NO WET BRASS

But apparently a damaged liner that needs to be replaced.

I fought against SSTL tumbling for a long time, but finally gave in because of a thread and an experiment here. I will never go back to dry media tumbling outside of using it to knock of any residual case lube on rifle rounds.

It's really no more of a PITA than using dry media ever was, produces a better quality product IMO (clean and shiny - and will clean and polish brass that no amount of vibratory tumbling could ever turn into good brass again) and I don't have dust all over the place like I always had with my vibratory tumblers. I live on the gulf coast in Texas, so wet brass is dry in probably a half hour when I put a fan on it out in the garage. I've never personally found myself in a position where I needed to load rounds in such a hurry that drying out brass was a life and death struggle.

As far as what Unclenick said about SSTL getting brass 'too' clean (it can), don't use dish soap - use Wash-N-Wax. Cleans just as well as dish soap does, but leaves a wax film on the brass that keeps it nice and slippery like NuFinish does with dry media. Plus it also protects the brass from oxygen and surface corrosion while it is in storage.

 

[Unclenick]

Now that's an idea that had not occurred to me. I normally hate the combo car wash and wax solutiong because of the windshield wipers streak it and make the glass harder to see through. As a result, though, I have a twenty-somethng-year-old bottle of the stuff to try the experiment with.

 

[Bayou]

Hi, Guys -

This is a very informative thread on wet tumbling that I find interesting and helpful.

A couple of observations/comments, stemming from my experience, to add to the wet tumbling/auto wash and wax discussion:

Yes, I concur that using the auto wash and wax impedes the return of tarnish to the brass. I've been wet tumbling this way for nearly 4 years with stellar results. So, this has been a result in my wet tumbling experience at least.

But, reading all of the various responses by folks when the auto wash and wax issue is discussed, I somehow get the impression, either rightly or wrongly, that some (certainly not all) may think that using auto wash and wax for wet tumbling leaves a discernable wax coating on the brass that can be felt or perhaps even scraped off. Not at all being critical in any way, as this is just an impression I get from reading various and sundry comments from some others.

However, in my experience in using auto wash and wax for wet tumbling brass, there really is no discernable wax that can be felt or even seen on the surface of the brass. In fact, right after tumbling and being taken out of the tumbler and rinsed, brass tumbled in wash and wax looks and feels exactly like brass wet tumbled in dishwashing liquid - at least mine does. The difference is the time and tarnish factor - the wash and wax impedes the return of tarnish whereas tarnish returns much quicker after tumbling in dishwashing liquid. Both clean the brass superbly and impeccably, however. I'm lead to think, not being a chemist so I don't know scientifically, and don't pretend to know, that the residual wax left on the brass from wet tumbling with auto wash and wax, is perhaps on an extremely thin coating scale (molecular or microscopic perhaps?).

In fact, the very slight residual case lube/sizing wax that may be left on a casing after sizing, even after being wiped with a rag, is more discernable than brass having been wet tumbled in auto wash and wax. Certainly to me, at least. And, in my experience as well, if a case is sized using case lube/sizing wax, and the case wiped with a rag, there's an ever so slight residual case lube film remaining on the surface that will likewise impede the return of tarnish at least as good as the auto wash and wax, if not moreso. (I don't tumble cases just to remove case lube, as I know many reloaders choose to do).

So, these are a few of my observations and experiences in using auto wash and wax for wet tumbling cases.........All in all, I've gotten very good results.

Thanks, Guys, and Happy Tumbling -

Bayou