Wet tumbling(Not me)

[jcelect]

I was inspecting the 327 Fed Mag brass I had bought(reasonably) at a show and found the SS tumbling pins wedged in the bottom of about 40-50 brass. There was at least 2 pins in each of these brass and in one there was 5 pins stuck at the bottom! ALL were wedged in the center of the case and probably would have bent or broke the decapping pin on my depriming die!
I don't think I will be switching to wet tumbling. My corn cob w/Nu Shine car wax leaves the brass much shinier and very "slippery" which means they go thru the dies much easier! Now I need to go thru the rest of the 500+ 32 cal brass I bought for the same guy!
jcelect

[SMSgt]

I, too, will pass on the wet stuff. Ground walnut shells and tumbling does all I ask of it.

[CH4]

Yeah, corn cob and or walnut for me.

[gwpercle]

I've tried it both ways ... I prefer dry Treated Walnut shell media for polishing .
I Do Not like the water mess and the total drying that must be completely done before reloading those cases ... any moisture is a No-No .
Gary

[glenwolde]

That's probably because the seller wasn't willing to spend the time to be sure the pins were removed. I used dry tumblers for decades and regret not going to wet sooner.

I've not had the problem you encountered. I have found dry media stuck in cases.

[Nevada Ed]

Never did "Wet" but I did receive some wet "Used" cases that looked like brand new stuff, that was never fired.

Of course it might have been because I usually use cases that have been fired 4-10 times , that lost their new shine look, a long time ago.

[roundgun]

When I wet tumble I don’t add the pins unless the brass is super crispy. In that case I’ll decapp before running pins.


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[HorizontalMike]

I use both walnut and corn in my Vibrator, and I do get this media stuck in my brass occasionally.

THE FIX:
After extracting brass from media, pour media in separate bowl by itself and the separated brass goes back into the vibrator ALONE. And less than 60sec of vibrating brass without the media, removes any and all "stuck" media in the brass.

[GB]

I have done it both ways. Both have advantages. I finally settled on wet tumble, LESS THE PINS, as the way that works the best for me. Doesn't get the primer pockets polished bright but other than that, it does a fine job on the cases. Sold my pins and magnet several years ago and haven't missed them at all!

[mikld]

I can appreciate those that prefer pristine cases, with glossy shiny interiors and primer pockets, but I have no use for wet tumbling as my corn cob blast media gets my brass clean and shiny on the outside, with less mess. I did try wet tumbling a few times, but didn't care for it. The cases came out bare metal and tarnished quickly. Might have been able to add something to the solution, but I like K.I.S.S and don't need a "formula" for a cleaning solution. In all my reloading of 12 calibers over a few decades I have never had a misfire from a "dirty" primer pocket (they seem to be "self cleaning"). I have never seen a problem from "blackened" case interiors, and I try to shoot alone so I don't care if the guy in the lane next to me sees or thinks about my clean and somewhat shiny handloads. When I tried wet tumbling I had to lube my 44 Magnum and 45 ACP brass to resize (the 44 Magnum brass was so clean it chattered when resizing!).

But like 75% of reloading methods and techniques it's mainly personal choice. Wet tumbling is a good way to get factory new looking handloads, which is great. If one likes the looks of their handloads, they will shoot better!

As a matter of fact I reloaded for 12 years before I got a tumbler and two of the best marksmen I met used brown handloads...

[Roofuss]

Corn cob, and crushed walnut shells work best for me .

[tominboise]

Like others, I went to wet tumbling and wish I had done it sooner then I did. Cases come out like new, for sure.

One issue with dry tumbling, is build up on the interior of bottleneck cases, reducing the internal capacity and potentially raising pressures. The wet tumbling knocks any of the build up off. That being said, I typically only tumble my pistol cartridges and not my bottleneck cases unless they get really, really grungy.

[kbm6893]

I wet tumble. I’m debating now using pins due to the separation issue but it’s not that big of a deal. The cases come out super clean. I will dry tumble them for an hour after they’re dry because the cars are so squeaky clean they stick in the die.

What can I say? I like clean brass. Something very satisfying in looking at gleaming cases.

[VikingDude]

I only use wet tumbling and I have different sized pins according to what I am going to be cleaning. Smaller pins for 9mm and larger for .30 cal. I have so far never experienced a pin being stuck.

[mikerjf]

Are you guys that “dry tumble” using the same kind of rotating-drum setup as the wet tumbling?

I currently have nothing but would like a minimal setup for occasional cleaning. Dry sounds like less work.

[glenwolde]

Originally Posted by mikerjf

Are you guys that “dry tumble” using the same kind of rotating-drum setup as the wet tumbling?

I currently have nothing but would like a minimal setup for occasional cleaning. Dry sounds like less work.

I guess you could use a rotary drum but most dry tumblers are vibratory. I find them to be loud dust generators.

The wet is quieter and you need less run time but the seperation is a bit more clumsy and then there's the drying time.

For low volume the Harbor Freight tumbler is inexpensive.

[Ray1970]

I like the results I get from wet tumbling. The process is a pain but if you like squeaky clean brass then wet is the way to go. I’ve taken really old range pick ups that were pretty rough and corroded and when they’re done they look like new.

I dry tumbled for 25+ years without issue but I do prefer to wet tumble nowadays.

If I’m lazy or in a hurry I’ll skip the pins and the results are still very good compared to dry tumbling.

Usually dry my brass in the oven but have been thinking about purchasing a dehydrator specifically for drying.

[Airfouler]

I've been using a Harbor Freight rock tumbler for a few years to wet tumble...Decap, then into the rubber tumbler bins with a half cap full of auto wash and wax and a splash of simple green added to the water.

Tumble for a hour and brass and pockets are like new and stay that way...seems the wax helps in that regard.

Sift the pins out of the brass and wait for a day to reload...works for me.

[Racer X]

Originally Posted by jcelect

I was inspecting the 327 Fed Mag brass I had bought(reasonably) at a show and found the SS tumbling pins wedged in the bottom of about 40-50 brass. There was at least 2 pins in each of these brass and in one there was 5 pins stuck at the bottom! ALL were wedged in the center of the case and probably would have bent or broke the decapping pin on my depriming die!
I don't think I will be switching to wet tumbling. My corn cob w/Nu Shine car wax leaves the brass much shinier and very "slippery" which means they go thru the dies much easier! Now I need to go thru the rest of the 500+ 32 cal brass I bought for the same guy!
jcelect

The pins are too big. You can get small pins of just the right size that can't get stuck in primer pockets, or in a flash hole, and certainly can't jam sideways in any cartridge, except maybe a 25acp.

[Mike0251]

Wet tumbling (no pins) all the way here! 2 hours, rinse, put in the dehydrator at 115F set timer for 8 hours and forget. After, a light misting of Dillon lube or equivalent and process. Bottlenecks get more lube obviously then get rinsed in isopropyl to remove lube and dry.

[Huskerguy]

I have used dry vibratory for as long as I can remember. I keep it in the garage and no matter what I try - dryer sheets, polish, etc, there is a lot of dust and it just raises cane with my already sensitive lungs. I also didn't enjoy getting the pieces unstuck from 223 and primer pockets.

Last February I used my birthday bonus from Midway and picked up Franklin wet tumbler. I have not looked back. I have gone back and pretty much cleaned up all my brass except for a rather large batch of 9mm. The results are stunningly clean brass. I did a bunch of 45colt for a buddy through my wet system, about 700 rounds and it looked really good, not spectacular. I had some extra time so I ran it back through again just to see if I could get that new look and I was amazed at how much dirty water I ended up with from some brass that I thought was really clean. It would not have hurt a thing and it looked great before but now it is extra nice. I know it doesn't make a bit of difference in how it shoots and frankly, with my system now in place, it doesn't take any longer and I am not fighting the dust. I like the fact that my brass is clean inside and out, just a personal thing. The downside is the water but it is easy to work around. I just lay them out and keep rolling them by hand over a large towel. If I want to put them up right away, I just bake them dry but for the most part, I rotate my brass so I don't need to reload it right away, plenty of time to dry.

I did initially try it without the pins and didn't get the results. The pins made the difference. Each to his own but I have tried both and probably will still use the vibratory for rifle on the initial cleaning before depriming and resizing. Then go wet.

[Ray1970]

Originally Posted by Huskerguy

Each to his own but I have tried both and probably will still use the vibratory for rifle on the initial cleaning before depriming and resizing. Then go wet.

This is where I like to wet tumble without the pins. Once clean I’ll then size and deprime and then run them wet with the pins for a good final cleaning before reloading. Washing them first makes the size/deprime process nice and washing them afterwards with the pins cleans the primer pockets and removes any case lube from the sizing process.

[Iframe32s]

I'm not embarrassed to admit that during my foray into the then-unknown (to me) world of wet tumbling I quickly learned never to completely prep rifle cases then just throw them (w/body & neck lube) into the wet tumbler hoping they would magically appear shiny as new.

What a nasty, greasy mess I made of the pins, interior of drum, and the entire batch of brass. It came out permanently discolored; looked like the color of Russian mil-surp steel cases. I also attribute too much Lemi-Shine to the equation. I won't even get into the plumbing issue...

I'm now very proficient in the use of a 25' drain auger

Lessons learned:
1. Wet tumbling is not always indicated (for me)
2. When indicated, do not be overly aggressive.
3. Less soap is better; less Lemi-Shine even better (not more than 1/2
.45 ACP case for a large batch.
4. Let me re-iterate: too much Lemi-shine is BAD (see above).
5. Do this outside with your hose; NOT a good idea for indoor plumbing.
6. Best for use with pistol cases sized with carbide dies. Hence; no lube,
not much mess.
7. Always remove exterior lube before wet tumbling. Interior neck lube
makes enough of a mess.
8. YMMV

[Ray1970]

Ha. I haven’t had that issue with case lube gunking things up. I typically use the Hornady One Shot and I don’t get carried away with it.

[mikld]

Originally Posted by tominboise

Like others, I went to wet tumbling and wish I had done it sooner then I did. Cases come out like new, for sure.

One issue with dry tumbling, is build up on the interior of bottleneck cases, reducing the internal capacity and potentially raising pressures. The wet tumbling knocks any of the build up off. That being said, I typically only tumble my pistol cartridges and not my bottleneck cases unless they get really, really grungy.

I understand the possibility of necks stuffed with media, but I have reloaded thousands of 30-06 brass for my Garand and a several hundreds of 308s for my bolt gun and never had to clean any gunk from any case. I use corn cob blast media with a scant cap full of auto cleaner/wax...

[rockquarry]

Originally Posted by mikld

I understand the possibility of necks stuffed with media, but I have reloaded thousands of 30-06 brass for my Garand and a several hundreds of 308s for my bolt gun and never had to clean any gunk from any case. I use corn cob blast media with a scant cap full of auto cleaner/wax...

Run it long enough in the tumbler with dry media with or without any additives and any lube buildup will be gone.

[Mike, SC Hunter]

Walnut media/nu-shine.........Clean-dump-load......No wet junk for me.

[Hasbeen1945]

When wet tumbling the Lyman seperator pans are your friend. I also use the Frankford arsenal magnet. I live in Texas so outside drying in the sun is no problem. Plus I decap before cleaning.

[rosewood]

Originally Posted by glenwolde

That's probably because the seller wasn't willing to spend the time to be sure the pins were removed. I used dry tumblers for decades and regret not going to wet sooner.

I've not had the problem you encountered. I have found dry media stuck in cases.

The dry media won't break a decapping pin though.

[rosewood]

I have considered wet tumble, but don't want to fool with having to dry them. Corn cob gets them clean enough for me and if I want my loaded rounds to be shiny, throw them back in the tumbler with a little extra Nu-finish and tumble overnight. Nice and shiny loaded rounds when done.

Rosewood

[mikld]

FWIW; the only time I want a high shine is for my 45 ACP and 30-06 brass. I shoot in a "semi-improved" spot up in the hills and shiny brass is much easier to find in the dirt, rocks and shotgun shells after they are flung outta my 1911 and my Garand...

[rosewood]

Originally Posted by mikld

FWIW; the only time I want a high shine is for my 45 ACP and 30-06 brass. I shoot in a "semi-improved" spot up in the hills and shiny brass is much easier to find in the dirt, rocks and shotgun shells after they are flung outta my 1911 and my Garand...

Yeah, but when those 45s land on the base and all you can see is that black hole, they are hard to find on the ground. You have to make passes from different angles to find them all. I bet 45 GAP is has this problem even more.

Rosewood

[arjay]

I’ve fooled around with wet tumbling without pins and it really gets them clean including the primer pockets,but I’ve found that the larger pistol cases take a lot more effort to resize unless I lube them,so I’ve gone back to a very fine medium (lizard litter) with a bit of nu shine

[Carrier]

The only issue I’ve had with wet tumbling and SS pins in the last 8 years is a smaller caliber case getting mixed in with larger ones and case inside another. I’ve never had pins stick in a case.

[rosewood]

Originally Posted by Carrier

The only issue I’ve had with wet tumbling and SS pins in the last 8 years is a smaller caliber case getting mixed in with larger ones and case inside another. I’ve never had pins stick in a case.

That happens with dry tumbling.

You can just about mix most bottle neck cases, but you better segregate the straight walls. The worst offender is 40S&W and 44 mag. Those are hard to separate. I tumble most all pistol cartridges separately that are a different caliber.

Rosewood

[PapaWheelie]

I have yet (knock on wood) to find any pins stuck in my cases so kinda sold on the whole wet tumbling process. I picked up a counter-top convection oven at Goodwill for $8.00 and use it exclusively for drying brass after wet tumbling and powder coating jig heads. It sure takes away the fuss and bother of drying brass. A load of brass is completely dried and sorted before the next load has finished tumbling.
The only issue has been from adding too much LemiShine which dulled the cases. Has anyone found a wax that could be added to the water to keep the brass as nice and shiny as when it comes out of the tumbler?

[mikld]

Originally Posted by rosewood

Yeah, but when those 45s land on the base and all you can see is that black hole, they are hard to find on the ground. You have to make passes from different angles to find them all. I bet 45 GAP is has this problem even more.

Rosewood

I've got most my 45 ACP brass trained to land on their side. Federal brass from my 1911 usually lands with the mouth facing west, towards the ocean. My Ruger P90 tosses brass 3.48 meters to the right, about 2:00 o'clock with all mouths facing me. My HP 45 ACP carbine won't behave and all brass lands in a 5' circle at about 3:00 o'clock, many mouth down.

Then there are the "Brass Gremlins" that stay hidden in the dirt. Whenever a case lands within 7' they will dart out, grab the case and scurry back to their den. I saw one do this about 9 years ago. A newer 45 ACP case landed and out of the corner of my eye I saw it disappear under a shotgun shell. Didn't get a good look at the Gremlin, just a shadowy figure dragging the case. They don't bother my 30-06 cases much, probably too big for the Oregon Brass Gremlins, but I'd probably run into a problem in Texas, as I've heard everything is bigger in Texas. Most of the Gremlins in my area ignore 9mm and 5.56/223 maybe as there are so many laying around they just wait until night to collect some.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

[rosewood]

Originally Posted by mikld

My HP 45 ACP carbine won't behave and all brass lands in a 5' circle at about 3:00 o'clock, many mouth down.

Yeah, but they are so covered in soot, it doesn't matter which way they are oriented...

Rosewood

[iouri]

I've been wet tumbling for years, 10s of 1000 of cases didn't break a decapping pin yet. Worst that happened to me is a pin stuck in firing hole (when I decap before tumbling) but I inspect my brass after tumbling anyway so it gets caught. The only handling of dirty brass I do is pick up at the range and sort by size (with brass sorter) for wet tumbling