Dryer sheet in tumbler?

Wayne02 · Sep 26, 2009

One day I was reading on the Internets how some folks put a piece of dryer sheet in their tumbler, ostensibly to control dust or keep the media cleaner? So I started doing this, after all it said so on the internet so it must be good.

I fold a piece of dryer sheet and push it down over the threaded shaft on the tumbler. The tumbler runs in my shop, usually with a minimum 12 hour soak time overnight.

The dryer sheet is dirty when the tumbling is done but I'm not sure the effort is worth it. When the tumbler is running the lid is fastened down and for the most part there is no dust escaping. The most dust gets in the air when dumping from tumbler to separator and of course while rotating the separator to separate media from brass. And then again a bit more dust is introduced to the air when I use compressed air to blow the brass clean (as a group while it is still in the separator basket) before putting the clean brass into a storage container.

Do you use dryer sheets in your tumbler and have you found it beneficial?

Thanks

Herb686 · Sep 26, 2009

Nope! I use NuFinish car polish. Mix a couple of tablespoons full with some alcohol to make it watery, pour into media and run to mix up well before adding brass. The alcohol disperses the polish and will evaporate in a few minutes. Helps polish the brass and helps keep the dust down.

NMPinNYC · Sep 26, 2009

A used dryer sheet in my tumbler helps to keep my media clean; does nothing to keep the dust down in my situation. It also succeeds in removing any NuFinish I've placed into the tumbler to help polish my brass, FWIW, so I find that I need to add some NuFinish and run the tumbler for awhile, then add my brass, then tumble my brass. Then remove sparkly brass, and when the media is dirty, the used dryer sheet goes in again. Good luck.

sjmjax · Sep 26, 2009

I use one of those "swiffler" dusting pads. It does cut down dust considerably.

michael thornton · Sep 26, 2009

i did one time, they tore up in little pieces, no more! nufinish works good i do put a small rag in seems to help with the dust

deanodog · Sep 26, 2009

Here is what NOT to do. I went to get a used dryer sheet and could not find one SO I put a couple of new unused sheets in.
4 or 5 hours later I looked in and could not believe what a mess it made. The media had to be thrown away and the tumbler interior has to be cleaned with solvent and the brass also had to be washed in solvent then soap and water before tumbling again in clean media. It left a tar like substance on everything but what do I know. I know better now. I think the used ones help keep the media clean and I use them now.

Amici · Sep 26, 2009

As noted above, a USED dryer sheet is required.

Second, using it whole is inefficient.

Third, "tore up in little pieces" is almost as bad.

I roll up a used sheet, make about 6 cuts and get 7 strips. They do a wonderful job of trapping the carbon and, more importantly, the primer residue (wherein lurks the lead), thus keeping my media cleaner, longer.

When they get gray, throw them away. By that time, I usually have a couple more available.

imashooter2 · Sep 26, 2009

I save the used dryer sheets in an old coffee can. When the media loads up, I'll toss a half a dozen in whole and run the tumbler for a couple hours sans brass. Cleans the media right up and I retreat with liquid car wax before next brass load.

haggis · Sep 26, 2009

I tend to use two or three sheets, and they all get dirty, so I figure they're taking something out of the tumbler. I don't add polishing compound to the tumbler - when the walnut media won't clean and polish by itself, I replace the media. I'm not made out of money, so I buy my walnut media in 25 pound bags from the local pet store where it's sold for small animal bedding. Costs about $15-$20 that way, a lot cheaper than so-marked "polishing media".

Buck

epj · Sep 26, 2009

I use new or used dryer sheets cut into strips. They remove a lot of dust/dirt from the media. Definately worth the trouble to me. As stated, I frequently use a new sheet. Noy sure I understand the problem with this

.

imashooter2 · Sep 27, 2009

The whole point is to remove dirt. Using a new sheet adds dirt to the media when all that anti static powder flakes off.

Rule3 · Sep 28, 2009

Amici said:
As noted above, a USED dryer sheet is required.

Second, using it whole is inefficient.

Third, "tore up in little pieces" is almost as bad.

I roll up a used sheet, make about 6 cuts and get 7 strips. They do a wonderful job of trapping the carbon and, more importantly, the primer residue (wherein lurks the lead), thus keeping my media cleaner, longer.

When they get gray, throw them away. By that time, I usually have a couple more available.

+1 on this. I tried a new sheet once and it left a gooey residue on the brass which was hard to remove.

There was a long thread on tumbling brass and I (and others) tend to agree that some folks tend to use their media for too long. In the overall cost of reloading, the media is pennies. Change it more often , it works better and you get rid of the toxic buildup. Why try to stretch it for years or never??

Wayne02 · Sep 28, 2009

I guess I'm doing it wrong then. I use a new sheet, used sheets are not available to me. I fold it up and poke down over the threaded rod such that it rides just above the flowing media. This pad is caked with dust and whatever else gets thrown around in there after the 12 hour soak time, but I don't know that it really does anything to actually clean the media, thus my skepticism.

Rule3 · Sep 28, 2009

I just have to ask

What kind of tumbler and media are you using that you run it for 12 hours???

"Soak time"??

Wayne02 · Sep 28, 2009

OCD1 said:
I just have to ask What kind of tumbler and media are you using that you run it for 12 hours??? "Soak time"??

2002 midway model something or other, Walnut media with occasional cap full of midway brass polish or the car polish in the orange bottle.

12 hours is usually about the time I return to start work in my shop so I just let it run over night and don't stress about it. I'm not obsessive about only running the tumbler for the minimum time necessary. Life is too short for that kind of stuff. I have a batch of .45 cases out there right now that were started about 11 am yesterday. After lunch I'll go out there and take them out, or I will forget and they will run for another day.

Soak time is just slang for run-time or duration. Often used by outdoorsmen referring to the time the crabpot or fish bait is in the water, or software developers, farmers, transportation/distribution systems, evaporative emission analysis and ECU controls on vehicles measuring engine-off duration. Just part of my language from other disciplines I guess.

Amici · Sep 28, 2009

Wayne02 said:
I guess I'm doing it wrong then. I use a new sheet, used sheets are not available to me.

That is wrong. And how is it possible that you have NEW sheets, but not used ones? Unless you do not have a dryer and are buying the sheets for the sole purpose of putting them in the tumbler, I do not understand your predicament.

The only reloading use I know of for NEW sheets is removing the static from powder measures.

I fold it up and poke down over the threaded rod such that it rides just above the flowing media. This pad is caked with dust and whatever else gets thrown around in there after the 12 hour soak time, but I don't know that it really does anything to actually clean the media, thus my skepticism.

Good location.

Is your sheet gray after your "12 hour soak time?" If so, it's working.

Rule3 · Sep 28, 2009

Wayne02 said:
2002 midway model something or other, Walnut media with occasional cap full of midway brass polish or the car polish in the orange bottle.

12 hours is usually about the time I return to start work in my shop so I just let it run over night and don't stress about it. I'm not obsessive about only running the tumbler for the minimum time necessary. Life is too short for that kind of stuff. I have a batch of .45 cases out there right now that were started about 11 am yesterday. After lunch I'll go out there and take them out, or I will forget and they will run for another day.

Soak time is just slang for run-time or duration. Often used by outdoorsmen referring to the time the crabpot or fish bait is in the water, or software developers, farmers, transportation/distribution systems, evaporative emission analysis and ECU controls on vehicles measuring engine-off duration. Just part of my language from other disciplines I guess.

I gathered that is what you meant about "soak time" just never heard it used for tumble time or should it be vibration time?

Sometimes with real dirty range brass I do use soak time when I soak brass in a solution of 2 cups vinegar,2 tbls salt in 1 gal water for 15-20 min. Then rinse in fresh water and dry in the sun. Brass is nice and clean and no need to tumble.

Anyway just seems like a looong time when 2-4 hrs usually works. I just put mine on plug in timer as it's in the garage and I would rather not hear it any longer than necessary.

Wayne02 · Sep 28, 2009

Amici said:
That is wrong. And how is it possible that you have NEW sheets, but not used ones? Unless you do not have a dryer and are buying the sheets for the sole purpose of putting them in the tumbler, I do not understand your predicament.
The only reloading use I know of for NEW sheets is removing the static from powder measures.

Good location.
Is your sheet gray after your "12 hour soak time?" If so, it's working.

I have two very large boxes of new sheets that I purchased from costco awhile back, forgetting that my wife is allergic to any laundry detergent or the like that has any sort of perfume stuff in it. I put one sheet in one load of clothes and was staunchly reminded of said allergy. So I kept them around thinking they could be used in the tumbling process.

The the folded sheet is caked with reddish/dark gray stuff at the end of a cycle, but it never physically touches the media as it is suspended above the media just under the lid. So if the contamination in the media gets airborne inside the tumbler during the tumbling process it 'may' come in contact with the sheet, otherwise I guess what is trapped on the sheet is just dust.

Wayne02 · Sep 28, 2009

OCD1 said:
I gathered that is what you meant about "soak time" just never heard it used for tumble time or should it be vibration time? Sometimes with real dirty range brass I do use soak time when I soak brass in a solution of 2 cups vinegar,2 tbls salt in 1 gal water for 15-20 min. Then rinse in fresh water and dry in the sun. Brass is nice and clean and no need to tumble.

Anyway just seems like a looong time when 2-4 hrs usually works. I just put mine on plug in timer as it's in the garage and I would rather not hear it any longer than necessary.

Yes a timer is a good idea as well. I just get set in my ways and stuck on a routine I suppose.

When you rinse the brass do you use a garden hose sprayer or sink sprayer? Do you have some sort of screen system so the water washes through the brass?

Leonard · Sep 28, 2009

I use a dryer or anti static sheet to wipe out the empty tumbler bowl and the bowl I empty the media into after case cleaning. It does one thing stops static.

I also use dry media to avoid any kind of build up in the case especially in cases with shoulders where build up can go undetected. Media residue polishing compounds can in theory build up and increase pressure by decreasing case capacity.

Dryer sheet in tumbler?

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