CLEANING BRASS CAN BE HAZARDESS TO YOUR HEALTH

marathonrunner · May 10, 2014

Guys, the one thing I have read, they say reloaders who use tumblers are very prone to high levels of lead. That said, I bought an ultrasonic machine that uses wet media to clean them. But the brass does not come out shiny, they are clean but not shiny. I am wondering, if I were to clean them using the ultrasonic machine first, then I deprime them, then I run them through the tumbler, would that pretty much eliminate any risk of lead dust being kicked up in the air? What I am trying to do is eliminate any possibility of lead exposure.

KLYDE · May 10, 2014

Probably subject to higher levels of lead while shooting. Got to die of something eventually. I'll keep tumbling.

49willys · May 10, 2014

I throw a hand towel over the top of my tumbler to keep the dust down.I wouldn`t think much lead is left behind after shooting anyway,unless there is lead in powder fouling.

jubela#4 · May 10, 2014

Not sure where you got your info but all material I have read indicates reloaders and shooters have no higher blood lead levels than non shooters. Now maybe if one is shooting at an inside range with poor ventilation that could change.
I tumble my cases outside on a covered porch and shoot outside. I always shoot cast lead bullets and have for many years. Like the other poster said, your exposure to any lead dust/particles comes from shooting instead of tumbling cases.

novalty · May 10, 2014

I tumble my brass outside, and my Lyman 1200 has a slotted lid. Let it run a couple hours, then come back out and shut it off. Also change my media often.

Smithpride · May 10, 2014

Your biggest lead risk is ingestion. Meaning unclean hands that enter the nasal area, eyes or mouth. If you wash your hands, you should be more than ok.

I have a company that has an employee that handles lead strips for x-rays all day long, every day AND cuts the lead into strips. He gets tested every three months and I'm told no raised lead numbers in the blood. He does wear some light gloves, but wash every time he leaves his work area. If he can do this, I'm sure you can periodically handle lead. Just use some 4 mil nitrile gloves and throw them away when done handling.

MichiganScott · May 10, 2014

I've used a Thumler's Tumbler for 35 years. I had my blood tested for lead a few years ago and the level was below what is usually found in people my age that live in metropolitan areas.

You worry too much.

Pondoro · May 10, 2014

I wash my cases in soapy water then rinse them, to get loose lead off of them. Adds a step and they take a few days to dry but seems like it should help. I tumble after they are dry.

leeloader · May 10, 2014

You bring up a good point. Not everyone will react as we all come from a different gene pool. Some smoke and never get cancer. Some one else breaths 2nd hand smoke and die of cancer. You never know.
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Check out the Tumblers Tumbler with stainless steel pins. Just watch out for the amount (weight) of brass you place in the tumbler. Use a hex shaped tumbler as it will clean better. I have never ran a comparison to verify the ad statement. I just bought one and really like it.
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You can consider wearing nitrile gloves when doing reloading or gun cleaning.
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Good you are thinking safety. That will translate to safe reloading and the reading of several gun manuals.

SW_shooter · May 11, 2014

This is one of those threads that I 'thought' was going to be funny or a crazy twist on something. Like, it's hazardess because it will keep you from eating or sleeping because you'll be obsessed with getting that "shiny like new" brass and won't stop cleaning until you do. Didn't expect the serious tone at all. After realizing it was a serious thread I will say my first thought was, "how could I get lead poisoning from brass"? I will definitely stop licking the brass to get the stubborn spots off.

Moonman · May 11, 2014

I use WET TUMBLING with Stainless Steel Pins, and wear Nytrile Gloves.

For those using VIBRATOR TUMBLERS, change your media more frequently,

place a few 1" squares of a dryer sheet in with it.

When you change or dump the media, do it outside and wear a dust mask

(Dust is LEAD STYPHANITE CONTAMINATED) from the primer dust.

BLUEDOT37 · May 11, 2014

Tumbler dust

49willys said:
I throw a hand towel over the top of my tumbler to keep the dust down.I wouldn`t think much lead is left behind after shooting anyway,unless there is lead in powder fouling.

I put a small cut-down towel over the top of mine too but then I use a water spray bottle to dampen the towel. Always leave the dirty side down & throw it away when it looks done. I would expect the media to be contaminated too but that doesn't get handled as it gets dumped in the sifter.

2hawk · May 11, 2014

Fact is, most anything a person can do can be hazardous to their health.

When tumbling, I have used dryer sheets, nitrile gloves and a dust mask. Some extra bother but not that much once you make it part of the routine. I get tested every year, and the only time I have had a high reading is after a remodeling project on an old house where I likely picked up a bit of lead dust from the old paint.

I've had a consistently low level during periods of not much reloading and a lot of reloading, so it seems that my reloading doesn't have much to do with my lead level.

scooter123 · May 11, 2014

I use a Thumler's Tumbler with Stainless Steel Pins, and lead compounds produced by cleaning go down the sink. BTW, I only load with plated bullets or jacketed hollow points so I doubt I'm putting much lead down the drain.

Note, tried an ultrasonic and wasn't satisfied with the results. With my Thumblers I get brass that looks factory new and I'm not soaking it in an acidic bath.

HOPSTER · May 11, 2014

Smithpride said:
Your biggest lead risk is ingestion. Meaning unclean hands that enter the nasal area, eyes or mouth. If you wash your hands, you should be more than ok.

I have a company that has an employee that handles lead strips for x-rays all day long, every day AND cuts the lead into strips. He gets tested every three months and I'm told no raised lead numbers in the blood. He does wear some light gloves, but wash every time he leaves his work area. If he can do this, I'm sure you can periodically handle lead. Just use some 4 mil nitrile gloves and throw them away when done handling.

Read Patrick Sweeney's books. He's a chemist but also a certified gunsmith and pistol competitor. The lead scare is blown out of proportion. Don't put it in your Wheaties, and wash your hands after handling it or at least before sucking your thumb.

The main problem with lead exposure from cleaning brass is the lead stypnate in the leftover primer residue.
+1 on the SS media wet cleaning method. I do it because it just works better, not because of any lead hazard.

On the other hand, the inability to spell the word "hazardous" is considered an early warning sign of lead poisoning in some medical circles.

gmiller0737 · May 11, 2014

My 25 year old Thumblers Tumbler has a sealed lid so no dust comes out when it's running,No problems with Lead on My last Lab Report

Yorkie Man · May 11, 2014

I clean my brass with the ultra sonic cleaner, rinse and then tumble them in walnut media to dry them. They come out very shiny.

hangnoose · May 11, 2014

NOT JUST THE LEAD

BUT ALL dust/powders affect my sinuses now & why I wear a dust mask. I used to tumble, out in the garage & let it sit before opening it first. NOW I boil the dirty brass in an old dedicated pot & pool skimmer basket in water/dishsoap/ vinegar & dry on an old cookie sheet in the oven @ 150-200 degrees. They come out VERY clean. Granted I can be OCD about brass, but it's more about the wt difference between clean cases & those with built up old powder. Once sized/decapped I use a dremmel, (don't forget the dust mask during this step) with a wire brush to clean out the primer pocket & inside bottom of the case & a bore brush to get any residue left on the inside walls of the case, then lube them with Hornady one shot. A BIT EXTREME? SURE, but I get good groups and all cases, sorted by brand/mfg/length/wt, get marked with a certain color nail polish & recorded so I know the details of each piece of brass & which ones are mine at the range. I trim cases & uniform the flash holes on each lot/color of brass & it has yet to ever needed to be done a 2nd time, and they all stay within a consistent length/wt.

41steve · May 11, 2014

Lead

Mostly u have to worry about Lead Poisioning is in massive doses ! 115 , 150 , 180 , 230 , 240 grain etc. at a time ! He He ! Like Earnest Borgnine said

MyDads38 · May 11, 2014

I started wet cleaning my brass a few years ago; nothing big or fancy, just hot water, a little vinegar, a dash of salt and some Dawn dish soap. Let soak about 45 minutes and agitate a few times during. Some of the dirtier brass gets tumbled for a few hours in my Lyman tumbler. I throw in a few cotton cleaning patches and the tumbler runs outside. I don't have a sifter, so I wear latex gloves when sorting the brass from the media. As a side note, I also cast my own bullets. Always in a well ventilated area or outdoors when weather permits and I have a fan that blows any smoke/fumes away from me/the work area. So fAR nO pRoBlEmS tHaT I cAn TeLl ;-)

CLEANING BRASS CAN BE HAZARDESS TO YOUR HEALTH

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