How long do you folks normally tumble your brass? Thank you Larry

1 1/2 hours usually does a fine job.

media 1- an hour
media2- two hours
works fine for me...i also cut a used dryer sheet into three pieces and put this into each media cycle..pulls a lot of gunk out

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Until it's sufficiently shiny. Using straight crushed walnut shells with just a touch of media "rejuvenator;" a mild rouge suspension, it takes about 2 hours.

I also use old dryer sheets cut into strips. They do a wonderful job of keeping media clean, extending its working life.

Thanks all, I appreciate you taking the time to share you knowledge with me. Larry

You need to think of it as a crockpot not a microwave. I let mine go 8-12 hours or whatever.

My media is old Lyman corn cob treated with car polish. It will clean and polish 45 colt or 38 special cases in a couple of hours. After 4 hours, 460 mag cases still are not real clean. It tough to get the burnt spots off about 1/2 way down from the case mouth. On occasion, I've clean the 460 cases with Never Dull wading polish and then put them in the vibrator for about an hour. That does the trick.

If I wash my brass is 50:50 white vinegar and water with 2tbls salt, soak for 15 minutes and then rinse it almost does not need tumbling. I let it dry in the sun. Tumble for maybe 1-2 hours.
I think some folks neglect the media. It is the cheapest item in reloading and is full of lead and other nasties. Should be change more frequently IMO. I use 50:50 corn and walnut (Lizard bedding)

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Still Running Against the Wind

If the brass is "dirty" I tumble in rice overnight. If it "needs" shined I use corncob & polish.

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Joshua 1:9

Absolutely. Those who tumble their brass all night are likely wasting electricity or "saving" money by continuing to use worn-out, lead-saturated media.

Neither practice appeals to me.

I use walnut media and I mix in a good teaspoonful of Brasso then tumble it for about five minutes to make sure it doesn’t form lumps. Then I put the brass in the tumbler for about an hour and a half; I have the cleanest brass you could ever wish for.
Campfire

I have a rotary type tumbler which is quieter but takes longer to clean the brass. It was actually designed as a rock tumbler with a small fractional horsepower motor intended to run continuously without maintenance for weeks at a time. I usually start my tumbler last thing before I shut down my shop for the night then let it tumble until I open the shop after supper the next day. Not sure exactly how long it takes to get the brass acceptably clean but 20 or so hours and the brass is sparkling.

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Andy

It's worth noting that Brasso contains ammonia, which weakens brass over time. There are arguments back and forth about this in all the reloading forums on a regular basis; I tend to the cautious side and don't use it.

Also, a quick google shows that Aussie Brasso has much less ammonia than US-formula, at least according to Wikipedia. (<1% in AU as opposed to 8-10% in US.)

It is my electricity to use since I pay for it. The brass goes in the tumbler and comes out when it is done or when I remember to take it out. I think my personal record is 8 days at which point my wife turned the tumbler off. She said it was noisy at night. I don't know as I don't hear it.

A fact which was never in dispute. Whether that use is necessary or efficient was. I stand by my opinion on that subject, just as you are free to hold yours.

I don't know what clean brass means to different people. But for me, 1/2 hour in my Dillon with pet store corn cob usually does fine. If I want to really go all out...I do 1 hour.

But hey......whatever feels good to anyone is good too!

I usually go a couple of hours - the main factor being when do I remember I have left the thing running and I need to go down and turn it off.

I shoot lead. My brass gets smoke, grease, wax, dirt, sand etc on the surface. I, in common with some of you, I wash it first. Usually I put it in the washing machine, hot water, short cycle. I use Simple Green or laundry detergent. I used to add citric acid, but my wife out.
They are damp after the spin cycle, I put them on a screen in the sun to finish drying.
Then into the Thumbler’s Tumbler with plain walnut hulls for about 2 hours. Squeaky clean

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Ipsis Rebus Dictantitbus

I use walnut and a dab of the Dillon quick polish. Usually 2 hours and the brass is clean.
I stay away from the Brasso for the reasons stated by zercool, especially since the quick polish is ammonia free and does a fine job.

Regards,
Arkdweller

I am very aware of past discussions regarding the use of Brasso and the only reason I am using it is because my brass has a fairly high round count and I don’t expect to get much more life from it.
Once they are used up I will be buying a whole new batch of cases and then I will consider using another brand of polish. “But” I can’t help thinking that it would be a considerable time before the ammonia in Brasso caused cases to fail.
It would be good if one of our scientific types on this forum could do some testing to lay this argument to rest once and for all.
(My cases are so shiny I have to wear sun glasses to look at them.

Its interesting that Wikapedia says Brasso in Australia has a different ammonia composition to the US, cant for the life of me understand why.
(<1% in AU as opposed to 8-10% in US.)

Campfire

A $7 container of NuFinish is good for maybe 20K empties, maybe more, works great and has a good rep. Why mess with Brasso?

20 -30 minutes to get the gunk off.

I don't really care if my brass is shiney clean cause I'm fixin to reload it and get it dirty again anyways.

I usually tumble between 150 and 500 cases of several different calibers at a time. I have used a Dillon 2500 for about 22 years and it never lets me down. I use corncob media, and Dillon's polish. I apply about a tablespoon or so every fourth or fifth cycle, and I get nicely cleaned cases in a half to one hour depending on how badly fouled they were to begin with. I use their case seperator to tumble out the media, and that takes about 1-2 minutes total to do.

MY ground corn cob media from Midway finally got too smooth to work well. Went to W M
and bought a large bag of ground cob used for pet litter. It is working great and put a shine on brass in an hour or so. . And a lot cheaper. $4.95 for a large bag.

Overnight, about 12 hours or so I guess. Start it one day empty it the next. I will occasionally forget it is running if I don't go into the shop one day, but that is unusual. No sense in OCD'ing about exactly how many hours it should take. Just start it up and let it run over night and it will be done in the morning.

I use the spent dryer sheets to clean up my media after tumbling brass. It pulls the grime out very well, and it also pulls the Nu-Finish out, too. I like to run the tumbler with a full load of brass for several hours. YMMV.

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NICK-SWCA-NRA BENEFACTOR LIFE

I use walnut hulls and will only tumble when I have at least 500 rds of brass. I usually start the tumbler after supper and turn it off after breakfast.

I also use a Dillon case tumbler, Dillon polish and lizzard cage litter from Pet Smart.

I am one of those that turn it on at night after supper and before bedtime and turn it off in the morning. I have been using the Dillon since 1992. I set it on the concrete floor with plenty of room around it for air flow. I have never found it being "HOT" when I turn it off the next day.

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Semper FI

It depends. My revolver brass that never touches the ground cleans up in 1-2 hrs. I just aquired about a thousand rounds of .223. It is very cruddy, dirt, powder residue and tarnish. I have been running that about 8 hrs per batch to get them to shine.

O.K. this is the second time I've heard of the washing machine!?! Dish or laundry? If dish, what do you keep the brass in while in the cycle? Does the wife find out? Are you still married?

It tumbles until I remember to take it out. (I can be forgetful)

Dan, I "E" mailed you because I had two notifications of a PM but nothing appeared, thanks Sam

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Sam
S&WHF 333 S&WCA 2198

I personally would not want ANY lead residue build up in my washing machine at all . . . to come off on our clothes.

Yeah, it is probably a small matter . . . but still . . .

I just tumble it until it is clean and shinny. Some times longer than others.

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G.P. Charlie