How long do you tumble brass?

[TSQUARED]

I use Midway's Frankford Arsenal brank vibratory tumbler for ca 15 to 30 minutes with ground corn cob media. It removes the powder residue and grime but does not make the cases bright and shinny.

 

[parabarbarian]

One thing no one but one guy mentioned was primer pockets.

Are your pockets getting cleaned enough with tumbling to not need the pockets manually cleaned? From what I have read, this is where the Stainless steel media really "shines."

I decap my cases and degrease in an ultrasonic cleaner before tossing then in the tumbler. I use a citrus degreaser and rinse thoroughly. This does not completely clean the primer pockets or inside of the cases but it does remove a lot of the crud.

I lay the the cases out on a cookie sheet to dry then tumble for one to two hours in corncob with some Dillon polish. As long as I don't try to overload either device, the cases are mostly clean on the inside and look good on the outside.

 

[bamacisa]

Try using Nufinish with a little mineral spirits added. It will surprise you how good the cases will become. This works way better than just plain Nufinish alone.

 

[sophie]

I tumble my brass for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours usually till they look like I want them to. I use a 33 year old Thumlers Tumbler and a little Nu Finish with the crushed walnut media and it does a good job. It does a better job than my friends vibrating case cleaner with the same Nu Finish added.

 

[tlay]

I use a Lyman ultrasonic cleaner. 15 mins. and they are good to go.

 

[Nframecollector]

Until it gets shiny.

 

[webfarmer]

Wow - I let mine tumble overnight in my 30+ year old Thumler's Tumbler. They're plenty clean at that point! Guess I need to look at one of those vibratory cleaners......

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Until it's shiney. That's usually about 2 hours. I don't know why anyone would go much longer. I can't imagine it getting much cleaner after another 10 hours.

 

[SMSgt]

Until it's clean or until I remember I left the tumbler running yesterday!

 

[carl3989]

For about 3 hours in Thumbler Tumbler with hot water and ceramic media and media detergent. The brass comes out as new and very shiny.

 

[iouri]

Upto an hour SS pin wet tumbling. Cases come out clean as a whistle

 

[chazc]

2 hrs w/walnut & nu finish. Never cleaned a primer pocket. I decap when I resize. Don't want to run dirty brass thru my die. Works for me.

 

[Engieman]

Only about an hour in treated Corn Cob media, however....I first clean them in a Citric Acid wash. Best thing since sliced bread. Here's a thread from the Cast Bullet Forum that will explain:

Citric acid brass cleaner

I am an absolute believer in this step. Citric Acid can be found in it's pure form in the Canning section of the grocery store, and/or you can use Lemon Shine, a dishwashing additive that is largely citric acid. Virtually no harm to the brass (been doing it for years), and in fact...according to one of the posters in this thread (Scientist), it actually improves/reconditions the brass at a molecular level. I'm not sure about that, but whatever it does, it works. Give it a try, you'll like the result

 

[max]

I have stated before that the tumbler is a crock pot not a microwave. I usually tumble for 10 or 12 hours. I have lots of brass after a 40 year reloading career and am in no hurry. I use corn cobs and whatever car wax I have on hand.

 

[daniel lawecki]

About 2hrs I get my corn media from Anderson General Store try a going to a Pet store. You''ll get a big bag very cheap they''ll also carry walnut.

 

[cddanjr]

Just starting to reload. Have a federal arsenal oscillating bowl coming, going to petsmart to get walnut medium, and am going to try using a bar of red jewelers rouge to clean and polish with. The bar cost $8, and should last along time. Instead of waiting for the wet polish to dry in the walnut medium, I'll just use a fine grater to make about 1/2 a tsp of fine ground compound. We will see.

Chuck

 

[max]

I find jeweler's rouge leaves a real mess. Use a capful of car polish instead.

 

[cddanjr]

I find jeweler's rouge leaves a real mess. Use a capful of car polish instead.

really what does it do? waxy, smearing? seems like your taking out the drying process of the wet polish, and skipping a waiting step?

But if you have been there, ok. Nu finish it is.

chuck

 

[BCDWYO]

1 to 1 1/2 hrs. Just turn it on and go do something else, so depending on what that something else is, the time varies. Corn cob media, with a splash of Dillon polish. Mostly .45acp and .44 brass. Can't see how the brass could be any cleaner.

This is my answer as well.

 

[Waywatcher]

I used to use a vibratory tumbler with walnut from a pet store and nu finish. I would start it, go to sleep, and turn it off when I woke up.

For my birthday, I bought myself a Thumler's tumbler and stainless tumbling media from MidwayUSA. The difference is amazing. My brass is completely clean, inside and out, in only 3 hours. I went back and recleaned my 'clean' brass from the walnut, and was quite shocked at how much more filth came out of the insides. There is also no dust.