How do you clean your brass?

jtischauser · Jan 9, 2011

I use a vibrator cleaner. I can't recall the brand. Its from the orange manufacturer. Is that Lyman? You can buy bulk tumbling media here locally at Anderson Sales Inc.

http://www.andersonsalesinc.com/contact.html. It's super cheap like $20/50lb bag.

Red Neck Tactical recommended that I use mineral spirits and Nu Car Polish in the orange bottle. About a cap full or two of each will have you all shined up. The longer it tumbles the shinier it gets. I tumble post loading to to make it look like new.

What do you guys do? I'm thinking about getting a larger or another tumbler. How many does a guy need? I read a magazine article on reloading recently that suggested tumbling in a soapy water solution initially to clean the dirt and grime out if the cases. Anybody ever try that?

Chambers · Jan 10, 2011

jtischauser said:
Red Neck Tactical recommended that I use mineral spirits and Nu Car Polish in the orange bottle. About a cap full or two of each will have you all shined up. The longer it tumbles the shinier it gets. I tumble post loading to to make it look like new.

I do this as well, but I add half a dryer sheet to limit the dust since I'm in an apartment. Seems to work well.

If I had a garage or shop I'd have a ridiculously large tumbler. I think Mitch has a cement mixer he uses! Pretty awesome set up...

I've never tumbled post-load, but I might start if I load jacketed/plated bullets for the big matches.

jtischauser · Jan 10, 2011

Everybody always talks about dust but I don't notice. Do you mean the media flying and spilling all over? Maybe I'm nit seeing it because my garage is a mess?

Wall · Jan 10, 2011

We use a Rotary tumbler with the brass media.
It's pretty quiet & very fast.
Jeff cleaned more than 1500 9mm cases in about 2.5 hours.
Water, cascade and cream of tartar with the small brass media.
It gets it super shiny, like new brass, and no dust.

jtischauser · Jan 10, 2011

Can somebody post a link to a rotary tumbler?

Wall · Jan 10, 2011

link

This is the one we use (model B ).
There pretty small in comparrison to vibratory tumblers because you don't have to fill them up with media.
Just a little of the brass media & your all set.

From Jeff's post on OSA:
H&H has theirs marked at $235. The link I posted has them for $155. It's very comparable to a large vibratory setup. Brass media is $15/lb at H&H, but yu'll only replace any media after loss, which, if you separate properly, won't happen for 50 to 100,000 rounds.
I run 3lbs in mine. 2-3lbs is what I've read works well.

jtischauser · Jan 10, 2011

Wall said:
link

This is the one we use (model B ).
There pretty small in comparrison to vibratory tumblers because you don't have to fill them up with media.
Just a little of the brass media & your all set.

From Jeff's post on OSA:
H&H has theirs marked at $235. The link I posted has them for $155. It's very comparable to a large vibratory setup. Brass media is $15/lb at H&H, but yu'll only replace any media after loss, which, if you separate properly, won't happen for 50 to 100,000 rounds.
I run 3lbs in mine. 2-3lbs is what I've read works well.

How many cases do you tumbler at a time?

I'm thinking I need that UV45! 1000 30-06 cases at a time. Snap kid! You could tumble 2000-3,000 .223 cases at a time. I'd only have to tumble about 12 times per year for all four calibers.

http://www.thumlerstumbler.com/industrial.html

Wall · Jan 10, 2011

jtischauser said:
How many cases do you tumbler at a time?

I'm thinking I need that UV45! 1000 30-06 cases at a time. Snap kid! You could tumble 2000-3,000 .223 cases at a time. I'd only have to tumble about 12 times per year for all four calibers.

http://www.thumlerstumbler.com/industrial.html

not sure, but I'll find out.

jtischauser · Jan 10, 2011

I was also just looking at the Lyman 2500 Pro Magnum Auto Flo Tumbler. For a $100 I could get rid of my smaller Lyman and that huge dillon media seperator.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/lyman-2500-pro-magnum-auto-flo-tumbler.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3qFDbVm7sA

Wall · Jan 14, 2011

jtischauser said:
How many cases do you tumbler at a time?

I'm thinking I need that UV45! 1000 30-06 cases at a time. Snap kid! You could tumble 2000-3,000 .223 cases at a time. I'd only have to tumble about 12 times per year for all four calibers.

http://www.thumlerstumbler.com/industrial.html

I think you could probably do about 300 .223 cases in 45 min. or so & they'll look like shiny new.

jtischauser · Jan 14, 2011

Wall said:
I think you could probably do about 300 .223 cases in 45 min. or so & they'll look like shiny new.

That's not a lot of cases but that is FAST!!!

Wall · Jan 14, 2011

jtischauser said:
That's not a lot of cases but that is FAST!!!

It'll hold more that that but it'll take a little longer to clean.
This thing is half the size of your vibratory tumbler.
How many can you put in that at once & how long 'til they're shiny?
It holds more cases because there's no large volume of media, just the little brass rods & your water/cleaning solution.

Chambers · Jan 14, 2011

What's the deal on those auto flo tumblers? You don't have to separate? That would be perfect for me...I HATE separating in my crappy Frankford Arsenal thing.

tacticalj · Jan 15, 2011

Lyman 2500, the only way to go. You can put heaps of brass in it and they don't cost too much. Anybody try the newer ultrasonic cleaners yet? Thought about one just due to the fact that it should clean the inside and the primer pocket better. I don't know what does everybody else think?

jtischauser · Jan 15, 2011

Chambers said:
What's the deal on those auto flo tumblers? You don't have to separate? That would be perfect for me...I HATE separating in my crappy Frankford Arsenal thing.

I think that's how it works? It seems too good to be true especially on rifle cases. Optics planet sells them for $106 shipped. Buy one and let me know.

kdlong · Jan 22, 2011

on the tumblers do you use media like in the vibrator oness?

Scott Hearn · Jan 22, 2011

Jesse Tischauser said:
I was also just looking at the Lyman 2500 Pro Magnum Auto Flo Tumbler. For a $100 I could get rid of my smaller Lyman and that huge dillon media seperator.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/lyman-2500-pro-magnum-auto-flo-tumbler.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3qFDbVm7sA

Chambers said:
What's the deal on those auto flo tumblers? You don't have to separate? That would be perfect for me...I HATE separating in my crappy Frankford Arsenal thing.

You guys forget about the auto-flo, it's crap and isn't worth any extra money. Just get the regular 2500 Magnum and get a real separator.

For about $35 I got the large RCBS media separator. I got it instead of the Dillon because it has a lid and keeps the dust trapped inside. It's a pretty cheaply made unit but it's working pretty good for me so far. Chambers, are you using that Frankfort Arsenal "collender looking thing"? That what I was using and I got sick of all the media dropping out of my case feeder on my bench, press and making a hell of a mess. A "real" media separator has pretty much fixed that problem.

Chambers · Jan 22, 2011

Scott Hearn said:
Chambers, are you using that Frankfort Arsenal "collender looking thing"? That what I was using and I got sick of all the media dropping out of my case feeder on my bench, press and making a hell of a mess. A "real" media separator has pretty much fixed that problem.

Yessir, and using it in my BATHROOM! I live in an apt. It does make a bit of a mess, but I take it slow and it limits the spillage. Maybe I'll try a better separator before investing in another tumbler.

jtischauser · Jan 23, 2011

Scott Hearn said:
You guys forget about the auto-flo, it's crap and isn't worth any extra money. Just get the regular 2500 Magnum and get a real separator.

For about $35 I got the large RCBS media separator. I got it instead of the Dillon because it has a lid and keeps the dust trapped inside. It's a pretty cheaply made unit but it's working pretty good for me so far. Chambers, are you using that Frankfort Arsenal "collender looking thing"? That what I was using and I got sick of all the media dropping out of my case feeder on my bench, press and making a hell of a mess. A "real" media separator has pretty much fixed that problem.

Bummer! I was hoping that autoflo would be the ticket. I have that Dillin separator but it throws media everywhere. I guess I need to pick up RCBS separator and give it a try.