Case cleaning/polishing

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Yup, popcorn time.

Any discussion of dry tumbling will eventually become a cheerleading topic for wet tumbling. Then everyone not using a water-based cleaning method is accused of walking around in dirty underwear all day.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Yup, popcorn time.

Any discussion of dry tumbling will eventually become a cheerleading topic for wet tumbling. Then everyone not using a water-based cleaning method is accused of walking around in dirty underwear all day.

I know

But, I'm such a bipartisan-type guy I now do both. Wet & then dry w/plain corn cob (no stuff added).

If feels good to be a bridge builder.

 

[Varminterror]

Reloaders who dry tumble aren’t absolved of waste management. All of the toxic content present in wet tumbler wash water is present in the dry tumbling media. Of course, worse, these are concentrated in the dry media by multiple tumblings in the same media, and then when thrown away in common garbage handling, as most do, the waste is transported to a landfill where it is NOT properly disposed due to the unknown contaminants.

 

[lordpaxman]

You can wet tumble? I’d like to know if it’s better or worse than dry tumbling. If there are any favorite recipes out there, that’d be nice too.

Oh wait, I just remembered there was a thread or two that discussed this very topic!

 

[Bronco72]

For me cleaning brass is the least favorite part of reloading!
I use a Thumbler Tumbler Model B. I have tried many ways and wound up with this method. Fill case 1/2 full of cases. add water until just covers cases. add 1/4 cup Simple Green, add steel pins. close and turn on for 45 to 60 minutes! Separate cases from liquid and pins. Rinse cases, filter pins from liquid and if done rinse pins
Cases look better than brand new inside and out, including primer pockets
Maybe not for everybody but it's the way I have arrived at !

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I read that a lot of reloaders use NuFinish to make their brass shinier. I've been to Wally World, and iirc have seen at least 3 products with the designation "NuFinish". Confused! Which of the products is the specific one everybody uses? Is it a liquid or something else?
Thanx!

Yes, the liquid with the black writing on an orange bottle. The plain original 1934 formula.

I use a paste jewelry rouge with a wax base because it also makes resizing straight wall pistol cases in a carbide die just a touch easier. Just FYI, the NuFinish is easy to use. Don’t overdo it.

 

[ballman6711]

Don’t overdo it.

Also, put it in the tumbler and run it for 15~30 minutes to mix it up before adding any brass, and break up any clumps as well.

Don't add any liquid wax/polish and then put the brass in straight away. You'll wish you hadn't.

chris

 

[CQB45ACP]

Also, put it in the tumbler and run it for 15~30 minutes to mix it up before adding any brass, and break up any clumps as well.

Don't add any liquid wax/polish and then put the brass in straight away. You'll wish you hadn't.

chris

I've recently begun using virgin dry corn cob media to polish already wet tumbled (but dry) brass & loaded cartridges. Here are nearly 100 of the latter. What's the problemo? Static?

 

[CQB45ACP]

Reloaders who dry tumble aren’t absolved of waste management. All of the toxic content present in wet tumbler wash water is present in the dry tumbling media. Of course, worse, these are concentrated in the dry media by multiple tumblings in the same media, and then when thrown away in common garbage handling, as most do, the waste is transported to a landfill where it is NOT properly disposed due to the unknown contaminants.

Yeah, tragedy of the commons or out of sight out of mind. Once it leaves our little world, it's the bigger world's problem.

Mentioned in another recent thread were the municipalities, like mine, which incinerate everything to then generate electrical power. I wonder, but not enough to actually do anything, if the scrubbers really do scrub bad stuff completely.

 

[ballman6711]

What's the problemo? Static?

Problem is you'll get wet clumps of liquid wax/polish mixed with your corn/walnut media inside the cases, and the primer pockets if you de-prime before tumbling. It's a big mess to try cleaning that stuff out of your brass.

I don't think static would be an issue at all.

chris

 

[CQB45ACP]

Problem is you'll get wet clumps of liquid wax/polish mixed with your corn/walnut media inside the cases, and the primer pockets if you de-prime before tumbling. It's a big mess to try cleaning that stuff out of your brass.

I don't think static would be an issue at all.

chris

Okay. I misread. I only dry tumble using actually dry media. And yes there is static but I remove brass outside and take care of it out in the wind.

 

[ballman6711]

Cut up a used dryer sheet and throw it in your media. It will catch a lot of the dust and I would think it would eliminate any static as well. I still don't think static is an issue.

And your ammo sure looks nice!

chris

 

[jmorris]

Nothing against wet tumbling but you are not skipping anything with dry tumbling vs wet tumbling.

Most of the time I am dry tumbling brass, I am skipping decapping the brass first, then mixing my concoction and I am skipping drying the brass afterwards.

Wet with pins does get them squeaky clean though, not a big deal if you already lube your brass anyway.

Most of the matches I have won were using ammunition that had dirty primer pockets, so they don’t really bother me.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Cut up a used dryer sheet and throw it in your media. It will catch a lot of the dust and I would think it would eliminate any static as well. I still don't think static is an issue.

And your ammo sure looks nice!

chris

I forgot the dryer sheets. Guess it depends on definition of "issue." It's a thing, perhaps an annoyance, but not a show stopper.

 

[Nature Boy]

I dry tumble rifle brass and wet tumble pistol