How dry is dry enough?

[whughett]

For the better part of 40+ years I’ve just used my Lyman Turbo 1200. Three years or so back I jumped into the wet tumbling game, 5 pounds of steel pins a cheap Harbor Freight double drum rock tumbler and a universal depriming die. Now the novelty of like new shiny brass has dulled. Decided the shine isn’t worth the extra work. Only 45C case used for black powder get the wet treatment now, all others dry corncob is good enough.

 

[Blue68f100]

I use the FA drier/dehydrator for drying brass, primers removed. I set the temp a max (155F?) let it run for 1 -1.5 hr. Has always been completely dry. This unit uses a forced air system, which dries the brass faster than just a oven.

 

[packetloss]

For the better part of 40+ years I’ve just used my Lyman Turbo 1200. Three years or so back I jumped into the wet tumbling game, 5 pounds of steel pins a cheap Harbor Freight double drum rock tumbler and a universal depriming die. Now the novelty of like new shiny brass has dulled. Decided the shine isn’t worth the extra work. Only 45C case used for black powder get the wet treatment now, all others dry corncob is good enough.

I just need to point out that while clean brass is a nice byproduct of wet tumbling, the main benefit is the lack of lead dust and the fact that with citric acid (a natural chelator) it gets rid of all the lead after 1 cycle and a proper rinse. If you insist on dry tumbling dirty cases you should do it outside and wear a P100 ventilator.

 

[Guy48065]

Evidently I put WAY to much trust that hot = dry and I need to leave them in my cheap dehydrater for MUCH longer. On a timer.

I appreciate all the experience here.
Thanks.

Ps the cases were decapped before tumbling.

 

[Rule3]

Dry means completely DRY

Don't seal them up in a airtight container, leave them out to completely evaporate.

 

[murf]

fifteen minutes in a toaster oven @ over 250 degrees is how i do it.

luck,

murf

 

[IALoder]

After wet tumbling I use an old food dehydrator to dry my brass. I think I paid $10 for it? An hour is all it needs to dry a full load from my F.A.R.T lite. I used to just put them out on a towel and let them dry overnight, had a few that wouldn't be all the way dry every time.

 

[whughett]

I just need to point out that while clean brass is a nice byproduct of wet tumbling, the main benefit is the lack of lead dust and the fact that with citric acid (a natural chelator) it gets rid of all the lead after 1 cycle and a proper rinse. If you insist on dry tumbling dirty cases you should do it outside and wear a P100 ventilator.

Good advise I suppose but given my age and the years working with and around lead as part of my vocation a few hours tumbling or removing the brass could hardly matter. IMO one is going to get more exposure firing the gun than cleaning g the brass.

 

[jmorris]

The sun is my preferred method, here in Texas during the summer months, in 2.5 beers, they are not only dry but too hot to hold in a bare hand.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Heating them does great, but you've got to have air circulation to pull the moisture away.

When you seal them up, put a decent sized bag of desiccant inside, based on the size of the container. That will take care of any residual moisture. ("Moisture"...not "pools of water")

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Evidently I put WAY to much trust that hot = dry and I need to leave them in my cheap dehydrater for MUCH longer. On a timer.

I appreciate all the experience here.
Thanks.

Ps the cases were decapped before tumbling.

Like I said before, location matters. Down here in N.Florida, this close to the Gulf, you can leave dry brass outside for ten minutes and it won't be dry when you collect it.

 

[Archie]

If you are significantly below sea level, how are you breathing right now???

I used to live (presuming one can use that word) in the Imperial Valley of California. Most of the southern area is below sea level. There's a town called 'Calipatria' and it is officially 180 feet below sea level. Yes, I understand you were making a play on words - not bad for that matter - but you did ring a bell in my alleged mind.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I used to live (presuming one can use that word) in the Imperial Valley of California. Most of the southern area is below sea level. There's a town called 'Calipatria' and it is officially 180 feet below sea level. Yes, I understand you were making a play on words - not bad for that matter - but you did ring a bell in my alleged mind.

LOL!! Duly noted and appreciated. The real question is: How did your brass dry there?

 

[Archie]

I deprime first, then soap, water and pins tumble. I put all the brass in a vibrating tumbler with crushed walnut shells and a small dab of Nu Shine and tumble for a couple hours. Cases are shiny and dry. I do allow the media to air dry.

Hmmm.
Mine are completely dry when they come out of the crushed walnut vibrator

-jb, I'm KIDDING!

I'm not.

 

[Archie]

LOL!! Duly noted and appreciated. The real question is: How did your brass dry there?

They didn't. Special 'wet' primers.

 

[packetloss]

IMO one is going to get more exposure firing the gun than cleaning g the brass.

In general this is not true. I belong to ranges that have proper up to date ventilation and my lead levels were between 1 and 2 for years before I started reloading. Processing of dirty cases (without a ventilator) drove my lead levels up over 10. Since I've started taking precautions when processing dirty cases (and wet tumbling), my lead levels have dropped below 5. No change in shooting quantity etc over time related to this. It was strictly the processing of dirty cases that made the drove my levels up. There is a ton of lead dust in there and if you breath that in it gets absorbed in large quantities into your blood stream. Even lead on your hands (which can get into your bloodstream) would be in much smaller quantities compared to breathing in the lead dust coming off dirty cases. At the range this could happen too if they don't have proper ventilation.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

In general this is not true. I belong to ranges that have proper up to date ventilation and my lead levels were between 1 and 2 for years before I started reloading. Processing of dirty cases (without a ventilator) drove my lead levels up over 10. Since I've started taking precautions when processing dirty cases (and wet tumbling), my lead levels have dropped below 5. No change in shooting quantity etc over time related to this. It was strictly the processing of dirty cases that made the drove my levels up. There is a ton of lead dust in there and if you breath that in it gets absorbed in large quantities into your blood stream. Even lead on your hands (which can get into your bloodstream) would be in much smaller quantities compared to breathing in the lead dust coming off dirty cases. At the range this could happen too if they don't have proper ventilation.

Do most people run their tumbler with the cover off? I keep mine covered tightly when running, keep it in the sorting bucket when not running so it is stored double-covered, and use it in a ventilated room. My blood tests all indicate low or normal mercury, lead and copper but elevated nickel, probably from a decade + working as a machinist. Not much I can do about that.

 

[Guy48065]

Since 1 hour wasn't enough time in my 100W (150°F) dehydrator I decided I needed a timer so I could put a batch in near bedtime & leave it all night.
I don't have a wall outlet in my little corner of the basement and outlet timers don't fit the power strip I use (big thing takes up 3 spaces). What I wanted was a "tabletop" timer.
It turns out these are rare.
But I recently put away my Christmas lights and "Viola" I have a corded timer I can set for 2-4-6-8 hours. All I needed to do was cover the light sensor with a piece of tape so it doesn't try to turn off when the lights are on.

Problem solved. Four hours gets the brass uber dry without baking or discoloring it.

 

[Demi-human]

I was going to suggest making sure the container they are put in is thoroughly dry as well.
Plastic can trap a fair amount of water in/on its surface.

Glad you found a nice automation. I find timers and alarms a necessity for my highly distract-able mind.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Since 1 hour wasn't enough time in my 100W (150°F) dehydrator I decided I needed a timer so I could put a batch in near bedtime & leave it all night.
I don't have a wall outlet in my little corner of the basement and outlet timers don't fit the power strip I use (big thing takes up 3 spaces). What I wanted was a "tabletop" timer.
It turns out these are rare.
But I recently put away my Christmas lights and "Viola" I have a corded timer I can set for 2-4-6-8 hours. All I needed to do was cover the light sensor with a piece of tape so it doesn't try to turn off when the lights are on.

Problem solved. Four hours gets the brass uber dry without baking or discoloring it.

View attachment 985731

Clap on . Clap off .

 

[Hondo 60]

As mentioned above, I leave mine out for atleast 24 hrs.

My process:
1. Deprime - yes it gets messy - but I use a single stage that's easy to clean
2. Wet tumble
3. Put strainer over a bucket, pour brass in & use HOT water to rinse em.
I think using HOT water helps em evaporate sooner.
4. Lay em out on paper towel for atleast 24 hours
5. turn 'em upside down & bang each one to make sure I got all the pins out.
6. Put 'em in 1 of those MTM 50 boxes.

Never had any humidity issues.
Just my 2¢ worth YMMV

 

[Howa 9700]

i am using a dry tumbler......either walnut shell or corn cob. Does a good job for the small limited amount I have to work on. Also helps that it didn't cost me anything.

But as for the lead dust, what is the source of the lead?

 

[AK Hunter]

Now I need to examine the drying process after a wet tumble. Yesterday I opened a jar of brass I had tumbled a couple weeks ago and found damp bright blue goo in the bottom of the jar. I had spread these cases out in a dehydrator and let them bake for a couple hours. They seemed hot and dry when I checked on them so I turned off the dehydrator and let them cool for a little while.
And then dumped them into a plastic jar and screwed the lid on.
Condensation formed inside and now I have green spots on some of my brass.

I checked a large container of 30-06 cases I ran last weekend and there is condensation droplets on the inside of that container as well. Those were run in wash & wax so they still look good. Got lucky.

Obviously I'm not letting them bake long enough, cool long enough, or something else I'm missing.

I have found that it you put them in a sealed container hot they will cause condensation on the inside of the container. So now I lay them out in cardboard trays that come from cases of drinking water to cool for a few hours before putting them away. Depriming all brass before wet tumbling helps too.

 

[Demi-human]

But as for the lead dust, what is the source of the lead?

Primer residue.

 

[packetloss]

Primer residue.

More specifically, any non lead free primers use lead styphnate as the ignitor. It produces a very fine lead dust that is the major contributor to lead exposure from shooting and reloading. Most of the lead absorption is from breathing in the dust. Yes you should wash your hands with d-lead soap too, but if you are going to handle dirty cases you should always wear a P-100 respirator. If you are going to dry tumble, I'd do it outside and still wear a P-100 respirator. If you only reload like 1000 rounds a year, it's probably not a big deal. 5000+ rounds a year, I'd try to minimize exposure to the lead dust.