Tell Me About SS Wet Case Cleaning

[35 Whelen]

I'm a little interested in this. I'm a rabid tinkerer, so I'd likely build my own tumbler, but would want to do it as inexpensively as possibly.
Where does one buy the SS media and what does it cost? Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless the SS pieces are tiny, seems to me they'd be likely to jam up in the mouth of a case such as .223.
I have a vibrator and am perfectly happy with it, but from time to time I find really nasty brass out around my shooting bench that I'd like to be able to use.

Thank in advance,
35W

 

[jmorris]

I built one last year, here you go.


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=628974&highlight=homemade+tumbler

 

[LBEE]

Two Places I have to buy The SS Media, Kathy Reitz 800 336 6017 or
Kevin 716 693 1750 Cheapest @ $1 pound. I used the media from Kathy worked Fine
till I went to my own system combo to clean, The SS Media was a Pain In The A**

 

[rjrivero]

I got mine from Pellets LLC. Call them and tell them you want the stuff for brass. Theirs is stainless steel, but magnetic, so even if you spill, you just run your magnet over it and reclaim your pellets. http://www.pelletsllc.com/StainlessSteelShot

Good luck.

 

[PCCUSNRET]

The only cases I've had problems with pins sticking in the mouth of the brass was in 25.06 cases. I've also had a lot of pins sticking in the flash holes of .223 PMC brass. Overall, I am still very pleased with the results of how this system cleans the brass. I purchased my pins from Sinclair. Do make sure you get pins that are magnetic. I put a large magnet over the drain hole of the sink and it has saved a couple hundred pins from going down the drain.

 

[dbarnhart]

I have the package offered by these guys:

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

I'm a couple days away from publishing an extensive comparison article on my site but my experience is:

- Best cleaning of primer pockets
- Best cleaning of the interior of the case (if that's important to you)
- If primer pockets are not an issue and your cases are the normal level of tarnish then corn cob will get them almost as shiny.
- If your cases are really grubby nothing else does as good a job
- The most expensive method of cleaning cases
- A lot of work but not the MOst work of the methods I tried

 

[Seedtick]

Got mine at Buffalo Arms.

Stainless Steel Case Cleaning Media .041"x.265" Priced per Pound = $7.00 for 5 or more pounds

HTH

Seedtick

 

[flyskater]

It was to my understanding that Pellets LLC have a 50# minimum order policy that they started lately.

 

[bigedp51]

I have the kit from STM and it cleans extremely well BUT at Accurateshooter.com the subject was brought up about the media denting the case mouth which it does. The bench rest shooters feel this will effect the cases and accuracy so it something to think about.

 

[Clark]

Here is MY story

1999
I tried wrapping fine steel wool around a bronze brush and spinning it in the lathe and shoving the case neck over the brush.
This will get the inside of the necks clean, but takes too many man hours, as the steel wool constantly changes shape.

2004
I tried a few twists of the wrist in fine steel wool, and the outside of the case is clean enough.

2005
I got a vibratory cleaner and polish from Berry's Bullets.
I tried corn cob media.
I tried Walnut media.
It gets the outside clean in 5 minutes.
The inside of the necks are still dirty after 48 hours.

2008
I got another vibratory cleaner with Dillon cleaner, when someone died.
Same results.

2008
I learned the trick of putting a few paper towels, torn into 1" wide strips, into the mix.
This keeps the media clean and gets the paper towel dirty instead.

2009
I read the 6mmBR article and bought an ultrasound, vinegar, Lemishine, and soda.
It only gets case necks clean that are held over the transducer and pointed down.
I made a fixture for holding the case necks over the center of the tank, over the transducer.
I can get the inside of the necks clean, but it takes too many man hours.

2010
I got a high speed Thumbler Model B.
I got 5 pounds of stainless steel media [ round rods .041" dia, .255" long]
I tumbled for 12 hours with an ounce of Ivory dish washing liquid and Lemishine, with water to the top.
This does get the inside of the necks reasonably clean with few man hours.
The outside has the same sparkle as new brass.

Ever notice how new Win or RP brass has a burr on the necks that you may cut off with an inside and outside chamfer?
I can guess that Win and RP are tumbling the brass to get that sparkling finish.
Because the brass case mouths need to be chamfered inside and out AGAIN after 12 hours of tumbling.

 

[918v]

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

That's the package I use as well. You only need a small quantity of media. The cost of the media is irrelevant. The bulk of the cost is in the tumbler and the media separator.

What you do get is like new brass, inside and out. A clean neck gives you a better purchase on the bullet, resulting in more efficient combustion, low ES and better accuracy.

 

[Hondo 60]

Will SS get those range pick-ups that are tarnished & almost brown, looking like new again?

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

yes, i pulled some .270 Win out of the mud that my neighbor left at my range. they were black with tarnish. after about 4 hrs in the thumlers w/ SS media, they are practically indistinguishable from new brass.

 

[cfullgraf]

SS wet tumbling gets all the burnt powder cud out of the inside of the case and the primer pocket, so i suspect it will get the outside bright and shiny.

I cleaned my entire stash of 38 Special recently and I saw no stains on any of the cases after wet tumbling.

I plan to wet tumble periodically but not every time. It is too time consuming.

 

[FROGO207]

^^^^^ Like anything reloading related there are tradeoffs for your personal process used. I like the aspect that the brass is cleaned "as new" whenever wet tumbled. That said I will shoot my revolver brass 5 or 6 times before cleaning it. It never hits the floor and is not so dirty that I feel the need to clean it sparkling clean. But anything that I load to "put away" I will first clean with SS pins and then run through some corn cob and Nu Finish for 15 minutes to keep the tarnish monster at bay. I will reload it first and then run the entire round through the polish if I am doing it soon, otherwise I will polish the brass and put it away in plastic bags or coffee cans for storage. This is what I most generally do to my once fired brass that I am going to save and not reload until my current pile of many times fired brass expires.

 

[918v]

Will SS get those range pick-ups that are tarnished & almost brown, looking like new again?

Absolutely, if you do it right.

 

[Hondo 60]

Absolutely, if you do it right.

OK, what do you mean by "if you do it right"?

Thanks

 

[Clark]

A wet tumble in hard media is obviously how the brass makers are getting their finish.

It is like asking if you make brass will it look like new brass.

It is also obvious that is where the mouth burr comes from. Lapua must be post wet tumble chamfering.