Wet tumbling - separating pins from brass with a media separator

[Mike44]

I am new to wet tumbling, I have been tumbling pistol cases with the primers in and 223 cases with the primers removed, I use a Lyman case dryer to dry cases. I use Armorall wash and wax and Lemishine to wash the brass. After reading horror tales online of rifle barrels being ruined by pins shot through them I have become very worried about pins left inside of cases after wet tumbling. I am using a Frankford Arsenal Wet/Dry media separator filled with water to separate the pins from the brass. So far I have not found a single pin in the brass after using the media separator. Do others find they get this kind of results with a media separator or am I just lucky so far?

 

[Cheesemaker]

I the wet/dry separator too after decapping. Never had a pin stuck in the case (that I know of).
I do rinse and tumble the separator well. Then I place the brass in a large towel and, holding the four corners, bounce/massage the brass vigorously. Then I lay it out to dry, air dry, climate controlled basement. I don't resize these for a few days at least.
Resizing, I leave the decapper in to resize the case neck (rifle). Never had an issue with a stubborn pin.

Edit: spelling

 

[Herman B]

So far I have not found a single pin in the brass...am I just lucky so far?

It's not luck, it's your technique. The solution is to break the surface tension between pin and brass. The most effective means:

...media separator filled with water...

Turning or shaking a basket in open air isn't as nearly as effective as being immersed in water.

 

[lightman]

I don't use a separator, I just empty the drum out in a plastic tub. I'll pour off most of the dirty water and refill the tub with clean water. Maybe a couple of times. Then I grab a handful of cases and swish them around in the clean water. I might find a pin stuck in a case neck maybe every 10,000 or so cases.

 

[AK Hunter]

I have found a 2nd rinse bath will help to break the surface tension & let the pins fall free. I also let them dry & do a fast tumble in a large towel will knock free any that get hung inside the case. I have yet to find a stuck pin in my .223/5.56.

 

[Bosn Ski]

When I wash with pins I have never found a pin in a case. I use this method and separators:

 

[Blue68f100]

You can check for pins by using a strong magnet. The 400 series pins are magnetic so you will locate them as well as brass plated steel cases.

Like already said, getting the soap removed is the key for the pins coming out. I've started just using the garden hose stuffed drum till all the soap stops. Then into the separator.

 

[markr6754]

I was using the Frankford Arsenal ball and bucket media separator. Too many pins thrown out of the bucket. So I switched to ultrasonic for a while…but nothing cleans brass like the FART. Meanwhile, Hornady put out a media separator with a basket and a closed lid…and my problems were solved. It’s a bit on the small size, and if I go crazy with loading the FART I have to split the batch into two loads. All pins captured, brass gets pretty dry, and I. An just leave the pins in the media separator to dry.
Sadly, more than 1/3 of my pins were not magnetic, so that process didn’t work as needed.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I run my fart between 45 minutes to an hour with hot tap water, 1/2 teaspoon Lemi-shine, cap full of Armor All Wash & Wax, small squirter of Dawn Dish Soap, drain the black water, fill it up with clean water shake the drum & drain again.
Filling up with warm water and run another ten to fifteen minutes.
I put the tumbled brass in a small bucket with warm tap water and grap a handful with my left hand wand grab two pieces of brass with my right hand from my left hand and swish them in the water then put them on drying racks I made using 16 penny galvanized Finnish nails.

If I deprime theb brass before I wet tumble the brass I will hit the cases with my air hose.

 

[FROGO207]

I use a Dillon separator and fill the tub half full of water. Then turn slowly alternating with a back and forth motion. Drain water and rinse again. Never in 12 years have I found a SS pin in my cleaned brass.

 

[Axis II]

I take the Lyman separator that goes on a 5gal bucket and dump the brass, water and pins in the separator. I rinse the cases and swish them with my hands and rinse again repeating several times. I then take a large magnet and run over the cases in the separator and get all the pins that did not fall through the separator. Pour the water out, rinse the pins and dump the cases onto a large towel. Twist the towel up and shake it like a giant maraca and lay it out on the basement floor or on a waterproof table. There should be pins on the towel that came out of the cases. I have only had one instance a pin was stick in a 223 case.

 

[packetloss]

I am using a Frankford Arsenal Wet/Dry media separator filled with water to separate the pins from the brass. So far I have not found a single pin in the brass after using the media separator. Do others find they get this kind of results with a media separator or am I just lucky so far?

I use the same media separator and as long as you fill it to the fill line with water it does a very good job of getting all the pins out.

Personally, I do a multistage cleaning process that pretty much ensures there are never any pins left. Basically, I clean all my cases with pins, dawn and citric acid for about 30 minutes, dry them in a case dryer and then deprime them. Then I run them for an hour with pins, dawn, citric acid. Empty that all out and separate the pins (but not dry) and then run it for another 10 mins with NO PINS and just Armor All Wash and Wax. I've never had any pins ;eft in cases after that last step. I didn't get good results using the wash and wax to clean, the citric acid/dawn did better before attempting to coat them with a light wax

 

[markr6754]

The best addition to my FART was the filter screens that came out with the mini-FART. It really helps my process. I drain the black water, refill the barrel, put it back on the drive for a few minutes, rinse, and repeat. It’s worked so much better than drain and rinse using the original brass catcher.

 

[Mike44]

I did try putting one pin in a 223 case and using a 450 lb. fishing magnet. The case is attracted to the magnet but it is pretty subtle.
I am using the filter screen to rinse the brass several times before filling the media separator with clean water.

Many thanks for all the helpful replies. I am going to stick with wet tumbling with pins and worry less.

 

[Tilos]

I use paint straining bags from Home Depot to separate the pins from the brass, kind of like this guy:
Wet tumbling brass & pin separation made easy - YouTube

I 1/2 fill the 1st 3 buckets with water, the 4th bucket water and a heavy dose of auto wash/wax Armer all and water.
I pour that 4th bucket mix into a jug and reuse it over and over.
I put that dollar store wire wastebasket into the 1st bucket with the mesh bag and empty the tumbler into it.
I move the basket up/down to rinse the brass and let the pins fall out.
I move the basket to the 2nd basket with a bag and again move the wire basket to rinse the brass and get any remaining to fall out.
I move the basket to the 4th bucket for the final rinse with the Armor All.
Once the brass has dried, it is pre-lubed for sizing/loading.

Take the bags out of the buckets, rinse the pins while in the bags, and dump them back into the tumbler.
Done.
The paint strainer bags cost $5
TRIMACO 5 gal. Elastic Top Paint Strainer (2-Pack)-11523 - The Home Depot
The dollar store buckets $4
The dollar store waste basket $1

.Edit: I de-prime before tumbling, never could get primer pockets clean without pins and I tried every type "cleaner" I could think of.

 

[9422wincam]

I am new to wet tumbling, I have been tumbling pistol cases with the primers in and 223 cases with the primers removed, I use a Lyman case dryer to dry cases. I use Armorall wash and wax and Lemishine to wash the brass. After reading horror tales online of rifle barrels being ruined by pins shot through them I have become very worried about pins left inside of cases after wet tumbling. I am using a Frankford Arsenal Wet/Dry media separator filled with water to separate the pins from the brass. So far I have not found a single pin in the brass after using the media separator. Do others find they get this kind of results with a media separator or am I just lucky so far?

I quit using pins all together
Just a big tablespoon full of Lemishine and some La awesome oxy boost
The tumble and the. Rinse
Take a couple old wash towels
Put one in bottom of tumbler
The add the wet brass
Then a couple of wash towels
And retumble for 20 minutes
All brass cleaned
All brass dry
Problem solved

 

[IALoder]

I run a Hornady media separator that I fill with water, 20 rotations clockwise, 20 counter clockwise, 10 clockwise, and 10 counter clockwise, dump the water, put the pins back in the tumbler, fill the media separator with water again and re do the rotations. Have yet to find a pin in the separator after the second time, and it does a pretty good job of rinsing the brass.