Looks like I'm joining the stainless pin tumbling crowd

[Jedabug92]

I an effort to surprise me for Christmas, the wife did all the research on all the items needed to get me a stainless pin tumbling setup. She landed on the Thumlers Tumbler and .047 pins. (5lbs worth). After all the work and getting everything ordered. the machine arrived in a nice white box with "Thumlers Tumbler" on the side, essentially ruining the surprise. She was visibly upset about it.

I've tried to convince her that I've not seen the package and have no idea what she's talking about, but I don't think she's buying it.

Model B right?

Sent from the Armory

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Another thing I like about SS Cleaning is all of us know how tough Oklahoma clay is, if you pick up some brass with clay in it (talking rifle brass), with the corncob or walnut media I just don't think it has the abrasive power to cut Oklahoma clay, also the inside of the brass is usually still usually dirty. With SS media the inside is as clean as the outside so you can actually look in each case prior to loading, just makes me feel safer knowing I don't have anything 'extra' in my cases. I swage a lot of 22lr cases in to 223 bullets, and the priming compound in those don't always get all used up, so when you go to de-rim them they go off, since I've used SS media that problem has gone away.

Wouldn't the liquid render the priming compound inert anyway?

 

[aviator41]

Model B right?

Sent from the Armory

Correct.

 

[aviator41]

Thats what I was thinking so I did a little googling. Turns out water alone won't make the priming paste intert perminantly. Once it dries it goes hot again. only an oil based product will do it perminantly, but washing it out seems to be a good option as well.

 

[OKCHunter]

i'm using an old food dehydrator set on low heat. I'd like to find a way put a thin cat of car polish on the brass to keep the tarnish under control.. This may become the task of the old vibratory cleaner. simple cob media with a capfull of nu finish mixed in very well. about an hour running will evenly distribute an anti-tarnish agent.

How long does it take to dry the brass using the food dehydrator? I'm tired of fighting the wife for use of our clothes dryer and was thinking about this option.

 

[aviator41]

How long does it take to dry the brass using the food dehydrator? I'm tired of fighting the wife for use of our clothes dryer and was thinking about this option.

So far, just overnight. I can see it only taking a few hours though. After letting about 1,000pcs of 38 special sit for a few days, I'm nixing the idea for an anti tarnish step. Swampratt is giving fantastic advice about how the whole lemi-shine works in the process. This brass is super clean, tarnish free and staying that way.

I will say this: Leaving brass in an idle tumbler overnight appears to be a poor idea. The brass is clean, but it appears to have a darker color.

 

[oldkar]

Mine do not tarnish after pin cleaning
Citric acid chelates the brass and citric acid passivates the brass, which means that after washing in the solution, the brass is actually made more corrosion-resistant.

I have some I cleaned over a year ago and they look just fine.

During a rainy hunt I removed brass cased ammo from my gun to get into my car many times during the weekend.\
It got dropped in the grass and stuck in my pocket tossed in the center console and wiped off and back into the gun when I went back out.

Now the Virgin Lapua cases that were not cleaned had funky scratch patterns looked like spider webing on them corrosion setting in.

But the once and 2x fired cases that were pin tumbled did not have this funny look to them.

After you pin tumble and they dry they will look really bright and shiny. a couple days and the shine will dull just a bit and stay there at that stage.
At least that is what I noticed in my 1000's of cases I have played with.

swamprat, have you changed to ss pins or are you still using copper?

 

[OKCHunter]

So far, just overnight. I can see it only taking a few hours though. After letting about 1,000pcs of 38 special sit for a few days, I'm nixing the idea for an anti tarnish step. Swampratt is giving fantastic advice about how the whole lemi-shine works in the process. This brass is super clean, tarnish free and staying that way.

I will say this: Leaving brass in an idle tumbler overnight appears to be a poor idea. The brass is clean, but it appears to have a darker color.

Hmmm. May have to use both drying techniques. On the rack in the clothes dryer it takes a 40 minute cycle (or less) to dry the brass. When I'm not in a hurry then the dehydrator may be the way to go.

 

[Jedabug92]

..........went looking for components. .....bought a Model B

Sent from the Armory

 

[aviator41]

Hmmm. May have to use both drying techniques. On the rack in the clothes dryer it takes a 40 minute cycle (or less) to dry the brass. When I'm not in a hurry then the dehydrator may be the way to go.

I'll try to do some experiments and see what the minimum time/temp is. I am sure it will have to do with how well you shake the brass dry first, caliber may play a role, temp certainly will as will brass density on the trays. I'm quite new to the whole stainless pin tumbling, so bear with me. At one point I tried a quick wash and dry in the oven, but our water was so hard that the brass ended up worse than it started, so I moved to a vibratory cleaner. Simple harbor freight jobby, worked great. I added mineral spirits and swelled the lid seal up to where it came off, so it would make a mess after a while. However even after running overnight, loaded carefully and getting maximum agitation, it does not compare to the clean my fvery first try with the wet tumbler got me. I can see putting a bigger version together.

As others have done, I ran previously cleaned brass through the tumbler - yeah, my definition of "clean" has changed. I have a lot of tumbling to do in the next few weeks. I will be interested to see if my rifle loads change with clean brass.

The only other wet process I have is ultrasonic for cleaning gun parts pre/post work or during intensive cleaning. drying is then accomplished with carb cleaner and compressed air followed immediatley by quick spray of CLP. dry time measured in seconds usually. Most parts get a mix of simple green and water. Others get a bath of mineral spirits. extremely delicate parts get a bath in jewelery cleaner. It's the only way I feel confident removing stoning debris or fine filings and milling machine lubricants.