Tumbling media driving me crazy

[Rob]

It drives me nuts to have to pick the tumbling media out of flash holes and primer pocket after tumbling.

I am using Lyman turbo tumbler media right now.

What are other folks using?  I hear some folks use walnut she'll cat litter.  Anyone do that?  What brand?

[uplandhunter870]

im using the crushed corn media from frankfort arsenal, got their media separator deal fro xmas and dont have any problems with media getting stuck in places

[BULLBLASTER]

Stainless media.

Or try a universal de capping die to clean the flash holes after tumbling. Or clean before resizing

[heronblu]

Walnut shells with some polishing compound mixed in. They are very easy to dump out. Once I do a preliminary dump I put all the casings in a colander and blow them off quickly with compressed air before resizing to get rid of any errant shell bits. 

[huntandjeep]

Walnut shells with some polishing compound mixed in. They are very easy to dump out. Once I do a preliminary dump I put all the casings in a colander and blow them off quickly with compressed air before resizing to get rid of any errant shell bits.

[yorketransport]

Or try a universal de capping die to clean the flash holes after tumbling. Or clean before resizing

This is what I would do. I just throw my brass in the tumbler when I get home from shooting and then decap everything before running it through the sizing dies.

[carpsniperg2]

Stainless steel media is amazing. I have been using it for years and it will clean super well and no more picking media either.

[Rob]

Thanks,  I am using a decaping die to remove media today, but would like to eliminate that step.

Any brand of walnut that folks use?

I have not heard of stainless media.  Need to check that out!

[Magnum_Willys]

I'm considering this one..........
https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Series-Rotary-Tumbler-7L/dp/B00HTN4R6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488772126&sr=8-1&keywords=STAINLESS+TUMBLER+RELOADING

[BULLBLASTER]

That's the one I use

[Rob]

These are wet tumblers, right?

How do you dry the brass inside and out after you remove it?  Seems messy...

[BULLBLASTER]

These are wet tumblers, right?

How do you dry the brass inside and out after you remove it?  Seems messy...

drying the brass hasn't been an issue for me.

I tumble
Then sort the brass from the media, then I run it through the annealing machine which dries a lot of the water. Or I just set it out on a towel and it dries fairly quickly.
In the summer set it in the sun.

Some guys use food dehydrators to dry it faster.

[carpsniperg2]

I use a dehydrator and it's slick. Picked it up a garage sale for 5.00. Gets pretty hot and dries them pretty dang quick.

[Karl Blanchard]

I throw mine in the dehydrator but like bullblaster said it isn't necessary.   I do it because space is limited around this house and I want it dry and put away.

 Go stainless man. Your brass will literally look brand new.  It's simply amazing.  No more cleaning primer pockets either.  You literally couldn't pay me to go back to a regularge case tumbler.

[sumpnz]

You know those kits you can buy for coloring Easter eggs?  They usually come with a copper wire spoon thingy you use to dunk the eggs in the coloring mix.  I just sort of straightened one of those out and as I pull brass from the tumbler I take a quick look to see if any media is in the flash hole.  If there is a quick poke with that wire cleans it right out.  Easy peasy.

I prefer to tumble after resizing so any case lube gets cleaned off.

[Rob]

yeah, I dual tumble right now.  once prior to sizing, and once more after sizing/trimming/and reaming to clean out lube and brass bits.

It is the second tumble that causes me issues.

I have been using a similar process of poking a hand held de-capping tool through the flash hole after tumbling, but 80% of my brass is clogged so that takes quite a while.  using a decapping die and running them through the press is faster, I am looking for an even faster method.

I like the idea of using a rotary tumbler with stainless.  That may be an upcoming upgrade. 

Thanks everyone

[JJD]

Or try a universal de capping die to clean the flash holes after tumbling. Or clean before resizing

This is what I would do. I just throw my brass in the tumbler when I get home from shooting and then decap everything before running it through the sizing dies.

Exactly, the tumbling media does not clean the primer pocket anyway.  Tumble, decap, clean primer pocket with cleaning tool(rifle), resize.  Most guys I know who reload pistol with progressive presses don't bother with primer pockets at all.  I have not used one but I'd be willing to bet that an ultrasonic cleaner would be the ticket if having squeaky clean primer pockets is your goal. 

[BULLBLASTER]

Or try a universal de capping die to clean the flash holes after tumbling. Or clean before resizing

This is what I would do. I just throw my brass in the tumbler when I get home from shooting and then decap everything before running it through the sizing dies.

Exactly, the tumbling media does not clean the primer pocket anyway.  Tumble, decap, clean primer pocket with cleaning tool(rifle), resize.  Most guys I know who reload pistol with progressive presses don't bother with primer pockets at all.  I have not used one but I'd be willing to bet that an ultrasonic cleaner would be the ticket if having squeaky clean primer pockets is your goal.

stainless media cleans primer pockets to new looking

[HighlandLofts]

I bought the regular tumbler from Harbor Freight with their 20% discount coupon and then the 25# box of coarse walnut hull media. I mix in a little Simple Green and some Brasso Brass Polish. It does clog up the brass with the large primers, not so much with the small primer brass.
I picked up the small 3 or 4 piece pick set from Harbor Freight for about $4 and use the one with the straight pick on it, looks like a small ice pick to clean the primer pockets.
I deprime my brass before tumbling.

I did buy a Hornady Sonic Cleaner and a Frankfurt Arsenal Stainless Media Tumbler but am waiting for the sun to come back before I start using them. I will be taking a piece of 2x10 or 2x12, mark a grid pattern in it about every 3/4s inch maybe 1 inch and screw in treated deck screw so in can put the brass on the screw and let nature take it's coarse out in the sun on the picnic table.
I'll see what the average brass count is and make my drying rack accordingly.

I did buy some Lyman Corn Cob Media, but haven't tried it yet. Maybe next time.

[hunting4sanity]

The stainless steel pins make nasty brass look new again. Rice as a dry-media can also do a very nice job, slower than stainless, but some guys claim they get better results across the chrono with rice cleaning. Rice will block some flash holes, but with the right size it's not very many.

[HighlandLofts]

Do you dry tumble with the rice in the viberator tumbler?

Also does any one use the ceramic media available at Harbor Freight?

[JJD]

Or try a universal de capping die to clean the flash holes after tumbling. Or clean before resizing

This is what I would do. I just throw my brass in the tumbler when I get home from shooting and then decap everything before running it through the sizing dies.

Exactly, the tumbling media does not clean the primer pocket anyway.  Tumble, decap, clean primer pocket with cleaning tool(rifle), resize.  Most guys I know who reload pistol with progressive presses don't bother with primer pockets at all.  I have not used one but I'd be willing to bet that an ultrasonic cleaner would be the ticket if having squeaky clean primer pockets is your goal.

stainless media cleans primer pockets to new looking

SS cleaning media does not work in a Vibrating cleaner.

[AWS]

If tumbling your brass is such a pain why bother.  I've been loading for 50= years and have yet to tumble any brass,  I wipe and dirt or dust off my brass and load it.  My loads aren't pretty but they are very accurate and I haven't ruined a die yet and still win and kill stuff with my reloads.

[CP]

I gave up tumbling decades ago as well.  I usually just give the brass a spray of Hornady One Shot - size them, then wipe them clean with a rag.  The One shot cleans them pretty well.  If the brass is extra filthy I run them through the sonic cleaner with hot water and Dawn dish soap.


 

[Magnum_Willys]

Just ran first batch with pins.  Yes clean and newish looking but not shiny - look sandblasted kind of.  Two hours was probably too long ?   Will try one hour next time and also try without pins. 

[jrebel]

Just ran first batch with pins.  Yes clean and newish looking but not shiny - look sandblasted kind of.  Two hours was probably too long ?   Will try one hour next time and also try without pins.

Did you put dawn and lem shine in the water with the pins.  I ran my first two batches yesterday and they look new....very shiny.  I have a post going with pics if you want to take a look. 

[coop2424]

Just ran first batch with pins.  Yes clean and newish looking but not shiny - look sandblasted kind of.  Two hours was probably too long ?   Will try one hour next time and also try without pins.

I have ran some longer than 3 hours so time shouldn't be the issue..  Should come out very shiny.

[Magnum_Willys]

Just ran first batch with pins.  Yes clean and newish looking but not shiny - look sandblasted kind of.  Two hours was probably too long ?   Will try one hour next time and also try without pins.

Did you put dawn and lem shine in the water with the pins.  I ran my first two batches yesterday and they look new....very shiny.  I have a post going with pics if you want to take a look.

I did .  They look fine just surface not as smooth as I expected ?

[Magnum_Willys]

Maybe its that weatherby brass I'll see how the lapua does.

[jrebel]

This is mine from last night.  Approx 3 hours.

[Jonathan_S]

Just ran first batch with pins.  Yes clean and newish looking but not shiny - look sandblasted kind of.  Two hours was probably too long ?   Will try one hour next time and also try without pins.

I had brass come out "textured" like that. It happened when the lid to the rock tumbler opened up and spilled 80% of the media out. Be very careful resizing those, they really grab at the die.

[Jonathan_S]

Based on that I'd guess you don't have enough media

[BULLBLASTER]

Just ran first batch with pins.  Yes clean and newish looking but not shiny - look sandblasted kind of.  Two hours was probably too long ?   Will try one hour next time and also try without pins.

Did you put dawn and lem shine in the water with the pins.  I ran my first two batches yesterday and they look new....very shiny.  I have a post going with pics if you want to take a look.

I did .  They look fine just surface not as smooth as I expected ?

thats weird. Was the tumbler full of water?

[Magnum_Willys]

Based on that I'd guess you don't have enough media

IDK ? Used full bag that came with tumbler.  They sized fine and shot fine.  Full of water, added Dawn and Lemishine.  Going to try some other brass. Don't want to scuff my new Lapua brass that much. 

Going to see what Nutshell media with rouge does to them :-)

[Jonathan_S]

Based on that I'd guess you don't have enough media

IDK ? Used full bag that came with tumbler.  They sized fine and shot fine.  Full of water, added Dawn and Lemishine.  Going to try some other brass. Don't want to scuff my new Lapua brass that much. 

Going to see what Nutshell media with rouge does to them :-)

  that texture will gradually wear off

[CP]

10 minutes in the sonic cleaner -

[jjness11]

I picked up one of the Frankford Arsenal stainless tumblers when they were on sale at Cabelas. Easier, faster, better. I still dry tumble before I decap and size the brass, just because I don't want dirty brass in my dies. Then its all stainless!

[lamrith]

I always seem to have cob media in bottom of my brass storage bins when I tumble with cob, no matter what I do to separate, how many times I have changed my system, it is always there.

I JUST made the switch to SS media 2 weeks ago, WOW, so much better overall.  It does take a little more hands on time, but the results are much better, both the clean factor as well as the separating factor.  The SS media is heavier and just seems to separate better. It can cost a little bit to get into, I didn't do it for a LONG time until I stumbled on a used Thumler for $60.  $10 new gasket, $6 belt and $6 plastic knobs and it is running like a champ!  I have put probably 4k worth of pistol rounds thru it in just over a week and half.  There is a Co on FB that sells a granular SS media, I tried it and found it is a pita to work with as it is so small and light that it tends to flow with water.  It also sticks to hands, tumbler etc and can be tough to keep where you want it.  I am borrowing a 5# batch large(.062"x.500") SS pin media from buddy below, finding it is much easier to work with, drops clear of brass well and does not stick to everything.  I think sort of a std size is more of .047"*.500"  Runtime can vary depending on tumbler used.  My Thumler is an old one for rock polishing, so runs at 1/2 speed, thus I run it 2x as long, that works well though as I just set it up to run overnight, empty and reload in morning and run a batch while I am at work.  Then repeat in the evening and run overnight.

A Friend of mine from over on Waguns.org put this video together, covers SS tumbling pretty well.  I follow the same routine and find it takes about 10-15min for me to do the process of switching a batch over to the dehydrator and then starting the next batch in the tumbler.