Wet tumbler

[RichJacot]

I've just started wet tumbling. I made my own similar to Dawg's design.

Anyway, my question is how long can I leave my brass in the tumbler?

I've read not to leave it in the tumble when the cycle completes but other than that I haven't seen a time limit.

I'd like to start a batch when I leave for work, about 6am, and take it out when I get home, about 6pm. Is that too long?

I'm using a .45 full of Lemishine and a squirt of dawn with hot water in a 6" tube 19" long.

Edited February 15, 2016 by RichJacot

[Bkreutz]

I can't imagine tumbling it that long. I use a cement mixer and it runs for an hour. I rinse it immediately to get the nasty water/soap mixture off it. Then I separate the brass from the pins, rinse the brass a couple of more times and then spread them out on towels to dry. Dry time varies between a couple of hours (summer in the sun) to a week (winter time in my heated shop) I think anything past an hour (mine don't get any cleaner if I tumble it longer) would just add wear to the brass from them bouncing off one another. JMO

[RichJacot]

Sorry. No I don't plan on tumbling it that long. It will be on a two hour timer and then set idle until I get home.

I see you mention it to: "I rinse it immediately" and that's all I really find in searches. I'm just wondering what it will hurt if sit for X length of time. Will it just get sediment on it? If that's the case can't I just kick the time back on for say 15 minutes to knock that off and stir everything back up?

[RPatton]

If you want it to be freshly done when you get home then get a cheap 24 hour timer so it will start a couple of hours before you get home.

[Steve RA]

With some formulations in the tumbler, if you leave the brass over 3 hrs max it will discolor. With just Dawn you can leave it for a long, long time. I think the ArmorAll wash & wax is ok to leave it for a long time. What ever you plan on using, mix up a little and throw 5 or 10 cartridges in it and let it sit overnight and see if any discoloration occurs.

[RDA]

Try it and find out. With my water and solution, I can tumble for 1 hour and leave it for 23 hours until the next day when I rinse and separate and everything is fine.

Edit: I'll add that sometimes I'll turn on the tumbler for 5 minutes before rinsing and separating (and sometimes I don't) just to make sure none of the dirt has settled or reattached to the cases. I have never noticed a difference either way.

Edited February 15, 2016 by RDA

[ttolliver]

When I was researching ss pin tumbling I ran across several references to brass losing zinc as it sits in water. Presumably at some advanced state you can get redish spots or it can take on a pinkish hue. I've never seen it myself. And I have no clue how many hours it takes to set in. But that may be what you should watch for.

That being said, I run my Frankford Arsenal tumbler on the full 3 hour cycle then pull it out right away -- always within an hour but normally within a few minutes. I find it hard to worry too much about maybe 50 hours of accumulated water time for brass that may miraculously survive in my collection for 12-15 cycles. But if your shooting habit allows you to reclaim a fair percent of your brass I wonder if brass accumulating several hundred hours of water time might get into worrisome territory.

Good luck!

[EDA]

If I forget to take it out shortly after tumbling and leave it overnight, I run it for 30 minutes the following day before draining/rinsing to re-suspend the particles.

Always look minty fresh that way.

[RichJacot]

Thanks Guy! That's what I wanted to know!

[sschultz]

I will load the tumbler with pin, brass, soap and lemishine run it for 5 minutes to mix it up. Then the wife will hit the switch 3 hours before I'm do home. All way's rinse right away.

[scffacenter1]

I also highly recommend trying the armorall wash n wax car wash with it. You won't have as many water spots on the brass after it dries.

[Absocold]

It's not the soap that's a concern, dish and car soap won't hurt brass. Just make sure there's no ammonia or bleach in it and you're fine. Drown your brass in it for a year if it floats your boat.

It's the Lemishine that's a problem. The effects of long term and/or high concentrations of the salt and acid in Lemishine aren't well documented. We know even a small amount will leach the zinc out of the brass over time (usually overnight) causing a color shift from yellow to a pinkish color. Cartridge brass is yellow because it's 70% copper and 30% zinc, once it starts shifting towards red (copper color) as dezincification occurs, it becomes very brittle. This pink brass is unsafe to use in a firearm.

A little bit of Lemishine used for a short period works perfectly, but if you're going to let your brass soak for longer than an hour or two, leave out the Lemishine - or any other highly acidic agent, including things like bleach and vinegar.