Started Wet Tumbling

[B21]

On 7/6/2018 at 12:31 PM, bishop414 said:

For those wet tumbling without pins, do you still de-prime before or just dump brass in and go?

I was depriming before in a Lee universal decapping die. Got tired of wasting the time for high volume 9mm loading. 

[JohnnyD]

For those not depriming have you had any issues with primers not punching out?  I've heard issues.

[SCTaylor]

2 hours ago, JohnnyD said:

For those not depriming have you had any issues with primers not punching out?  I've heard issues.

 

That typically happens when the brass is not dried thoroughly after tumbling. Dry it out completely so there will be no issue. I've loaded 5k? wet tumbled brass with no stuck primers or ringers.

[TONY BARONE]

I deprime before tumbling with a FA tumbler using no pins with FA Brass cleaning solution then dry in a FA dryer at 110 -115 degrees for 2 hrs. using a Woods timer.

[MemphisMechanic]

If I had to deprime before tumbling that would be a deal breaker.  Reloading ammo is all about trudging through the grunt work in order to wind up with ammo I can go have fun with.

 

Reloading itself I regard as a chore, so whatever is fastest.

 

I am astronished that anyone would care the slightest bit about how clean a primer pocket gets. As long as a new one slides in and goes bang 100%, that’s clean enough for me.

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by MemphisMechanic

[inkballedtarget]

On 6/29/2018 at 10:46 AM, Jammer1911 said:

I have suspended the use of the SS pins. I use an ounce of Armor-all Wash/Wax, a 45 ACP case of Lemishine and water. tumble for 2 hours and looks the same as with the pins.

This is pretty much me. I am a no pins kind of guy. I use lemishine and a bit of dawn, wash them for 45 minutes, pull out to air dry in a mesh bag for an hour or so, and then into walnut media for 30 min.

 

The come out looking new!

[Paulie]

Just stopping in to say that the FART may be the best invention since yoga pants.

 

I used pins and five caps of the FA special sauce. The stuff glimmers like buffed jewelry. It’s mesmerizing. 

 

Ran a load of half dirty and half mulligan....some I used a home-brew detergent cocktail on last time to less than acceptable results. 

 

Now it’s all shiny / better than new. 

 

Get the FART, FA cleaning solution, magnet and their branded dryer. It all works well.

[jschweg]

I actually switched back to dry tumbling after wet tumbling for about a year.

While I too was initially mesmerized with cases that I could eat out of, it just added so much additional time to brass prep that I started to hate it. Depriming off the press, separating pins, rinsing, drying, blah.

I vastly prefer throwing a bunch of cases into my dry tumbler with a little nufinish, forgetting about it for 8 hours, and having them come out ready for the press.



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[Foxbat]

Dry tumbling produces tons of lead-rich dust.  So it is definitely not recommended, if you are doing it indoors.  There is virtually no dust with wet one.

 

For this reason I wet tumble it, no pins... then dry and then dry tumble just to give it longer lasting shine. 

 

I also do it under the exhaust hood that I built for that purpose. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Foxbat

[Paulie]

21 hours ago, jschweg said:

I actually switched back to dry tumbling after wet tumbling for about a year.

While I too was initially mesmerized with cases that I could eat out of, it just added so much additional time to brass prep that I started to hate it. Depriming off the press, separating pins, rinsing, drying, blah.

I vastly prefer throwing a bunch of cases into my dry tumbler with a little nufinish, forgetting about it for 8 hours, and having them come out ready for the press.



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How much time did you save by switching back to dry? 

 

In my mind the only extra Steps are: 

- put wet cases in FA dryer 

- dispose of dirty water 

[RiggerJJ]

1 hour ago, Foxbat said:

Dry tumbling produces tons of lead-rich dust.  So it is definitely not recommended, if you are doing it indoors.  There is virtually no dust with wet one.

 

For this reason I wet tumble it, no pins... then dry and then dry tumble just to give it longer lasting shine. 

 

I also do it under the exhaust hood that I built for that purpose. 

BS

I have yet to see this supposed "tons" of lead laden dust. When you put in media polish the dust is virutually non-existent.

 

Using your analogy; Wet tumbling produces tons of lead laden water. What do you do with it? Pour it down the drain (to eventually go to the sewer treatment plant) to contaminate eventual fresh water? Pour it on the ground? Save it for hazmat to come and take it away?

 

I contend (Imho) that wet tumbling creates more of a hazard with the lead laden water...

Edited August 2, 2018 by RiggerJJ

[jschweg]

 
How much time did you save by switching back to dry? 
 
In my mind the only extra Steps are: 
- put wet cases in FA dryer 
- dispose of dirty water 

I think depriming off the press added the most significant amount of time.

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[Foxbat]

3 hours ago, RiggerJJ said:

BS

I have yet to see this supposed "tons" of lead laden dust. When you put in media polish the dust is virutually non-existent.

 

 

 

I dry tumbled inside that exhaust hood, and still the inside of it, and the equipment were covered in dust.  Perhaps it was the matter of volume - I did significant numbers.  But I am not going to argue, we are just exchanging ideas and opinions. 

[slavex]

I spent $10,000 having my house decontaminated back in 2006 after only living in it for two years. The lead dust was everywhere, 2 floors up from the reloading room and the dust turned the sample cloths as yellow as the dust in the reloading room. 

Wet tumbling, dump the water down my big sink in the garage, this then ends up at the water treatment plant, which specifically has a process for removing heavy metals from the water. My city engineering department are the ones who told me dump it in the sink instead of outside. 

As for time. I spend maybe, 25 minutes more per couple of 5 gallon pails with wet tumbling, than I did dry tumbling, and with much better results in cleanliness of the cases. Also, much less money spent on stuff to get the cases clean. I use the cheapest laundry detergent I can find, 1 tablespoon of it, less than 1/4 teaspoon of Lemishine, and hot water for both washing and rinsing. The rinse water also gets reused as washing water once the first batch is done, then that gets dumped out, rinse the cases, reuse the rinse water to wash, repeat. during the 1hr washing cycle I am drying my brass in the oven for 1hr.

easy peasy

[Foxbat]

Transition to wet tumbling was, undoubtedly, to large degree responsible for my huge reduction in blood lead level.  I no longer breathe that lead laden dust. 

[DavidShoots]

Tried pins and wet tumbling cases looked great but what pain even with the magnet. Bought a Hornaby ultrasonic cleaner. Use lemishine and hornaby brass cleaner for 30 minutes rinse and put in dryer. Much easier and no more pins all over my reloading table.


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[Foxbat]

Pins ARE pain, but they are not really necessary.  You get pretty good result without them.

[slavex]

I haven't used pins in ages, the only time I might is with my match rifle ammo to clean the primer pockets, maybe. Totally not needed at all.

[Foxbat]

On 8/4/2018 at 4:34 PM, DavidShoots said:

Tried pins and wet tumbling cases looked great but what pain even with the magnet. Bought a Hornaby ultrasonic cleaner. Use lemishine and hornaby brass cleaner for 30 minutes rinse and put in dryer. Much easier and no more pins all over my reloading table.
 

 

It does sound intriguing, but based on my experience with such machines, dumping the used liquid might be a messy chore - no? 

[Adamj]

I have been experimenting with tumbling without pins and I'm now completely converted. It is soo much easier to manage the process without chasing pins all over my kitchen floor. I still pins but only on my long range 3 gun ammo. Not sure if it helps, but I don't load many match rifle rounds so it's not that much trouble. 

[mayassa]

I don't get why people are chasing pins, I separate mine in the media separator then strain them.  This takes 2 minutes.