Cleaning fired Brass

[calan]

How many times do you tumble before changing out your media?

I use fine walnut shells with a little Nu Finish polish thinned with acetone, and usually toss a couple pieces of dryer sheet in to help with the dust...although the usefulness of the dryer sheets is negligible. They definitely turn dark and help a little, but I still get some dust when dumping it into the separator.

I think I've only changed out the media twice, after maybe 20 brass cleaning cycles each time. Maybe I should start changing it out more often.

[Ranch Dog]

How many times do you tumble before changing out your media?

Good question, I really don't have any set period. I'm actually going to start washing my brass first with Birchwood Casey's Brass Cartridge Case Cleaner and then using my vibrator just to polish the brass. I thought that might add some life to the media by starting cleaner.

[pricedo]

Dust generated by tumbling media left till it gets supersaturated with dirt & impurities removed from cartridge casings can be hazardous to your health.
I always ran my cases through a RCBS depriming die (deprimes without sizing) & removed the spent primers before tumbling them and the material from inside the primer pocket is apparently rich in lead compound dust.

[357cyrus]

If anyone could post a picture of what is too dirty or saturated I'd like to know. I don't think I've reached that point yet. I use dryer sheets in walnut with a little "brasso" polish. I don't notice too much dust, but I separate outside with the wind at my back and try to take a shower right afterwards. I keep telling myself next time I go to the Dr I should get a lead test done to get a baseline to see if I'm picking any up.

[akuser47]

There are always percautions to be taken with my vib. medie I always add fab soft. sheets to help catch extra dust and grim. always be carfeful.Wet tun=mblers are a different matter totaly and should be taken as so.

[Ranch Dog]

I keep telling myself next time I go to the Dr I should get a lead test done to get a baseline to see if I'm picking any up.

My Doctor includes the lead test at my request annually. No additional charge for it, they just need to know you want it. I'm casting a barrel of bullets a year and all this other stuff using standard safety precautions and it always comes up zip.

[mr surveyor]

I'm still using a small ultrasonic cleaner I bought in 1983 for cleaning drafting pens. I buzz them for half an hour in 50/50 mix of plain vinegar and water, give that batch a quick rinse, then dunk them in a coffee can of Birchwood Casey's Brass Cleaner solution. Maybe not polished, but they come out more than clean enough both inside and out. Since the brass is already "clean" before it goes into the Birchwood Casey's solution, I've been able to brighten up thousands of pieces of brass with about 1/2 volume of a small coffee can of mix. I always deprime (universal depriming die) all of my brass before the bath as it helps get a flow through during cleaning as well as a flow through of air for drying.

If I do go to a "solid media" type system though, the steel pins do sound interesting.

[donhuff]

Tuco, do you know about getting you walnut hull from the pet store? And putting polish from walmart in it?

Sure is a LOT cheaper that way.

[akuser47]

I buy my walnut at pet stores and use a polish from franford arsenal and add fabric softner shheets to cut down on dust makes the media last longer and to answer your qeustion I use my media till it starts to darken I then know it is filthy and time to dump it. compare it each time to what you still have clean in the bag easy cheesy.

[Johnz]

I switched over to the wet tumbler method using SS pins earlier this year & will NEVER go back to the dry vibrating method. The wet method produces brand new looking brass PLUS you don't have to clean the primer pockets separately. Yes I know that some shooters never clean primer pockets but for those that do, the wet method eliminates that tedious & laborious step.