Thread: case tumbler

how much did u use and what form did u buy it in

Originally Posted by stub

how much did u use and what form did u buy it in

Try super market (baking/spice section).....

Powder, look on Tar Me. Used about 1 gram, 2 liters of water, approximately 1.5kg of pins with 3 teaspoons of Palmolive, 100 cases. Apparently bad idea to let cases sit in it for too long, it can leach the brass. This only took about 2 hours to tumble.

And I've got single phase 1 HP motors for $70 each + freight

Cheaper to buy in bulk from the likes of Bulk Barn. Supermarkets only have it in 80gram boxes that are a ripoff in price.
Trade Me has listings for 1kg, or more, of citric acid (approx $6-8/kg)

Also helps if you use a squirt of dishwasher rinse aid in the mix

How long is everyone tumbling with stainless media?

Originally Posted by Beetroot

How long is everyone tumbling with stainless media?

Depends how clean u want your primer pocket brass is clean inside outside in about 25 mins 3 hours for almost perfect primer pockets

Originally Posted by stub

Depends how clean u want your primer pocket brass is clean inside outside in about 25 mins 3 hours for almost perfect primer pockets

2 to 3 hours seems a lot, I think I'd try cleaning primer pockets by conventional methods before tumbling to try save time/power bill.
I wouldn't be doing huge volumes, so wouldn't be a huge head ache.

Does everyone rinse their brass thoroughly after tumbling to stop the citric acid leaving marks/stains on the brass.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

2 to 3 hours seems a lot, I think I'd try cleaning primer pockets by conventional methods before tumbling to try save time/power bill.
I wouldn't be doing huge volumes, so wouldn't be a huge head ache.

Does everyone rinse their brass thoroughly after tumbling to stop the citric acid leaving marks/stains on the brass.

Don't get marking with SS process as the amount of citric acid I use is far less than with the ultra sonic process. With ultra sonic I used to do a neutralisation step after the citric acid step where I rinsed the hell out of the cases in a bucket of water with a teaspoon of baking soda added. With SS tumbling again I use less citric acid and the brass gets a good rinse after in water as part of the flushing out the little mongrel pins - but no baking soda. And yes I clean primer pockets b4 tumbling. If you want clean primer pockets as part of SS tumbling that is what takes a lot of extra time.

The other thing I do which may prevent water staining is fairly quickly dry the outside of the brass by rolling them around on an old towel, blow out the inside using compressed air (and check for any stuck pins at the same time) and then they go straight into a food dehydrator.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

2 to 3 hours seems a lot, I think I'd try cleaning primer pockets by conventional methods before tumbling to try save time/power bill.
I wouldn't be doing huge volumes, so wouldn't be a huge head ache.

Does everyone rinse their brass thoroughly after tumbling to stop the citric acid leaving marks/stains on the brass.

I give them a couple of rinses, last one in hot water and it all air dries relatively quick

Originally Posted by Beetroot

Does everyone rinse their brass thoroughly after tumbling to stop the citric acid leaving marks/stains on the brass.

Put into a media separator filled with water, turn a couple of times and it'll separate the pins from the cases (they'll fall to the bottom)...

Originally Posted by Beetroot

How long is everyone tumbling with stainless media?

I've got one of these:
Jewelry Polishing Tools 5kg Capacity Rotary Tumbler Rock Tumbler Polishing Machine Jewelry-in Jewelry Tools & Equipments from Jewelry on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

With 9mm I'll tumble for 1 hour with @150 in the container, fill with water to cover, drop of dish washing liquid and a sprinkle of citric acid powder. Same time for 223 but I do less in one run, prob @60 at a time.

Two to three hours.

Going to try regular auto dishwasher powder (and Palmolive) and see if it does much different. Free sacrificial .223 range brass of course

2-3 hours is fine.