Tumbling Brass: Liquid method...

[weatherman]

Well, my tumbler kicked the bucket but I'm not that emotional about it. My Dad bought it in the 80s and gave it to me about 10 years ago when he bought a new one...

I was thinking about getting another one but honestly, I always hated dealing with media, buying it, replacing it, sifting through it to get my brass. It gets old...

Then, I came across this liquid method...

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/berdanreloading/index.asp

Anyone ever try this? Better or worse than abrasive media?

[ar15barrels]

I think the biggest hassle is drying the cases out after cleaning.

[weatherman]

I think the biggest hassle is drying the cases out after cleaning.

Yeah, I thought about that too. I was thinking a shot of compressed air in both ends might help.

I kinda thought that the liquid method might be a better way to get any residual case lube out of the necks of the cases. I'm always fretting about whether or not the media took out all the case lube. I know that's probably an irrational fear but I guess it's good to a be a little over-conservative when reloading...

[mrkubota]

Well, my tumbler kicked the bucket but I'm not that emotional about it. My Dad bought it in the 80s and gave it to me about 10 years ago when he bought a new one...

I was thinking about getting another one but honestly, I always hated dealing with media, buying it, replacing it, sifting through it to get my brass. It gets old...

Then, I came across this liquid method...

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/berdanreloading/index.asp

Anyone ever try this? Better or worse than abrasive media?

I do both...
Wash 250 .50BMG cases in plastic mortar mixer for an hour or two, then rinse/drain and transfer directly to another mixer filled with crushed walnut shell for another hour to dry/polish and clean the interiors out.

[tommyid1]

the only thing i hate about crushed walnut or corn cob media is doing the brass/media separation. i have up untill recently been doing it all by had 5 or 6 cases at a time. tipping em upside down and tapping. it goes pretty fast actually its jsut kindof a hassle. what is everyone doing for that? ive heard the dillon one is good but im skeptical.

[joelogic]

The washing seems interesting but he was only cleaning 55 cases at a time. I guess for a single stage press thats fine. But I feed my progressive with a cement mixer and the dillon case separator. I can easily clean 1500 cases at a time.

[Builder]

I think the biggest hassle is drying the cases out after cleaning.

That's why I like putting them in the clothes dryer.
Just did 975 45ACP cases in the ultrasonic cleaner while at work. In about 6 hrs. total elapsed time, all the brass was clean. My effort amounted to about 40 min. for filling and emptying the ziplock baggies and rinsing the cases during the 6 hrs. By the next morning, all the brass cases were dry and ready for reloading. Total cost was about $4. I've posted about this on CGN regarding .223 cases. I use the Branson 5210 that I got used on ebay for $50.
Thanks,
Builder

[popeye4]

Get a case/media separator

the only thing i hate about crushed walnut or corn cob media is doing the brass/media separation. i have up untill recently been doing it all by had 5 or 6 cases at a time. tipping em upside down and tapping. it goes pretty fast actually its jsut kindof a hassle. what is everyone doing for that? ive heard the dillon one is good but im skeptical.

Get one of these: http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...edia_Separator

It takes me about 30 seconds to separate cases from media (I generally do about 100 .308 cases at a time, as I have the smaller Dillon case vibrator).

BTW, you don't need a Dillon, pretty much any of them will work.

[weatherman]

That's why I like putting them in the clothes dryer.
Just did 975 45ACP cases in the ultrasonic cleaner while at work. In about 6 hrs. total elapsed time, all the brass was clean. My effort amounted to about 40 min. for filling and emptying the ziplock baggies and rinsing the cases during the 6 hrs. By the next morning, all the brass cases were dry and ready for reloading. Total cost was about $4. I've posted about this on CGN regarding .223 cases. I use the Branson 5210 that I got used on ebay for $50.
Thanks,
Builder

So, you prefer the liquid method?

Do you find it to be faster? Easier? Cheaper? etc...

Did you end up using the "jungle jake's" cleaner or somthing else?

Since you seem to do this on a regular basis, I'd love to hear your perspective on it, as compared to dry media...

[domokun]

The washing seems interesting but he was only cleaning 55 cases at a time. I guess for a single stage press thats fine. But I feed my progressive with a cement mixer and the dillon case separator. I can easily clean 1500 cases at a time.

Where'd you get your cement mixer from? Which model is it?

[joelogic]

Its from harbor freight and its the 1 1/4 cubic foot one.

[5hundo]

Its from harbor freight and its the 1 1/4 cubic foot one.

You should have just borrowed Dane Cook's CT-2000....

[Builder]

So, you prefer the liquid method?

Yes. The ultrasound cleans both the inside and the outside of each and every case. The only downside is the drying time, but air drying occurs while I'm doing something else. Just need to figure out a faster method.

Do you find it to be faster? Easier? Cheaper? etc...

Found the used Branson 5210 ultrasound cleaner on ebay for real cheap. It has 2.5 gallons of water with a built-in heater. I use the zip lock baggies to keep this water clean. It might take 6 hrs. total to clean almost 1K cases, but my time actually messing is about 40 min. It just seems that if I'm cleaning a case, why not really clean it and the best way is with ultrasound. Thus I think it's easier than taking the time to make sure no media got inside a case or flash hole.

Did you end up using the "jungle jake's" cleaner or somthing else?

I think it is cheaper because my disposable supplies are water, leaking zip lock baggies, Wisk detergent (.5 oz), and Lyman turbo case cleaner (.1 oz) for about 40-50 cases. The Lyman case cleaner is $9 for 16 oz, so I use about 2.5 oz or $1.41 for 1K cases. The Wisk is $9 for 32 oz. or $.14 for 1K cases.

Since you seem to do this on a regular basis, I'd love to hear your perspective on it, as compared to dry media...

There's less noise and no dust on cases or in the air. Plus my hands are clean. I can actually do case cleaning while working in the office.
Thanks,
Builder

[bruceflinch]

That's why I like putting them in the clothes dryer.
Builder

So you used to be married??

[badreligion]

Put your cases in the sun for a few hours or put the in oven on low heat for 30 minutes to an hour. This is what I do with really dirty range pick ups after a hot bath in dish soap.

I personally use the big RCBS tumbler with media in a cabinet, low hum with the door closed, I put a plug in the cabinet when I built my bench. When it is time to stop I have a 5 gallon bucket with a deep pasta strainer that fits on top. Dump it in and shake as you go, gets about 95% of the media out of the cases with the first big dump. Stir the cases by hand while shaking get the remaining media out. Total cost for bucket and strainer $1.06 after taxes.