Wet Tumbling?

[rhodesengr]

For lubrication I used the solution of:
- 10% Liquid Lanolin (Amazon)
- 90% Isopropyl Alcohol (the 91% alcohol, not the 70% alcohol) - CVS or Amazon.

I found that Lanolin doesn't dissolve very well in even high concentration IPA. I know the Reloading Unlimited guy has a video showing how to make DIY lanolin lube but when I tried it, the lanolin didn't dissolve. Based on tips from other threads. I tried HEET (red bottle) which is a gasoline additive you can buy at any automotive store. The label says 99% IPA but whatever they put in that stuff totally dissolves lanolin in seconds.

https://www.autozone.com/fuel-and-engine-cleaners-additives/fuel-additive-and-cleaner/p/iso-heet-injector-cleaner-12oz/136368_0_0

[ar15robert]

I’ll tumble dirty brass in pins an dawn. Then resize and trim I use one shot lube it’s great.

After that I’ll toss back in tumbler add dawn and a squirt of Lemi shine for an hour or two. Lay brass on towel in sun til dry.

I use to dry tumble but bought the hf double drum tumbler and pins to wet tumble and lined the results pockets clean easier to separate pins etc. bought the FA tumbler couple years ago definitely better and heavy duty but for starting tge hf one is decent.

[sbo80]

Franklin Arsenal sells a screen for their tumbler. If you use pins, at the end of the tumble, can put the screen on one side to drain, and rinse directly through the tumbler which makes it very quick and easy.
I still need a better method to separate the pins. My method is no method, I'll pick some up with the magnet when I spread them out, but I sun dry so just manually shake out all the brass as I pick them up when dry. Takes too long.
I have had, once, a pin stuck in a primer hole and didn't catch it until I started on the press. I still had the decapping pin in the size die, so that's what caught it. Might gum up the process if you're running fast on one of the fancier presses. I know my pin-separating process is to blame and I have to switch to something more aggressive.

[ARFrog]

It is amazing the FA doesn't include the 2 screens with the tumbler. However, they are well worth the investment.

Use one of the rotary media separation/spinners to remove the pins into a bucket while leaving the brass in the basket. I have not had any pin issues with 9 mm but have to inspect case interiors of 30 carbine for an occasional S/S pin inside the cases.

[divingin]

I tried HEET (red bottle) which is a gasoline additive you can buy at any automotive store. The label says 99% IPA but whatever they put in that stuff totally dissolves lanolin in seconds.

HEET is methanol, according to its MSDS. Different alcohol than Isopropanol.

Edit: Sorry; you mentioned the red bottle stuff. That is 99% Isopropanol, + 1% "proprietary ingredients". So no idea what the difference is.

[rhodesengr]

HEET is methanol, according to its MSDS. Different alcohol than Isopropanol.

Edit: Sorry; you mentioned the red bottle stuff. That is 99% Isopropanol, + 1% "proprietary ingredients". So no idea what the difference is.

yes, all the mentions of this method specify the red bottle version. I did some digging on lanolin solubility a few months ago when I was first working on my Dillon galling issue. Ether was listed as having high solubility for lanolin. My guess is that's what they added for a gasoline treatment but it's just a guess. HEET is relatively inexpensive and I found the lanolin solubility was like nigh and day compared to the bottle of high purity IPA I bought. I also tried denatured ethanol which also doesn't work very well. The methanol version of HEET may work but methanol is very toxic and better to not mess with it when the IPA based version works so well.

or buy what Dillon sells. They have a lanolin based product and a newer "synthetic lube" product. I bought some of that and it also works well. Dillon recommends it for handgun reloading and the lanolin stuff for necked cases.

or buy Hornady one shot spray.

Dillon also said to polish the end of the expander die. I got deep into that for a while as well. I have a thread about the polishing somewhere. Either here or Smith and Wesson.

Edit: polishing threads, turns out I had thread both here and there

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1853250

much more detail here http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloadi...er-funnel.html
as usual, I over-do these things

[Southpaw45]

I'm going to give in and try wet tumbling. Looking for advice from wet cleaning pros.

1. Do you de-prime first?
2. What additive(s) do you use?
3. How long do you wet tumble?
4. How do you dry?
5. How long do you dry?

1--Yes
2--3 tablespoons of Dawn and 1/8 teaspoon of Lemishine
3--2 to 3 hrs depending how dirty brass is
4--lay brass out on an old towel in the backyard and pat dry with another towel
5--depends how hot the day is. Typically 8 hrs

[CGT80]

I'm going to give in and try wet tumbling. Looking for advice from wet cleaning pros.

1. Do you de-prime first?
2. What additive(s) do you use?
3. How long do you wet tumble?
4. How do you dry?
5. How long do you dry?

Yes
lemishine and dawn
hours
in the sun
until they feel dry


I got into the wet tumbling craze but found it kind of pointless. Now, I just use corn cob media with additives because it is faster and easier. Originally, I thought it was good to clean the primer pockets on 460 magnum brass. It is better to use the case prep machine that I built with a primer pocket cleaner tool. My 30-30 ammo wins me silhouette matches with bullets from the automated bullet casting machine that I built, whether I wet tumble or dry tumble.


Sure, the brass is purdy, but I still needed some one shot case lube to run through the dillon presses and it just wasn't a game changer. In the past, I also tumbled finished ammo, but also have not done that lately.


Ultimately, the looks or cleanliness of your brass might not matter for more than looks and the process may be more forgiving than you think.

[bruce381]

I use a hybrid method I tumble in walnut with 2 or 3 old dryer static sheets,

Then with top off I spray dawn soapy mix with a squize of lemon juice (have a tree) into the brass as it rolls abound in the tumbler spray about a table spoon till kinda wet and let run, the soap evaporates and the dirt stays on the dryer sheets kinda wet tumble and dry all together. Brass ends up dry and CLEAN and SHINEY.

[ziggystar]

Which would be better for cleaning brass wet tumble or ultrasonic?

[CGT80]

Physical touch is almost always better at cleaning any object. Wet tumble with stainless pins will do far more cleaning and the brass is not fragile or overly complex like some parts that go in an ultrasonic cleaner. I don't see a point to ultrasonic cleaning. It is faster and easier to tumble in corn cob and polish and they would look better. Wet tumble would be the ultimate clean, if you really need or want that.