Question about drying brass

[bobgengeskahn]

So I have sourced and bought/am sharing everything to get started and have been researching brass cleaning a lot the last few days.

I have access to a tumbler, but out of convenience want to be able to clean/prep all my brass before heading to my buddies place to load. And due to a compromise with the lady-friend, needed to decided on a cleaning method that uses the absolute minimal amount of equipment (I already have stuff stashed in just about every possible closet ATM and don't really have room to store a tumbler).

So for the time being, I am going to be using a Citric Acid wash, which should be fine for the quantities I'm planning on. My question is about drying afterward. It looks like a lot of people just put the brass in the oven for 30 min or so on a low heat, but at the same time caution about not over heating the brass because you'll weaken the cases. So how hot is too hot for drying?

[jdmstuff]

I usually lay out my brass on a dish drying mat to dry overnight after I wet tumble. I've never used an oven to dry, but I've read somewhere that it should be set to about 150 degrees. The wife would have my head if I tried that.

[Davisje011]

just pop it in the oven at around 225f for 30 mins. works for me. No need to go higher and its perfectly safe.

[uechikid]

Use a food dehydrator.

[74c5]

Dump brass onto a big towel, tumble them in the towel, towel and brass go on a cookie sheet into the oven around 200. Or, out into the summer sun which, probably gets the brass hotter.

[OuTLaw123]

Blow dryer

[tiller]

Don't put your brass in the oven... You could possibly weaken the brass...

Just wet tumble

Dump onto a towel and whammy back and forth( so you don't get water spots)


Then lay it out in the garage or outback over night and your golden

[Bumslie]

I leave mine on a towel overnight, or just let the hot California sun do it for you in the afternoon?

[dung8604]

Don't put your brass in the oven... You could possibly weaken the brass...

Just wet tumble

Dump onto a towel and whammy back and forth( so you don't get water spots)


Then lay it out in the garage or outback over night and your golden

Stay below 500 degrees, and you shouldn't damage anything.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

[tiller]

A buddy of mine just ran into that problem... His extractor ripped off the case head, blew the primer out and the spent cartridge got stuck in the barrel....

Its not worth risking, dont rush it...

If your pressed for time i could see doing it but if you can wait over night i would suggest just air drying it

[jglabe]

Have you ever picked up a recently fired piece of brass? It is hotter than a few hundred degrees I bet. I wouldn't worry about putting it in the oven at 225 for a few minutes to dry it. I have been doing that since I started using stainless media and have had no problems.

[74c5]

Science is your friend. So, instead of "You'll shoot your eye out!"

The normalizing temperature for brass is 600 F +/- 50 F.

[bobgengeskahn]

Science is your friend. So, instead of "You'll shoot your eye out!"

The normalizing temperature for brass is 600 F +/- 50 F.

Exactly the kind of information I was looking for!

Thanks everyone!

[Davisje011]

I've done 3000rds of brass in 210-250f, its not hot enough to alter the metal. never had a problem.

[mindwreck]

California sun drys my brass in about 20 minutes.