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Cleaning Brass

RCrosbyRCrosby Member Posts: 3,808 ✭✭✭
edited August 2007 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Hello All. I am a budding reloader and have a question. I am cleaning some pistol brass with Tuffnut media. My question is, it leaves a red dust on and in the cases, do I need to worry about it?Also, should I deprime before I clean?
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Comments

  • RCrosbyRCrosby Member Posts: 3,808 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My nephews rock tumbler died and I'm ready to start searching e-bay for a decent unit to clean my brass. An suggestions? Features you couldn't live without or wish you had? Best deal for the buck?
    Thanks,
    Rob
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  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rob,

    Get a Thumler's and don't ever look back.

    http://www.thumlerstumbler.com/

    Best.
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  • RCrosbyRCrosby Member Posts: 3,808 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    nononsense,
    Thumlers it is, but tell me this,
    Am I assuming correctly that vibratory is the way to go for cleaning brass and leave the tumblers to the rocks and pebbles?
    thanks again,
    Rob
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  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rob,

    I use the Thumlers now for almost all of my brass cleaning.

    Best.

    ADDED:

    I was really in a hurry yesterday while trying to answer this and I didn't add any detail so I'll try to rectify that now.

    I have used vibrating case cleaners for any number of things including cleaning brass cases. But in the last few years I switched to the Thumler style rotary cleaners for a couple of reasons:

    Vibratory cleaners rely on a motor running in the eccentric to create the vibrations that move the media around in the bowl. The shape of the bowl controls the pattern of movement of the media. The motors are working really hard in the eccentric to create the motion/energy (and heat as a by-product) imparted to the bowl and this work wears these motors out fairly fast. It also wears out other parts. Now before all of the exceptions jump in here to claim that their cleaner has lasted for 30 years without a failure, let me say that it is the frequency of use and length of time of operation that affects the longevity of the product. With infrequent use and short run times, a vibratory cleaner could last forever as far as a reloader is concerned.

    The rotary tumbling cleaners simply run in a circle which is the same direction that motor normally turns. They use less energy, create less heat and more important to some of us, much less noise and last almost indefinitely. Not only that, I have had the opportunity or desire to test some liquid types of products and the tumblers are made to handle this whereas the vibratory tumblers generally aren't.

    I use and like the Thumlers for lots of reasons and I'll continue to use them over the vibratory cleaners until something better comes along. There is a move currently to try the Ultrasonic cleaners but so far the price will keep me away from the process. More information about this:

    http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

    Best.
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  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought a Midway tumbler off Ebay some time ago, has treated me just fine.
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
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  • stargazerstargazer Member Posts: 6 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I use a Lyman Orange 1200 tumbler. I put in the brass with crushed walnut hulls and a drop or two of Flitz metal polish and 3-4 hours later all is clean and shiny. The polish isn't added each time, only every few months to keep it going. Ever so often throw in a torn up in 3-4 pieces of a damp paper towel. This attracts a lot of dust and keeps it down around the tumbler. [:)]
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  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought a Midway vibrater tumbler in 1991, and it is still going strong after many thousand pieces of brass through it. I have a Thunblers that I haven't used in years.
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  • jayteejaytee Member Posts: 62 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Speaking of tumblers. I just got my new RCBS tumbler today and was wondering what type of media I should use. I was wondering if anyone out there has ever used glass beads in their tumbler? I use glass beads in my bead blaster and they do a wonderfull job of cleaning all kinds of metal/aluminum items. They do leave a satin finish but I think thats more a product of the air pressure and not the beads themsleves. Any thoughts?
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  • SCorversSCorvers Member Posts: 2,063 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A tupperware bowl, some warm water, and sudsy ammonia. Shake like it owes you money. Empty onto a cookie tin. Place in oven at 150* for 10 minutes to dry.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Try a bag of Cheap BULK rice in your VIBE. case cleaner it does a great job and cheap.
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  • codenamepaulcodenamepaul Member Posts: 2,931 ✭
    edited November -1
    Wally world corn cob media or walnut shell media from the pet section-cheapest and most effective medias.

    I used a Frankford Arsenal vibe cleaner- it crapped out after about 2K rounds, POS. I am looking for something better now.
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  • HappyNanoqHappyNanoq Member Posts: 12,023
    edited November -1
    Since I don't reload - I don't know just how effective it is for that.

    But I've always been happy to use an ultrasonic cleaner, where you dunk the stuff you want cleaned into a stainless steel container with water and some special soap in it - turn on the ultrasound and the stuff should come out cleaner than when it was made.

    Inside and out. !!!


    Perhaps call the technical department of the local hospital and see if they have a spare that they'd want to get rid of.
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  • mrbrucemrbruce Member Posts: 3,374
    edited November -1
    Those Ultra sonics clean better than you could ever imagine, and the prices are not bad at all if you do a little searching. There is not a tumbler working that will clean as well as they do.
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  • CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,038 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I buy walnut shell at the local feed store, 25 lbs for $8.00 I think. That much last a long time, use cornmeal in a smaller tumbler for the finished rounds. Removes all the handling and lube smudges, run them only 10 or 12 minutes so as not to brake the powder structure down, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Happy polishing.
    W.D.
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  • mazo kidmazo kid Member Posts: 648 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought a Midway vibratory tumbler around 1990 and have used that without a problem. Granted, I only use it once or twice a month for 4-6 hours or so at a time. I recently bought a used Lortone rotary tumbler off the "bad auction" site to use with ceramic media for my black powder cases. The vibe tumbler wouldn't handle the load. I've not used the rotary with dry media so far, so can't compare the two. Emery
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  • b00merb00mer Member Posts: 975 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a huge beast of a tumbler, its red and black, so old name has long worn off.
    I can dump 125 270's in it and walk away and come back in two hours and they look like new with rice.

    I have had this thing since 1984, paid 120.00 for it then. God only know how many pieces of brass have been thru it. its 3 days older then dirt. been used at least once a week and its loud, bulky ans ugly...but got my moneys worth and then some. would I buy another one..hell yeah. if I could find one like it !
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  • WillyB456WillyB456 Member Posts: 1 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you guys have a Freight and Harbors Tools near where you live they have a rotary tumbler that holds i think 3 pounds for $ 23.00 on sale regular like 29.99. It looks industrial not pretty like the thumlers but the thumblers costs much more. They have a double unit that holds 2- 3 pound tumbler drums and it costs thirty somthing dollars. Check online if you dont have a F and H near where u live. They also have the vibratory for $39.00 and it looks heavy duty. They have a good warranty on all their items so low price shouldnt be a turn off.
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  • kraschenbirnkraschenbirn Member Posts: 70 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've got one of the large-size Dillon vibratory case cleaners which was purchased at the same time as my first Dillon progressive loader (an RL-450) back in the early '80s. Both are still fully functional and see regular use.

    For cleaning, I use ground corn cob purchased from a nearby feed mill ($8 for a 40# bag) and to each load of brass, I add a couple of cleaning patches soaked in Goo-Gone (orange oil cleaner). After an hour or so, the cases are clean and shiny while the patches are dirty and dry. Patches treated with the orange oil seem to collect much of the powder residues and noticeably extend the life of the corncob media. Not an original idea but something I picked up from another forum...but it beats having to neutralize the effects of ammonia-base cleaners and it's a lot less expensive than any of the cleaning additives peddled by manufacturers of reloading equipment.

    Bill
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  • rctsatrctsat Member Posts: 9 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you have not yet purchased a tumbler you might try this. I took a large (2 gallon maybe) plastic jar, pickels I think, drilled a 7/16 hole in the bottom. I then double nutted a 7/16 bolt reinforced with a couple of 4" round metal electrical box plates like giant washers, leaving the head protuding an inch or so out of the bottom of the jar. I then took an old icecream freezer motor, the speed is perfect, no need fro gear reduction or belts(purchased at a garage sale for 3 bucks) and fashioned a support for the motor to lie horizontally on a 3' piece of old wood shelving 1x12. I inverted an old clamp on roller skate (you might not have on of those) to serve as a support for the jar to allow it to roll easily. The 7/16 bolt head fits perfectly on my freezer motor and allows you to easily remove the jar to fill and empty. I hot glued some small wood pieces of molding to the inside of the jar to act as agitators. I use the treated corncob grit with mine. I use an old pool filter basket to sift my brass. I have been using mine over ten years and have polished thousand and thousands rounds of brass with it. Total cost $3.00 which leaves you more money to buy powder and bullets
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  • formerlywrongformerlywrong Member Posts: 139 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't think anyone asked or mentioned, unless I missed it scanning on down, but is it likely that the vibratory polisher/cleaner gets the job done in less time than a rotary tumbler?

    Granted, the vibratory design is inherently poor due to the stress placed on the motor bearings. There MIGHT be one available with a bullet-proof (no pun intended) motor, possibly one with ball bearings, which would cost a premium, but last longer.
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