Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Brass cleaning advice needed

I have a Lyman vibratory tumbler, but I am doing more reloading and want to clean a fair amount of rifle brass. What is a good machine for this? Thanks

Thumblers Tumbler model B.

I use a Lyman 1200

works great...

auto polish & reptile litter from Pets Mart

I have a Lyman 1200. What type of auto polish are you using?

This
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012721373?pid=713881

I use an old clothes dryer that I modified. Made a drum out of a 12 inch "plastic" pipe. put vanes on the inside of the pipe and enclosed the two ends, leaving a small "door" opening on one end. Dumped in some crushed walnut shell media. installed 6 long eye bolts on the inside of the original drum so the smaller drum slides in between them. Been using this setup for better than 10 years now. The thing is actually quieter than when using a regular clothes dryer most of the time. I put 3 to 4 used dryer sheets in with each "load" to soak up any dust. Does a nice job and way quieter than a vibrating tumbler. One day I will make a wet drum with stainless pins. Have another section of the 12 inch pipe so its just a matter of making it up.

Sorry - can't remember the brands - and one of them was sold by a rock shop - but I have two of them tight mounted side by side and shaking away out there right now. Seems like they vibrate the whole porch. It's a bit cold and I am in for the night so won't go look right now. Just turn off the switch later.

But, the point is that they are common and not high dollar, and do a good job. I think the big difference comes with the media used - and some guys here no doubt have learned some good dope on that. So, I am reading and hoping to get better results.

I'll say one thing about dry media, Paul. Well, a couple of things: Walnut cleans more aggressively, but corncob polishes nicer. Also, for walnut media go to Petsmart or someplace like that and look for crushed walnut shell for terrariums or reptile bedding. It's like course sand in texture. It cleans great but it won't stick in flash holes like the stuff Lyman and others sell. I don't know if a similar corncob product is available...or maybe I do know and can't remember. Yeah, that sounds about right. *snork*

I bought a Frankford Arsenal wet tumbling system, and never went back to vibrating. I use stainless pins, a little squirt of Dawn liquid, and a pinch or two of lemi Shine powder, which is citric acid cleaner. My brass comes out looking new inside and out after a couple hours. Get you the magnet they sell for the system, and a couple end screens they sell separate. It makes dealing with the little pins much easier..

I have 2 Lyman 1200 and they both get a workout.

Lately i have been doing the wet/SS pins cleaning and it sure does a nice job on some nasty brass.

I clean wet in a Model B that i borrowed from a friend because the A that i have is not powerful enough.

Dawn dish soap and lemishine dishwasher stuff when used on really nasty stuff makes them shine.

I blow the water out after draining for a bit with the air compressor,then they go in the Lyman till the next batch gets ready.

I use some auto wax in walnut bedding and it puts a coat on them,keeps them from tarnishing.

I only do the wet thing when there is a large batch to do.
Makes it easier to save on the cleaner mix.

Doing the wet clean then polish makes the brass easier to see in the fields after tearing up sounders of pigs.

Stainless pins in a tumbler is the way to go, brass looks new.

Tag

The only way.

Only way to go. Just did 7-800 45acp this last weekend.

I use Armor-all car wash soap as it contains wax so that the brass doesn't tarnish or corrode over time and a dehydrator to dry it.

I'm about ready to throw 1,000 pcs of 9mm brass into my Lyman 2500 pro magnum. I use Tufnut turbo media from Lyman and it polishes the cases like new. It has a polishing compound added to it, which simplifies things.

I’ve posted about this before, but I think of it every time I read about tumbling with stainless steel pins. These pictures show the damage caused by a stainless pin that was stuck in a case and later fired. The barrel was a relatively new Green Mountain barrel (500 rounds or so) chambered in 38-55. Most of the loads were 42.5 gr of Swiss 1 1/2 powder with a 250gr bullet cast with 20:1 alloy. The damage happened in the middle of the second relay at a schuetzen match. I went from shooting pretty well to not being able to keep the rounds on the target. The gouge was deep enough that it was stripping lead off the bullet like crazy. After this I don’t use pins anymore.

This. Just go to stainless.

Cash outlay may sting for some, but brass is FROM THE FACTORY new.

User error.

A visual inspection of the case should be part of any reloading regimen, any time, regardless of the cleaning method.