i just used my tumbler???
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2 hours and not clean enough with brand new media? Run it again. You could try treating it with a case cleaning additive-I usually use the Dillon blue stuff, but two hours should show some cleaning, unless the tumbler is overfilled with brass/not enough media?
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Monkey,
Assuming you have a vibratory tumbler, the media/brass combination should rise up along the outside of the bowl, move towards the center and then dive under. This should be happening fairly vigorously if the bowl is not overloaded. 2 hours should be plenty to clean with corn-cob.
Assuming you have a vibratory tumbler, the media/brass combination should rise up along the outside of the bowl, move towards the center and then dive under. This should be happening fairly vigorously if the bowl is not overloaded. 2 hours should be plenty to clean with corn-cob.
they were cleaner then when right after i shot them. but they were still pretty dirty and the inside of the case was still dirty and i only had about 100 cases in. i got a midway 1290 i think is the # it is a vibrator. i heard that walunt media is beeter for cleaning, but i don't know if there ne truth 2 that
[This message has been edited by monkey469 (edited 09-18-2001).]
[This message has been edited by monkey469 (edited 09-18-2001).]
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Walnut would speed things up, although I haven't tumbled for only 2 hours in a long time.
To really get the tumbler to work for you, you need to load it up to near its maximum capacity. The weight of the brass really helps to scrub the brass and media together harder and more effectively. I like walnut shells as they have some harder and sharper edges to really scrape the crud off the brass. Using some sort of liquid polish speeds up the process and cuts down the dust level as well. If it's just shot brass, you shouldn't need to tumble for more than an hour or so. Really stained brass may take longer......I just tumble to get the crud off to protect the dies and all. I'm not too concerned about making them sparkle like new......but to each his own.
Typically, I use a two-stage process, walnut followed by corncob + Midway brass polish. The walnut does the cleaning, and the corncob + polish does the shining. If cases are really dirty, or if I have found some old dirty brass laying around, I wash cases in hot soapy water first.
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Not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but I use corn cob media and my brass comes out pretty darn shiny in about 1 1/2 hours??!!??!!
This is once fired brass only, as I tumble all my brass as soon as I get home from the range.
What the heck do you guys do to your brass to get it so dirty?
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This is once fired brass only, as I tumble all my brass as soon as I get home from the range.
What the heck do you guys do to your brass to get it so dirty?
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697 Posts
mstarn,
To clean range brass that I buy, I use 1 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap in 1/2 gallon of hot water. Agitate well and let sit until cool. Rinse well. Then polish.
Another method that works is putting the brass in an old cooking pot, add 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, bring to a boil, agitate and let cool. Rinse well. Then polish.
Some people just run it through a cycle in the dishwasher (in a nylon mesh bag) using dishwasher soap but I would have concerns about lead residue contaminating the dishwasher and subsequent loads of dishes.
I see that a lot of people are starting to use ultrasonic cleaners to clean their firearms. I'd think one of those would do a terrific job on brass also but haven't seen any reports on this usage.
To clean range brass that I buy, I use 1 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap in 1/2 gallon of hot water. Agitate well and let sit until cool. Rinse well. Then polish.
Another method that works is putting the brass in an old cooking pot, add 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, bring to a boil, agitate and let cool. Rinse well. Then polish.
Some people just run it through a cycle in the dishwasher (in a nylon mesh bag) using dishwasher soap but I would have concerns about lead residue contaminating the dishwasher and subsequent loads of dishes.
I see that a lot of people are starting to use ultrasonic cleaners to clean their firearms. I'd think one of those would do a terrific job on brass also but haven't seen any reports on this usage.
I use walnut treated with Lyman case polish for the first cleaning/polishing. After I resize them, I run them through with untreated walnut. They come out looking like factory fresh, minus the little dings and scratches that come from firing, extracting, etc.
Total tumbling time is no more than two hours. I have cut it to half that, with little change in the final result, but normally do two hours just to be sure.
As a side note, I used a rotary tumbler for years, then got a Midway vibrator. World of difference. I may keep the rotary as an emergency backup, but, in my mind, the vibrator is the way to go.
Total tumbling time is no more than two hours. I have cut it to half that, with little change in the final result, but normally do two hours just to be sure.
As a side note, I used a rotary tumbler for years, then got a Midway vibrator. World of difference. I may keep the rotary as an emergency backup, but, in my mind, the vibrator is the way to go.
mstarn, Tide and a bucket of water is the magic recipe for me; although, the vinegar mentioned by another respondent sounds as if it might be a worthwhile additive. I shake the bucket a little to agitate the cases to facilitate removal of heavy soil. I try to rinse thoroughly to get rid of soap, crud, grit etc. If I'm not in a hurry, I lay the cases out on the picnic table in the sun to dry. If I'm in a hurry, I put them on a cookie sheet and place them in the oven at around 150 deg. F. Still takes a while to get them dry. John
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