Stainless steel tumbling is the real deal

[romer522]

People can debate all they want whether or not it's worth running wet tumbling vs dry tumbling, but you can't argue with the results.

FWIW I can't imagine doing it any other way now, wet is a hassle, but I HATE the dust from standard media tumbling. At about 40 minutes of my time per 1,000 pieces of 9mm it's not terribly more time consuming than dry, and its a 100% clean process.

I'm pretty much running the standard recipe for it, with a bit more brass and a little less water, and I'm drying in a food dehydrator.

I've got some nastier looking 5.56 to run, but I'm going to finish my bucket of 9mm first.

[MrSlippyFist]

How much did you use and what size tumbler do you have?

[Zhurdan]

Can it be used in a dry media tumbler? (I have a Lyman Turbo 1200 Pro). It'd probably be more difficult due to the shape of the bowl, but it's able to hold water.)

[MrSlippyFist]

Can it be used in a dry media tumbler? (I have a Lyman Turbo 1200 Pro). It'd probably be more difficult due to the shape of the bowl, but it's able to hold water.)

A stainless media website I found said no vibratory tumblers.

[romer522]

I've got the high-speed Thumlers Tumbler, if you get it lined up correctly it's also less annoying sounding than a vibratory tumbler. Slippy is right on the no vibratory, just doesn't work and I don't know if any of them are designed to run wet. When you dump the water out the first time and realize that all that crap is normally going into the air it makes you think a bit. I personally hated vibratory tumbling, it was fine if you were just processing what you shot that week, but if you ever wanted to do like 5K pieces of brass it became a pretty tough challenge to keep it from either caking on the brass or leaving a substantial residue unless you wanted to swap media every few batches.

I'm using

5lbs media
1Tbls Dawn Concentrate
1/2 tsp Lemishine (but I've got a bit more experimenting to do on this)
~300 pieces of 9mm at a time, been running 4+ hours but I may try a couple shorter runs too.
Water to within 1-1.5" of the top.

The "recipe" changes around a lot from site to site, some say a squirt or 2 of dish soap others say 2 tablespoons, some say 2 tablespoons lemishine others say 1/4 tsp.


To rinse them I use the following procedure.

1. Open the drum, dump as much water into sink as I can.
2. Remove rubber liner, rinse while shaking the rubber liner maybe 5 times with cold water.
3. Poor brass+media into RCBS media separator, close, rotate it ~30 times.
4. Pull the basket out of the separator, rinse it all in the sink with cold water for the final rinse.
5. Put the basket w/contents back into the separator, run ~10 rotations to knock the water out.
5. Open the media separator, wipe off the basket outside and inside, then throw 2 small dry rags in with the media, close back up and rotate for a while to dry off the outside of the cases.
6. Dump the brass into the circular tray for the dehydrator, put in dehydrator and dry for ~20 minutes at 150F+
7. Dump the media and remaining water from the separator back into the rubber liner, add another load of brass, soap/lemishine, put back in drum, add water, close up and repeat.

I don't worry about losing a few pieces of media down the drain, I've discovered that a chain of buckyball magnets retrieves it out of the trap wonderfully, just be careful with whatever else is down there you might pull up :p

[f3rr37]

Food dehydrator for drying brass... never thought about that before, good idea!

[eddie]

which Thumlers Tumbler did you get?

thanks

[jmz5]

I'm getting sick of using corn media, but don't want to buy a new tumbler.

[romer522]

I'm using the Thumlers Tumbler Model B, high speed.

[Cohiba]

I started using Lizard Litter a few years back. crushed walnut media at petco. About 1/5th the price of reloading media. I think $9 for 30 pounds.

[clics]

Is anyone doing this wet stainless steel process for cleaning 5.2x28 cases? Does it clean 'em without removing the lacquer?

[Beecher Tool]

I am eagerly awaiting a conclusive answer on the use of stainless steel media for 5.7x28....however..after doing a bunch of reading I took the plunge and ordered a 40lb large capacity rotary tumbler package this afternoon. [The batch capacity of the device is 1200-1500 5.56x45 or 800-1000 7.62x51 cases at a time.] I have enough brass to warrant the device so I am going to proceed. There is a great website to learn about the produce[url] http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com//url" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;].

Once I have it in place and setup photos to follow.

[ddouglas]

I'm a little confused about the attraction of tumbling 5.7x28 brass. Early on in the life of this forum, the early adopters all said "don't tumble" because it erodes/removes the lacquer coating on the brass. I followed the then-recommended Simple Green cleaning methods and that works just fine, it seems to me. But the "tumbling" issue continues to raise it's head, like toadstools in a lawn. Why, or why, do you want to tumble your brass?

[Rapier1772]

Do not tumble for the reasons you mentioned but some people are set in what they want to do. Can't speak for everyone but I've gotten tired of rehashing the same subject. Like weeds & toadstools, certain subjects will always come back no matter what:
To tumble or not to tumble
To reload or not to reload
Save the brass or don't save the brass
Best round for HD/SD/ZD/BD


I'm just glad this thread was resurrected rather than making a new one on the same subject. It's a small victory but a victory nonetheless - I'll take it :laugh:

I didn't try it with full power loads but I did tumble off the lacquer when I tested some subsonic loads. It was the most failure to ejects I have ever had.

[fd57]

I'm just glad this thread was resurrected rather than making a new one on the same subject. It's a small victory but a victory nonetheless - I'll take it :laugh:

:agree:

There is (or was) a collection of 5.7 brass on GB that was tumbled in stainless media IIRC. Super shiny and bright - looks great! But without the lacquer, cycling will be an issue. The seller must have received more than one message because in their ad they put they know you're not supposed to tumble but they did so purposely, etc.

[grimmond]

I have tried a few without the lacquer and the were all FTE or partial FTE.

[panzermk2]

Cases in the the 50 round PS90/P90 mags will gall against each other when they try to roll through the magazine also.

[ddouglas]

So what say you, Beecher Tool? You've got several long-time and knowledgeable members of this forum who say "don't tumble!" What interest do you think tumbling will serve? Do you think stainless steel tumbling will make a better mousetrap. I'm not trying to argue with you Beecher but, rather, to find out why--in light of so many "no" responses you are persisting in this, even to the point of buying a special tumbler? What goes on in your head that we are missing?

[Beecher Tool]

I apologize for a rather harsh response yesterday....let me try again in a bit more thoughtful way. As a caliber 5.7x28 is mostly a curiosity for me...I was able to purchase a new FSN with adjustable night sights new for around $1K so I couldn't pass it up. I actively shoot CMP Service Rifle in 5.56, High Power in 7.62x51 and .338LM. I purchased from Ft. Leonard Wood surplus at an auction so I have 3 fifty five gallon drums full of once fired 7.62 and a drum full of 5.56....that is why I purchased a rotary with a 40lb capacity and 25lbs of steel media. At present, I don't own a PS90 or an AR 57 so the 50 round mag issue not of concern, though the logic makes complete sense.

Given the amounts of brass I have to deal with...I have two summer "interns" that are going to deprime and clean all of it. I may try some of the 5.7 with Simple Green and some with steel media. Its not that I am discounting anyone's advice...rather the equipment was purchased for the other calibers, and I am reluctant to have multiple set ups to accomplish the same task. I hope this clarifies and once again apologize for biting anyone's head off yesterday....lots going on.

[ddouglas]

Fair enough. If you get any positive results, let us know.