Casing Tumbler

[Lotema]

You guys are giving me a lot of good reasons to get going on this.

In the work flow above the sizing & trimming are omitted. Are you sizing on the press prior to capping and only trimming as needed?

I used to check case length right at the start but got out of the habit as the cases never seemed to need trimming. I'm talkin' plain ole range pickup pistol brass not rifle. The destructions that came with the wet tumbler had a more complicated work flow - initial clean with no media, decap, size, trim then the final clean with media. That is a huge amount more than I was doing before.

For me, I will deprime but not resize first. I then run the cases through a cycle to get everything cleaned up. After that, I'll do the resizing, trimming etc and then run through a short cleaning cycle to just get any extra lube off the cases.

[hudson29]

OK, that is something like the workflow the directions indicated. I gotta boatload of 380, 9mm & 45 Auto that need attention so mebbee this weekend I can start decapping.

[websterz]

I rinse my cases in plain water then dry. I decap on my Loadmaster which also resizes. Pistol brass doesn't need trimming. I then prime by hand while watching a good war movie and the brass is ready to load.

[hudson29]

A war picture or a horse opera is always good for reloading. I have seen a jillion Johnny Mack Browns over the winter while learning the new press.

[Darryl]

Can you clean cases with one of those "ultra sonic" cleaners?? Or won't that work?

I have some large case black powder cases to clean (Trapdoor 45-70, and Snider, and Martini).

I have one of those Ultra sonic cleaners. A nice expensive one I use for car parts and things like that. It's unbelievable how clean it can get old car parts. I've used it to clean old firearms. Superb! But I have never put a case in it.

[websterz]

It ought to clean cases as well as it does anything else.

[hudson29]

I tried the ultrasonic cleaner and it did sweet nuthin to clean range brass with just dishwashing soap. Another brew might have gotten better results . . .

[hudson29]

I think I have a work flow figured out for the new wet process. After the range brass gets sorted I'll decap it with the little Frankford decapper and then run it through the tumble when it accumulates into a large enough batch. Right now I have a huge job getting many thousands of cases decapped and ready to go. I have all the 45ACP brass done and will use it to try out the new process.

[Darryl]

I tried the ultrasonic cleaner and it did sweet nuthin to clean range brass with just dishwashing soap. Another brew might have gotten better results . . .

Well, I run Simple Green in mine. I have cleaned gun parts with every type of grease or cosmo on them and it is is great, but that is not powder burned on. So maybe the next time I will run it through the ultra first and see. I bought it to do my hot rod parts and other car stuff. I quickly found out about it's usefulness on gun parts. I was hoping someone had tried this before with good results. The damn machine cost me almost $400 for it and uses 3 gals of Simple Green at a time (but it last a long time). I was hoping to get some more use out of it.

Dolk.

[hudson29]

Do you run straight Simple Green or do you cut it?

What does it do for car parts? I have a Model T Holley NH that is ready for overhaul and I'm wondering if the ultrasonic might clean the passages out . . .

[Darryl]

Do you run straight Simple Green or do you cut it?

What does it do for car parts? I have a Model T Holley NH that is ready for overhaul and I'm wondering if the ultrasonic might clean the passages out . . .

I run it straight, but you can cut it if you like. It's not that expensive. It is fantastic for greasy car parts. Right down to the finish. If anything can get the passages clear, a utrasonic can. It is made for that kind of work.

I'm just not sure how it would work on burned powder is all. I'd bet it depends on the cleaner.

[hudson29]

I have been very impressed with the results of the Frankford wet tumbling process. The cases come out clean as a whistle inside & out and with no damage of any kind. It is more work but it makes me happy to load fresh clean cases. That is payoff enough for me.

Just a note about this, the tumbler base is LOUD! It is FAR louder than the dry tumbler is. I run it in a distant room (an old darkroom) so it isn't too burdensome.

I'll give the ultrasonic a try with Simple Green and see what it does to the cast iron body of the Holley. Many folks end up drilling out the casting plugs and using pipe cleaners in the passages. BTW, where can you buy pipe cleaners anymore? I quit smoking my pipe 35 years ago . . .

[Darryl]

Many folks end up drilling out the casting plugs and using pipe cleaners in the passages. BTW, where can you buy pipe cleaners anymore? I quit smoking my pipe 35 years ago . . .

I'd think "craft stores" would have them for sure. We have a chain out here called Michael's. But maybe hobby shops, but certainly "smoke shops" (cigarette stores). A liquor store might also.