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SCSlim
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 May 2008 |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 14 May 2008 04:25 PM |
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I'm kinda late getting in on this topic - you've probably already picked out a tumbler and decided on your cleaning interval and media.
Among handloaders I've known, cleaning brass before reloading it has been about as peculiar a habit as car washing. Some guys let their outfits get pretty muddy before they take a hose to them; others spend as much time washing and waxing their rides as they do driving them, or so it seems.
When it comes to tumbling my brass, I fall into that bunch that cleans them up after every firing. I can't put my finger on one particular reason why - I just like to start with clean brass. It's easier to spot the first signs of case mouth cracks when the brass it clean - that much I've discovered over the years. It might just be my imagination, but it seems like I get fewer failures to feed in my autoloaders with clean brass. Re-sizing them seems a bit easier when they're clean.
I like walnut shell media. RCBS sells a dry activator that's a very fine white powder - probably some metal oxide or another - that really speeds things up. I always wipe down every case after it comes out of the tumbler - don't know whether that white powder is abrasive or not, so I don't want it getting into my sizing dies. Plus, wiping them off gives me an extra chance to cull defective brass before they get any further along in the reloading cycle.
You'll hit your stride with the process and find what works best for you. All things considered, I'd stick with the regimen that makes you happy.
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SCSlim
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 2 May 2008 |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 14 May 2008 04:25 PM |
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Last edited on 14 May 2008 04:27 PM by SCSlim
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Carlo1776
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 21 January 2008 |
| Location: | Toronto, Ontario Canada |
| Posts: | 24 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 5 June 2008 06:26 PM |
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| I tumble the brass everytime (before any die or decapping steps). Sizing and decapping after cleans out the primer hole anyway. If you want cheep tumbling media, you can pick up large bags of it from your local pet store. They use crushed walnut shell in terrariums and corncob for bird cages. A bit of Lyman Turbo Charge and you're good to go. If you reload in a shed or garage keep the media in a tightly covered can. The mice like to chew through the bags and set up stinky residence.
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unclebob
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 28 June 2008 |
| Location: | Florida USA |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | pistol |
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Posted: 28 June 2008 05:49 PM |
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I use two tumblers. When I come back from the range I put the brass in the tumbler that has crushed walnut that I get from a pet store. The walnut is for lizard bedding. The brass then goes into a cat litter bucket until I get ready to load from this batch of brass again. Then I run the brass threw the other tumbler with corn cob media, I also add a cap full or two of NU-Finish car polish that is mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits. You need to run the tumbler about 5 minutes after adding the polish before adding the brass. I do this every time. I also add a used dryer sheet to the walnut media, This helps in keeping down the dust and gets rid of a lot of the dirt.
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miestro_jerry
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 28 June 2008 |
| Location: | Somerton (AKA BFE), Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 625 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 3 July 2008 03:24 PM |
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I use walnut shells that I buy at a Pet store, 25 pounds for like $8, then I add so Flitz, let it tumble for a couple of hours and get shiney clean brass.
Jerry
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40twist
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 15 June 2008 |
| Location: | Leola, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 39 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 3 July 2008 04:14 PM |
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Usually walnut is for cleanng real good and corn cob is used to polish.... My brass never is really that dirty so I just use corn cob. I chuck them in after being fired and tumble just for a half hour to get any dirt off ... then do my case prep stuff and tumble again for about an hour maybe ....when they are clean the press operation is noticeably smoother and it helps dies last longer. And i agrre it easier to spot problems with cases when they are clean before you try running them thru the press.
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nksmfamjp
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 29 June 2008 |
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| Posts: | 51 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | No | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 5 July 2008 06:43 PM |
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sdb777 wrote: Kind of like underwear to me. After I use them I clean them!!
Scott (no stinky draws here) B
+1
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miestro_jerry
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 28 June 2008 |
| Location: | Somerton (AKA BFE), Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 625 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 6 July 2008 09:26 PM |
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Now if you area a Marine, you would be using duraglit on your brass everyday. If you were in the Army you would be using Brasso when ever you need to polish your brass. 
Jerry
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dmickey
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 22 June 2008 |
| Location: | Littlestown, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 4 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | small bore rifle |
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Posted: 9 July 2008 05:44 PM |
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Every time I come back from the range I put the fired cases into the cleaner.
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miestro_jerry
HB Life Member
| Joined: | 28 June 2008 |
| Location: | Somerton (AKA BFE), Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 625 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 9 July 2008 06:14 PM |
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dmickey,
That is basically what I do, or I may let some accumulate then throw them in the tumbler.
Jerry
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TankerrobM1A1
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 15 September 2008 |
| Location: | Chicago, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 1 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 16 September 2008 04:51 PM |
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What do you all think about the Ceramic media enhancer (chemical) Bright Shine or something like that. I have a hand full of 1911 dated 1918 I took 1 of the shells put it in concentrated media enhancer and now it looks like it just came out of the press. Shiny. I know someone out there is losing their mind I did that to a 1918 shell... dont worry I have more.
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