Cleaning the medium off the brass

[AIRret]

We are finally, in the early stages of reloading and I need some advise. I've tumbled a lot of brass but I can't seem to get ALL the "medium" off. So now when we try to run the cases through the de-primer die (that is the only die we have up and running) there are occasionally be a few grains of medium stuck to the case which eventually messes up the shell plate. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Also, I'm not having much luck searching the Kahr archives. I'm sure there's
a large number of post dealing with reloading but I don't know how to bring them up.

[Bawanna]

I used like a noodle strainer for many years. To fish the cases out of the tumbler, then I'd have to tap them individually to get all the media out of the case.

A couple years ago I got one of these http://www.midwayusa.com/product/176956/rcbs-rotary-case-and-media-separator for Christmas.
I'd seen them but I figured too big, to slow, now worth it. I thought that until I used it once. You have to dump the whole tumbler in but spin this baby around half a dozen times and your cases are clean and empty. I don't know how it empties them all out so fast and so perfectly but it does it every time.

Theres another one similar that fits on a bucket. It's twice the money but looks pretty good and slightly more compact and maybe easier to use.

Have just one grain stuck in the primer on the inside is pretty common and the deprimer just punches it out easy. I just blow off the shell plate from time to time. Compressor is right under the press on my setup or one of those canned airs would work good too.

[DLButler]

I use an ultrasonic cleaner and a blow dryer. No media to remove. 200 done in 30 minutes.

[MW surveyor]

I dump all of my tumbled brass from the tumbler into a colander suspended over a bucket. Give the colander a few shakes to get the majority of the media off, then take it outside and give the brass a toss, like winnowing. Works good and the colander only cost a buck at the 99 cent store. After winnowing, dump the brass onto a towel to remove any lingering dust.

Hey Colonel. You gonna move this to the reloading section or not!

[Bawanna]

Well spank me and call me daddy, that's a great idea. I didn't even notice. I'll see if I can remember how to do just that.

Your wish is my desire.

[Tinman507]

I do not reload but it occurs to me that a cheap salad spinner would work as well as the $30 gadget Col. Mustard showed. Wouldn't it?
http://ideasinspiringinnovation.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/salad-spinner.jpg

[Bawanna]

What the hell is a salad spinner? Never heard of one. And that's MR. Colonel Mustard to you buster. I'm a poet didn't ya know it?

[Tinman507]

It's used for spinning off the water on lettuce after washing it.

[Bawanna]

Your spose to wash lettuce before you eat it? Who knew?

Do rabbits wash lettuce before they eat it.

The only negative I can see is you need a smaller spinner or a larger spinny so you have more room for the media to get away from the brass. Dig?

[Tilos]

After seperating the brass from the media, put the brass back in the tumbler, without any media, and the vibration will shake the remaining media from brass.

[AIRret]

Thanks everyone, I can always count on your help.
I'll give you a report when I shoot our reloads for the first time.

[OldLincoln]

I finally spent the big bucks ($17) and bought a Lee Universal deprimer die. I'm punching dirty brass before cleaning then will sort them and run them through the resizer die which will also clean any media out of the primer hole. No media stuck in hole when priming.

[mr surveyor]

I'm a hardcore fan of liquid ultrasonic cleaning myself. A good 20 minute bath makes the brass come out completely clean...inside/outside/primer pocket/flash hole. I don't give a crap if it's highly polished ... just 100% functional. Since it goes from the dark recesses of the box directly into the gun anyway, that "art" is what's on the other end of the flight of the projectile.

surv

[Rubb]

+1 on the rotary separator...work great.

[BEARDOG]

You didn't say what type of tumbler you have but... if you have a vibe bowl type this is what I have used for many years.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/878190/lyman-turbo-media-sifter

I drilled a hole in the center of it. Then after they are clean, I dump the entire bowl of media and brass into a bucket.

Then put the sifter on top, on the threaded shaft with the wing nut.

Then just dump the bucket of brass and media back into the top into the sifter and turn the vibe bowl back on. Stir them around with your hand a bit while they are vibrating till they are clean of all media.

[AIRret]

Thanks for the suggestions folks.

[houdini]

case/ media separators

[Bawanna]

Ok, I'm thinking of two things, one sending Old LIncoln a shiny new tumbler from Midway and two, trying this ultrasonic stuff. I like shiny so I will probably soak and then tumble.

So what kind of ultra sonic machines you guys use. I see em at Harbor Freight for like 80 bucks and over 200 at Midway.

I got a tiny little one for the wifes jewelry and it doesn't do to great a job but I don't think she's using the right juice.

[mr surveyor]

just a thought to add.... although I don't use a tumbler, I have heard that throwing a couple of small strips of a "dryer sheet" into the tumbler will greatly reduce the static electricity that causes the dust to stick to the cases

[Bawanna]

I do use the dryer sheets now and then and it does work well.

[muggsy]

What the hell is this, a gun MB, or helpful hints from Heloise? I run my brass through a Vegi-matic. Where's Jocko when you need him?

[mr surveyor]

if you put a burlap sack full of crushed walnut shells and dirty brass into the wife's clothes dryer, you better use a whole box of dryer sheets....the heavy scented ones, just to be safe. And tumble on low heat.

[Bawanna]

You can use her ironing board for a bench rest.:popcorn::popcorn:

[garyb]

Any commercial manual media tumbler will work well. However, if it is sticking, perhaps you are using too much liquid polish in your media. You don't need very much of it to work well and not stick.