TOP TEN Methods to Dry Cartridge Brass after Wet Cleaning
Many shooters these days clean their cartridge brass ultrasonically, or wet-tumble their cases with stainless media (above). Both methods get brass clean and shiny, inside and out. However, when those wet-cleaning processes are completed, you’re left with a pile of soaking wet brass. How do you dry your brass quickly and efficiently, without unsightly water spots? Read on for some great answers…
In our Shooters’ Forum, Forum Gold Member Terry asked: “How do you dry your brass after Ultrasonic cleaning?” In an interesting Reloading Forum Thread, many smart suggestions were posted. A dozen fellow members outlined a variety of effective case-drying procedures, which work equally well for both wet-tumbled brass and ultrasonically-cleaned cases. Here are the Top 10 brass-drying suggestions from our Forum members.
TOP TEN Ways to Dry Cartridge Brass After Wet Cleaning
1. Food Dehydrator — Shake the brass in towel to get the bulk of water off. Next leave in the food dehydrator for 45 minutes or until there are no signs of moisture inside the cases. — Lawrence97
2. Lyman 5-Level Case Dryer — Rinse off cleaning solution(s), then load brass by type into racks in Lyman Cyclone Case Dryer. This is easier to load/unload than food dehydrators and holds more cases.
3. Hot Water + Compressed Air — Rinse all your cases as a batch using scalding hot water from the kitchen sink. Hot water evaporates off of brass very very quickly. Then hit them with compressed air. Takes 10 minutes. Simple. — SG4247
4. Oven Dry in Pre-Heated Oven — After pre-heating to 200° or so, turn off oven and put brass inside on a tray. Most important! Tell your wife what you are doing so she doesn’t crank it up to 425 to heat pizza! — MClark
NOTE: Many other members suggested oven drying at 150-200°. We recommend turning OFF the oven so you don’t cook your brass if you forget to remove the cases.
5. Towel Dry then Warm with Heat Gun — Roll brass in a towel until no more water shakes out. Lay out on cardboard box top and blow off with Harbor Freight heat gun. $9.99 on coupon. Two minutes of heated air and about half hour of wait and they are good to go. This is with primers removed. — Shaggy357
6. Compressed Air, then Sun Dry Outside – I rinse the brass, then blow them out with compressed air. Then, dependent on the time of year, lay them on a towel in the sun. — HogPatrol
7. Dishwasher on Dry Cycle – In the winter, I drop my wet brass cases neck-down on the rack pegs in the dishwasher, then turn on the dry cycle. In the summer…well, I’m in Texas. They go to the porch for a bit. — Toolbreaker
8. Alcohol Rinse then Air or Oven Dry — Rinse in 90% Isopropyl alcohol and either let air dry or stick in 175° oven for half an hour. Alternatively, use a dehydrator. — Zipollini
9. Slow Air-Dry in Loading Blocks — I have a reloading block with holes drilled in it. I simply load the block up and let it air-dry in the cupboard for a couple of days. — JCS
10. Wipe with Towel Then Anneal Normally — This thread is stirring my OCD side. Seems complicated for just drying — my brass dries just fine when I anneal it. This entire process can’t take an hour per batch. When finished, the brass is cleaned, annealed, and ready to size. — CHLuke
- Deprime, then tumble brass with stainless media, water, Lemishine, and dish detergent.
- Shake them easily in a strainer to knock out most media then grab 4-5 pieces, shake them over the bucket for the last of the media then inside a towel.
- Finally blow out the primer pockets and wipe with a towel, load in the Annealeez.
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Tags: Air Dry Brass, Brass Dryer, Dishwasher Dry, Lyman Brass Dryer, Over Dry Brass, Stainless Media, Ultrasonic Cleaning, Wet Tumbling
For years I have been using stainless media to clean cases. Once cleaned, detergent water is drained until all that is left are barely moist cases. These cases are then dropped in a tumbler with corn cob or hazelnut media. This media absorbs what little moisture is is left and the cases are completely dried and dusted in about half an hour. Never have a problem with wet cases.
I rinse them in hot water and then blow them with dry, compressed air. Important: The air compressor should have a dryer in line with the air hose to keep the water in the air compressor from being blown into the cases. Otherwise, the compressed air will be carrying enough moisture to make the cases wet again, especially the inside of the cases.
mikee says “These cases are then dropped in a tumbler with corn cob media”
Same here. To protect the cases from tarnishing after SS tumbling, I want to apply a protective coat of NuFinish polish to the outside anyway. And the fine (20-40 grit size) never gets caught in the flash hole. Cases are dry and protected coming out of the media. I just can’t imagine the efforts some folks take to get their cases dry.
During the summer in CO, I can just throw them on a towel outside in the sunshine. In an hour they are dry and so hot you can’t pick them up. But I want the protective coat to keep them shining for months.
I have a drying rack for shoes, caps, etc. that I put in my clothes dryer.
After cleaning, I use a can of dust off to blow any water out of the flash holes. Then I lay a towel on the drying rack and put the brass on the towel.
I set the dryer for a half an hour on high and the brass comes out dry and free of water spots.
Oven dry!
I put the brass primer pocket up in loading blocks and then place the blocks on a sweater rack in the dryer. 20 minutes on high temp and there are no marks, no streaks, just super shiny brass.
I have super hard city water, so after rinsing the brass, I rinse them again by submerging in a small cup of distilled water. A gallon of distilled water is about $1 and lasts for many batches of brass. Then oven dry on “warm” (about 150-175°F) for 45 minutes or so. No water spots.