How to Efficiently Wet-Tumble Cartridge Brass
Ace tactical shooter and gunsmith Jim See of Elite Accuracy LLC recently tested a Frankford Arsenal rotary brass tumbler. Like the older Thumbler’s Tumblers, this can tumble your cases in a liquid solution. The wet-tumbling process worked very well Jim reports. Posting on Facebook, Jim noted: “I was super impressed with the Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler and cleaning packs they sent me. I ran 350 pieces of brass for one hour. They now look great.” Jim appreciated not having to deal with dry tumbling media, such as crushed walnut shells. Dry media produces dust and can leave residues or clog flash-holes.
Interestingly, Jim recommends you try wet-tumbling WITHOUT using stainless media. At least give it a try. Tumbling without media simplifies the process and you don’t have to worry about pins stuck in flash-holes or case-necks*. Jim reports: “Stainless steel pins come with the Frankford kit, but mine hit the trash right out of the box. There is no need to clean the inside of your cases 100% and that’s all the pins add to the equation. The brass bumping brass with hot water and Frankford’s liquid cleaner works great all by itself.” One wag stated: “That’s great to hear. Stainless steel pins are a PITA.”
Other Facebook posters concurred with Jim’s evaluation of the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler:
“I’ve had one for a couple years, and it works well. I usually run about 250-300 Dasher cases at once in it. But I use the pins because I’m OCD about clean brass.” — David W.
“I’ve had one for a year and a half and it definitely works with or without pins.” — Luke C.
“I got one about six months ago and have yet to use any SS media. I just use some dawn, distilled water, and Lemi Shine®. Turns nasty 5.56 range brass bright and shiny.” — Brian D.
“I don’t use the pins either and use a combination of Dawn soap and Lemi Shine.” — Jon N.G.
This video shows how to assemble and operate the Frankford rotary tumbler. But note, Jim See does NOT feel that it is necessary to use stainless media.
How to Dry Your Brass — Hair Dryer Vs. Machine
The downside of wet tumbling is that you end up with a pile of wet brass at the end of the cleaning cycle. There are many ways to dry brass, from drying in the sun to using a kitchen oven (be careful not to “overcook” your brass). One Facebook poster asked Jim: “What is your drying method for wet brass, and how long does it take?”
Jim See replied: “To start I just drain off the dirty water, and rinse the brass with clean hot water. Then I roll the brass on a towel for 30 seconds and put the brass in a one-gallon bucket. Next I insert a hair dryer in the bucket (with the brass) and let it run for about 5 minutes. With this procedure, the drying process for me is done in less than 10 minutes.”
Jack Lanhart has another method: “I use a food dehydrator. It takes 30 to 45 minutes.”
For those who don’t want to mess with towels and hair dryers, Frankford Arsenal offers a matching Platinum Series Case Dryer that simplifies the process of drying brass. Lyman also makes an excellent Cyclone Case Dryer. These drying machines each cost about $65.00 and both have multiple levels so you can separate different types of cartridge brass. Lyman states that “The forced heated air circulation of the Cyclone will dry your brass inside and out within an hour or two, with no unsightly water spots.” The Lyman dryer can also be used for ultrasonically-cleaned gun parts.
*The Frankford Rotary tumbler does include media separators if you choose to use the provided pins or other media. CLICK HERE for diagram showing how to use media separators.
Similar Posts:
- How to Clean Brass by Wet-Tumbling — Plus Drying Methods
- Wet-Tumbling Cartridge Brass — Some Smart Solutions
- Wet-Tumbling Cartridge Brass — Tips for Great Results
- How to Wet-Clean Cartridge Brass with Rotary Tumblers
- Wet-Tumbling Cartridge Brass with Rotary Tumblers
Tags: Cartridge Brass, Case Cleaning, Frankford Arsenal, Jim See, Lyman Cyclone, Rotary Tumbler, Stainless Media, Wet Tumbling
I’m right in the midd;e sof wet-tumbling several thousand 9mm cases. With pins.
I used to use the “dry” vibratory method , but the abrasive dust and clogged flash-holes got very annoying. The “shaker” rig went to a friend who got enthusiastic about Moly coating bullets. DEFINITELY an “outdoors” job.
The mystery brew in the cleaning solution is Citric Acid. Not being keen to buy the proprietary packaged stuff, a did a quick ask-around and discovered that BULK Citric acid is used in commercial food preparation AND in the home-brewing of beer. (Talk about serendipity!)
It comes as white crystals in various-sized bags, (or in large plastic barrels for the serious user).
It is used to CLEAN all the containers and plumbing used in brewing.
It works for me and is inexpensive.
And don’t forget to rinse the cleaned brass to remove the Citric acid residue. Unless you like “spotty” brass. I live in a place renowned for its abundant sunshine (and occasional spectacular storms and the odd flood) so I sun-dry my cleaned and rinsed cases on “retired” bath / beach towels. Because the pins are magnetic, I use a large-ish magnet salvaged from a blown loudspeaker to pick out the pins missed by the sorting baskets that came with the Cyclone.
Next batch I will try running the Lyman “Cyclone’ without the pins.
Now I need to hunt down some suitable small-rifle MAGNUM primers for the Lapua .308 Palma brass I scored a few weeks back.