ok guys, a quick question. Does the stainless media have to be used in a rolling type tumbler, or can it be used in a vibratory one. I have an older vibratory one, made by Midway, maybe 30 years ago, that has a clear box setting on top of the vibrating pad, and 2 speeds, which will really roll the brass and media around quite vigorously. It has no hole in the bottom like bowl type polishers. Could you use this successfully with the stainless steel pins. All replies appreciated.
Question on stainless steel media and tumbling with it.
- Thread starter koger
- Start date
NorCalMikie
Gold $$ Contributor
Don't know it as fact but I've heard in the vibrator, the SS media settles to the bottom, unlike a tumbler that keeps getting it kicked around.
ToddKS
Gold $$ Contributor
Stainless tumbling requires a rotary tumbler such as the Thumblers Model B or Rebel 17. If you are wanting to start tumbling with stainless media I recommend going with the Southern Shine Media chip product instead of the pins. It cleans faster and you don't have to worry about it getting stuck in the case or flash hole like the pins.
It may not work very well due to the weight of the stainless media.
When using the traditional style of media, corncob, walnut hulls, etc., the media has a pattern of flow where the media rolls from the outside taking the brass in towards the center and continues this action until you stop it. The brass continues to shift throughout the vibrating process staying mostly under the media except when it surfaces for a few seconds and goes back down.
When using stainless media, it is much heavier than traditional media and probably will not flow as well. I would be surprised if the brass would be sucked under the stainless media as it does in the traditional style of media due again to the weight of the stainless media.
The brass will come out cleaner than when you first put in the vibrator machine just because you're using lemon shine or something similar, but the stainless media will not be covering the brass as effectively as if your using traditional media in a vibrator machine.
Now if you have some type of industrial vibrator cleaning system, it may be a different story completely.
When using the traditional style of media, corncob, walnut hulls, etc., the media has a pattern of flow where the media rolls from the outside taking the brass in towards the center and continues this action until you stop it. The brass continues to shift throughout the vibrating process staying mostly under the media except when it surfaces for a few seconds and goes back down.
When using stainless media, it is much heavier than traditional media and probably will not flow as well. I would be surprised if the brass would be sucked under the stainless media as it does in the traditional style of media due again to the weight of the stainless media.
The brass will come out cleaner than when you first put in the vibrator machine just because you're using lemon shine or something similar, but the stainless media will not be covering the brass as effectively as if your using traditional media in a vibrator machine.
Now if you have some type of industrial vibrator cleaning system, it may be a different story completely.
I agree. The media chip doesn't get stuck in case as the pins do. You do need to give the cases a good rinsing to make sure the chips are out, but were only talking about 10 seconds additional time if that much on the fresh water rinse.
Once I started to wet tumble with the SS Pins , the brass came out like brand new , never went back to the corn or walnut , gave it to a friend . You can start out with a single drum rock tumbler by Harbor Freight , you only have to use 1 lb. of pins . I have the Harbor Freight for small amounts and the Tumblers B Tumbler for larger with 5 lbs of pins . The drum has to rotate for the pins to clean .
I have a wet tumbler, a vibratory tumbler and a sonic cleaner and wet tumbling with stainless steel media does have a down side.
As the case are wet tumbled other cases will hit the soft annealed case mouth and cause small dents and cause case mouth peening.
When I do wet tumble I trim and deburr the cases to remove the case mouth peening. So when it comes to wet tumbling as far as tumbling time less is more. The amount of case mouth peening depends on the size and speed of the tumbler and how long you tumble.
You can get a sonic cleaner for less than a wet tumbler, the sonic cleaned cases will not have the "bling" of a wet tumbled cases. BUT they will not get banged around and will be just as clean as wet tumbled cases without any case mouth peening.
Below is what I bought at Amazon, use "HOT" tap water and let the unit come up to cleaning temp for best results. It is a clone of the Lyman Turbo Sonic cleaner that costs $125.00
iSonic® Professional Grade Ultrasonic Cleaner P4820-WPB with Heater and Digital Timer, Plastic Basket $78.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BC4S0G/?tag=accuratescom-20
As the case are wet tumbled other cases will hit the soft annealed case mouth and cause small dents and cause case mouth peening.
When I do wet tumble I trim and deburr the cases to remove the case mouth peening. So when it comes to wet tumbling as far as tumbling time less is more. The amount of case mouth peening depends on the size and speed of the tumbler and how long you tumble.
You can get a sonic cleaner for less than a wet tumbler, the sonic cleaned cases will not have the "bling" of a wet tumbled cases. BUT they will not get banged around and will be just as clean as wet tumbled cases without any case mouth peening.
Below is what I bought at Amazon, use "HOT" tap water and let the unit come up to cleaning temp for best results. It is a clone of the Lyman Turbo Sonic cleaner that costs $125.00
iSonic® Professional Grade Ultrasonic Cleaner P4820-WPB with Heater and Digital Timer, Plastic Basket $78.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BC4S0G/?tag=accuratescom-20
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I like the pins, but I made certain to buy a diameter that would fit through the flash holes. As far as peening the case neck I haven't observed any significant gouging. However, it does do a nice job of knocking off any raised lip/burr providing a mild chamfer.
On my expensive brass that I typically shoot through a bolt gun, the cleaning time is only 15-20 minutes(brass is pretty clean to start with). If you're cleaning bras fired through AR15, especially dirty from suppressor, the clean time is 30-45 minutes and use hot water to help break up the oil/soot.
With the most important cleaning rule being only fill your container 1/3 full with brass cases and then add your steel pins , water, Dawn, and Lemishine. if you want white gold type clean.
On my expensive brass that I typically shoot through a bolt gun, the cleaning time is only 15-20 minutes(brass is pretty clean to start with). If you're cleaning bras fired through AR15, especially dirty from suppressor, the clean time is 30-45 minutes and use hot water to help break up the oil/soot.
With the most important cleaning rule being only fill your container 1/3 full with brass cases and then add your steel pins , water, Dawn, and Lemishine. if you want white gold type clean.
I agree with morpheus and highly recommend the thumblers tumbler model B, for 7 years now. I also recommend converting to chain drive, over the belts.
Please see our you tube video on the chain drive conversion. I also use the Dillon case media separator to separate the pins out of the cases.
I maybe odd person here but i made my own using magnet induction for the stainless pins. It speeds the time up considerably as i never need to let it run much over 10-15 min at most, the induction heats the water which helps. I even run the cases though a cycle of plain water just for a good rinse. I also have seen and used a wet vibratory soap that has microscopic ceramic beads that is very efficient. down side is it is hard to rinse off. Like others i quit using the corn cob stuff.
I had limited my SS pin run time to 1:30 and got very little case mouth peening. Upon a friend's recommendation, I tried using hot water and running the tumbler for just 2 minutes, stop and allow it to soak for 30-45 minutes. Then, run for 30-45 minutes. This works as well as 1:30 with very little, if any, peening and super clean brass and primer pockets.
Been SS tumbling for some time now and the best improvement I have made is the RCBS cleaning solution. I use the same water several times with no rinsing the cases, just blow each case with air and put them in the dryer. No oxidizing after rinsing, could not believe the results over dawn and lemishine. Really sped up my cleaning process by reducing vibrating time and do not have to rinse cases. RCBS may not have the only solution but theirs really work.
BEEN USING CORN AND STAINLESS FOR YEARS. Opps
I clean all my black powder brass in stainless pins in rotary tumblers. I have a Thumblers model B for larger batches and have one of the small dual drum ones from Harbor Freight for small batches. If you are only doing small batches the HF ones are an inexpensive way to go and mine has lasted fine for many years. Use 1 lb of media pins in each drum.
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