Cheap wet media separator

[Keone]

I thought someone else might find this useful. I recently started wet tumbling my brass and quickly realized I wasn’t going back to dry tumbling and need a better method to separate brass from tumbling media. While at the grocery store I saw this salad washer and thought for $7.99 I bet it would work for spinning my brass.

This is about 300 9mm casings, which I hardly reload. I usually just reload for my .308, 6.5CM, and Grendel. I think anymore than a 100 rifle cartridges at a time would probably bog it down possibly breaking the thing..

Its not perfect but works pretty darn well for $7.99 Below is a short vid... it'll spin pretty quick...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/51064617/IMG_5174.mov

 

[dabeechman]

Have you tried it on rifle casings?

 

[mousegunner]

How much brass was in there?

 

[Keone]

Have you tried it on rifle casings?

Not yet but that was about 300 9MM casings so I figure I could get 100 rifle cartridges. I doubt more than that

 

[Keone]

How much brass was in there?

about 300 9mm

 

[amlevin]

I just pour the brass, dirty water, and pins, into a container I've lined with an old T-Shirt i cut down one side.

Put the edges together, pull out of container, let dirty water drain, then dump. Return shirt with pins/brass in it to container and rinse, repeat, etc.

When rinsed I just use my old rotary media separator to remove pins and excess water.

Shirt's are cheap as I've worn out the necks and just throw them away. The "container" is often just a large, empty, Coffee container. Already own the separator.

 

[dickn52]

The question I have is if the media is inside the case, and the case so tightly packed it can't rotate, how do you insure you get the media out of those static cases? I use the RCBS green bucket which tumbles the cases which give gravity a chance to get everything. A salad spinner might work, but I picture cases not tumbling enough for me.

 

[mousegunner]

The question I have is if the media is inside the case, and the case so tightly packed it can't rotate, how do you insure you get the media out of those static cases? I use the RCBS green bucket which tumbles the cases which give gravity a chance to get everything. A salad spinner might work, but I picture cases not tumbling enough for me.

I was thinking the same thing. What if you give it a few good shakes then run it backwards (if it can) shake and reverse again?

 

[dickn52]

I was thinking the same thing. What if you give it a few good shakes then run it backwards (if it can) shake and reverse again?

I have one, they go oneway only since it works off a screw thread in the center shaft.

 

[amlevin]

I was thinking the same thing. What if you give it a few good shakes then run it backwards (if it can) shake and reverse again?

Those "Inexpensive" (synonym for "cheap") salad spinners will barely hold up to spinning the water off salad greens. Shake them with brass and you'll just break it.

 

[sfldiver]

I recently bought a Frankford Arsenal Wet/Dry Media Separator (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B6S8JUC/?tag=accuratescom-20). It did cost me around $40, but my first shot of using it did make my life sooooooooooo much easier. They sell a cheaper version (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J4B2IW/?tag=accuratescom-20) that runs approx. $23 and mounts to the top of any 3 1/2 to 5 gallon bucket.

Adrian

 

[urbanrifleman]

I recently bought a Frankford Arsenal Wet/Dry Media Separator (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B6S8JUC/?tag=accuratescom-20). It did cost me around $40, but my first shot of using it did make my life sooooooooooo much easier. They sell a cheaper version (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J4B2IW/?tag=accuratescom-20) that runs approx. $23 and mounts to the top of any 3 1/2 to 5 gallon bucket.

Adrian

I have the cheap one and it works fine for loads from a Thumbler. Go to home Depot and get a bucket and turn slowly. Works great.

 

[Mozella]

This is what I use. The price is right at eight bucks. I put this into a Home Depot 5 gal bucket and dump the clean brass and pins in. Some twisting to start with along with some shaking after most of the pins fall through gets most of them. Then I dump the brass into a smaller bucket, rinse and stir for a half a minute, and then back into this separator for another 30 seconds of shaking. I typically recover a few dozen pins from the small bucket with a magnet and then rinse and stir the brass again in the small bucket, 2.5 gallons.

Usually the second rinse doesn't result in any more pins. From there I form a towel into a hammock shape, slide the brass from end to end in the towel a few times which removes most of the exterior water, and dump them into a baking pan which I put in my wife's clothes dryer on the tennis shoe rack. Half an hour on high does the job. This system is cheap, effective, easy to store, and quick.

 

[powderbrake]

This is what I use on my tumbler media, works great. I have no experience with steel pins but there is no reason it won't work.
https://www.dillonprecision.com/cm-500-case-media-separator_8_8_23663.html

 

[jepp2]

I realize this is an older thread. When I started wet tumbling I got the "system" from STM (Stainless Tumbling Media), and it included a separator: http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/reloading-products/accessories/media-separator-deluxe.html

It is similar to some of the others, but at $29.95 + $13 shipping, it is another candidate. I can tell you it works fabulously on separating the pins from the brass. When I have tumbled just a few cases and tried to separate them by hand in water, I found out just how challenging that it. I value the separator much more now. I wouldn't be without it or a similar one. The ONLY time I have ever found a pin in brass was when I tumble 25-06 brass. Occasionally a pin will stick cross ways in the case neck. Never happens with any other caliber.

 

[people]

This is the one I use. https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/00038502023/double-action-rotary-sifter
Any of them work.

I just poor the used water into a 5 gallon bucket then the brass into the tumbler. I do use it upside down. I then fill the new bottom with clean water and close it up and rotate back and forth. Removes all the pins. Then to dry I just remove from the water and give it a few shakes then on a towel with a fan blowing on them.

The water and pins will go into the tumbler with brass to be tumbled. Instead of letting the rinsing water go down the drain I get two uses from it. That is about as green as I get. Hopefully it makes up for all the tires and oil I burn.

The reason I use a 5gallon bucket is I always poor out a few pins. It is a way to save them before I loose too many.

 

[Nature Boy]

I've yet to find a decent separator for wet tumbling (I only do pistol brass this way)

Both the Frankford and RCBS products broke on their first go-round. Both are pure junk. All the others look just a cheap.

I use a Dillon separator for my dry media. It's well built. May just by another one for wet.

 

[Want2BS8ed]

I use a Dillon separator for my dry media. It's well built. May just by another one for wet.

I have gone through a couple of the less expensive separators and they just haven't held up well.

The Dillon separator is great, just make sure you go slow or you'll sling pins all over the place.

I've often wondered if purchasing a second tub and turning it upside down as a crude top would make sense...

M

 

[cfreeman]

Sgcbrass.com sure does make a cool one. Not cheap though videos are worth checking out.

 

[mr45man]

This is what I use on my tumbler media, works great. I have no experience with steel pins but there is no reason it won't work.
https://www.dillonprecision.com/cm-500-case-media-separator_8_8_23663.html

Yep, not cheap, but what is in this game.
Used to use a wire trash basket in a 5 gal.
Bucket on about a 45 dg.angle and rotate
Basket.