How Can You DRY Cases Quickly?

[XTR]

I put them on a baking cooling rack on a cookie sheet, makes them sit with the mouth slightly down. Pop them in the oven at 200 for a few minutes.

I did make the mistake of letting a batch just sit in the shell holders in the garage for about 24 hours then loading. Had to pull about 100 rounds. Takes a but longer than you might think to air dry.

 

[jlow]

my final step is to clean in laquer thinner. I do not rush the process, i know waiting overnight is foolproof so thats what i do. My uncle rushed it while loading some rum for me and 2-3 out of 5 wouldnt fire, just not worth it.

If you are going the route of using a solvent to dry the case, use acetone and not lacque thinner, much less toxic and it is the gold standard of what we use in the lab to dry glassware.

 

[REDGUN]

I have spare trays for my dehydrator ( that I make jerky with). Put wet cases(shake as much water out as you can first) in there for an hour or so, and they are ready to load.

 

[Win94ae]

If it is summer I'll let them sit in the sun; takes about 1/2 hour in 80ºF. Birds seem to like messing with them so keep your eyes open.

If it is winter I'll lay them on a baking sheet and set them under the wood stove.

I usually just use a strip of t-shirt and a dowel rod to wipe the inside of the cases.

 

[AckleymanII]

alcohol or Coleman lantern fuel and you are done quickly.

 

[amlevin]

Coleman lantern fuel

????????

It's Petroleum Naptha, essentially gasoline without the additives and smell.

No thanks.

Besides, a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol from Costco is more effective and cheaper. Can even be re-used. Put the cases in a bowl, pour on the alcohol, swish around, pour back into bottle. Use it over and over until the dry time gets a little long.

 

[gsg5pk]

For me, I deprimed and put my fired brass into the Ultra Sonic Cleaner with Hornardy N Sonic.

After finished the cleaning, I lay all brass on a towel and use hair dryer to make them dry.

The problem that I see was all shinny brass gonna dark and have a water spot after dry.


Can anyone suggest how to make them dry without those effect?

 

[amlevin]

For me, I deprimed and put my fired brass into the Ultra Sonic Cleaner with Hornardy N Sonic.

After finished the cleaning, I lay all brass on a towel and use hair dryer to make them dry.

The problem that I see was all shinny brass gonna dark and have a water spot after dry.


Can anyone suggest how to make them dry without those effect?

Are you rinsing well after removing from the ultrasonic solution?

You might also try rinsing in a container containing 1/2 gallon or so of real hot water and some Lemi-Shine (1/4 tsp all that's needed). Not only will it brighten the brass a little, it's also a good water spot preventing agent.

Also, shake as dry as possible in the towel before you hit the cases with the drier. Get all the water you can off the OUTSIDE of the cases first. Then the drier is just there to make sure the insides are dry. No water, no spots.

 

[Ed333]

What is the recommended maximum temperature in the oven-drying method?
I am afraid I may have done a dumb newbie thing. I decapped and ultrasonically cleaned 150 cases. In the past, waiting for them to air dry took a long time (days), so I put them on a cookie sheet in my wife's electric convection oven. I set the temp at 350, figured I would read a book and keep an eye on them (thru the oven door window) for about half an hour.
After 20 minutes, there was a flash and "poof' inside the oven. Some combustible survived 60 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner! (This is probably irrelevant, but it happened, and it was an interesting moment. Didn't tell the wife.)
I turned the oven off, and let them cool in the oven overnight. When I took them out, the cases were all 'blued' looking, sort of a strong case coloring in blue effect, with a matte surface texture. I told an experienced shooter at the club about this, and he said I have probably ruined the brass, got it too hot, and made it soft. Particles could come off in the chamber? He said he would not use it. If so, this is an expensive lesson, it is Lapua brass, either once or twice fired. So that is my real question, have I damaged the brass? Any comments or suggestions?

 

[larmike]

Small fan on high cases on a towel. Dy in a about an hour or so. Mike

 

[DennisH]

Small fan on high cases on a towe

My method as well.

I do keep 2 set of brass going at all times, 280 pieces. No problem waiting on brass to dry.

Doesn't alcohol displace H20? I have thought about taking them out of the SS cleaner and rinsing in alcohol. Any comments on this?

 

[Steve Blair]

What is the recommended maximum temperature in the oven-drying method?
I am afraid I may have done a dumb newbie thing. I decapped and ultrasonically cleaned 150 cases. In the past, waiting for them to air dry took a long time (days), so I put them on a cookie sheet in my wife's electric convection oven. I set the temp at 350, figured I would read a book and keep an eye on them (thru the oven door window) for about half an hour.
After 20 minutes, there was a flash and "poof' inside the oven. Some combustible survived 60 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner! (This is probably irrelevant, but it happened, and it was an interesting moment. Didn't tell the wife.)
I turned the oven off, and let them cool in the oven overnight. When I took them out, the cases were all 'blued' looking, sort of a strong case coloring in blue effect, with a matte surface texture. I told an experienced shooter at the club about this, and he said I have probably ruined the brass, got it too hot, and made it soft. Particles could come off in the chamber? He said he would not use it. If so, this is an expensive lesson, it is Lapua brass, either once or twice fired. So that is my real question, have I damaged the brass? Any comments or suggestions?

[br]
Your "experienced shooter" is wrong. Nothing can happen to brass hardness at 350°F. I dry mine at 250°F and occasionally see some bluing. It means nothing regarding material condition. The only objective is getting the brass hotter than 212°F to evaporate the water. 20 minutes at 250°F is enough to accomplish that.

 

[nhm16]

Not rich except in experiences and love.

A basement in Florida is called a "pool". No basements here as that would be below water level.

Gonna use the oven. Wife does not object and also have a smaller, portable one.

Right, I forgot about you guys down south with no basement, but the fact is an air conditioner would do exactly the same thing.

That's what I use. Here in Texas, the air conditioning still gets a fair bit of use this time of the year.

 

[Leaddog]

Doesn't alcohol displace H20? I have thought about taking them out of the SS cleaner and rinsing in alcohol. Any comments on this?

Rinse them a coupe of times with regular water first, then use the 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. Don't use 70%. Too much water in solution.

If I am going to anneal right away, I'll lay my brass on a metal tray and use the hair dryer on them for about two minutes just to make sure they are completely dry.

From tumbler to annealer: 15 minutes for 60-80 pieces of .308 brass.

 

[jlow]

What is the recommended maximum temperature in the oven-drying method?
I am afraid I may have done a dumb newbie thing. I decapped and ultrasonically cleaned 150 cases. In the past, waiting for them to air dry took a long time (days), so I put them on a cookie sheet in my wife's electric convection oven. I set the temp at 350, figured I would read a book and keep an eye on them (thru the oven door window) for about half an hour.
After 20 minutes, there was a flash and "poof' inside the oven. Some combustible survived 60 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner! (This is probably irrelevant, but it happened, and it was an interesting moment. Didn't tell the wife.)
I turned the oven off, and let them cool in the oven overnight. When I took them out, the cases were all 'blued' looking, sort of a strong case coloring in blue effect, with a matte surface texture. I told an experienced shooter at the club about this, and he said I have probably ruined the brass, got it too hot, and made it soft. Particles could come off in the chamber? He said he would not use it. If so, this is an expensive lesson, it is Lapua brass, either once or twice fired. So that is my real question, have I damaged the brass? Any comments or suggestions?

You may or may not have ruined your brass depending on how accurate your oven thermostat is. I use a BenchSource to anneal and in the instructions to test for proper temperature, the Tempilaq use to indicate too hot at the head of the brass is 400 degrees, so 350 is pretty close. In fact in the instructions it says “you do not want the case head any where near 400 F”

The other problem here is you had that "flash and poof" which meant that you have unfortunately distributed lead into your oven which I assume you normally use to cook food for consumption. NEVER use any cooking utensil for anything related to food for reloading. Lead is a poison and is particularly bad if you have young children. Never use the oven to dry your brass.

 

[amlevin]

What is the recommended maximum temperature in the oven-drying method?
I am afraid I may have done a dumb newbie thing. I decapped and ultrasonically cleaned 150 cases. In the past, waiting for them to air dry took a long time (days), so I put them on a cookie sheet in my wife's electric convection oven. I set the temp at 350, figured I would read a book and keep an eye on them (thru the oven door window) for about half an hour.
After 20 minutes, there was a flash and "poof' inside the oven. Some combustible survived 60 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner! (This is probably irrelevant, but it happened, and it was an interesting moment. Didn't tell the wife.)
I turned the oven off, and let them cool in the oven overnight. When I took them out, the cases were all 'blued' looking, sort of a strong case coloring in blue effect, with a matte surface texture. I told an experienced shooter at the club about this, and he said I have probably ruined the brass, got it too hot, and made it soft. Particles could come off in the chamber? He said he would not use it. If so, this is an expensive lesson, it is Lapua brass, either once or twice fired. So that is my real question, have I damaged the brass? Any comments or suggestions?

[br]
Your "experienced shooter" is wrong. Nothing can happen to brass hardness at 350°F. I dry mine at 250°F and occasionally see some bluing. It means nothing regarding material condition. The only objective is getting the brass hotter than 212°F to evaporate the water. 20 minutes at 250°F is enough to accomplish that.

Not so fast on discounting the "experienced shooter's" statement. Household Ovens are strange devices. Some will turn both the broiler and lower elements on for the preheat cycle. Individual items in the oven can reach temps far higher than the set temperature if one doesn't do the preheating before placing the brass inside.

As for raising the temperature to above 212degrees in order to dry brass, that's not necessary. Water will evaporating at all temperatures. It's more a function of humidity than the heat when drying. The rate of evaporation increases with temperature and/or decreased humidity.

One can also dry objects like brass by putting it in a vacuum chamber. Water will actually boil at room temperature when subjected to a vacuum. This is how water is removed from refrigeration units.

I've dried brass in a preheated oven with temps as low as the control can be set. Doesn't take any time at all. I just don't like the accelerated tarnish effect that occurs with higher heat drying processes.

Why the impatience?

When I was a kid I was taught an old saying (supposedly Pennsylvania Dutch origin).

"The Hurrier I Go, The Behinder I Get".

Ruined brass is certainly a set back.

 

[Steve Blair]

You may or may not have ruined your brass depending on how accurate your oven thermostat is. I use a BenchSource to anneal and in the instructions to test for proper temperature, the Tempilaq use to indicate too hot at the head of the brass is 400 degrees, so 350 is pretty close. In fact in the instructions it says “you do not want the case head any where near 400 F”

[br]
Cartridge brass grain structure is unaffected below 482°F, regardless of time. Only at ~495°F does measurable change in material condition occur. My brass, after depriming and a trip through stainless steel pins in the tumbler, does not represent any threat to me or my oven. Nor is my oven a "strange device." Checking with a bimetallic thermometer (for cooking purposes) has proven that it will hold ±20°F. If an oven is set at 350°F, it seems unlikely that a >100°F temperature excursion would occur. Using Lemi-Shine and Lemi-Shine Rinse in the tumbler water eliminates the tarnish. I often process 150 to 400 cases per session after shooting a match. I brazed several racks made of coat hanger wire that hold 100 cases per rack. The interior and primer pockets dry quickly and that allows me get back to more profitable time expenditures. [br]
I just shot our last Long Range match of 2012 at Camp Pendleton. That took 150 rounds. Upcoming are the California State LR Championship, the 29 Palms LR Regional, the Arizona State LR Championship and the Arizona State Palma Championship. Those will take a total of ~750 rounds. A busy match schedule requires more efficient methods. Certainly, if you are shooting casually or shoot fewer rounds, slower methods would work fine.

 

[jlow]

You may or may not have ruined your brass depending on how accurate your oven thermostat is. I use a BenchSource to anneal and in the instructions to test for proper temperature, the Tempilaq use to indicate too hot at the head of the brass is 400 degrees, so 350 is pretty close. In fact in the instructions it says “you do not want the case head any where near 400 F”

[br]
Cartridge brass grain structure is unaffected below 482°F, regardless of time. Only at ~495°F does measurable change in material condition occur. My brass, after depriming and a trip through stainless steel pins in the tumbler, does not represent any threat to me or my oven. Nor is my oven a "strange device." Checking with a bimetallic thermometer (for cooking purposes) has proven that it will hold ±20°F. If an oven is set at 350°F, it seems unlikely that a >100°F temperature excursion would occur. Using Lemi-Shine and Lemi-Shine Rinse in the tumbler water eliminates the tarnish. I often process 150 to 400 cases per session after shooting a match. I brazed several racks made of coat hanger wire that hold 100 cases per rack. The interior and primer pockets dry quickly and that allows me get back to more profitable time expenditures. [br]
I just shot our last Long Range match of 2012 at Camp Pendleton. That took 150 rounds. Upcoming are the California State LR Championship, the 29 Palms LR Regional, the Arizona State LR Championship and the Arizona State Palma Championship. Those will take a total of ~750 rounds. A busy match schedule requires more efficient methods. Certainly, if you are shooting casually or shoot fewer rounds, slower methods would work fine.

Like I said, “you may or may not have ruined you brass depending on how accurate your oven thermostat is”.

Don’t have problem with the 482 degree number but as it is with ANY mechanical/electronic device, one should not assume that it is accurate especially if it is your face and fingers that is at risk. Use at your own risk.

 

[noelfr]

I rinse my brass to get rid of sizing fluids/gunk then lay them out in the Texas sun on a "dedicated" cookie sheet. I then turn on a fan to remove water vapor. After about 15 min. I stir them around by tumbling them by hand and then let sit and air for another 15-30 min. They are bone dry and the process is not labor intensive. Don't use the cookie sheet for anything else.

 

[Erik Cortina]

The fastest way is in oven at 225F. I don't stand them up or anything, I just dump them on a cookie sheet. I pour a small water puddle next to the brass as a gauge. Once that puddle evaporates, brass is dry. They go from cooking sheet to annealer. Fast and convenient.