How I reduced my drying time after SS wet tumbling.

[MrBottleneck]

I made this originally with just using high strength steel finish nails but, over time they got a touch of rust on them so, I finally got around to modifying the drying board.
This time I used bambo dowels. Simple conversion just pulled the nails. Set up a bit with a stop then re-drilled the holes to fit the little bambo dowels (100 of them).
For you guys that want to speed up the drying time doing a setup like this helps after wet tumbling.
Granted they make dryers or you can fire up your oven and put the cases on a cookie sheet etc. but, this is a easy cheap alternative.
Love to tinker and it was a fun overall project that cost one bag of bambo skewers ($3) and the (board was scrap I had laying around).
It is nothing fancy but, it works.

 

[jpx2rk]

Nice work. I've thought of making something like that but with no drill press, I didn't want to mess with using a hand held drill. I saw a food dehydrator at wally world for <$50 the other day and got one, has 4 or 5 trays and will hold a couple hundred 204/223 cases easy. Even has a thermostat on it and is very quiet as I run it in the kitchen and don't even have to turn up the TV in the adjoining LR. Wife even uses it to "cook" or dry out her "rustic christmas ornaments" she is making.

I've only use this thing to dry 223 cases after rinsing them in alcohol to remove sizing lube, not washing the brass in dawn/water but I don't see a problem with it doing a decent job of drying the water out of cases.

 

[ebb]

why do you go to the trouble?

 

[MrBottleneck]

why do you go to the trouble?

Well, I will play along EBB.
First: Not everything I shoot runs Lapua brass where I care about Carbon in the neck so much. Sometimes I go out to just have fun and plink.
"For example" I pick up range brass (have not for a long time as I have 10,000+ pieces) of once fired .223/5.56 brass from many makers. Some ends up quite dirty and it needs tumbled because it ends up in the dirt etc. so, it gets tumbled sorted by maker and bagged up for future reloading. This is just one example of why my little board is handy as that brass (along with other calibers) gets tumbled. Those all are sized to saami as they might be run through different ARs.

Second: I know my Lapua brass will get many many cycles on them in my various other calibers and once a case gets so dirty I tumble.

Third: Tinkering and creating things is just plain ole darn fun.

I am sure there is more but, I believe that will suffice.

Hope you understand now.

 

[dolek]

I like it,small and organized . I use a toaster oven now,but I like your idea better. No babysitting,just put them on the rack and forget about them .I have an old cutting board and a pack of bamboo kebab skewers I can use .Thanks for sharing the idea.

 

[jimbires]

nice idea . set the rack out in the sun , and your brass would be dry in no time .


I'm starting to see the need for a pin tumbler , since I've been picking up range brass . I have a grandson that will be shooting age soon . clean range brass will be perfect for getting him started .

 

[ebb]

I started long before anyone tumbled with pins, I had a new Dillon vibratory and it will out last me and its big. I saw no need to go to pins. However I have buckets of range brass also and the thought of starting super clean is not lost on me. But pins just seemed a little hardcore and now I am reading about dents and dings deformed necks and the need to dry brass. Plus the thought of missing a pin and shooting it down the barrel of one of may best rifles is the clincher. Maybe ultra-sonic but not pins. A lot of times when I cut oal I use a lee tool and have the brass in the rotating shell holder I just use 0000 steel wool on them and really bad range pickup gets scotch brite. I have new ultra fine scotch brite I haven't tried yet but it may eliminate the steel wool.

 

[MrBottleneck]

Thanks JP, Dale and Jim for the comments.

Ebb, I saw also the recent post talking about dents and dings. I personally have done thousands upon thousands of pieces and have never experienced it. I for one don't do a ton at one tumble and I make sure the water is full. Not sure why on occassion you hear about a person having an issues or others but, for me its not been one. As far as Sonic cleaned ones they need to dry off to as well.
As far as a pin staying in the case. I have never seen it happen plus it would be a lot harder for a pin to hang onto the side of a vertical case. I give the board a couple of jiggles and make sure anyhow though.

With all this said your post and your follow up post it sounds like a different thread debate on why you prefer Dry Media over Wet Tumbling. I for one also had a dry tumbler and ditched it because I hated having media in my primer pockets and the dust messyness.
I suppose it boils down to what the reloader prefers and this post wasnt about that.
But, hey thanks for reading the post. I appreciate your input.

 

[fguffey]

I started long before anyone tumbled with pins,

Many years ago I started using vinegar on the worst of cases, I purchased $14.00 worth of 30/06 cases that would have required 6 days of tumbling, even after 6 days of tumbling the patina would still be there so I use vinegar for 15 minutes, after cleaning in vinegar I used boiling water to rinsed the cases. After rinsing I tumbled the cases for an hour. The $14.00 I spent got me 1,400 cases, the cases were military 30/06 cases with crimped primers and the cases would not have been that cheap had anyone wanted to go through the effort of cleaning.

Before vinegar I used an old formula that required less than 2 minutes of soaking and two rinsing's in fresh/clean boiling water. When removing the cases from the boiling water the cases were too hot to pick up and examine, no one had to explain to anyone in the old days about the latent heat in the case but the heat in the case would dry the case. The old formula was good for cleaning old tools and cast iron post and pans etc..

Difference? time, and then there was the safety factor.

I clean cases with dry media, I know, stainless pins are cool, problem, I have no exemption, if I used stainless pins I would still have to boil my cases in water to rinse.

F. Guffey

 

[ebb]

I hear ya on the old time methods. There is a thread thats been going on for years at Cast Bullets started by some guy looking to clean the really bad brass you are describing, His method is to use citric acid. Heat the water, less than boiling, add the citric acid , add the brass but for only like 12 seconds if I remember right. I tried it and it works but don't leave the brass in too long. Check it out at Cast Bullets.

 

[Jackal2016]

Nice work. I've thought of making something like that but with no drill press, I didn't want to mess with using a hand held drill. I saw a food dehydrator at wally world for <$50 the other day and got one, has 4 or 5 trays and will hold a couple hundred 204/223 cases easy. Even has a thermostat on it and is very quiet as I run it in the kitchen and don't even have to turn up the TV in the adjoining LR. Wife even uses it to "cook" or dry out her "rustic christmas ornaments" she is making.

I've only use this thing to dry 223 cases after rinsing them in alcohol to remove sizing lube, not washing the brass in dawn/water but I don't see a problem with it doing a decent job of drying the water out of cases.

Same thing I've used for drying cases experimenting with the Ultrasonic and SS Tumbling method.

 

[cw308]

MrBottleneck
Nice job . I also wet tumble but I put the cases in those plastic holders the store bought ammo come in . I'm sure if I left your setup out when my Grandkids came over your bamboo field would look like a battlefield.

 

[JRS]

Make your electric dishwasher earn it's keep

 

[Delfuego]

Hair dryer...

 

[people]

If you are dinging your brass with SS pins you have too many cassings in each batch or you are running them too long.

Here is what I do with all my brass to include range pickup. Here is range brass.
1. wet tumble them for 20 min
2. separate pins from brass
3. place on towel and use fan to dry
4. deprime
5. remove crimp if it has one
6. lube and resize
7. wet tumble for 20 min with HOT water
8. Separate brass from pins
9. place on towel and use fan to dry
10. trim / de-bur
11. de-bur flash hole
12. wet tumble them for 10 min
13. separate pins from brass
14. place on towel and use fan to dry

Then load as normal. After that skip the steps that are not needed. This cleans them very well. Your most tarnished brass will get a second round if it is bad.

 

[Just Dave]

I don't have pics, but it dosent take much to imagine this motor/blower
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BK43IY/?tag=accuratescom-20
.
Bolted to the side of a SQUARE plastic bucket, ( They must be 4 or 5 gallon ? )

Then I just drilled different sized holes in a couple different lids, for them to sit neck-down into. (50BMG, .308, .223 )
As I separate them from the pins in the sink under water, I just set them in the holes, plug in the fan, and come back 20 minutes later,
And repeat.

 

[cw308]

I never pick up range brass laying on the ground. Never know if its someone's old reloaded last time around brass . If the person next to me is shooting store bought rounds , I would ask them if there not saving their brass can I have it .I get my rifle brass from a friend that has no interest in reloading. Have to talk him into getting a 45 ACP.

 

[Jackal2016]

If/when ever I have tried a wet cleaning method, ie USC or SS pin tumbling, I would shake the brass in a towel then place the brass in a food dehydrator to dry.

 

[Shooter13]

Thanks JP, Dale and Jim for the comments.

Ebb, I saw also the recent post talking about dents and dings. I personally have done thousands upon thousands of pieces and have never experienced it. I for one don't do a ton at one tumble and I make sure the water is full. Not sure why on occassion you hear about a person having an issues or others but, for me its not been one. As far as Sonic cleaned ones they need to dry off to as well.
As far as a pin staying in the case. I have never seen it happen plus it would be a lot harder for a pin to hang onto the side of a vertical case. I give the board a couple of jiggles and make sure anyhow though.

With all this said your post and your follow up post it sounds like a different thread debate on why you prefer Dry Media over Wet Tumbling. I for one also had a dry tumbler and ditched it because I hated having media in my primer pockets and the dust messyness.
I suppose it boils down to what the reloader prefers and this post wasnt about that.
But, hey thanks for reading the post. I appreciate your input.

I agree 100% on "dents and dings" as I just did 4000 rounds yesterday and not 1 dent that I saw, this argument is normally from those that just have never tried it or "don't like the new fangled stuff" but we are in America and to each his own, just don't rain on someone else party, I like your idea but I use a Christmas tree light timer on my dryer and when I shut the lights off on the reload room the dryer kicks on and I have it to run for 4 hours and they are done!

 

[Prose]

I use my New Wave Oven (as seen on TV). Sets all the way down to 120° and has a fan for circulation. Dries brass very quickly even if the primers are still in. They are also really good at cooking food, but not at the same time.