New to SS media and have ?

[gary0529]

OK, I just got the tumbler and 5# of SS from Brownell's and ran my first batch of 308 through the process-ABSOLUTELY LOVE the job it did. My question is simple-how do I or do I even need to dry off the ss pins?
I did watch the video from Brownell's and searched the site but this question may be so simple that no one else even needed to ask it.

The water was filthy, got everything rinsed off and now I have a barrel full of pins that are quite wet.
I dumped them into a towel, balled up the towel and got things dryer but I did not find the process neat or practical in that the pins like to hide and jump out when transferring back to the bin to store them.

Am I making too big a deal of this and being anal about the process?

And as long as I am open for scorn and abuse ;D who has a neat way of getting the cases out of the ss soup short of doing what I did and fish them out by hand-the colander/fine wire basket sort of works but I may need to find a finer mesh as the pins seem to jam or stick in the wire.

You guys always seem to have practical solutions for things, so I am open for schooling.

Thanks in advance.

Gary

 

[Erik Cortina]

You don't need to dry them.

If you decide to dry them, I have found that separating the pins individually and wiping them down one at a time with a Q-tip works the best. ;D

 

[RottenII]

You don't need to dry them.

If you decide to dry them, I have found that separating the pins individually and wiping them down one at a time with a Q-tip works the best. ;D

;D ;D I never bother doing anything to mine other than rinsing them a bit and just dump them back into the bin.

 

[hedditch]

After tumbling for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs, I dump out the dirty water trying not to lose any brass or ss pins. I fill the tub back up with clean water to with in about 1 1/2 inches from the top and then dump all of it in my RCBS media separater. Turn the handle a few times to separate the ss media from the brass. I dump the brass onto a towl and roll it around to dry off the brass then throw a heat lamp on the brass to dry the inside. Then I anneal. Meanwhile, I take the water and ss media in the media separater and dump it all back into the drum and it is ready for the next time. My procedure but hopefully you will receivee a reply to make things even easier.
Dave

 

[infantrytrophy]

The easy way:

As Dave Hedditch described above, rinse and separate the brass and SS pins using an RCBS (or similar) rotary media separator. Leave 3-4" of clean water standing in the bottom of the media separator so that the brass/SS pins are rinsed again and to help separate the pins and brass.

Then pour the SS pins onto a colander using a piece of a bedsheet as a filter. Excess water will drain through, similar to a drip coffee maker, and the pins will dry overnight. See picture below.

Randy

 

[gary0529]

Thanks for the great and fast replies.

I barely had time to finish my coffee before you all replied-talk about fast service!

Appreciate everything I learn here- even after 50 years of reloading I learn something more each day.
Great base of reloading knowledge and shooting experience here.

Gary

 

[jlow]

The SS-media never needs to be dried but they should be rinsed out well after use. They are stainless steel and I have used and left it wet with no problem for 2 years.

 

[amlevin]

My "pins" are well over a year old now and all I do is rinse the whole mess, pins and brass, well before I put them into the rotary separator.

The brass goes off to the rest of the processing and the pins are just left in the bottom of the Separator (an RCBS). I leave it with the lid open and they're dry by the time I use them again. Haven't seen the need to dry them at all and have no signs of corrosion/rust.

 

[dave7mm]

I have found that separating the pins individually and wiping them down one at a time with a Q-tip works the best. ;D

Thats funny right there.


dave

 

[tbird1960]

I have a piece of stainless steel screenwire that is very fine and will let the water and crud be washed out and leave the media to be poured back into the tumbler. Works real good.

 

[cp generation]

You don't need to dry them.

If you decide to dry them, I have found that separating the pins individually and wiping them down one at a time with a Q-tip works the best. ;D

you are a funny guy Erik !!

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've used a STM pin tumbling set-up for years. One thing I learned is that less is more. The less time that you actually tumble, the better. I tumble for 20-30 minutes, max. Tumbling longer does make the brass shinier, but it dings up the case mouths. Typically, you need to chamfer and debur after a long tumble. Long tumble times also removes the carbon from inside the case mouths. It is widely accepted that leaving the carbon in the case mouth is beneficial. Brass gets adequately cleaned in 20 minutes and most of the carbon will remain in the neck.

Using a rotating case/pin separator is helpful but I usually just pick cases out after 2-3 rinses in HOT water. Pins can remain in some water indefinitely. It's a good idea to visually peer into each case after they are dry. You will find that a pin may still remain in the case occasionally.

How much Dawn should you use? Trial and error seems to dictate that. If there are no suds left when the tumbler is opened, you didn't use enough. If there is a significant amount of suds, you probably used more than needed, but a couple of hot rinses will cure that.

Good luck

 

[SSchnd]

Never have worried about drying my SS media. It will not rust if its SS. Many years now no Issues. Pins and chips. The guys telling you to submerge the brass into water in the media separator are spot on. The basket being in the water helps the media float right of the cases into the tub below. Ask me how I know Wink Wink. Over the years I have simplified my process.

Also You can try without using media, it will wash but may not clean the primer pockets as well with out media. But Dawn/Lemishine is my go to and Brass Juice works great! with or with out media

 

[markm87]

Never dry or wash my pins. For whatever reason they bucket and pins dry out well on their own.

 

[Fire Dog]

I’ve been tumbling brass for years with a Frankford Arsenal tumbler and do dry my pins as well as also clean the drum and pins about every three uses as the crud that blacks up the water also collects on the pins and drum interior over time and just contaminates future brass leaving a much duller finish.
As suggested, get a SS sieve {commercial grade} and the one in the picture holds my 6.5 lbs of pins and just fits inside a two quart pan.
After separating the pins and brass {I just use a live bait bucket} in a tub and rinse the brass several times in a large bucket. Dump out on a large towel after a hot rinse and rolling first and then forming a hammock shape toss them back and forth to remove as much water as possible. Onto a pizza tray into a fan forced oven set for about 130* for about an hour to dry completely.
*I have found adding two tablespoons of “Burnishing Compound” {from a lapidary supply} to the drum along with a dash of dish soap {No, it does not have to be Dawn…} a 1/8 teaspoon of Lemi Shine and 10ml of Bore Tech Sonic cleaner {really helps lift the rubbish and minimise tumbling time}
*I pre-soak my brass for 24 hours in hot water + Lemi Shine and 10ml Bore Tech Sonic cleaner and a squirt of dish soap. Doing a pre-soak reduces the tumbling time and thus helps reduce the peening effect on the case mouth.
One to one & a half hours is maximum to get good results and I always lightly touch to case mouth inside/outside as well as a brush inside the neck on a case prep station to eliminate any peening effect.
The Bore Tech product imparts a bit of tarnish resistance to the brass.
Clean drum and pins with hot water and some enzyme soaker and let tumble for about 5 minutes and let soak for another half hour and dump and rinse.
*Having a magnetic pick up device {Frankford makes a good one} will assist handling the pins and pick up any you may drop.
*Pins can be oven dried in the sieve or just left out in the sun for a day.
Now ready to anneal and load… Brass in picture is annealed as seen in the darker neck/shoulder.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I very rarely use SS pins when tumbling brass. . . whenever I wet tumble. But when I do, I'll tumble rinse the brass and pins for less than a minute then dump it all out in a sieve while rinsing some more with running water and separating the pins from the brass. Once all the SS pins are out of the brass I lay out the pins on a towel (usually overnight) to let them dry out. Then I'll lift the SS pins into a mason jar for storage using the Frankford magnetic tool and funnel.

 

[dellet]

You don't need to dry them.

If you decide to dry them, I have found that separating the pins individually and wiping them down one at a time with a Q-tip works the best. ;D

I took this guys advice because he’s a top shooter and knows things most people don’t.

I’m glad this thread came back up, so I can thank him. As I just finished

 

[3Ackleys]

you are a funny guy Erik !!

Yes he was- 13 years ago...

 

[ELR LVR]

I took this guys advice because he’s a top shooter and knows things most people don’t.

I’m glad this thread came back up, so I can thank him. As I just finished

One of EC videos I watched regarding accuracy and bullet selection
He was pointing out there are 2 different types of Lapua Scenars
One with an "L" stanped on the bottom is more accurate - so he uses those.
I thought it was a good April Fools joke of some sort
---
Until curiosity got to me and got out a magnifying glass and looked at the bottom of my Scenar'L 105's
Sure enough to my surprise, There was a tiny "L" stamped on the base of it
You never know when Erik is joking or being serious

 

[DDRanch]

After a while stainless pins will start to get dirty. At that point I fill tumbler hot water to about a inch from top, add 1/4 teaspoon LemonShine/Citric Acid and a hefty ounce of Simple Green. Run or around a hour or so. Rinse well. Never have worried about drying.