Wet tumbling dryer...

[Larry Koch]

Laying on a beach towel, Texas sun is no problem, winter a little longer.

 

[divingin]

How many of you use a dryer for your wet tumbled brass and what kind of time does it take to dry.... What brand do you use..???

I have gone back to dry tumbling years ago but I have a nice thumbler tumbler just sitting in a box.... I used to just set the cases out in the sun here in Texas or put them in the oven at a low temperature setting but that takes to long.... I am going to move and am picking up alot of once fired brass especially pistol brass that has water stains etc and would like to clean them up before storing them.... I won't have access as easy to range pickups soon so nows the time....

Just fyi for my brass I have loaded and am shooting I don't wet tumbler I dry tumble to leave the carbon in the necks etc...

Thanks in advance for your advice...
Shawn

I use a dehydrator (10-tray, I think. $80 on EBay) set at 70C for an hour (just because it's easy to set - brass is dry in a half hour.) I did, however, make up some trays that hold rifle brass at somewhere between 30 to 45 degrees off horizontal to prevent water pooling at the shoulder. Wooden frame, cross-pieces with a bunch of angled brads.

An oven will work fine; just don't try to heat at over about 350F (brass can begin to soften at about 450ish if left in long enough, if I remember right.)

 

[alf]

Simplest way is to use a cheap ass blow dryer from Wall World and a matching cheap ass strainer to roll & flip them around in till they're too hot to handle, less than five minutes.....

 

[Bill Clifton]

I only wet tumble my black powder brass but then I like to do it on a sunny day so I can sit out in the sun for a few minutes. Otherwise I dump in a hand towel to get most of the water off and blow dry for a few minutes with a hair dryer.

 

[chkunz]

I do the towel dry thing to get the excess water out and then the warm button on the toaster oven, it stays on for 30 minutes and then I leave them in for another 30 minutes until they cool.

 

[marchboom]

In the summer I put the brass on a cookie sheet and put them in the sun. If the weather is cool they go into a Lyman case dryer.

 

[Charlie-NY]

I'll either spread them out on a towel and let them sit in the direct sun for a few hours, or:
I'll put them in the toaster over on 300deg for 15min, then shut the toaster oven off and let them sit in there while I do other things. They stay hot for quite a while.

 

[STORM2]

Frankford here. I do wish it had a timer and a switch. It is plug in and run. I bought a switched extension cord. I have a timer I could plug it in, just never remember t use it. 30 min or so on the highest selection. (Don’t remember what it is ) I do like it and use it 100% of the time for my brass laundry.

I think the issue I discovered after I started reloading is how much space the equipment and tools used require. Nothing is square or round. Nothing stacks or fits with other stuff.

 

[chkunz]

I'll either spread them out on a towel and let them sit in the direct sun for a few hours, or:
I'll put them in the toaster over on 300deg for 15min, then shut the toaster oven off and let them sit in there while I do other things. They stay hot for quite a while.

Try the warm button on the toaster oven, it may be all you need.

 

[625-8]

I use the Frankford Arsenal dryer and agree with STORM2 that it needs a switch and a timer.
i use the FA pin tumbler without the pins to keep the carbon inside the case making reloading much easier.

 

[Willow]

I bought the Lyman Air dryer - 2 hours and your brass is good to go again.

 

[Charlie-NY]

I use the Frankford Arsenal dryer and agree with STORM2 that it needs a switch and a timer.
i use the FA pin tumbler without the pins to keep the carbon inside the case making reloading much easier.

I put an outlet in the reloading area that has a rotational timer above it which controls the 110v. I originally set this up to run my STM wet tumbler. Now I only pin tumble for 15 minutes so the timer isn't really needed.
This set-up would work great for your dehydrator.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Wet Tumble, Old Bath Towel. Cookie Sheet in the Mrs. Oven at 275 for about 15 minutes.

 

[BigBolt]

I bought a cheap toaster oven with temp setting works great.

 

[Twisted Chemist]

I tried the oven a few times. Not a fan. I just roll em on a towel and let em sit. Sometimes I get a jug of whiskey and blow each case out with the compressor . Of course in las vegas the humidity is often less than 10%, so that helps.

Same here, roll them in a towel and set out to dry. The humidity in AR is just slightly higher than 10%, more like 70%, but I leave them inside on the tabletop. Not sure where the jug of whiskey comes in but I'll have to give that a miss.

 

[SeabeeKen]

Put mine is a food dehydrator for an hr our so

 

[lightman]

I dump the wet brass in a pillow case like bag made from an old towel and give them a shake, rock and roll. In the Summer they then go on a baking sheet out in the Sun. In Winter they come out of the bag and lay on an old towel to let the Heat-A/C do its thing.

 

[waltk]

I use the Lyman "Cyclone" dryer. And this is no BS, I can dry 1000 9mm cases in one hour.

 

[Webster]

I use the Lyman "Cyclone" dryer. And this is no BS, I can dry 1000 9mm cases in one hour.

Be careful. After wet tumbling I shake each case hard to get water out. After tumbling I rinse in tap water then rinse in distilled water made for stream irons (used to be $.99 a gallon, can use several times. This prevents mineral stain from tap water. Once after shaking each case I put the straw from a Dust-Off can in each case. I couldn't believe how much water blew out of a few cases. I put them in the kitchen oven at 190F for about 3 hours, then turn the oven off and leave them in the oven overnite as the oven cools down. Never checked any for water after drying. If I dry higher than 190F the cases are duller from oxidation.

 

[Steel Mover]

Waste of time and money, just use the attic, free energy. sorta free anyway. Do not tell DC, they will tax the heat source.