Wet tumbling: how wet?

[Minutes and Mils]

Hi Guys,

I'm currently trying to decide whether I like the Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17.

How much water would you normally use in this sort of tumbler? Just enough to get the pins damp, or enough to get the whole lot sloshing around? I've seen some YouTube videos where the users fill it right to the top.

Also, how long would you leave such a unit running? I initially left it running for a good long time and the case mouths were very peened indeed!

What works for you guys?

Thanks...

 

[jepp2]

Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17

I have basically the same thing made by STM, and here are their directions:

"Instructions for Rebel 17 Tumbler click here for 40 lb. Tumbler Instructions

1. Notice. It takes a few times to get the media broke in. The media is dirty from manufacturing process and has a few burs. Media does not work in a vibratory cleaner
2. 1. Add 5 Lbs (2.27 kg) of SS media into the drum
3. 2. Next fill with 1 gallon (3.78 Liters) of cold water. (One gallon)=8 Lbs/3.63 kg
4. 3. Add your brass into the drum (2-4 Lbs of brass)
5. 4. Add dish soap. 1 -2 Tbs (15-30 mL) of either Dawn, Ivory, or Joy dish soap
   (if there are no soap bubbles in the water after you tumble, you need more soap)
6. 5. Add 1/4 Tsp. (1.25 mL) of Lemishine. This is the key to the shine. (Not too much)
7. 6. Tumble 3-4 hours with the Model B High Speed Thumler’s Tumbler
8. 7. Pour out as much water as you can without losing any brass or pins
9. (The more you rinse the brass and pins the better your results will be next time)
10. 8. Fill drum with water, and separate brass by hand or use an STM Media Separator with water.
11. 9. Rinse your brass off really good with some warm water. (Not getting a good rinse can leave water spots on the brass)
12. 10. Dump brass onto a towel and let dry. If any pins get stuck in the neck of the brass throw those pins away
13. 11. Store Stainless Steel Media either wet or dry in drum"

 

[Ackley Kid]

I run the Thumbler model B . Water can be filled nearly to the top . Your tumble / dwell time will vary on case size and amount of pins , flakes you are running ( a little trial and error ) More pins usually mitigates some peening of the necks . Generally 284 size cases 20-30min . From talking to other people , some have suggested shorter time as it leaves SOME carbon behind and still cleans up brass nicely. In all honesty I’ve gone back to corn cob and polish in a Dillon as it’s less work and still cleans brass just not to the jewellers shine that Lemi shine provides and still leaves a thin layer of carbon . Still wet tumble pistol and AR brass . Hope this helps you out.....

 

[Just Dave]

1. (The more you rinse the brass and pins the better your results will be next time ).
2. This ^^^ If you experiment a little, you'll find that rinsing dirty water a few times will clean everything up nice without extended tumbling times. I dump the first batch after 20 minutes, then again after another 20 minutes,, last rinse is clean, cold water, with a little bit of lemishine in it.

 

[Minutes and Mils]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

 

[Delfuego]

I fill an inch from the top with hot water. Squirt of Dawn, pinch of Lemi-Shine. I only run mine for 90+/- minutes. Adding more pins helps too! If you use a cupped towel and a hair dyer, they will dry without spots and are shiny. I am a lazy SOB, but my brass looks purdy...

 

[jepp2]

Just other things to try:

-Some folks swear by using hot water, I have just stuck with cold
-I have tried shorter times (2 hours) but the interior of the case still had some carbon in it, so I stick with 4 hours
-I always find enough neck peening, I run a chamfer tool inside the case necks
-How long your brass will stay shiny, varies by water quality, your humidity, etc.
-Extra work, but to dry my brass I just dump it in a fine corn cob mix in a vibratory tumbler. I also add some Mothers Brazilian Carnuaba cleaner wax. Brass comes out dry, and with a polish finish that keeps it from tarnishing for a long time. I also believe it takes the place of the carbon I removed from inside the case neck. I never have issue with cold weld and my seating pressure is very consistent.
-If you tumble overnight or if you are away, don't let the tumber stop and just sit. The carbon you have removed will plate back out on the brass.

 

[Mikemontminy]

I use boiling hot water along with dawn dish soap and lemishine. I wouldn’t try going that hot in a plastic drum but it’s fine in my metal Thumblers drum. Cuts cleaning time down to 30 min. Less time equals less peening.

 

[ngb1787]

Still no proof of tighter groups with shinier brass, lol

 

[David Christian]

Still no proof of tighter groups with shinier brass, lol

Have you tried and tested with and without wet tumbling? Would love to see empirical data.

 

[billbonser]

1. Use a tablespoon of Automatic Dishwasher Soap. It is the strongest soap made, and used to get the gunk off your mother-in-laws pot roast pans, and has no suds. Along with a half teaspoon of Lemi-Shine.

2. Hot water is better, if you can use it.

3. Do not over tumble. Two and a half to three hours is enough. Tumbling longer will start to degrade the case mouth. I use a tubing micrometer to check the cases.

4. The pins I have will jam in some of my 6.5mm necks. Annoying, but the end of the world. I use a wood dowel to push out the stuck pins.

5. Rinse the brass well. Twice is good, this will eliminate residue soap and grime, and remember there is a little water trapped in the just tumbled cases.

6. Separate the pins from the cases. I use a colander (pasta type with small holes not slots) inside a larger plastic bowl which catches the pins that make it through the holes. This larger bowl makes washing the pins and brass easy by changing the dirty water for clean.

7. Tap the cases on a towel and put then into loading blocks upside down to dry. I use a hairdryer to heat the cases to speed up the process or put them in the sun.

8. While there seems to be no evidence that bright brass shoots any better, it can not hurt to have the interior of the cases clear of carbon each time you reload. One more variable out of the way. Also, primer pockets are clean.

 

[dickn52]

Still no proof of tighter groups with shinier brass, lol

Nope or yep, but my dies love them.

 

[riflewoman]

I have a Frankford arsenal wet tumbler. I fill it half full of brass. Fill with warm water from the tap to about an inch over the brass, add 1 tablespoon of Dawn, and 1 Teaspoon of Lemishine. I don’t use media. Then I tumble it for 2 hours.

 

[dickn52]

I have a Frankford arsenal wet tumbler. I fill it half full of brass. Fill with warm water from the tap to about an inch over the brass, add 1 tablespoon of Dawn, and 1 Teaspoon of Lemishine. I don’t use media. Then I tumble it for 2 hours.

What he said but I have a 4 lb SS media that I add as well. Oh, and I only use three to four drops of detergent.

 

[jpx2rk]

I've read or saw it on YT where you want enough water in the container to keep all dirt/pins/brass covered and sloshing around. I have a FART, and the instructions say to fill it up to the "neck" of the drum, but I usually just come close to that. And enough dawn or whatever you use to keep the suds going for the length of time you tumble.

 

[oley55]

How wet? Really wet. Regardless of how much brass I am cleaning in a batch (a lot or a little), I always fill the drum with water.

I go easy on the dish detergent. I shoot for just a hint of/or no suds when I open it.
Too much detergent results in pins floating or stuck in the suds when you open the drum., and subsequently ending up with SS pins in places you do not want. (Although, the automatic dishwater suggestion mentioned above seems to have merit and may eliminate this problem.)

I use a Dillon media separator, filled to over flowing with water from a water hose and pour from the drum straight into the basket. Close the basket and start chruning/turning with the water hose still pushing in water. After a few minutes I dump the water and go again. Buy the third cycle, all of the SS pins have fallen to the bottom and there are zero suds/bubbles on the surface of the water. Now I know all of the detergent is gone, so no water spotting. FYI, I am doing all of this sloshing, rinsing, and dumping outside on a concrete pad. I have no idea how I would do it in the frozen north.

And no matter how carefully I slosh and rinse, I will without exception find a few pins on the ground. Easy pick-up though with a magnet.

I then dump my brass into a large heavy beach/bathing towel, twist the ends and slosh the brass back and forth in the towel a couple minutes and much of the moisture is gone. Then I spread the brass out on another DARK colored towel placed in the sun. Florida sun on the brass sitting on a heat absorbing towel will give you seriously bone dry brass in 45 minutes. Guaranteed.

 

[onelastshot]

I dump the brass into the container and then add warm water until its an inch and a half to two inches above the brass line. It's important not to fill the container to the top because the open space allows for agitation, which means cleaner brass. Squirt in my soap and a little lemi shine and set the timer for 90 minutes. Even the dirtest brass comes out shining. I dump the brass on a beach towel after I'm done rinsing and removing the stainless steel pins and put them in the sun to dry. When they are dry they look like new brass. Just remember to remove all of your primers so the primer pockets get a good cleaning.

 

[cw308]

I'm using the Tumblers B Tumbler 5 lbs. of SS Pins two tablespoons of Sun detergent add brass with primers removed and warm water 1/2" from the top . Runs for 3 hours brass looks brand new inside and out . When finished tumbling I dump the carbon filled water and flush until water and soap is removed , I leave alittle water to remove brass the drain the water and let drum and pins air dry . Brass is put in those plastic holders that comes with store bought loaded ammo to air dry . Will never go back to corn an walnut tumbling .