What I've learned about wet tumbling..

[savageshooter86]

Yes, carbide pin, no lube or graphite.

Where do you get your carbide gauge pins from?

 

[David Christian]

@F Class John, do you have the link to the carbide pins?

 

[F Class John]

willrich.com

You can contact
Lisa@willrich.com

They’re about $60+ each and they come with NO taper. They charge almost the same to put a taper on it. It takes special grinding material to taper a carbide pin.

These work the best to hold them

 

[kindabitey]

There's another one of those things I need, but didn't know existed.

 

[Uncle Ed]

I switched to a sonic cleaner to keep from peening the case mouth when wet tumbling.

And Hornady One Shot does not need to be removed after sizing.

 

[Pawnee Bill]

Wet tumbling with SS pins is not the best way to remove case lube. Wet tumbling is best used when you have real dirty cases. I use corn cob media in my vibratory tumbler to remove case lube and polish the case. Always remember, Clean Cases Are Happy Cases!!

 

[EdHarley]

@coldboreshot, My goal is to minimize steps, touching the brass as minimal as possible,and I only want to clean my brass once with Dawn and LemonShine. My brass never hits the ground, so I:

Anneal (AMP with mate)

Toolhead 1, Dillon 750
Spray with Oneshot in a ziplock bag
Decap
FL size with bushing die

SST (100 cases at a time)
Dry in a dehumidifier
Trim & chamfer (Giraud)

Toolhead 2
Gage pin
Charge powder
Seat bullet

Very few touches and only 1 cleaning cycle.

Do you worry about small pieces of brass being left in the case if you don't clean after Trimming and chamfering or do you have a way of removing them not listed?

 

[David Christian]

Do you worry about small pieces of brass being left in the case if you don't clean after Trimming and chamfering or do you have a way of removing them not listed?

No, the Giraud trims with the cases in a vertical position, necks down. Never had an issue.

 

[danny]

You can use the wet method with a tumbler, but can you use the wet method if you are not tumbling and are instead using a vibratory bowl?

Danny

 

[Jackal2016]

You can use the wet method with a tumbler, but can you use the wet method if you are not tumbling and are instead using a vibratory bowl?

Danny

Well, yes.... it is called ultrasonic

 

[danny]

Well, yes.... it is called ultrasonic

An ultrasonic cleaner is something else. I am looking at the vibratory bowls that we use, which I have. I keep seeing people talking about "vibratory tumbling", and my reaction is "?????????". "They are using a unit that vibrates AND rotates?????".

Danny

 

[rwj]

An ultrasonic cleaner is something else. I am looking at the vibratory bowls that we use, which I have. I keep seeing people talking about "vibratory tumbling", and my reaction is "?????????". "They are using a unit that vibrates AND rotates?????".

Danny

Two issues... 1) doubtful that the bowl is watertight, and 2) the pins would go to the bottom and stay there as the bowl vibration magnitude is insufficient to cause mixing with the cases. But... I’ve be wrong before! You could always buy some pins/chips and try.

 

[divingin]

I am looking at the vibratory bowls that we use, which I have. I keep seeing people talking about "vibratory tumbling", and my reaction is "?????????". "They are using a unit that vibrates AND rotates?????".

"Tumbling" refers to the action the cases go through (i.e tumbling with the media) rather than the entire bowl tumbling.

AFAIK nobody has successfully used wet SS pins in a vibratory tumbler. (I have heard of a few that unsuccessfully did though.)

 

[danny]

"Tumbling" refers to the action the cases go through (i.e tumbling with the media) rather than the entire bowl tumbling.

AFAIK nobody has successfully used wet SS pins in a vibratory tumbler. (I have heard of a few that unsuccessfully did though.)

Tumbling only happens in a Rotary machine, that is why they are called "Tumblers", and then there are vibratory machines. Any turning of the product in a vibratory machine is not "tumbling". It is merely moving or "mixing" through vibratory action.

There are no "Vibratory Tumblers".

Danny

 

[jpx2rk]

I discovered that funky range brass gets just as clean when you forget to put the SS pins in when you start. I realized I didn't put the pins in at the start about 1.5hrs into the planned 3 hr cycle. I just stopped the tumbler, opened the top and poured the SS pins in, put the lid back on and turned it back on for another 1.5 hr. Got the usual good results which surprised me a bit.

 

[SG4247]

In general, I have quit using water for brass cleaning - target results improved. Parked the ss pin tumbler. Dont like the surface treatment the pins leave.

I mostly Only use corn cob media in a vibe shaker.

I leave some soot in the neck.

I do a full ultrasonic clean on the brass after five firings.

 

[uncle fester]

HF tumbler? Not sure what you mean. The brand name of my old rock tumbler is Lortone. I paid $15 for it at a farm sale. The same model is still made, at over $200 new. For $15, it wasn't worth making one. PVC, shafts, bearings, something for a frame, and especially a motor will cost far more.

When you mentioned that your tumbler had the ability to run two separate canisters at the same time, I assumed that you had the two canister Harbor Freight setup. For virtually no money, they do a decent job.

I looked up your tumbler online and it looks like HF copied much of it’s design (with cheaper parts of course).

To me, two small canisters is PITA sometimes. For less than $20 (depending what people have lying around), it is easy to fashion a single canister setup using a PVC pipe of the same diameter. For agitators, I glued sections of smaller PVC pipes inside.
For rifle length cartridges, I find my homemade canister works much better than with two, small canisters.

I got my ideas from this video and made a few improvements.

 

[divingin]

Tumbling only happens in a Rotary machine, that is why they are called "Tumblers", and then there are vibratory machines. Any turning of the product in a vibratory machine is not "tumbling". It is merely moving or "mixing" through vibratory action.

There are no "Vibratory Tumblers".

Danny

You don't say?

 

[SEGARE]

Can you use corn cob media in a rotary tumbler?

 

[danny]

You don't say?

I hold my opinion. I have seen some manufacturers consistently put out their own equipment assembled completely wrong, so this is no surprise to me. This unit was named by some yahoo at Lyman who doesn't know any better either. Said Yahoo probably has a "Hot Water Heater" at home, as well.

Danny