Laundry sheet in brass tumbler

[Baryngyl]

Not sure if this was the right section to place this so move if needed.

OK, I been using a used laundry sheet cut into 4 pieces in the brass vibrator to help remove dust and it has been working great, the other day I went to put another sheet in and there was no used ones so I used a new one.

Well 10-15 out of over 100 brass came out with a hard waxy dirty build up on them, it does not wash off with hot water and dish soap but rubbing alcohol removes it almost instantly is this caused by using a new sheet instead of an old one?

I can take and post pics if needed.

Thanks
Michael Grace

[bruce drake]

Yep, but I'm sure your brass was super soft :)

Its the deposit from the softener.

[ACrowe25]

I used to have this happen, until I started to use some old ones. Not sure the scientific reasoning behind it... but seems to work for me. Seems I only get 1 out of 300 maybe that have what I believe you are speaking of--- but this can be removed with a quick scrape with my nails.

[Triggernosis]

I've always wondered - why would you even
care about dust in the tumbler?

[MtGun44]

Just tear a regular paper towel into strips and drop in. Works just fine.

Bill

[bayjoe]

I agree with MtGun44, cut up paper towel keeps the media lasting longer and it doesn't take as long to clean brass

[David2011]

You can use the new dryer sheet on powder measures and plastic funnels to eliminate powder from clinging to the plastic.

Triggernosis, the dust in a tumbler is the greatest lead danger most of us encounter. It comes fron the lead styphenate in the consumed primers and insides of the cases and is easily inhaled.

David

[DeanWinchester]

Pour in some fabric softner when you need to anneal your brass!!!

[runfiverun]

the dust just weighs down the media and makes it less effective.

i bet they all smelled spring time fresh though. :lol:

[Baryngyl]

ACrowe25, yes it will just scrape off with a fingernail or another piece of brass, I am just going to wash the few off with alcohol or paint thinner to clean them.

It sure did get rid of the static problem, I pour the brass/media into a colander in a plastic tub, shake it to get the media out and then pour it back into the tumbler, it use to get close to the edge of the tub as it was being poured and kinda jump out and bounce around going into the tumbler, now it just pours in like it should.

DeanWinchester, when I use fabric softner to anneal my brass should I use the spring fresh scent or the regular? :kidding:


Thanks for all the replies everyone
Michael Grace

[DeanWinchester]

DeanWinchester, when I use fabric softner to anneal my brass should I use the spring fresh scent or the regular? :kidding:


Thanks for all the replies everyone
Michael Grace


Either one, unless you trimmed your brass too short then you might try some "Gain".

[khmer6]

I use a little bit of mineral spirits to cut the dust

[.22-10-45]

Just a heads-up on the paper towel in tumbler..I too had placed strips of paper towel in a Thumlers vibratory tumbler..nice and black..collecting dirt..then when brushing out .222 Rem. case necks..I happened to see something dark in there..a pretty good sized wad of paper was cramed down next to flash hole! Maybe the dryer sheets are tougher? but i'm going paperless now!

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Be careful of the new dryer sheets and use in a powder measure. I used a new one to wipe down the inside of my RCBS powder measure and the next morning you could not see through the plastic. It had reacted with the plastic and created a rough film that took forever to buff out. I thought I had ruined it.

[oldtoolsniper]

it's the same nasty waxy stuff it puts on clothes. It will kill rats if you can get em to eat enough.

MSDS are available for most chemicals.

LD50 (rats oral): The LD50 of the material with which the sheet is coated is >10.0 gm/kg.
ED50: >1.5 gm/kg (coating mixture)

I am sure it causes Cancer in California.

[rsrocket1]

Michael, are you single or have no kids?
I have 2 teenagers and the washing machine/dryer seem to be running 24/7. I asked my wife to save the used dryer sheets and end up with a plastic shopping bag full in no time.

If you occasionally stop by your local laundromat, you could probably pick up more than you'll ever need too. I know it may look a little cheesy dumpster diving at a laundromat, but as a shotgun shooter and collecting hulls, dumpster diving is second nature :)

Charlie, are you sure the powder measure was affected by the dryer sheet or the powder. My LnL AP measure gets affected by high nitroglycerin double base powder. Clays does not affect it, but Bullseye is murder on the plastic in the hopper. That's why I empty the hopper after every session.

[geargnasher]

Titegroup will eat polycarbonate in short order, particularly RCBS hoppers IME.

I use "used" color-catcher sheets in my vibe tumbler. Don't laugh, but I spray them with Pledge before putting in for a run of about 10 minutes with no brass. Sucks the dust right up.

Gear

[Triggernosis]

Triggernosis, the dust in a tumbler is the greatest lead danger most of us encounter. It comes fron the lead styphenate in the consumed primers and insides of the cases and is easily inhaled.

David
I didn't realize that, David. Thanks for enlightening me.

[rsrocket1]

I use "used" color-catcher sheets in my vibe tumbler. Don't laugh, but I spray them with Pledge before putting in for a run of about 10 minutes with no brass. Sucks the dust right up.
Gear

Gear that is a great idea.
I've been against the practice that most people do with additives to catch the dust. Typically they recommend a splash of mineral spirits or NuFinish.

2 problems. I tried mineral spirits in one batch and it perpetually stunk up the garage. Oderless mineral spirits would be a solution, but the other problem is that while the dust was reduced, it was reduced because it stuck to the walnut shells. The stuff turned dark brown, then black in short order. Worse yet was the fact that all the primer dust was accumulating on the media. Not good.

By treating the dryer sheets there is even less dust flying around and less chance of it getting inhaled. Disposing of the sheets also means disposing more of the lead primer dust every time you tumble.

[Baryngyl]

rsrocket1, just me and my 70 year old mom living here, we only need to do about 1-2 loads of laundry a week, there is usually a bag full of them and dryer lint hanging inside the closet in the wash room, but once it gets full it gets tossed.
I caught it just the day after it had got tossed and the garbage had went, so used a new sheet.

oldtoolsniper, everything causes Cancer in California. That's one good reason to move away from there. [smilie=1:



Michael Grace

[bear67]

Tried a new trick when I changed the media in my larger vibrating tumbler last week. I added a little ammonia free polish and ran the cleaner a few minutes. I put several of the higher quality better adsorbing paper towels in a glass jar with 10 drops of mineral spirits. Put 3 half sheets in with a batch of 9mm and when it came out the paper towels were black and the media was the original color. Cleaned great and the next batch came out just as nice after adding the paper towels with the mineral spirits "sprinkled" on. Guess you can call it Methodist babtism.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

It was the new dryer sheets that caused the problem. The powder tube was clear before I wiped it down in the afternoon and by the next morning, you couldn't see through it. I don't know what brand they were but it didn't work for me. Bullseye does like to cling to the sides. I do not leave powder in the hopper over night.

[captaint]

I always use the used dryer sheets. Have a good supply - constant - I change it out every time I vibrate the brass. OP - the deposits you saw on your brass could also have been polish. Maybe you put in too much. I did that, once... Also had the same experience as gear with the Titegroup and the RCBS Uniflow. Made the tube funky. Permanently. My .02. Mike

[oldtoolsniper]

I had longshot eat up my RCBS Charge Master dispenser not the tube but the lower green part. Melts right into the plastic.

[Hondo 60]

Yup, the key is to use USED dryer sheets.
New ones will leave a waxy, dirty film.

By the way, I don't bother to cut up the sheet.
You're not trying to have the sheet touch every case.
It's there to help remove the carbon & dirt from the media.

So, in what way would smaller pieces help?
None that I can see.

Of course that's just my 2¢ - YMMV

(I used Tite Group in an RCBS Uniflow too - permanently left granules etched into the tube as well)

[victor3ranger]

bear67, I want to learn more about what you are talking about. I have been using used dryer sheets for a while now but I would like to clean the cob media if possible.
Did this work on corn cob media??
If so, I am fixin to clean up a bunch of my old media.

[MtGun44]

Helps get rid of the loose dust, does not fully rejuvinate.

Recommend paper towels torn into strips. One direction they tear
really nice, 90 deg to that not good at all.

Bill

[Walstr]

Exactly. That's why I've decided to de-prime first, then tumble. Aside from not polluting yourself, you'll be around longer to see how long the grit stays clean.

What ground walnut shell grit works best for y'all. I need to buy some now. 12/20 coarse enough? 14/30? Thanks.

[nightal]

After using the used drier sheets, for the last 6 months, i notice less red dust, inside my cleaned brass.I also use a cap full of mineral spirits, e/o time, I clean brass.

[awhiteha]

I put the walnut media in an old sock tie it off and run it thru the washing machine on delicate. When it's done I run the washing machine on an empty cycle to clean the machine. Media will dry in 24 hours outside. Then I add a half cup of rice to the dry media and it cleans really well. I used do this every 10 tumbling cycles.

Now, I have a sonic cleaner which does most of the hard core cleaning. I now run it thru the washing machine every 20 cycles.

[awhiteha]

Also I throw in one used dryer sheet and drape an old t-shirt over the tumbler. When it is done the t-shirt will have lots of dust on it.

[pdawg_shooter]

My wife stopped using dryer sheets when a repair man showed her how it coats and plugs the lint screen. Caused the dryer to overheat and darn near caused a fire.

[gray wolf]

I bought 40 pounds of media from drill spot about 5 years ago --price to my door--21.00$$
It will last longer than I will last. When it gets dirty --- get rid of it.
and + one-- tite group and long shot will eat plastic--also-- new dryer sheets will gum things up.
Fabric softener is poison, look it up.