Homemade SS Pin sifter

[wv109323]

I just started using SS pins to clean brass. I have just cleaned 9mm,40 and 45 acp. To remove the pins I just shook the drum over a bucket,with the screen on one end of the drum. I want to start cleaning .223 brass and I see my method as not working with the small bottleneck cases. I fear leaving too many pins in the cases.
I know they make sifters but is there a home remedy that works as well? I was thinking an orange bag. What else ?

[Dieselhorses]

I have the same issue especially since I cut my own oins. I rinse and strain everything with strainer and drop cases and pins on towel and separate everything manually. Ive caught a stray pin in a case when I was charging once, not good.

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[wv109323]

It should be Pin sifter not pink sifter.

[JimB..]

You can just rinse each case by hand, hold it mouth down and give it a shake under water and any puns will fall out.

I use a Lyman media separator, fill it with water and tumble them for a few minutes. I also hold a strong magnet in my hand while spreading the wet cases on a towel, sometimes get a stray pin.

I do this even for pistol brass, it’s a lot less strenuous.

[NyFirefighter357]

My solution: I use the strainer on one end and shake very well. Then I add a strong rubber coated magnet or a large strong bar magnet with a few 1.5" x6" strips of car drying chamois. I tumble for about 2 minutes. Most of the pins are caught on the magnet and now the brass is 99% dry.

[Dieselhorses]

My solution: I use the strainer on one end and shake very well. Then I add a strong rubber coated magnet or a large strong bar magnet with a few 1.5" x6" strips of car drying chamois. I tumble for about 2 minutes. Most of the pins are caught on the magnet and now the brass is 99% dry.

Must be a different type SS, mine don't stick to magnets.

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[Hossfly]

WV had me going with that pink sifter, I was looking for a picture. I found. S couple small parts trays a horror frt. with strong magnets on the bottom. They work very well under aluminum tray like baking tray. Just place under tray and shake then pick up cases by the hand full and shake, most will fall out and stick with their buddies. Most SS pins are magnetic to some degree some higher quality ones may not be magnetic.

[jmorris]

I use the Dillon one and fill the tub with water to rinse at the same time. I have made a few different separators in the past.

The most “fancy” one was for a bank of dry “cement mixer” tumblers though.

[Reddirt62]

^^^same, use my Dillon separater, works great.

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[dbosman]

I pour clean brass into a large tub of water. For pistol brass I lift the case in a Lyman strainer and shake as I lift it out of the water. A couple of passes under water and a good shake above water removes the pins.
For bottle neck cases, since there are significantly fewer, for me, I lift small fists full, upside down out of the water while shaking the cases. Then I pour off most of the water and dump the rest of the pins and water in a bucket for next time.

[Kenstone]

OK
I bit the bullet and bought a Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler kit after vibe tumbling forever.
I knew there'd be a learning curve but those iddy-biddy pins end up everywhere and I thought I'd need to buy more soon, at the rate I was "loosing" them.

I am using Frankford's round separator that fits into a 5 gal bucket that I used for dry tumbling and didn't want to buy yet another special separator for the wet process, so I searched the usual gun forums for a solution/method to not loose those pesky pins.
I found nothing...so I went to youtube and found a guy using 5 gal elastic top paint strainers to separate the pins from the brass.
($4 for 2 )
Strainers/bags:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-5-ga...36WF/202061360
Video


I don't have that rotary separator he has but use the paint strainer the same way with a round separator.
Then I rinse the brass with a hose, empty out the brass, put the paint strainer bag with the pins still in it, into the separator and rinse the pins.
The pins can then be spread out, still in the bag and air dried before returning them to the tumbler.
GAME CHANGER
I haven't used the magnet since adding the paint strainer to the process.

[Hick]

SS Pins stuck in cases are not as big a deal as you might think-- very, very easy to remove. First dry the cases. Then, then only pins that will still stick in a case are the ones that are wedged straight across the center of the case-- they will be directly in line with the flash hole. After the cases are dry I just run a small Allen wrench or drill bit into the flash hole and the pins fall right out.

[Dieselhorses]

Hick-that's a pretty easy way of doing that. I just pour everything out on a towel, shake pins out, throw cases in pillow slip, toss around to dry outside then stand em all up on end (yes I'm ocd). This way I can inspect with flash light making sure they are "pin-less".

[OS OK]

This will do it just fine...fill the bucket with water (this is where I add the wash-n-wax for the coating of the brass)...turn it a dozen times and you'll not find a single pin even in a bottleneck case. While the brass is in the tumbler just rinse with a hose, dump on a towell, fold it and do the hamock thing back and forth a few times then dump in a tray and place in the sunlight for an hour. Good to go & all your pins are in the bottom of the grey bucket...well...not exactly, a few will go over the edge of the bucket with the splashing water but a handy magnet will pick them up. This is an older model from Frankfort Arsenal but all the mfgr's make the same thing just different shapes.

[35isit]

The one in Kenstone's post is the only way to go. I clean approximately 300-400 7tcu casses a year. After wet tumbling I just simply pour contents less water into seperator. Usually no pins in cases and no excess water on the cases. https://usa.palmettostatearmory.com/...AaAnAVEALw_wcB

[jmorris]

If you have the bottom part of the separator in water, you not only get a rinse but you also reduce the surface tension of your solution trying to keep a pin inside a case.

[Mr_Sheesh]

A couple drops of the "Wet Dry" surfactant used in dishwashers will also help reduce water surface tension. Less spotting or retained pins. I haven't had a rotary separator but think I will get one very soon as handling all the cases one by one gets OLD, having to tap each underwater to remove those last few stubborn pins!

[daboone]

Disappointed with the MidSouth media separator. 3 of hinges on the basket either broke or bent when putting it together the first time.

[edp2k]

The Dillon large size rotary separator is the bomb
Fill tub to brim with water, put open cage on the oar locks,
dump brass+pins from vessel into cage,
shut cage,
rotate slowly for a few min,
100% separated

buy once and be happy forever

[JeepHammer]

Not to throw a wet blanket on things...
And this won't apply to smaller volumes, I do about 10 gallons of brass at a time in a cement mixer...
Smaller volume or occasional cleaners will have to adjust their process as needed.

Keep in mind here I'm cleaning to PROCESS brass, not looking for high polish (that comes last in the process).
I just need brass CLEAN so they don't wear my dies in production, carbide dies aren't cheap...
Decap, swage, trim and open case mouth to accept a bullet. (Trimming die undersized mouth/neck slightly)

While J.Morris said he builds for DRY cleaning media, I use an initial 'Wet Wash' to remove range crud from Milbrass.
Nothing like red clay, rocks, etc.!

I use a grease cutting detergent (low suds) and a dab of Lemi-Shine (hard water here), and NO PINS.
The friction of brass on brass cleans the outside, cement mixer action, bars inside the drum tumbling brass, knocks the crud out of the cases.
Grease cutting detergent gets 99.9% of everything off/out of the cases and they come out looking real good.
Strainer/separator removes the last of the rocks or other FOD from brass and it's ready to process.

I use steel pins/chips for corroded cases, and a much longer tumble time.
They also come out looking good, corrosion/tarnished removed.
Chips actually do a better job than pins on corrosion/tarnish...

When brass is cleaned (not polished or coated) and separated, I throw it directly into dry media and tumble for about 10 minutes, separate again.
The dry media dries out the wet cases and they are ready to process without using heat or wasting the time to air dry.
The very small amount of moisture the cases carry into the dry media just prevents a lot of dust and the media lasts a LONG time since the cases are clean and 99% dry when they go into it.

A pass through neck qualifier to reject blanks, loaded rounds, .222/.204 cases, mangled cases, etc,
Then off to lube, lower case roller to restore lower case size, rim & extraction groove,
Then a quick lube tumble (5 gallon bucket tumbler) and into processing for primer/pocket, trim, neck sizing.

I find NOT using pins on everything speeds things up considerably and isn't necessary on anything but the most tarnished/corroded brass.
Your needs/process may differ, but in my case I let the mixer/detergent do the job, and the cases look really good most times.