Wet tumbling media, any thing other than SS pins ?

[onegunred]

I am going to buy a Lortone 33B double drum wet tumbler and need some sort of media. Are SS pins my only option ?

[Conditor22]

I've had good luck with the pins, they don't get stuck in the primer pockets and clean the primer pockets

I seen where others use SS chips?
or
google 1Lb Stainless Steel Tumbling Media Shot Jewelers cylindrical Tumbler Finishing

[Hick]

There are things other than SS pins-- but I am also in the SS pin camp. I think they work just about better than anything. I wet tumble, and the SS pins are very easy to separate from the brass and the last pretty much forever. I bought the 2.5 pound jar of pins a couple of years ago and that's all I seem to need. About the worst thing that has happened is losing a few pins down the sink when I rise the brass.

[Mica_Hiebert]

If you have Facebook search southern shine media they sell stainless chips and work great.

[vagrantviking]

About the worst thing that has happened is losing a few pins down the sink when I rise the brass.

I was annoyed by this too and a little bemused to see some would even float on the surface tension of clean rinse water.
I found a doughnut shaped speaker magnet that was just the right size to fit around the drain. It holds back a half inch of water in the sink and catchs any pins that escape.

[Burnt Fingers]

If you have Facebook search southern shine media they sell stainless chips and work great.

Yep. I like the chips a lot better than the pins.

[mdi]

Actually, any small metal object or even ceramic tumbling media will work. Stainless steel is use because the pins don't rust and can be used for a long time. I was owned by a 30' sailboat a few years ago and have a good supply of stainless steel hardware; wood screws, machine screws, cotter pins,nuts, bolts and washers. My first try at wet tumbling with SS media I used small cotter pins (3/32"x 1/2") and some #4 wood screws, 6-32 nuts and some #6 washers. Worked fine, but didn't get pristine primer pockets (BFD!). I have tried hard resin media wet and dry during my "experimenting" with tumbling media and after 5 years of playing with a bunch of different "media", I settled on corn cob blast media, 14-20 at the easiest, cleanest, most effective media for tumbling brass...

[sparky45]

Actually, any small metal object or even ceramic tumbling media will work. Stainless steel is use because the pins don't rust and can be used for a long time. I was owned by a 30' sailboat a few years ago and have a good supply of stainless steel hardware; wood screws, machine screws, cotter pins,nuts, bolts and washers. My first try at wet tumbling with SS media I used small cotter pins (3/32"x 1/2") and some #4 wood screws, 6-32 nuts and some #6 washers. Worked fine, but didn't get pristine primer pockets (BFD!). I have tried hard resin media wet and dry during my "experimenting" with tumbling media and after 5 years of playing with a bunch of different "media", I settled on corn cob blast media, 14-20 at the easiest, cleanest, most effective media for tumbling brass...

How much water you use with the Cob media?

[Walter Laich]

If you have Facebook search southern shine media they sell stainless chips and work great.

+1
for me they cut the time in half.
I think they are equal to pins and are faster so life is good

[OS OK]

Yep. I like the chips a lot better than the pins.

+1
for me they cut the time in half.
I think they are equal to pins and are faster so life is good

Could one of you post some pictures of the primer pockets...up close?
I'm wondering just how clean they get and if the chips will get in there in the corner of the bottom of the pocket?

Also...do the chips want to get into small caliber case mouths and get packed within the case?

[CrystalShip]

There is a variety of media that can be used. Besides The standard , Corn cob , walnut. Pins I have use small leather strips , not vinyl.. Strips put and excellent shine and remove small marks or lines, small Plastic Beads with plain soap and water . The last thing I have used was Erasers. similar in Pencils but larger. All do a Good Job but If your a primer pocket Nut. then these are not for you

[rmantoo]

I have been using ss pins in a thumblers tumbler for about 10 years. This year in January, I stopped using pins, at all. I hate the hassle of separating the pins from brass, and whenever I end up with 9mm and 40 or 45 randomly in other batches, pins end up in between the cases, and I lose a few whenever I separate them...

So I tried Guntaps "Brass Shine," and "Brass Juice." Brass Juice with no pins is all I'm using from now on.

It's $20 for 32 ounces, drain/septic safe, and you can reuse it at least 5-6 times...so each load comes out to about $0.08.

Advantages (for me): 1. No more separating pins 2. Faster. I only tumble 30-45 minutes for regular brass, and 75 for black, aged range brass. 3. So far, I've rerun each load (of brass juice, not the brass) at least 5 times...a few 6, and I'm going to try going a few more.https://photos.app.goo.gl/tATocuGEuLuiLwF38

https://photos.app.goo.gl/j5gdbX5ApTZzkU6G7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ev45x74ZP8zVHGHK6

Maybe I should add: I don't have any kind of relationship with either of those companies...I was just tired of ss pins and figured there had to be other guys out there in the same basic boat... figured I'd share.

[JeepHammer]

What you might try that worked for me, depending on situation.

Put water in the media separator, this breaks surface tension and pins/chips come out easier.

Drop a 5 gallon bucket paint strainer in the media separator bucket under the basket, throw a couple weights in to keep it from rubbing on the basket with brass.

These run under $1.50 when bought in 20 packs off eBay and catch pins/chips.
Bucket catches water, strainer catches pins/chips, basket retains brass.

I often don't use pins/chips, just soap & a little acid.
This cleans the brass quite well, and really quick.
Stains remain inside brass, but carbon chunks, dirt/sand washes out of brass.
With pistol brass in particular, leaving the stain in the case helps get the brass off the powder funnel/neck expander on my Dillon progressive.

This is entirely depending on large volume...
I use a cement mixer ($150-$300) instead of 'Rock' tumbler,
Better made tumblers can cost well over $300.

I made a strainer for the mouth of the mixer...
Wash, strain crud/pins/chip out,
Throw in rinse water and strain out rinse water,

Throw dry walnut shell media on DAMP brass and let the polish media (on clean brass) both dry & polish.
The small amount of moisture just keeps the dust down.
Again, screen out dry media and dump brass into buckets.

This keeps me from having to lift the brass (up to 15 gallons at a time) several times since the brass stays in the mixer until it's ready to process.
Dumping brass with pins/wash water, rinse water, etc. all requires lifting the brass over & over again.
(I guess if your are a body builder you want to 'Pump Brass', but I don't!)

When weather requires processing indoors, I dump into a laundry tub,
Sawed the legs off a little,added casters and put a rubber hose on the drain.
Laundry tubs are still cheap.

For drying,
I often use dry walnut shell media,
BUT,
A nylon (synthetic) Minnow Seine Net, on 2"x4" frame (looks like a sleeping cot), and either a cheap fan or sunlight dries most brass without large energy costs.
The synthetic fabric net is strong enough to hold 10 gallons of brass, and it doesn't leave marks on the brass like metal screen does.

This doesn't discount things like food dehydrator or an old kitchen oven, etc.
I live off grid, and making heat in volume costs money.
I can stack up a few stretched net frames with an air gap between and dry a bunch of brass while others get cleaned/polished, and leaving them to dry doesn't mark or dull the brass.
Like a giant food dehydrator with just a fan under it...

---------

No matter the volume you do,
Walnut shell will eventually plug up with crud/brass.

The paint strainer bags work to catch pins/chips.
They also work to wash the crud/dust out of your walnut shell media.
A piece of common nylon window screen allows you to dry out your walnut shell for reuse.
It also dries in food dehydrators just fine.
(This is assuming a stray cat doesn't use it for a litter box when you aren't looking! )

The longer your stuff lasts, the lower the total cost, and the more components you can buy!

[jmorris]

I used pins but know a business that doesn’t use any media, just the water, cleaning solution and brass. They are not as clean inside as with pins but after they are reloaded, you can’t tell the difference. Might try that first, you can always buy pins later.

[mdi]

How much water you use with the Cob media?

Dry only. Wet cob blast media will turn into a goo when water is added. Went back to dry tumbling (rotary) as for me there is less mess, easier use, and for me, a bright, glossy shiny and pristine case IDs and primer pockets are not necessary. Only 2 cases get shined; 45 ACP and 30-06, when fired from my semi-autos. Easy to find in the dirt, rocks and trash at my "range".

[mdi]

I used pins but know a business that doesn’t use any media, just the water, cleaning solution and brass. They are not as clean inside as with pins but after they are reloaded, you can’t tell the difference. Might try that first, you can always buy pins later.

A machine shop I worked at did the same; just parts, dish soap and water. I tried just water one time and got the same finish on the OD, but brass started tarnishing a few days after tumbling...

[Mica_Hiebert]

Could one of you post some pictures of the primer pockets...up close?
I'm wondering just how clean they get and if the chips will get in there in the corner of the bottom of the pocket?

Also...do the chips want to get into small caliber case mouths and get packed within the case?

That is part of the advantage of chips is they do not get stuck in bottle neck cases I've done tons of 223 brass. I do not have pictures but the chips will make the primer pockets look brand new. They also cost slightly less than stainless pins.

[Conditor22]

After I wet tumble and rise the brass, I drop it in a bucket with water and a little car wash - wash/wax in it, lightly rinse off the bubbles spin them again in a rotary media separator (that I also use to remove all the pins), towel dry and load into a food dehydrator. Helps keep the brass shiny.

[Time Killer]

I use pins but my next purchase will be the chips. I have seen veideo's of both in use. I have a media separator that was used to separate dry media from brass. It is the turn style separator. I found it works excellent for separating the pins from the brass. The bottom that was used to catch the media I fill to where the rotary tumbler is about on inch under the water. it works great. I dump most of the water out then spin them a little more to get the water out of the cases.

[Drew P]

Another vote for no media here. I dint care how the insides look, and omitting pins makes the process way easier. After a rinse I place a bath towel on the floor, and dump wet brass in the towel, then I pick up the towel by the ends, making a hammock shape. Then tilt the hammock side to side which rolls the load of brass end to end, getting about 95% water out.
Works for my lazy boot