Case cleaning but in bulk?

[44Blam]

I've got a little vibratory cleaner, but I just organized all my spent brass and it is a LARGE amount...
I've got several thousands each 40s, 357s and 44 mags...
Then hundreds (or maybe low thousands) 45-70s, 308s, .223s, etc...
And about 200 tokarev cases (need to load/shoot more of this).

In my little vibratory cleaner, this is gonna take a loooong time...

Anyone have any advice for bulk cleaning?

[mulespurs]

I might try a portable cement mixer.

Jerry Miculeck had some video's on how to bulk process brass.

[Winger Ed.]

I do about a thousand or so of one caliber at a time.
I wash the brass in soap & water, let them dry a day or two out in the sun.
I fill my Lyman turbo until it about chokes.
Then let it all run overnight in the corncob media & polish compound.

If I have more than one load for it, I've got plenty to do while the next batch goes in and it'll run all night too.
However much was in the first run, its always more than I can reload in one evening anyway.

[Winger Ed.]

I might try a portable cement mixer.
Jerry Miculeck had some video's on how to bulk process brass.

That'll get on with it.

I never tried this myself, but somebody once talked of putting them in a big bag of shredded newspaper
and running it in the dryer with the heat off.
Upon further contemplation, I'd venture to guess that fella was single.

[44Blam]

That'll get on with it.

I never tried this myself, but somebody once talked of putting them in a big bag of shredded newspaper
and running it in the dryer with the heat off.
Upon further contemplation, I'd venture to guess that fella was single.

I cannot use our dryer - I would never hear the end of that. Nor can I use our oven...

It seems like I need to buy some land and make a range.

[country gent]

The mortar mixer dies food and allows the option of wet cleaning or medias, It takes a little trial and error to find the right load ratio. I have seen old driers convert to case polishers also but these may need some new drive to slow down. The bigger case polisher do a fast quick job on large batches also. Or one can be made

[EDG]

Just mix up some Birchwood Casey liquid case cleaner in a plastic bucket. No tumbling is needed. I would deprime it first.

[Walks]

My Dad used a little old portable cement mixer when I was a kid (1960's). Wish I had it.

[Pete44mag]

Harbor Freight makes a small plastic cement mixer. Get 5#'s of stainless steel pins from one of the suppliers, mix Dawn dish soap and a small amount of Lemi-shine and tumble for 2 hours. One of the members at our gun club who shoots about 3000 rounds a month showed me how he does it. Works for him.

[rancher1913]

I use a small cement mixer but I have seen a plastic tub that you roll on the ground for mixing cement that would work just as well

[trails4u]

I took a standard 5gal round water jug, and fitted it to run on my wife's treadmill. Drilled a hole through the bottom and top, ran threaded rod through it, put locknuts on both sides on the bottom to secure the threaded rod, and then a washer and wingnut on the 'lid'. Left the threaded rod long enough on both ends to fit 'bushings' of copper pipe, to act as a sort of bearing, I guess. Fitted a wood frame to sit above the upright legs at the front of the treadmill, with legs running parallel to the tread, and attached open eye bolts to the ends of those. Simply load the cooler with all you please, plus media, and set the 'bushings' of copper pipe (over the exposed threaded rod on each end of the cooler) into the open eye bolts at the end of the wooden frame, and set your speed. (3.2mph seemed good). Walk away and come back to 2,000 pieces of shiny brass! I'll post pics if anyone wants....hard to explain, but super simple to build.

[Winger Ed.]

I took a standard 5gal round water jug, and fitted it to run on my wife's treadmill. .

That's brilliant.

And the perfect excuse why you can't use the treadmill yourself.

[Winger Ed.]

. Nor can I use our oven....

Me too.
In the old days, I'd scrounge up a few gallons of range brass, wash it with soap & Water.
Then dump it out in a big roasting pan, put it in the oven at about 250 or so to boil off the water.

It was a great system, and got them ready to run in the polisher without getting a bunch of dirt in it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,After the second live round of .45 ACP cooked off,,,,
I've been permanently grounded from drying brass in the oven.

[trails4u]

Me too.
In the old days, I'd scrounge up a few gallons of range brass, wash it with soap & Water.
Then dump it out in a big roasting pan, put it in the oven at about 250 or so to boil off the water.

It was a great system, and got them ready to run in the polisher without getting a bunch of dirt in it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,After the second live round of .45 ACP cooked off,,,,
I've been permanently grounded from drying brass in the oven.

And I got fussed at for simply leaving 5.56 brass-shaped stains on a pizza pan!

[Winger Ed.]

And I got fussed at for simply leaving 5.56 brass-shaped stains on a pizza pan!

That's funny.

I was always thoughtful enough to put Alum. foil in the pans.

[44Blam]

Harbor Freight makes a small plastic cement mixer. Get 5#'s of stainless steel pins from one of the suppliers, mix Dawn dish soap and a small amount of Lemi-shine and tumble for 2 hours. One of the members at our gun club who shoots about 3000 rounds a month showed me how he does it. Works for him.

OK... This sounds like a winner...

[JimB..]

Post up your location, someone local might be willing to help.

That said, you don’t have a lot of brass. If you attack the problem like you have a lot of brass you’re going to end up with too much equipment taking up space. I’d get a FART and just work through the backlog. Be depriming a batch while an earlier batch is tumbling.

[kevin c]

The FART works for me. I skip using the SS pins, as I don't care if the case interiors and primer pockets aren't gleaming, and minus the weight of media, I can put several more pounds of brass in per run. Citric acid and Armor All Wash and Wax in hot water and about a thousand 9mm cases run over 90 minutes, a few rinses in tap water followed by a spin in the separator to get the water out, a quick toweling if you want (reduces water spots) and out on a mesh screen in the sun.

[poppy42]

Hey I’m broke and have learned to be cheep. No money for high dollar brass tumblers. I wash my brass in a little dish soap and citric acid for 15 to 30 minutes. Depending on how much and how dirty. Rinse in fresh water and dry. It takes most of the grime off. If need be I then run it through my vibratory tumbler. Mine holds close to a 1,000 9 mm. The most I’ve had to run the tumbler for is about an hour. I once did 8,000+- 9mm in a day. Drying takes the longest. But if ya wash a bunch, dry it. Your ready to tumble. I’d wash all (or as much as ya can) one day. Then just start tumbling as needed. Oh and add some nu-finish car wax to your medium.
For drying I use a mesh washer bag hung outside. You’d be surprised how much brass they can hold.
That’s how I do it but like I said I’m broke and cheap !

[Winger Ed.]

[QUOTE= and cheap ![/QUOTE]


Personally, I prefer the term, 'frugal'.