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Thread: How hot?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master


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    How hot?

    After wet-tumbling deprimed brass, I like to dry it in the sun. However, in winter or bad weather, I dry it in a kitchen oven at 170 f. It takes several hours for rifle brass.

    How hot can I dry brass without doing any damage to it?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I've found that heating my brass after washing makes it lose it's luster. Air drying is best if you're not in a hurry. There's no reason to go beyond 170f. It's still no where near annealing temp, which would be very bad. My food dehydrator gets to around 180F. I'd use that before putting it in your oven. You must not have a wife.

  3. #3
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    I used to dry washed brass in the oven. At least until the 2nd .45ACP got in there somehow and cooked off.
    After that, all reloading activities have been banned from the kitchen.

    What I do now:
    Plan ahead, tumble them around in a towel to shake out the water, then lay 'em out on a dry towel.
    Come back tomorrow and they'll be dry.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    If you have a heat pump outside the house, get an aluminum colander like they use for salads and stick your brass in that and them on top where the hot air blows out. Only takes a couple hours to blow dry your brass. Frank

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I do the same as you but turn my oven to 220 - 240 deg. throw the brass in and for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off and let it sit overnight.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    On a towel with a fan blowing over it.

  7. #7
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    I hope I can explain this properly. Get a heavy duty cookie cooling rack from walmart, the ones that I have fit in a cookie sheet. Cookie sheet, paper towel then cooling rack. with the case standing angled mouth down in every other square, cases will dry in a 170 oven in about 20 minutes. (I fold a towel to hold the door open for air flow) I can dry 200 or so cases at a time this way.
    "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."--Plato

  8. #8
    Boolit Master hoodat's Avatar
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    I like the 200 degree thing in the oven. Thats about the temp when water boils/vaporizes, and if you heat them that hot, simply let them cool with the oven and they will be perfectly dry. jd
    It seems that people who do almost nothing, often complain loudly when it's time to do it.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I tumble wet washed brass in a media separator to knock out as much excess water as I can, then use a towel hammock to roll the brass back and forth to dry the exterior (eliminates water spots, if it matters to you). To dry the case interiors during cold weather, I put them on a large mesh tray and set it over a floor heating vent. It only takes an hour or two, even for a load of over 1500 9mm cases.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Mine get wrapped in a towel and put over the pilot light on the stove top. Makes a nice warm spot that will dry brass in an hour without getting too hot.
    I truly believe we need to get back to basics.

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  11. #11
    Boolit Master slim1836's Avatar
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    I use a cheap dehydrator and leave it on overnight, or longer if I forget about it. It only gets up to 140 degrees, but it does help to heat up my shed when needed.

    Slim
    JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    I`m not answering your question but I dry mine in my old dehydrator at 150*.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Randy Bohannon's Avatar
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    As others have done I towel dry make a nest with the towel and use a hair dryer to blast them on high. They will get to hot to handle but eliminates all the moisture quickly,let cool and you’re done.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    I tumble wet brass in the rotating media separater along with a few rags to pick up the exterior of the cases. Then spread cases out on a drying tray made from fiber glass window screen. Summer,
    set in the sun. Winter, set over the heat register.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy

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    My experience with boolits, run them through sizer after casting , powder coat, then run them through sizer again. The powder coating seems to act like a lube and they size really easy. Takes a little more time but makes them really consistent. Sorry posted in wrong thread!!
    Last edited by owejia; 11-04-2022 at 08:28 AM.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master WRideout's Avatar
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    Annealing the brass is the only real problem with heated drying. When I anneal cases, they get hot enough I can't hold them in my hands. If the temp is less than that, you should be okay.

    Wayne
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  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    I used to dry washed brass in the oven. At least until the 2nd .45ACP got in there somehow and cooked off.
    After that, all reloading activities have been banned from the kitchen.

    What I do now:
    Plan ahead, tumble them around in a towel to shake out the water, then lay 'em out on a dry towel.
    Come back tomorrow and they'll be dry.
    Your wife should at least get you a food dehydrator ... that's all a case dryer is ...
    When not drying cases ... make beef jerky ! Gets them out the oven ...

    Was she home when both the cases "cooked off" in her oven ?

    Bet that took some ... Fast Splaining
    Gary
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  18. #18
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    I use an old de-hydrator that I do not need anymore for making dried fruit and it works fine. A couple to three hours in it and the brass is dry inside and out. my experience anyway, james

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Oven set at 230F for about 10min after the oven has come up to temp. This is above the boiling point and the 10min is to make sure all the cases reach that level.

    I then air cool and they are ready to load. And, yes, mine do dull slightly. If bright and shiny brass is your thing then just let them air dry. Goes faster if you stand them nose down so the water can drain. Dehydraters are good in humid climates. Out here in the desert they just aren't needed.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master


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    The one time I was in the desert, I thought it was a de-hydrator. james

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check