case tumbling with sand

[Harpman]

any one try it ?.with extra fine sand for sandblasting ?....seems like it might work, but maybe hurt if left too long...I have a couple bags and was thinking about tryin it before I buy a thumbler...regular vibrating just isnt cutting it with these 45/70's on the inside..

[RayinNH]

Harpman, let me start by saying I've never tried it, however it should work, even in the vibrator. It's fairly abrasive so shouldn't take too long. You could get a bunch of dirty range brass to practice on. The dirtier the better. Check every 15 minutes to get you time down and see what happens to the brass before subjecting your good brass to the process. You'll have to be extra careful not to get the sand in your sizing die though...Ray

[powderburnerr]

I used it in a cement mixer with a little diesel and it worked ok but did eat up the brass if you left it too long......Dean

[4060MAY]

I have been using duralum #8 and Dawn for about 10 years.
This was the ceramic media to use before the stuff Dave Maurer started to sell.
Dave Maurer sells a kit with ceramic media and detergent.
Use a Thumbler tumbler or RCBS tumbler, vibrating doesn't work as well.

dkittydave @ aol.com remove spaces

Chuck

[13Echo]

I'd worry about even the small amount of silicon sand dust left on the cases causing wear on dies, chambers, barrel, etc. I'm also wary of anything that will raise silicon dust which dry tumbling will do. Silicosis is not a nice thing to acquire. I'd stick to ceramic or corn/walnut media.

Jerry

[dragonrider]

Sand should not be use to polish cases, first of all it does not polish, it abrades. secondly it breakes down into abrasive dust that is not easily removed from your cases and will enusre the destruction of your dies.

[Harpman]

After reading, someone used Murphy's oil soap, I started deprime, soak in murphs, then run a .410 bore mop to wash out the insides, let dry, then vibrate with walnut media.... this really works well, think I;ll stick with it for a while.

[13Echo]

The best way to clean brass that I've found is to immediately decap after firing and soak in water with a bit of dish soap, or Murphy's if you prefer. Thoroughly rinse and clean the inside and primer pockets with nylon brushes and drain. Start the tumbler with walnut hulls and add three or four caps of Stoddards solvent and a tablespoon of Bon Ami cleanser. Once the stoddards is thoroughly distributed add the brass and tumble for one to two hours. Comes out nice and clean and almost factory bright. I also tumble for 15 to 30 minutes in the walnut/Stoddards after sizing and expanding to remove the case lube before priming. Bon Ami is a polishing agent that is safe to use on glass so it does not remove metal or abrade dies.

Jerry Liles

[StarMetal]

Gee Jerry, when do you load the brass and get to shoot? Next year?

That's bit anal I think, they don't have to be surgically clean. Shucks with all the energy you use, electricity, water, then the ingredients, etc, might be cheaper to just buy new brass.

Hey, I'm just teasin ya. If you like them THAT clean, well that's fine. I like my brass to look nice too. Can't stand the guys that reload and their brass is that real dark brown/green color. One should have more pride in his work.

Joe

[Harpman]

where does a pilgram find this Stoddards ?

[Larry Gibson]

I use pretty much the same technique as Harpman and 13Echo. The only difference is I use long stem rice with a shot or two of Midway's case cleaner added in a vibrater. Takes about 30-45 minutes and the cases are clean inside and out. Maybe not brite as new but clean. A longer time will polish them though. I use the long stem to keep from plugging up the primer pockets. The rice turns black but last a long time, is cheap (I get the cheap stuff at the local Korean store) but there is one drawback. The little black kernals (some always get on the garage floor) look like mouse turds so be advised to tell the wife and neighbors you are not infested with mice.

Larry Gibson

[Baldy]

Here's one I didn't read in this thread. Anybody use cat litter and Nu-tone car polish? Guy at the range said that's what he used. He did have nice shinney brass, but he didn't shoot any better than any one else.

[Harpman]

I noticed my powder stacks up better and compresses easier the more clean the brass is inside.

[13Echo]

Starmetal,
It is a bit anal compulsive isn't it? But they sure look nice and there is no case lube to contaminate primers or powder. Besides, with 250 .45-90 and 100 .45-70 and 50 .50-70 cases I always have some emptys to load while the dirty cases are getting cleaned.

Harpman,
Stoddards is plain old mineral spirits. Get it at Lowe's or Home Depot or the paint store.

Jerry Liles

[martinibelgian]

Here's mine: Decap, rinse in hot water, throw in the ultrasonic cleaner at 50 degrees C for 30 mins in a light citric acid solution, rinse again, then 10-15 mins in the tumbler to dry, finished - cases clean inside & out, even primer pockets...
And it just took me less than 1 hour, and I didn't need to manipulate each case. Also, I can go and do something else while the machines do the work for me...

[Harpman]

Echo...I just tried it your way...man, this is excellent !.Thanks !

[Rick N Bama]

Here's one I didn't read in this thread. Anybody use cat litter and Nu-tone car polish? Guy at the range said that's what he used. He did have nice shinney brass, but he didn't shoot any better than any one else.

I use a tad of Nu-Tone in my media from time to time

Currently I use Lyman Tuf-Nut treated walnut mixed about 50/50 with corncob, Don't bother asking how I came up with that mix That same media has been in use for about 3 years now and it's still going strong.

Rick

[longhorn]

I've used corncob, walnut hulls, rice, an ultrasonic (laboratory grade), who knows what else--ceramic beats everything for cleaning up bp cases. Use a tumbler, not a vibrator. Ceramic saves a lot of time and effort.

[13Echo]

Longhorn,
I hear you about the ceramic media. It is fine stuff. However, for those on a budget it is possible to get a Midway tumbler, walnut media, Stoddard's, and Bon Ami for less than the cost of the ceramic media alone. The cases will be clean and bright. It takes only one to two hours, about what the ceramic media requires and the case don't have to dry before you can stuff'em. Would be nice to have really clean primer pockets though. If you can afford it ceramic is the way.

Jerry Liles