Tumbler vs. sonic cleaner

[rbstern]

Wet tumbling for me, too, using only water, some lemon juice, and dawn detergent. After tumbling, I dump the brass into a colander, and then onto a towel to dry for a couple of days. If your reloading area has easy access to a sink, it's a good way to go. I've been doing this with the same Harbor Freight rock tumbler for the last 12 years.

I have a couple of vibrating tumblers, but I find them messier to use.

 

[handloader]

Tumble in lizzard walnut bedding with some flitz or midsouth additive. Very inexpensive and works great.

 

[sewerman68]

If anyone has a sonic cleaner and would be willing to clean 2 brass bullet molds that have lead slag built up in the mold face for me shoot me a pm and let me know what you want to do this for me. Thanks.

 

[watchingtrace]

some 9mm tumbled with lemishie dawn and no pins

 

[mishoprat]

Tumbler: When I started helping my Dad reload 45 auto 50+ years ago we did not have a tumbler. We washed our brass in warm soapy water with steel wool and a bronze bore brush. Currently I use a stainless steel pin tumble system. I picked up a 5 lb bag of pins from "guntap" on line. I am using an inexpensive rock tumbler from Harbor Freight. They offer a single drum and a dual drum version. I reload enough that I chose the dual drum system. They are currently on sale for Single $42. and double $55. I like the way that system cleans inside, outside, and primer pockets of the brass. It also doesn't require cleaning tumble media out of the primer pocket after you tumble. I expect you will be able to fit at least 100 9 mm cases in each drum along with about 1-1.5 lbs of media per drum. The pins are reusable; I haven't worn any out yet vs. having to replace your tumble media with other systems. For cleaning fluid I use white vinegar with a very little simple green thrown in. I have heard of all kinds of different cleaning fluids folks have used. I am sharing this info as one economical solution for your brass cleaning. It is inexpensive to get into, minimum upkeep, space saving, and you don't have to keep purchasing and disposing of media. Have fun!

 

[richs]

I've been using Kitty Litter I found at Walmart, made from 100% crushed corn cob. I'm also "washing" the brass first then dry-tumbling.
I'm going to start using pins in the wet-tumbler process. Found a supply of inexpensive pins and a good write up here. They're selling 1lb for $6.50 but $8.50 to ship... Shipping is cheaper when you get more pins.

 

[insulinboy]

Corn cob/Walnut/lizard cage media in a dry tumbler is cheap and works for many. I don't like the dust it lets off, though so I prefer wet tumbling. If you want to explore wet tumbling...harbor freight rock tumbler $45, stainless pins $20, dawn dish soap and LemiShine $4. Cleanest brass you've ever seen.

I wish I had seen this post in december when I got my first dry tumbler. I spent $50 between the tumbler and media. I would have much rather gone that route but the wet tumblers I saw were.. well, scary expensive.

I use corn cob media and some mothers metal polish, just because I had a bunch of it and it didn't cost me anything extra to use it and have had good results. outside of the brass comes out looking good (I generally turn the tumbler on when I head out in the morning and when I come home 8-10 hours later its all ready to sift out the brass) but it doesn't really clean the carbon out of the inside of the cases.

For the price of it I'm not at all interested in a sonic cleaner for cleaning the brass, although i might end up with a small jewelry sized one eventually for cleaning internal gun parts as they do seem quite handy for that during complete down to the frame cleaning and inspecting. Of course I would want to find one that can fit a 1911 frame, slide, and barrel even if not all at the same time and I wouldn't spend more than $75 or so on it.

Wet tumbling is definately the way to go. little more expensive up front. but I've gone through a whole lot of corn cob media (yes you can use it for a long time, but the longer you use it, the worse it works. I generally chuck mine after 10 runs) In the 8 months and 1000's of rounds I've loaded that cheap stainless setup sparked posted would have ended up saving me a few bucks and my brass would have ended up being MUCH cleaner

 

[danlnga]

I have a vibratory & 2 Thumbler Tumblers. The vibratory is noisy, The tumbler is much quieter & you can wet clean/tumble or use dry media. I would go with the tumbler hands down. They are about $180 - to $190 new but worth it. You might find one used that is a little cheaper but you do not see them for sale very often. One unit is probably 15 years old & still going. I got a new one last year to use wet cleaning since I felt the older one might leak a bit.. Wet clean with a little Lemonshine + a little Dawn dish soap, dry then polish in dry media.........usually looking like new unless they were in absolute horrible shape, but they will be clean.

 

[danlnga]

Followup for dry media use. Put a couple of used dryer softener sheets in your dry media now & then, no brass, & turn on your unit. It will take out the dust & the media will be refreshed & work a bit better. I have my wife save them for me. Works pretty good.

 

[Clarke123]

I've been reload for decades and have used (most) all methods of brass preparation.
Keep in mind that today's tumblers / vibratory / Ultra Sonic devices were not available to the public a couple of decades ago!
"Back Then", you simply gave 'em a bath and hand-cleaned the primer pockets ... still achieving very good reloads!

What you employ depends upon what your goal(s) are. ALL methods require decapping prior to their employment.

Wet Tumble (Most Work) for the cleanest (including primer pockets), as well as quite shiny brass.
Dry Vibratory (Moderate Work) for most shiny brass. (but not the cleanest primer pockets)
Ultra Sonic (Less Work) for the fastest, with an acceptable "clean" factor for most primer pockets
Simple overnight "Wash" in Citric Acid and He Rated laundry detergent (Low Suds) for (usually) good-enough-to load results.

I like "pretty" brass as much as anyone, but my firearms only care for "good-enough-to-reload" brass.
So, my primary goal is to make my firearms happy, while expending the least effort on my part!
I always do the simple overnight "Wash" as it paves the way for a faster (and cleaner) process regardless of what else you do.
However, I have switched to Ultra Sonic as my next step as it is the least labor intensive method of getting the best results for the effort.

My 2 Cents Worth!