< Back to the Main Site

Author Topic: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass  (Read 3432 times)

Offline shooter

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Location: near Yutan
  • Posts: 1630
anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« on: November 02, 2015, 08:58:21 PM »
  is anyone who does stainless pin tumbling  going to the breakfast this sat? I have about 150 bullets that I need cleaned, just bullets not loaded ammo,
Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
 NRA Endowment member
  Shoot  them in the crotch.  Clint Smith, thunder ranch.  Oct 14, 2016

Offline tstuart34

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Location: Lincoln
  • Posts: 885
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2015, 09:12:32 PM »
I do shooter if you can get it back to lincoln I would be more than willing to spin them. My dad Is in Omaha often or we can try and meet up in some other way also.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk


Offline b-man

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Jan 2013
  • Posts: 4
  • political correctness is cancer to honest dialogue
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2015, 12:10:25 PM »
I do also ;)
Live in Lincoln
Every time there is a shooting spree, they want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it

Offline NENick

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 661
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2015, 02:09:59 PM »
This Sat, as in 12/5?

Offline shooter

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Location: near Yutan
  • Posts: 1630
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2015, 09:11:59 PM »
 I wrote that on Nov 2 so I meant the nov 7,  but if someone is coming to the dec breakfast that would be good,

  or, I have tables at the Millard gun show, the weekend after thanksgiving,  could take them there
Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
 NRA Endowment member
  Shoot  them in the crotch.  Clint Smith, thunder ranch.  Oct 14, 2016

Offline shooter

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Location: near Yutan
  • Posts: 1630
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2016, 12:52:12 PM »
 so, im building my own wet tumbler, can someone tell me how many pounds of pins I need per pound of brass? maybe tell me more about the whole operation to!  thanks

    where do you get your pins? and what diameter ?

  Lemi shine?
Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
 NRA Endowment member
  Shoot  them in the crotch.  Clint Smith, thunder ranch.  Oct 14, 2016

Offline RLMoeller

  • Sponsor- NFOA Firearm Raffle at the 2009 Big Buck Classic. 2010 Firearm Rights Champion Award winner
  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Location: La Vista, NE
  • Posts: 3058
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2016, 01:38:29 PM »
I just got into stainless tumbling in the past few months. 

The place I ordered the media and tumbler from say 5 lbs of stainless pins and 2 - 4 lbs of brass. 

I ordered everything from here:  http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com

Offline SemperFiGuy

  • Steel Benefactor
  • *
  • Join Date: Apr 2009
  • Location: Omaha, NE
  • Posts: 2079
  • GG Grampaw Wuz a DamYankee Cavalryman
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2016, 06:09:43 AM »
Ya gotta wonder who ever thinks up this stuff...........

Who was the First Guy to ever use stainless steel pins for tumbling media, fercryinoutloud.   And where did he get 'em??

Anybody here ever use sand?   (I've often thought about tossing a handful into the media in the vibe tumbler.    But have never done it.   Yet.)

Anybody ever use itty bitty pea gravel??

Anything else??   Steel shot???   Toss in some Good Old Brasso???

There's something very satisfying to a reloader, taking the top off the tumbler, peeking in, seeing all that shiny, shiny brass.........

Now.....if the primer pockets would just be cleaned, too..........   [SS Pin Folks says their media will do it.  Maybe I'll blow $40 Bucks + $hipping sometime, just to try it.   Even tho I've got a 5-gallon bucket full of the Other Stuff.]


sfg
« Last Edit: April 07, 2016, 06:14:01 AM by SemperFiGuy »
Certified Instructor:  NE CHP & NRA-Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Personal Protection Inside/Outside Home, Home Firearm Safety, RTBAV, Metallic Cartridge & Shotshell Reloading.  NRA Chief RSO, IDPA Safety Officer, USPSA Range Officer.  NRA RangeTechTeamAdvisor.  NE Hunter Education (F&B).   Glock Armorer

Offline shooter

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Location: near Yutan
  • Posts: 1630
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2016, 10:20:48 AM »
 I got a line on 50 pound bags of pins,,  anyone want to split some?
Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
 NRA Endowment member
  Shoot  them in the crotch.  Clint Smith, thunder ranch.  Oct 14, 2016

Offline HuskerXDM

  • 2014 NFOA Firearms Rights Champion
  • Powder Benefactor
  • *
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Location: Lincoln, NE
  • Posts: 948
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2016, 10:45:07 PM »
I'd take 5 lbs if you have it
The master has failed more than the beginner has even tried.

Offline HuskerXDM

  • 2014 NFOA Firearms Rights Champion
  • Powder Benefactor
  • *
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Location: Lincoln, NE
  • Posts: 948
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2016, 10:47:13 PM »

Now.....if the primer pockets would just be cleaned, too..........   [SS Pin Folks says their media will do it.  Maybe I'll blow $40 Bucks + $hipping sometime, just to try it.   Even tho I've got a 5-gallon bucket full of the Other Stuff.]


sfg

The primer pockets do come clean.  I was skeptical, but when my tumbler took a dump, I burned up some gift cards and got a SS kit from Cabelas.  It's kind of ridiculous how clean the brass comes out...
The master has failed more than the beginner has even tried.

Offline Lorimor

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Nov 2008
  • Location: Platte County
  • Posts: 1077
  • Relay 2
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2016, 08:19:22 PM »
I've found the brass can be too clean.  The really clean stuff sticks to the powder funnel on my press on the downstroke.  Really slows down the operation. 

Now I only tumble for 45 minutes at most.  The case interior isn't quite as bright, but the exterior is still more than satisfactory. 

I am experimenting with using a car wash/wax product instead of Dawn dish detergent.  Early results are promising. 
"It is better to avoid than to run; better to run than to de-escalate; better to de-escalate than to fight; better to fight than to die. The very essence of self-defense is a thin list of things that might get you out alive when you are already screwed." – Rory Miller

Offline SS_N_NE

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Feb 2012
  • Posts: 429
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2016, 11:28:01 AM »
Since this is sort of a results thread...

I have used SS pins in a rock tumbler I have. A polymer lined hex shaped steel drum. Will clean a nasty looking brown range pick up to look like new. The pins will clean brass that a vibratory tumble will not fully clean. The brass is a burnished appearance and not real shiny. Stored brass even seems to have a certain tarnish look to it. Maybe from simply being bare unprotected brass except for the sealed food boxes I put the brass into after cleaning. I Use Dawn detergent, and Lemi-shine in small amounts in water to cover the pins/brass (small squirt of detergent and couple .45 cases of Lemi-shine). Rinse in really hot water, shake out in a towel and set out to dry or oven dry.  Again....the warning on SS pins...sometimes a couple will stick in a primer pocket...very tightly...don't damage a decapping pin or prime into stuck pins. You will need to a 100% inspection in all brass to ensure a pin does not stick to a surface...I have found pins in the rinse even after shaking out in the detergent cleaning cycle.  I am sure a pin left in a cartridge could have bad results for a number of reasons.  A thought about, cleaning brass....you are making some rather nasty waste. Primer, powder and lead mixed in water or turned to dust. Use gloves, wash hands, keep work areas clean and responsible disposal. At least dump liquid cleaning into a bucket to dry out instead of just dumping into a drain. Take care with chemicals you subject the brass to...some can have detrimental effects on brass causing it to fracture or severely limit reloading life cycles...another research effort...there is a lot of internet talk on the subject. 

I have been depriming used brass with a Lee universal de-capper (does all brass sizes, no sizing. just change shell holder to cycle thru brass). Tumble in SS pins to clean off crud and totally clean primer pockets.

Then size brass...have carbide dies for most, but still like to lube some depending on how much force, 300AAC forming, or rifle getting full sized.

Then vibratory polish to remove lube. Lizard litter (crushed walnut from pet store) is much cheaper than gun related media. Couple squirts of Nu Finish car wax in media and run without brass to mix in. Also throw in pieces of used dryer softener sheets (not sure if it really does much but supposed to collect some tarnish...and they do).  The brass looks like new at this point.

I like to keep the Nu Finish as light as possible. There is a certain brass to chamber "stick" required to seal the brass when fired. Similar to you want to remove lube from chamber and barrel of a gun before use. Excess burn around the case mouth could indicate a problem and lead to chamber erosion (a warning...do your research).

The brass cycles trough the rest of the reloading process without issue (since a lot of the first steps are done, issues weeded out with easy inspection). The assembled cartridges look factory. The brass waiting for reloading simply has a better appearance and may even resist tarnish better from the Nu Finish coating.  Have never had issues with cartridges assembled up to 2 years ago (so can't testify to longer than that length of time). On a side note, the Lee powder dies have a moving part that bells the brass case and is intended to stick to the brass. As the brass is pulled from the die, there is a bit of a thump intended to ensure all powder is charged from the drop and settled in the case...at least that is Lee's reasoning.

In any case, clean brass that is easy to inspect, runs thru the loading process without issue and has a satisfying new look to it. A little extra steps to some reloaders, but I don't like loading dirty primer pockets (although I doubt the residue is of much harm except on critical ammo in which case a pocket cleaning tool may be enough for your concerns).

Offline Lorimor

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Nov 2008
  • Location: Platte County
  • Posts: 1077
  • Relay 2
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2016, 04:35:31 PM »
I tumble my brass in a water filled media separator, like would be used to separate brass from corn cob media.   The SS pins flush away into the bottom of the separator. 

No pins in the brass afterwards. 

I dump my used water in the mime school swimming pool. 
"It is better to avoid than to run; better to run than to de-escalate; better to de-escalate than to fight; better to fight than to die. The very essence of self-defense is a thin list of things that might get you out alive when you are already screwed." – Rory Miller

Offline shooter

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Location: near Yutan
  • Posts: 1630
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2016, 06:54:31 PM »
if your doing a bunch of batches. can you use the same water again? or does it get dirty enough you have to change it,  ( I guess it would depend on how dirty the brass was)
Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
 NRA Endowment member
  Shoot  them in the crotch.  Clint Smith, thunder ranch.  Oct 14, 2016

Offline SS_N_NE

  • NFOA Full Member
  • **
  • Join Date: Feb 2012
  • Posts: 429
Re: anyone do stainless pin tumbling of brass
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2016, 07:53:57 PM »
I dump my used water in the mime school swimming pool.

THAT...explains a lot to me. :)


I change the water every load. Have a fine mesh screen (re-usable coffee filter that doesn't get used for coffee) to reclaim the pins. I imagine you could continue to use the water thru several loads, but the water does have a somewhat foul essence of dirty brass odor. The :Lemi-shine would loose some potency. I have seen suggestions to use citrus acid from a nutrition store, but have not tried it yet.