Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Humir » 14 Apr 2014, 11:18 am

Cheers Silver :D
User avatar
Humir
Private
Private
 
Posts: 90
Tasmania

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by mahna » 14 Apr 2014, 12:01 pm

Gah, keen to watch by YouTube is blocked at work :lol:
.270 Savage Axis XP
Weaver 40/44 3-10x44
User avatar
mahna
Private
Private
 
Posts: 99
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by von_klitzing » 15 Apr 2014, 9:38 am

I picked up my QT12 tumbler yesterday :) assembled it about half hour ago and it's currently running. It is super quiet! The drive shaft and follower shafts are each rubber coated, and the barrel is completely rubber. So the only noise you hear is the very muffled brass moving about inside. I could run this thin I. The same room as a sleeping baby I reckon, and that's why I bought it!
Later on I'll pull some covers off the gear drive and motor shaft to see of there's anything you can get ideas from for your DIY tumbler :)
Image
Image
What is a good and cheap burnishing compound? This stuff feels just like a fine sand... I don't want to be spending a mint on consumables for this process.
Also, anyone got any great DIY separators for the pins and brass?? I'll ask now before rushing out to buy one lol ;)
Cheers
User avatar
von_klitzing
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 144
Queensland

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Silver87 » 15 Apr 2014, 1:14 pm

The blokes in the states are big on the Lemi shine powder, I don't think we have it here in Australia but must be some sort equivalent. I'm using the burnishing compound that came with my pins I bought from www.aussiesapphire.com for the time being.
User avatar
Silver87
Private
Private
 
Posts: 51
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by mahna » 15 Apr 2014, 2:42 pm

von_klitzing,

There is obviously a screw on water tight lid or something on the far side is there?

You take the drum out, fill it with brass/cleaner then lid it and put it back in the drive? Is that right?

Something's holding the water in obviously?
.270 Savage Axis XP
Weaver 40/44 3-10x44
User avatar
mahna
Private
Private
 
Posts: 99
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by von_klitzing » 15 Apr 2014, 4:53 pm

Ah, yes there is. Pretty hard to describe :lol: so I'll take a piccy when I'm back at work tomorrow.

It's a metal disc lined with rubber for the lid of the drum, and a cap is screwed over that to make the seal with the body of the drum.

I get heaps of bodgy jobs done before and after work and lunch times. Tumbling brass and smelting lead is using work power so I'm not paying ;)
User avatar
von_klitzing
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 144
Queensland

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Redwood » 15 Apr 2014, 9:18 pm

mahna wrote:Something's holding the water in obviously?


I wonder how many people have mucked that up on the first go? :lol:
Redwood
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 152
Victoria

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by von_klitzing » 16 Apr 2014, 8:18 am

Here's the pics of the lid for you. Doesn't leak a single drop, yet :P Image
Image
User avatar
von_klitzing
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 144
Queensland

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by mahna » 16 Apr 2014, 3:37 pm

Cool, thanks mate.
.270 Savage Axis XP
Weaver 40/44 3-10x44
User avatar
mahna
Private
Private
 
Posts: 99
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Wes » 16 Apr 2014, 3:38 pm

Redwood wrote:I wonder how many people have mucked that up on the first go? :lol:


I would have... I do that kind of s**t all the time :lol: :(
User avatar
Wes
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 364
Victoria

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Moonshine » 29 Apr 2014, 8:19 pm

I just ordered my ss pins. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experience and knowledge.
Remington 700 SPS Varmint .243
User avatar
Moonshine
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 10
Queensland

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by creet » 30 Apr 2014, 9:29 pm

Post a few pics once you get it up and running Moonshine ;)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223
Vortex Viper HS 6-24x50mm
User avatar
creet
Private
Private
 
Posts: 78
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by deye243 » 31 Jan 2015, 12:57 pm

you have inspired me ...... what glue and what are the rubber strips off that are in the bucket .
User avatar
deye243
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2208
Victoria

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Antie » 01 Feb 2015, 10:54 am

Love the bucket :lol:
User avatar
Antie
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 114
Queensland

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Jack V » 01 Feb 2015, 6:34 pm

Lemi shine is mainly Citric acid . You can buy Citric acid as a powder .
Jack V
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 693
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by roob » 04 Feb 2015, 9:02 am

FYI I see they have some of the smaller Lortone tumbers on ebay for $100 - $200 plus shipping from the US at the moment if anyone is interested.
7mm-08 Tikka T3 Varmint and a .22-250 Tikka T3 Varmint
User avatar
roob
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 125
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by deye243 » 04 Feb 2015, 7:45 pm

does anyone know if Citric acid is as good as lemi shine
User avatar
deye243
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2208
Victoria

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by sally-bee » 05 Feb 2015, 2:10 pm

deye243 wrote:does anyone know if Citric acid is as good as lemi shine


If you can be bothered really long version where this guy did some fancy lab tests on lemi shine, seems they're about the same.

http://www.chemistry-blog.com/2012/05/1 ... emi-shine/
User avatar
sally-bee
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 127
South Australia

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by deye243 » 05 Feb 2015, 10:46 pm

thanks
User avatar
deye243
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2208
Victoria

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Bills Shed » 06 Feb 2015, 6:52 am

deye243 wrote:does anyone know if Citric acid is as good as lemi shine


As a swager of projectiles I do lots of cleaning of old brass to make jackets. If you want to get into all the guts of cleaning brass with off the shelf products have a look at "Cast Boolits"(spelt just like that).

There are whole forums on the topic. All are relevant to what you want.

In short citric acid is lemon shine. Remember it is an acid in powder form. When finished you need to rinse the brass well. Citric acid, some dish washing liquid and a little salt + your stainless pin and you will have better than factory brass.

Bill
Swaging your own projectiles is the ultimate in flexibility.
Bills Shed
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 433
Tasmania

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by balter » 06 Feb 2015, 9:18 am

Bills Shed wrote:As a swager of projectiles I do lots of cleaning of old brass to make jackets.


How long does it take you start to finish to make a bullet like that you reckon?
User avatar
balter
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 29
Western Australia

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Bills Shed » 06 Feb 2015, 8:15 pm

balter wrote:
Bills Shed wrote:As a swager of projectiles I do lots of cleaning of old brass to make jackets.


How long does it take you start to finish to make a bullet like that you reckon?


I make .224 projectiles out of .22LR cases. You do not make one projectile at a time but make batches of 500 or so. Each step only takes seconds. The cleaning probably takes the longest. I would estimate that each pill takes less than a minute to produce. The cleaning is a very important part of the whole process, as any crud left in the case will lead the poor accuracy.

Bill
Swaging your own projectiles is the ultimate in flexibility.
Bills Shed
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 433
Tasmania

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by balter » 08 Feb 2015, 3:06 pm

Bills Shed wrote:I would estimate that each pill takes less than a minute to produce.


Cool mate. Interesting to know.
User avatar
balter
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 29
Western Australia

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Josh Smith » 09 Feb 2015, 4:24 am

Don't you all have rock polishing tumblers down that way?

That's what I use.

Josh
Josh Smith
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 46
United States of America

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Yelp » 09 Feb 2015, 10:10 am

Josh Smith wrote:Don't you all have rock polishing tumblers down that way?


Standard media tumbler is what 99% of shooters are using here from what I see.

We have them though of course.
User avatar
Yelp
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 221
Queensland

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by deye243 » 09 Feb 2015, 11:33 pm

Josh Smith wrote:Don't you all have rock polishing tumblers down that way?

That's what I use.

Josh



yep but i aint gunna pay $430us for one that only handles 15lb to 17lb so i'm making one that will handle 40+lb
User avatar
deye243
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2208
Victoria

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Jack V » 10 Feb 2015, 9:37 am

If you want to go heavy duty tumbler without building too much an old electric concrete mixer works very well , with a large barrel stuck inside it and lay the barrel over to the right angle held by a chain .
If you could find a cheap second hand one that is.
Jack V
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 693
New South Wales

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by deye243 » 10 Feb 2015, 12:34 pm

yep i looked at that very idea but i want it inside as i don't have a shed
User avatar
deye243
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2208
Victoria

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Tonit » 10 Feb 2015, 1:38 pm

C'mon, the wife won't mind an old cement mixer rumbling along in the spare room will she? :lol:
.22-250 Howa Thumbhole Varminter + Weaver Classic 4-20x50
.308 Howa Hunter + Weaver Classic 2-10x50
User avatar
Tonit
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 113
Western Australia

Re: Taking a tumble into brass cleaners

Post by Jack V » 11 Feb 2015, 7:01 pm

Inside the house may be difficult .
Jack V
Sergeant
Sergeant
 
Posts: 693
New South Wales

Next

Back to top
 
Return to Reloading ammunition