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Post by dovehunter on May 27, 2009 8:25:32 GMT -5
I have been thinking about getting something for case cleaning but am somewhat confused. The latest Cabela's shooting catalog has the Lyman model 1200 for around $50. The cleaning media sells for around $12. If I go with a tumbler type apparatus should I go with the corn-cob or rouge impregnated nut hull type media? Should I get some kind of liquid supplement to add to the media and, if so, what should I get? The Cabela's catalog also showed a liquid cleaner by Iosso in which you just dip your cases for 20 seconds to 5 minutes, rinse, and dry them. This, as I recall, was around $20. The liquid cleaner would certainly seem to offer the potential advantage of (1) cleaning the insides of the case and (2) cleaning the primer pockets. However, I would be concerned about repeated usage of this type cleaner maybe having adverse chemical effects on the brass. How about some of you guys who have used either or both methods giving me some feedback and recommendations?
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bounce
Royal Member
Posts: 5,727
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Post by bounce on May 27, 2009 9:22:44 GMT -5
Viniger cost less than $20, one milk jug, with viniger , drop in cases and shake well. if you want them shiny dump them in the tumber dry, I have walnut media but thats all I have ever used. would like to know of a good additive my self and one I can find to buy? I use a CH vibrator type, seems to be a good one the tub is much smaller than most but pleanty big for me. The viniger is definatly the way to go cleaning black powder cartiges, don't know if you need to bother with the clean smokeless? just tumbleing maybe good.
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Post by Jack on May 27, 2009 10:26:28 GMT -5
I've had a Lyman 1200 for probably 15 years. It's worked very well, and I use it a lot. The nice thing about a tumbler is that you load it, turn it on, then you're done- you can go do something else. I use walnut or corncob, whatever's on sale. If you watch for sales, you can get good quantities of media pretty cheap. I have never used any kind of additives, so I can't help you there. I have seen range scrounged cases with a bunch of rouge built up in the extractor groove, and inside the case- seen it more than once, so I'm wary of the stuff as far as a tumbler additive.
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Post by jimiowa on May 27, 2009 11:35:30 GMT -5
I have yet to tumble cases myself. I just spin them in my cordless drill with one of the Lee spinners and 0000 steel wool.
But as you know I'm a coinhunter with my metal detector and have tumbled a lot of coins in a rock tumbler. I used water, dish soap and a little vinegar. If tumbled too long 15 minutes the vinegar would etch the clad coins and disfigure them. So while it will definately clean them be careful not to use too much.
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Post by klsm54 on May 27, 2009 13:32:06 GMT -5
I have the Lyman 1200, guess I bought it over 20 years ago. It does a good job for me.
I don't like the rouge coated media, don't care for the residue. Un-coated walnut shells, or that green coated corn cob media are my favorites. I just buy lots of media when I find it cheap and toss it when it stops performing instead of using any rejuvenater.
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Post by dovehunter on May 27, 2009 13:46:02 GMT -5
I have yet to tumble cases myself. I just spin them in my cordless drill with one of the Lee spinners and 0000 steel wool. That's what I have been doing, using steel wool and/or a mildly abrasive Scotch Brite pad. I haven't noticed any brass being removed, but I have been told by other shooters that this is not a good idea as it will remove brass. Speaking of the Lee case spinners, that is exactly the process they recommend in their latest catalog. However, who knows? They may change their tune if they ever start marketing a tumbler-type cartridge cleaning device. The main reason I am concerned about cleaning (particularly my handgun) cases is that it is sometimes hard (at least for me) to see stress cracks and the like when the cases are all brown and grungy looking. When I saw something that looked like it might be crack I would rub the area with steel wool or a scouring pad so whatever was there would either show up better or be buffed out. That's when I figured why not just clean all the cases by spinning them against a mild abrasive.
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Post by twomoons on May 27, 2009 21:25:45 GMT -5
Don't wast your money on commercial media, go to Earl May's and buy LIZZARD BEDDING. It's the same stuff and it costs 1/10 what walnut hull medial costs. If it doesn't shne quick enough scrape some old dried polishing stick into the mix. Check out flea markets for tumbles and you might get a rock tumbler for next to nothing, mine cost $5. Ground corn cob media at Earl May's goes as hampster bedding. What ever you do DON"T use Brasso or Nev r Dull as both will harden the brass and your cases will split in one firing. If you use vinegar don't soak the cases too long if they won't come clean in 15 minutes or so use steel wool as the vinegar will harden slowly with long exposure. Clean cases not only look better but they are easier on the reloading dies. My first case tumbler was an old dryer with the holes filled. We tumbled 2000 38's at a time in canvas sacks full of corn cob. The finished rounds were tumbled in a cement mixer and we added 1/2 cup of solvent to the tub to take off all the bullet lube.
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Post by Jack on May 27, 2009 22:34:06 GMT -5
I started with rock tumblers, gotten in garage sales. I think they were Thumbler? . . anyway, they were a drum that rotated, not a vibratory action like the Lyman 1200. They worked, but a whole lot slower than the Lyman. I've heard about using pet bedding- walnut and corncob, but I haven't tried it.
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Post by Purebred Redneck on May 27, 2009 23:23:48 GMT -5
That's what I have been doing, using steel wool and/or a mildly abrasive Scotch Brite pad. I haven't noticed any brass being removed, but I have been told by other shooters that this is not a good idea as it will remove brass. I don't see how fine grade steel wool will remove brass. Quite the opposite. If you have any experience with the stuff you'll know that the steel wool doesn't last very long --- IT DISINIGRATES The Scotch pad on the other hand, that's nothing to fool around with. I can see that taking off brass when it's on a drill.
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Post by Bill on May 28, 2009 7:48:47 GMT -5
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Post by klsm54 on May 28, 2009 10:42:47 GMT -5
When I get 'em too dirty to tumble, I use Brasso, that makes 'em really shine.
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sst
Member
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Post by sst on Jun 12, 2009 14:57:51 GMT -5
twomoons has it right. Buy your media in bulk at a feed store, packaged as bedding for pets.
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Post by Bill on Jun 18, 2009 9:26:46 GMT -5
I do what Two Moons says but I also buy the bottles of polish additive to use in it. I have used the sticks of abrasive like Two Moons mentioned and I do not like the residue it leaves. I don't have that with the bottle's of additive. Just wipe them off when you take them out and no problem. I also have one of the Cabela's tumblers that you crank the cases in. Its like a clam shell case with a cage that you put the casings in and then crank it about 10-15 times and all the media falls out into the clam shell and leaves them nice and clean. Seldom do I have any media left in the primer pockets when doing that. My reloading of .223's is like mass production. I start annealing the cases until I have about 300 done. Those are then re sized. Then they go into the tumbler. While those are being tumbled I start another batch. I can usually keep up with the tumbler with the annealing and resizing. I then prime them all at one time by having two ammo can's. One empty and the other one full of re sized brass. As I prime them they go into the other ammo can. The reason I do this I can go very fast this way as I usually do it on the deck and can quit and close the lids if I need to go do something. I use a Lee priming tool for this and it can also go anywhere the cans go. When I load the cases with powder and bullets then they go into the ammo boxes and then I do only enough for what I plan on shooting. Everything stays fresh that way.
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