Tumbling Brass w/ Stainless Steel?

[GRUMPA]

How do you pick up SS pins with a magnet? I thought SS was not magnetic?

Your right on 1 account, 300 series stainless steel is non-magnetic. These pins are not that type of stainless steel, and they are magnetic. The neat thing about them is they don't seem to rust either. I've tried to make mine get rusty and after having them sit in water for over a week I gave up on that idea.

[hunter64]

Just search under my handle and you will find everything you need to know.

[Rich219]

Any ideas where to buy new motors for the DIY tumblers? Two of the guys I shoot with want me to build them the tumblers too.

[Moonman]

Grainger's or just go online to search for whatever motor you desire.

[mold maker]

Discarded washing machines, dryers, and some dish washers are just a few sources for free motors. They're all constant duty and well built. You aren't trying to pull a train so fractional HP motors are all you need.
Be sure to include an in-line fuse, of proper size, no matter what motor you use.

[Mike_60]

This is why I use SS pins.

[traderpats]

I've been using the SS method for well over a year now. The way I've found to best separate the brass / pins is as follows:

Rinse the tumbled brass a couple of times while still in the drum. Just pour out the old water and replace / agitate for a few seconds. After a few rinses it'll be crystal clear.

Place slotted colander over a big (5 gal) bucket. Pour brass / pins in colander.

While running a low flow of water over the brass / pins agitate them vigorously. The better the agitation the better. I place it all under a hose spigot.

Pins will fall through the slots in the colander. Just pour off the water and dry. This is way, way, way better than separating individually by hand. Actually takes around 5 min. total.

Will remove anywhere from 99% + of the pins. Easiest way I've found. NI think a rotary type unit should also work well but never tried it. Anyways my .02¢....

[Lizard333]

I use a Dillon case separator. The kind that you load the brass in an and rotate the drum. I then put the brass in a plastic shoe box, free of all the pins, and rinse once in clean hot tap water. I then shake the brass in a strainer to get the majority of the water out of the cases. I put the brass on a towel and roll them around to get the outside of the case dry to prevent spots. Into a 200 degree one that get shut off hen I put the brass in and the brass is dry and ready to reload again. Take five minutes.

[DukeInFlorida]

I'm successfully cleaning .22lr brass with stainless steel pins in my own home made rotary tumbler:
http://youtu.be/5u4mSA6BbRc

I found that the Dillon media separator was the only brand on the market with the slots small enough to hold onto the .22 LR brass, while allowing the pins to fall through. I fill the catch bin with water, and that seems to pull the pins out of the small brass easily.

I use the .22 lr brass to swage into bullet jackets for .224 bullets, and the insides of the brass is critical to real success. The rotary tumbler with stainless steel pins is the only way I have found to get them clean.

The SS pins sold by our sponsor is made from 400 series alloy stainless steel, which is rustproof, but attracted to a magnet. My batch of pins was rusting after some storage. The company sent me a new batch.

Losing pins can be a pain, and a strong magnet kept nearby will help pick up the little things.

[Ringer]

Has anyone tried the media sold on ebay as XL. .025X 1.00in?
Seems like that would work well with straight walled cases without losing track of the small media.
Ringer

[biggdawg]

Has anyone tried the media sold on ebay as XL. .025X 1.00in?
Seems like that would work well with straight walled cases without losing track of the small media.
Ringer

I think those would be way too long but that is just my opinion. Pellets sells an xxl pin that is .5 in long x .062 diameter. i have tried them and didn't like them.

i am now using a pin they may start selling it is .047x.255 and i love them i get zero pins stuck in the flash holes now over their standard pin .041x.255

[Catshooter]

Another nice surprise is I have now twice tumbled two different calibers together and not had one case get stuck onto another. Just did 7.62x39 with 38-55 today, worked great.


Cat

[gunoil]

rcbs seperator and this is a good start below, watching this youtube.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3_FpiTzVYP8


http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...2C3B3E5B78.mp4
Pins wash in ten mins.. Pins also peen brass and bring it back to life.
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...0651DBDFE0.mp4

Big clean 45 brass. I decap first.
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...CD27F36429.mp4

[plus1hdcp]

I'm successfully cleaning .22lr brass with stainless steel pins in my own home made rotary tumbler:
http://youtu.be/5u4mSA6BbRc

I found that the Dillon media separator was the only brand on the market with the slots small enough to hold onto the .22 LR brass, while allowing the pins to fall through. I fill the catch bin with water, and that seems to pull the pins out of the small brass easily.

I use the .22 lr brass to swage into bullet jackets for .224 bullets, and the insides of the brass is critical to real success. The rotary tumbler with stainless steel pins is the only way I have found to get them clean.

The SS pins sold by our sponsor is made from 400 series alloy stainless steel, which is rustproof, but attracted to a magnet. My batch of pins was rusting after some storage. The company sent me a new batch.

Losing pins can be a pain, and a strong magnet kept nearby will help pick up the little things.

Duke - do you use the Dillon CM-500 or the CM-2000?

[SandSquid]

Prolonged tumbling with stainless steel pins (like overnight) will cause some damage to the case mouth - it will roll a lip into the case mouth, but it can be removed with a chamfer tool.

I have accidentally left a batch of (100) .44 Magnum running for a week, and found no ill effect.
I specifically checked the mouth and primer pockets with a mic and a dial-caliper.

I think those would be way too long but that is just my opinion. Pellets sells an xxl pin that is .5 in long x .062 diameter. i have tried them and didn't like them.

I have had an issue with two pins getting wedged into the flash-hole on brass that I have not reamed out the flash hole, and they are a real bugger to get out. Most of the time I just throw it aside for a later date when I'm watching a movie or something.

About 1 hour ago I orderd 5# of the XL pins because about 3 hours ago I (literally) destoyed my Decapping and Sizing die because I missed seeing two pins wedged in a flash hole.

i am now using a pin they may start selling it is .047x.255

Please let us/me know if/when they start selling them!