A rock tumbler is a durable machine capable of safely cleaning vintage and used items. With this said, the reloading process can be quite damaging to fragile items, such as soft rocks. The key to ensuring the integrity of your precious gems, coins, and other items is validation. In other words, you need to validate the durability in advance. For example, sapphire is a highly durable gem that can safely be polished in a rock tumbler.
There is much more to rock tumbling than just pre-validating the durability of an item, in this case, a brass carriage case. Other factors to consider are the media, tumbler, speed, and time. Learn more by reading the content provided in the article below.
Durability
As mentioned above, pre-validation of durability is vital when it comes to rock tumbling. As far as the brass cartridge case goes, the durability is off the wall. There is a reason why ammo manufacturers chose brass for cartridge cases or gun shells. Brass is highly durable with the ability to withstand damage, wear, and pressure. As you may already know, brass bullets reach a velocity of up to 2000 fps, depending on the caliber and size.
Hunters and marksmen tend to reload their ammo to ensure cost-efficiency, which is where the rock tumbler comes into play. The durability of brass cartridge cases is without a doubt very high but it is still vital to protect the integrity with a gentle media.
How Long?
When cleaning brass cartridges in a tumbler, it is essential to time it perfectly. If the cleaning period is too short, your cartridges won’t get clean enough. If you clean the cartridges for too long, you may end up damaging them. Remember that the exact time required will depend on several factors, including the weight of the cartridges and the power of your tumbler.
How Many Can Be Washed?
You’re likely curious to know how many cartridges you can clean at once. There is no exact answer because it will depend on the size of the tumbler, the power of the tumbler, and the size of the cartridges. Since handgun cartridges are smaller than others, you can clean more handgun cartridges at once.
Nevertheless, you must follow the manufacturers’ guidelines to avoid potential problems. Check the manual that came with your tumbler. If you try to clean too many cartridges simultaneously, there is a risk that you’ll break your tumbler.
Once the tumbler has finished its job, you’ll want to take another step to get the perfect results.
Making The Cartridges Shine
After the tumbler has completed its job, you’ll likely be eager to refill the cartridges so you can begin using them. However, you shouldn’t do this yet. Instead, you should take another step to ensure that the cartridges shine beautifully. Start by removing the casings from the tumbling media. Once you’ve done that, you should begin rinsing the brass cartridges.
Rinsing will help remove leftover residue and suds. If you let the cartridge remain in dirty water for any period, there is a risk that the cartridges will begin discoloring.
For the best results, use a 5-gallon bucket to collect the dirty water when dumping out the contents. Use a strainer to collect the cartridges. Check the water to make sure you’re not throwing away any steel pins that could be used.
Finally, rinse the brass cartridges in clean water.
Drying The Cartridges
You’ll also need to dry the cartridges to ensure that they do not develop rust or corrosion. You can start by using a towel. Drying each cartridge individually will work although it will take too long for most people. Instead, you can wrap them in a towel and roll them around in your hands.
This will help remove any leftover media while soaking up water. Then, you can place the cartridges in your oven or a parts drying tray. Using a parts dryer is best, but your oven will work if you don’t have anything else.
Turn your oven to a temperature between 140 and 160 degrees. Allow the cartridges to dry for an hour or so. That should be enough to dry the cartridges without damaging them.
Picking Your Tumbler
If your intention is to clean brass cartridges, you need to pick the best tumbler for this task. Your options are plentiful. Just make sure that you first decide whether you want a rotary or a vibratory tumbler. vibratory tumblers are generally more expensive; however, they are faster so you can have a quicker turn around.
Rotary tumblers are cheaper, depending upon the model you buy, they are also slower but this doesn’t prevent this type of tumbler from being the most popular, particularly with beginners.
You’ll also need to pick the best media for the job. Although there are other options, many people recommend using walnut media which can be purchased from local feed stores.
Cleaning By Hand
Ultimately, some consumers don’t want to purchase a tumbler for numerous reasons. They may not have the money or the space. If you fit into this group, you should consider cleaning the cartridges by hand. You’ll still need cleaning supplies, but you’ll save money in the long run.
Still, it is going to take a lot longer to clean cartridges by hand. Plus, the results likely won’t be as good. If you want the cleanest brass cartridges, it is always best to use a tumbler to clean them.
Summary
You’ll be thrilled to know that your dirty brass casings can conveniently be cleaned using your rock tumbler. If you’re interested in reloading your ammo, you’ll likely find yourself dealing with dirty casings. It is never a good idea to reload dirty casings. Instead, you should clean them using your tumbler first.
It is recommended that you decap the casings before cleaning them because this will help ensure that the primer pockets are perfectly clean.