How Often Do You Tumble?

[Wondermutt]

This is my process:

Clean (Wash) brass --> De-Cap Brass ---> Clean (Wash) again ----> tumble ----> Size Brass.

My Question is this. After you size your brass, do you re-tumble? I saw some brass that was done this way, but he was selling it, so his purpose was to pimp it out. He also added some brass polish. If you re-tumble, have you ran into any issues?

Thanks,

WM

 

[DrMike]

I tumble after coming home from the range and before sizing. It isn't necessary to tumble again before using.

 

[FOTIS]

I tumble after coming home from the range and before sizing. It isn't necessary to tumble again before using.

And the lubed cases in resizing?

 

[Teknys]

Depending if I have to trim but:
If not - Wipe - de-cap - lube - size - tumble to clean 1 - 3 hrs = then prime and load.

If trim is suspected = Wipe - lube - de-cap / size - trim/chamf - tumble to "clean" 1 - 3 hrs = then prime and load. Tumbling to get the lube cleaned off.

I should keep track how many loads before a trim but I haven't so far. I just check each time. If I have more then .002" in length between fired cases I trim again.

About brass polish?? I've heard that certain kinds of polish can make the brass brittle and you can get case head separation or neck splits. I tried it once by adding a small amount to the tumbling media and did not have any problems but since I heard about making the brass brittle - have not tried it since.

Maybe somebody in the know about meteorology of brass and ammonia or ??? can chime in.

I'm back I found this on Wiki
Season cracking

Cracking in brass caused by ammonia attack
Brass is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, especially from ammonia or substances containing or releasing ammonia. The problem is sometimes known as season cracking after it was first discovered in brass cartridge cases used for rifle ammunition during the 1920s in the Indian Army. The problem was caused by high residual stresses from cold forming of the cases during manufacture, together with chemical attack from traces of ammonia in the atmosphere. The cartridges were stored in stables and the ammonia concentration rose during the hot summer months, so initiating brittle cracks. The problem was resolved by annealing the cases, and storing the cartridges elsewhere.

And this about "Brasso"
Ingredients

The label of Australian Brasso lists "Liquid Hydrocarbons 630g/L; Ammonia 5g/L", whereas the Material Safety Data Sheet for Brasso in North America lists: isopropyl alcohol 3-5%, ammonia 5-10%, silica powder 15-20% and oxalic acid 0-3% as the ingredients.[2] However, the Australian version contains kaolin and quartz instead of silica for abrasives. [3]
The online data sheet for Brasso wadding in the UK lists the ingredients as C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, C14-18 and C16-18 unsaturated Fatty acids, Kaolinite, Aqua, Ammonium Hydroxide and Iron Hydroxide. Brasso liquid lists a slightly different mix; C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, Kaolin, C12-20 Saturated and Unsaturated Monobasic Fatty Acids, Aqua and Ammonium Hydroxide. Also available are ingredients in a discontinued recipe for Brasso. Wadding: C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, Ammonium Tallate and Colorant. Liquid: C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, Kaolin and Ammonium Tallate. [4]

 

[BK]

Tumble>Size>Tumble... but I am a touch OCD.

 

[RiverRider]

I generally wipe cases down and then resize and trim, and do any other prep that's called for. Then I tumble in walnut media to get them really clean. Then I tumble in corncob to get 'em really purty and load 'em up.

 

[Guy Miner]

You know - it's kind of funny. Back in the "old days" of my youth, nobody tumbled their brass. Well, almost nobody.

Still these days, when I'm rifle shooting, I rarely tumble. Why should I?

I fire a cartridge at the range. I eject that cartridge onto my shooting mat, or sometimes right into my hand. It goes right back into the box.

At home, I inspect it, wipe it lightly, do whatever brass-prep steps I deem appropriate (trimming, chamfering the case mouth, whatever) then I put a tiny dab of sizing wax on the neck and start the loading process all over again. After sizing I'll wipe that lube off with a towel.

If the brass doesn't get filthy dirty, or covered with sizing lube, I don't really have any need to tumble.

Now, my .45 pistol brass that gets dumped all over the ground by that semi-auto - that stuff all gets cleaned up good in the tumbler before resizing. No lube there either, as I'm using carbide dies. Remember when almost nobody had carbide dies and we had to lube our pistol cases too?

Guy

 

[DrMike]

And the lubed cases in resizing?

I only tumble if I am interrupted, Fotis. Otherwise, I wipe with a blue shop towel before trimming, priming, charging and seating.

 

[Wondermutt]

Thanks for the input guys. I usually have a lot of time to kill when I hit the bench, so this topic crossed my mind.

The main reason for the tumble in my opinion aligns with Guy Miner. But, living in the hills, I also like shiny things. :lol:

Now that I have the loads developed, the rounds are going to be sitting in the plastic storage cases for a spell. So why not make them look pretty.

I was mainly concerned with the case mouth getting damaged or dented in from tumbling after the resizing operation.

Thanks again

WM

 

[Oldtrader3]

Never.

 

[longwinters]

Gee, I'm glad you guys reminded me....I've got some brass to clean and resize.

Long

 

[Richracer1]

I tumble with untreated corn cob media before sizing and tumble again after sizing with walnut media, treated with Flitz, as I like my brass shiny. I'm not OCD, just easier to dump the lubed brass into the 2nd tumbler I have with the walnut media and let it rip for an hour or so.

 

[SJB358]

I tumble everything before it touches the dies, most of the time. Sometimes, if I am in a hurry, I will not tumble, just resize and reload. I do like to knock the carbon and soot off the cases as it is easier for me to ID little splits in the neck junction's.

Like Guy though, unless I am hunting, my brass goes from the rifle to the box and doesn't touch any grit. Once in a great while I will tumble after resizing, but I hate picking kernels out of primer pockets holes.

 

[AzDak42]

How Often Do You Tumble?

As often as she'll let me... *rimshot*

 

[Wincheringen]

Pistol brass gets tumbled every 3-4 loadings, rifle brass gets tumbled if its dirty.

 

[Hegland]

Tumble>Size>Tumble

+1

 

[JD338]

I almost always tumble my cases. They look better when they are clean.

JD338

 

[russ808]

After every shot. I like them pretty. Its only water and dawn to clean anyway.
Russ

 

[DaveA37]

I tumble before sizing and removing primers. (No picking tumbling media out of primer pockets :mrgreen: ). One thing I like about clean and shinney cases is it is easier for these old eyes to see flaws, cracks, etc.