Wet tumbled for the first time

JimP42 said:
What about the lead, arsenic, and other nasties in the primer/primer/bullet? If it isn't a concern, that would be great, but I'd like to know what's in it. I'm pretty sure that I shouldn't lick my fingers after handling fired brass...
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it goes into the dirt in the yard. That's much better than going into the air Im breathing as in dry tumbling.

Pins don't get stuck in .223 cartridges if you shake em out under water. I usually rinse the brass in the tumbler container till the water runs clean, then leave 2/3 full till I remove the brass.
 
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JimP42 said:
What about the lead, arsenic, and other nasties in the primer/primer/bullet? I
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I am not certain, but there is a relatively high probability that my first wife put arsenic and other poisons in my food that eventually found its into the septic system.

I wet tumble, as most do after removing the primers, so only traces remain.

I wouldn't fault anyone for their decision to not put it down a sanitary sewer or in their septic system, but I am not worried about it. I mean I will eat a sandwich at the range, or while reloading, and even while depriming dirty brass.

Besides people tell me the "booze and the cigars are going to kill you", or "don't heat your soup in that plastic bowel, it will kill you." If the contaminants from dirty brass get me, well then I guess they will claim to be right, as I doubt the doctors will be able to identify the cause if it is not arsenic poisoning.

I mean cigarettes and country ham and bacon finally got my great grandfather. It took them 96 years but they finally got him.
 
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OK, maybe for low volume precision rifle brass. No way am I going to deprime pistol or even bulk 223 before tumbling. The fewer steps the better.
 
JimP42 said:
OK, maybe for low volume precision rifle brass. No way am I going to deprime pistol or even bulk 223 before tumbling. The fewer steps the better.
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I do I put the extra head with the lee universal deprimer die in the Dillon 650 and fill the case feeder
 
If you’re worried about heavy metals just dump the water in the same stainless steel pot that you dump the used “dip” from cleaning your suppressors. Add about a tablespoon of table salt per gallon and then boil off the water by the campfire. The residue can then go out with the trash.
 
For you guys saying to leave a bit of carbon in the neck for lubrication purposes...….. elaborate please. I get the brass like new clean but I use the Redding Imperial wax when I send the case into the Sizing or Neck Sizing die. One neck dip seems to last about 3 rounds or so before I dip another case. I haven't stretched out my range since wet tumbling and I'm just curious. It just seems like a completely clean case might be more consistent than a dirty one.
 
JimB said:
If you’re worried about heavy metals just dump the water in the same stainless steel pot that you dump the used “dip” from cleaning your suppressors. Add about a tablespoon of table salt per gallon and then boil off the water by the campfire. The residue can then go out with the trash.
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Explain please?

Does this just boil off water and leave dry residue to go to a lined landfill w/ the rest of the trash, or does the salt and heat initiate a chemical reaction that... uh... inertifies the scary bits?
 
Windini said:
Explain please?

Does this just boil off water and leave dry residue to go to a lined landfill w/ the rest of the trash, or does the salt and heat initiate a chemical reaction that... uh... inertifies the scary bits?
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The ions from the dissolved salt do react with certain molecules that are probably in the waste water, but that happens at room temp. Boiling gets rid of the water and leaves a toxic residue, it is in no way inertified.
 
BowWow said:
For you guys saying to leave a bit of carbon in the neck for lubrication purposes...….. elaborate please.
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My experience has been that wet tumbling removes more carbon from inside the case neck than vibratory cleaning, but not as much as ultrasonic cleaning. Like so many things in reloading, it is debatable, but I like having some carbon residue inside the case neck to act a lubricant when I am seating bullets. Completely dry, and clean case necks are noticeably harder to seat and that makes me wonder about the impact it may have on my neck tension and concentricity. That said there a plenty of people who say it makes no difference.

I suppose the only war to answer the question definitively would be use of an arbor press with hydraulic pressure gauge (21st Century Shooting makes one) to see if there is any impact on seating pressure consistency, but then that question is not worth the money to me. I am OCD, and little crazy, but I can still find better uses for that amount of money.

That is a tease for you Toprudder as I know you use an arbor press.
 
Toprudder said:
I don't have the neat pressure gauge type, but I want one. You bastard! :p
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It's payback. I am now set up to neck turn .223 because of your experimentation. Of course all you will have to do is publish your data from the experiment, and I will feel compelled to purchase it and see if I can duplicate the results.
 
Charlie R said:
It's payback. I am now set up to neck turn .223 because of your experimentation. Of course all you will have to do is publish your data from the experiment, and I will feel compelled to purchase it and see if I can duplicate the results.
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You realize you are opening yourself up to payback! :D
 
Toprudder said:
You realize you are opening yourself up to payback!
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I am afraid that I may have self-inflicted this wound to my wallet. I pulled the pin but didn't throw it far enough. I watched videos on the K&M pressure gauge press and the 21st Century. Damn. I hate my OCD and questions that scream to be answered. I mean, I would bet that you and I are the only 2 east of the Mississippi nuts enough to actually neck turn .223.

But just because misery loves company, I did notice that 21st Century sells just a replacement head for their arbor presses, so you can you use your existing 21st Century stand. I just thought you should know.
 
Charlie R said:
I am afraid that I may have self-inflicted this wound to my wallet. I pulled the pin but didn't throw it far enough. I watched videos on the K&M pressure gauge press and the 21st Century. Damn. I hate my OCD and questions that scream to be answered. I mean, I would bet that you and I are the only 2 east of the Mississippi nuts enough to actually neck turn .223.

But just because misery loves company, I did notice that 21st Century sells just a replacement head for their arbor presses, so you can you use your existing 21st Century stand. I just thought you should know.
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I don’t have an existing 21st Century stand. :( I have an RCBS Summit press with the arbor press adapter.
 
Holycow. Got my tumbler. Huge difference. Did some media suggested here that wasnt pins. Water, dish detergent, that stuff for hard or soft water. Tumbled a live round by accident. It looks great! No boom which is good. Media pictured too.
20190224_180651.jpg 20190224_185614.jpg 20190224_190310.jpg
Picture_20190824070826.jpg
 
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Tumbling rumbling as we speak
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Ikarus1 said:
One side is a test plug the other is a knockout plug glued in. I also have a half a split 1" PVC pipe glued inside for agitation

4" shower drain when I want to drain water and pins but keep the brass inside for rinsing or separating
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Totes stealing that... I hate the way the factory tubs seal.
 
bigfelipe said:
Totes stealing that... I hate the way the factory tubs seal.
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Yeah I'm in the process of building another spare one so I can just swap them out during big cleaning sessions. This one holds around 250 or 300 9mm cases, 100 5.56 cases and 50 or so .308 cases at a time
 
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