Steps for Brass cleaning

[Doublenut9]

I did not want to hijack the other brass cleaning thread, but I have several questions.
I am just getting into doing my own loads. I have ordered my press and should be here by Friday.
My question for brass cleaning is what do you do first? Do you wash it then tumble it? How do you get the media out of the casing, do you have to tumble it a second time?
Having never done this, I want to make sure I do it right.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[mikld]

Step 1, read the instructions.
Step 2, dump media in wobbler.
Step 3, dump brass in media.
Step 4, turn wobbler on.
Check after 1 hour, if not clean enough, continue wobbling until brass is clean enough for you.

For me and my brass, I like to keep things simple. I began cleaning brass using walnut shells only (lizzard litter), no additives or car polish. Brass comes out clean and shiny. Today I use http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media, because the pet stores in my small town didn't have any lizzard litter. If you choose to decap prior to cleaning, check the flash hole on each case for stuck media. If you choose to decap after you clean, check brass for media stuck in flash hole (it may be enough to deter or damage decapping pin). I decap after I wobble the brass for no special reason, it just works out that way. I use carbide dies and inspect each case before I put it in the press, both pistol and bottle necked cases, and the bottle necked cases usually need to be lubed, I'll inspect them then. You'll hear folks warn you about scratching dies with dirty cases, but I have never experienced that. I reloaded for mebbe 12 years before I bought a tumbler. I just wiped each case with a mineral spirits dampened cloth while inspecting it.

Cleaning brass is nothing more than a media (walnut shells) rubbing against brass in a machine that keeps the stuff moving and rubbing together, and removing tarnish and rubbing until the brass is clean and shiny. K.I.S.S! You can make it as complicated as you want with mixing media, exotic media (ceramic rods or cones or triangles), solutions before and after tumbling, and additives and polishes added to the media. I just use same common sense I use with all reloading...

 

[Tellico]

I tumble in walnut shell too but I use one trick. I deprime all cases with a universal decapper then tumble clean. That way when you resize the clean case the sizing die decapping pin cleans the primer flash hole. I dump the cases in a sieve over a bucket and agitate them to seperate from media. Dump them on a large towel from the sieve, gather up the ends and roll the cases from end to end 30-40 times then resize, flare and prime. A cut up used dryer sheet will keep any dust down in the tumbler. PS if married get own towel and sieve.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Most people tumble the brass first with a little case polish to get it clean. Remove the cases out of the media and then slightly lube or not and run them through the sizer/de-primer die. Next clean the primer pocket and slightly flair the case neck with the sizer/flair die. You can stock cases like this ready to load.

To load the cases, install the correct primer and powder charge. I use a loading block to assemble many cases at one time and check the powder level as a last check before putting the bullets on top. Use the bullet seating die to install the bullet. Crimp as needed.

I use a media separator like this. Works with Walnut shells and corn cob media. 8) 8)
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/731116/frankford-arsenal-standard-media-separator

 

[JEFraze]

I just throw my brass in the tumbler with ground up corn cob media. Then I tumble untill the brass is cleand and shiney to my likeing. I usually size and deprime my brass befor I run it through the tumbler. There is no real reasonas to why I do it this way.

Just follow the dirctions for what ever type of media you will be useing and you cant go wrong. This is the probely the simplest step in the reloading process,there is no need to makeit overly complacted.

 

[MidLife]

I deprime first, that way I get cleaner primer pockets for reload.
NOTE: I deprime ONLY as a first step. I don't resize until AFTER cleaning.
In other words, I have a dedicated de-prime die for just that single purpose.