Heads Up for You Wet Tumblers!

[ESquared]

When I decided on my cheap-o Harbor Freight rock tumbler, I ordered some stainless steel tumbling pins (through Amazon, I think) and got a sample packet of some cleaning powder. I had already found out (from some wise person here) about the Dawn Dish Soap/Lemon juice method, so I lost track of that sample packet until today, so I decided to do a little experiment.

I had 100 rds of 45 Colt once-fired that the local range scrounged for me, so I decapped 'em all and gave 'em a quick pre-soak in some warm water and Dawn, just to get the big pieces off.

I did about 60 cases in the Dawn/Lemon juice solution for two hours, which can be seen in the top two rows of the pic below.

After rinsing everything out, I did the last 40 rounds using the Brass Shine cleaning powder. Since the container was so small, I just did a 1/2 teaspoon and warm water. In the bottom two rows of the pic, you can see those cases, after just THIRTY MINUTES.

To my eye, the appearance scores are very close and both very good (some of it is the LED lighting/glare from my range hood), but the time savings that the powder brings to the party is what's selling me. That, and zero foaming, so there's no re-rinsing of cases filled with Dawn suds after separating out the pins (kind of OCD, yeah, but worth it!).

The smaller Batch (#2) might have also made a small difference, but, still, to cut the tumbling time by 75% is pretty substantial. I'll continue to play with it, and this may be old news to many of you, but just thought I'd pass it along.

30 minutes of tumble time gets my attention. AND, it's $15 for a pound of it, shipped free (see link below). I'm not crazy (OCD), so I didn't weigh 1/2 a teaspoon, but I'm pretty sure that a pound of this stuff will last me a LONG time. Assume conservatively that there are 12 ea. 1/2 tspoons in an ounce; 16 ounces in a pound = 16 X 12 = 192 batches. Now I'm gonna have to weigh it, aren't I?

https://shop.guntap.com/brass-shine-pow ... -shipping/

[Mistered]

I recall using the sample pack of the stuff than came with my pins from Amazon as well.
It seems I got similar results and I may have to readdress this and get some of the brass shine as well.
Your results are undeniable.

[ESquared]

Okay, I had to weigh it. Using my pretty darn accurate digital kitchen unit, I get 0.09 oz per heaping 1/2 tsp.

So, I wasn't far off. 1.0 oz divided by 0.09 = 11.1 = 11 or so 1/2 tsp portions per OUNCE.

16 oz/ lb X 11 portions/lb = 178 batches per lb.

At least in my cheap-o Harbor Freight rock tumbler, which will do about 75 cases@ 357 mag and 60 cases @ 45 Colt per batch.

So, if you're following along, a lb of this stuff will shine up 13,350 cases of 357 Mag or 10,680 cases of your basic 45 Colt.

I gotta get a life...

[RanchRoper]

But don't you miss that nice dull patina?


Ok I admit I do actually put a lump of paste wax in with mine. It tumbles around and does a pretty good job shining 'em up a bit...

[Mistered]

But don't you miss that nice dull patina?

Not me! I gotta have it bright and shiny!
Pay no attention to the .32 SPL on the headstamps - it's now 30-30 !

IMG_1024[1] (1).JPG (95.95 KiB) Viewed 3864 times

[ESquared]

But don't you miss that nice dull patina? :

Let's leave my bald spot out of this...

[ESquared]

Just so you know I'm not making this stuff up...

[RanchRoper]

They certainly do look good shined up like new.

[BigAl52]

But don't you miss that nice dull patina? :

Let's leave my bald spot out of this...

Now how would any of us know about ur bald spot we havent seen it yet

[Mags]

.
ooooh, shiny!

...

[Mags]

.
now don't go doing that. we'd miss you!

... I gotta get a life...

[ESquared]

I sure hope that picture of the powder on the scale doesn't get me in trouble some day...

Just looked at it again, and, out of context, it's not a good visual!

[Mistered]

Just looked at it again, and, out of context, it's not a good visual!

Yep - its the 'Smuggler's Blues' !

[ESquared]

Hadn't seen the vid, and like the song better. R.I.P., Glenn Frey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSXKyHM133c

[Rifletom]

Dang, that looks good. In my lazy tumbling, vibrating/walnut shells, I add a couple of squirts of "Turtle Wax Spray" in there.
Seems to work. Told ya I was lazy at this.

[Mistered]

Hadn't seen the vid, and like the song better. R.I.P., Glenn Frey.

Great video!
Remember the episode of Miami VIce with Glen Frey in it?

[ESquared]

I do! As I recall, they played this song as part of that episode...

[Mistered]

they played this song as part of that episode...

I'll never forget the last minute of the episode with last verse of the song sung in a slow, 'haunting' voice by Glenn.

[ESquared]

Did another batch today, the 40 rounds of 223 that went to the range with me last week.

Same 1/2 tsp of powder, left it going for a couple hours as I had other stuff going on, but just beautiful!

[Bubbas4570]

Lemon juice?

I use Lemi-Shine, it works good enough for me. And it looks suspiciously like that white powder......