Case Cleaning

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Kurt
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by Kurt »

TAA wrote: Sun Jan 31, 2021 8:55 am For Kurt....
Does the Frankford unit have a drive similar to the old RCBS Sidewinder unit? I went through two of those and now a Dillon vibratory type has died on me. One of the two horizontal shafts that the drum rides on is also a “shaft” with knurled rollers. Those two rollers “bite” into a corresponding large diameter “wheel” on the drum body. That frictional gripping ability between the drum and knurled rollers eventually erodes away.

I’m in the market for a rotary type tumbler. I wrote the Thumler’s Tumbler website asking for a price but no answer.

Thanks!

Tom


Tom,

I don't know what the RCBS uses. But here is mine. https://www.frankfordarsenal.com/case-c ... m+LinkThey have gone up in price since I got mine but I really like it.
I wore out two Tumblers Tumbler barrels and bearings and went with this unit. The barrel holds a lot more cases than the tumblers.
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patchbox
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by patchbox »

I've never been able to get my BP cases really clean. I've used a Thumblers Rotary tumbler for 10 years and have always got somewhat clean cases. Used citric acid or lemishine with stainless pins a dash of dawn dish soap. Results were always the same - black powder carbon and primer pockets fairly clean but brass still had a tarnished appearance. I accepted this as it did not seem to affect the accuracy. Then a few years ago I decided to try paper patched bullets. I was examining my cases a bit closer and found that cases tumbled in the rotary tumbler all had a small burr forming on the inside lip of the case. This was unacceptable to me as it had the propensity to tear the paper patch. I had read on the internet about someone who had used copper plated steel BB's in his vibratory tumbler to remove the tarnish and oxides when combined with walnut shell media. So I thought, why can't I use stainless steel pins combined with BB's? I loaded up my vibratory tumbler with 5 cups of walnut shell media, 1-1/2 cups of stainless pins, and 1/2 cup of copper plated steel BB's. I came back from the range with some tarnished black powder cases - first threw them in the ultrasonic cleaner with citric acid to knock off the bulk of the carbon out of the inside and primer pockets (1/2 hour). Threw the cases in the vibratory tumbler and let it rip for 4 hours. The results that I obtained were what I was looking for - clean cases and primer pockets and no burr on the inside lip of the case mouth. My theory but I could be wrong is that the BB's are performing a burnishing and the stainless pins are scraping away the rest of carbonized black powder residue. I have tried this twice - once on my 45-70 brass and again on my 45-110 brass - both had pretty decent results. Because of the results I think I am done with the rotary tumbling - slow speed motor, high speed motor, angled ceramic, stainless pins, plastic cushioning pellets, ceramic balls - the results were all the same - peening of the case mouths to the inside and always forming a burr to one degree or another. For me the stainless pins, BB's and walnut shell media are the way to go. While you cannot use 100% stainless pins in a vibratory tumbler you can add a certain amount to walnut shell or corncob media - the walnut shell or corncob will "float" the heavier steel media and is easily visible as the walnut shell churns around in the vibratory tumbler. The BB's and pins work their way into the cases and the pins help clean out the primer pockets. Next I will try this recipe with no ultrasonic cleaning and see what happens. See photos of the results below.
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patchbox
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by patchbox »

BTW, I blew out my cases after ultrasonic cleaning with compressed air - did not want to wait for them to dry in ambient air.
patchbox
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by patchbox »

Ultrasonic cleaning - 3/8 - 1/2 cup granulated citric acid purchased from duda diesel - set temperature on hornady ultrasonic cleaner to 140 degrees f.
TAA
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by TAA »

Lifetime user of a vibratory case cleaner with either walnut or concob media. My third vibratory unit (large Dillon) died recently. Decided to try the rotary type two weeks ago. To repair the Dillon would have been $110 plus two-way shipping. Bought a Frankford Platinum unit for $165, free shipping. It came with 5# of stainless steel pins. Threw in (130) 40-70 SS cases (all shot with nothing but BP), the pins, some Dawn, some Lemie Sheen and water and ran it for 4-hours. For the first time the insides of the cases are clean (looks like they are made of brass, not carbon) and so are the primer pockets. Did not look for case mouth peening but will eventually.

To get that “looks like new” appearance, I’m going to add ceramic in the next “wash cycle”.

Had some good coaching on this from Kurt!

Tom
patchbox
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by patchbox »

Correction on the amount of walnut media - it was 10 cups, not 5.
MSalyards
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by MSalyards »

Thumblers model B, SS pins water to cover brass, small squirt of dawn and cap full of lemi shine or citric acid. about an hr and a half and my cases come out like Kurts. No peening. Too much tumbling equals peening.

Mike
Dennis Armistead
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by Dennis Armistead »

Something else should be mentioned to the new folks using a liquid tumbler or a media vibratory tub is soak your fired brass first in water with a little dish soap. When I'm finished shooting, I de prime and then throw all the brass in a large jug with water and soap for an hour or so. Rinse and then clean them in the tumbler or what ever. No more silver cases. Hope this helps.
Dennis
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TAA
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by TAA »

Dennis,

Good tip!

Since I started BP shooting (2009), that’s close to what I do at the end of every shooting session.

While at the range, deprime the cases, put them in a jug of water, Dawn and vinegar for the ride home. At home use a bootle brush to get inside the case, and then slosh the case in the water and put it on a drying rack. The water really stinks, my wife hates the smell, makes me do it outdoors. The jug water is really black.

One range trip I was short on time so I just put the cases back in the ammo box....but forgot about them for several weeks. Case mouths were really black! They were in the group I just ran in the new Frankford tumbler and they came out looking like all the others....great!

Tom
Aviator
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by Aviator »

patchbox wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:18 am I've never been able to get my BP cases really clean. I've used a Thumblers Rotary tumbler for 10 years and have always got somewhat clean cases. Used citric acid or lemishine with stainless pins a dash of dawn dish soap. Results were always the same - black powder carbon and primer pockets fairly clean but brass still had a tarnished appearance. I accepted this as it did not seem to affect the accuracy.
The only time I had cases come out of the rotary tumbler looking like that was when I tried putting some Lemishine in.
When I use the Sagebrush cleaner or BACO cleaner they come out bright and shiny.

I use ceramic media in my tumbler.
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bpcr shooter
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by bpcr shooter »

before you add any cleaners/acid, put a tablespoon of dawn soap and run the cases for a 10min pre-clean. Empty the dirty water and refill with your favorite concoction, I have noticed the cases come out a lot cleaner and in a lot less time. I run 50 to 100, 45-2.6 cases at a time in my frankford tumbler with their case cleaner and they come out perfect in a hour.

If your getting tarnish your acid level may be too high.

Matt
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TAA
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by TAA »

Matt,

For your 10-minute preliminary cleaning cycle, do you include the pins or just the soap?

Thanks!

Tom
rgchristensen
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by rgchristensen »

C'mon guys! They don't have to be shiny to be clean.

CHRIS
Barry Miller
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by Barry Miller »

Guys your trying to hard. Ceramic media mix of small a large, in a Thumbler's Rotary tumbler, add two tablespoons of simply green, and 4 tablespoons of CLR, tumble two to three hours, and your will have the bright clean brass we all like to have. Just try it, been doing it for years. Best wishes.
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bpcr shooter
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Re: Case Cleaning

Post by bpcr shooter »

TAA wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 12:39 pm Matt,

For your 10-minute preliminary cleaning cycle, do you include the pins or just the soap?

Thanks!

Tom

pins and water and soap. Its just to knock out the big stuff. I dont totally empty the drum, I just get most of it out and refill it, then add the cleaner and let her run for an hr
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