Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Scratch on Tue Sep 18, 2018 10:51 am

Rip Van Winkle wrote:
Scratch wrote:Assuming you're using FMJ's, how much lead is actually in there? No lead should actually be touching the case ever. Only the copper jacket. I don't worry about the water, but what do I know...

There's Lead Styphnate in the priming compound.

Like I said... What do I know... Not everything it seems.
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Erud on Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:23 am

andrewP wrote:
BigDog58 wrote:Wet tumbling without the pins will get the outsides of the cases clean. About the same as dry tumbling in Corn Cob or Walnut Shells. It will NOT, get the insides of the cases clean, nor the primer pockets.


Depending on what your application is, that may or may not matter. Precision rifle where you're trying to get 1/4 MOA results at 1000 yards? sure, get everything sparkly. Straight-wall pistol cases for action sports? Probably not worth the extra effort. Something somewhere in between those extremes? I think it would make sense to test it both ways and see if the results vary enough to indicate a difference.

One question for those who wet tumble: how do you dispose of the lead-contaminated water? Presumably it's considered to be hazardous waste, right?


I gave up on stainless tumbling this spring after using it exclusively for 7 or 8 years. I have not seen any performance difference whatsoever, and my life sure is easier without it.
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Bearcatrp on Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:52 pm

Have tried both ways. Even with half amount of pins. Pins do clean much better. I use 2 5 gallon pales. Dump water into 1st one, shaking to get most pins out. But draining and collecting the pins with a magnet just sucks. Reason why I want a large mesh cullender to pour through. Havent made it to bed bath and beyond to see the one i found on the net that they sell. Fairly large. Something like this:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... d=strainer
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby xd ED on Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:22 pm

Bearcatrp wrote:Have tried both ways. Even with half amount of pins. Pins do clean much better. I use 2 5 gallon pales. Dump water into 1st one, shaking to get most pins out. But draining and collecting the pins with a magnet just sucks. Reason why I want a large mesh cullender to pour through. Havent made it to bed bath and beyond to see the one i found on the net that they sell. Fairly large. Something like this:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... d=strainer


A few points:
Wet tumbling definitely cleans brass; whether that is better is a topic of much conversation.
I joined the 'less-is-more-and-better-club' in that regard.

As a scrounger of dirty, walked on range brass, for that the wet pin method is great.
For match rifle brass a functional cleaning wipe of the outside, and quick nylon brush through the inside is simple and has proven effective.

That screen colander appears to have a pretty fine screen; too fine for pins to freely fall through.
If you're going to use mesh, get the largest opening possible that won't pass your brass.

But as others have said, no need to reinvent the mousetrap here. You'll either buy a separator now, or after you spend as much on other stuff first.

Buy once.....
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Ghost on Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:20 pm

Bearcatrp wrote:Have tried both ways. Even with half amount of pins. Pins do clean much better. I use 2 5 gallon pales. Dump water into 1st one, shaking to get most pins out. But draining and collecting the pins with a magnet just sucks. Reason why I want a large mesh cullender to pour through. Havent made it to bed bath and beyond to see the one i found on the net that they sell. Fairly large. Something like this:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... d=strainer

What magnet do you use for stainless steel?
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Bearcatrp on Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:58 pm

Ghost wrote:
Bearcatrp wrote:Have tried both ways. Even with half amount of pins. Pins do clean much better. I use 2 5 gallon pales. Dump water into 1st one, shaking to get most pins out. But draining and collecting the pins with a magnet just sucks. Reason why I want a large mesh cullender to pour through. Havent made it to bed bath and beyond to see the one i found on the net that they sell. Fairly large. Something like this:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... d=strainer

What magnet do you use for stainless steel?

Just a small telescopic hand wand type. Don't laugh, it works. Stick it down in the 5 gallon bucket. Can't bend much anymore with my lowest 6 discs fused. BTW, I have a separator already.
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Ghost on Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:31 pm

Bearcatrp wrote:
Ghost wrote:
Bearcatrp wrote:Have tried both ways. Even with half amount of pins. Pins do clean much better. I use 2 5 gallon pales. Dump water into 1st one, shaking to get most pins out. But draining and collecting the pins with a magnet just sucks. Reason why I want a large mesh cullender to pour through. Havent made it to bed bath and beyond to see the one i found on the net that they sell. Fairly large. Something like this:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... d=strainer

What magnet do you use for stainless steel?

Just a small telescopic hand wand type. Don't laugh, it works. Stick it down in the 5 gallon bucket. Can't bend much anymore with my lowest 6 discs fused. BTW, I have a separator already.
Image

Interesting, mine aren’t magnetic. Obviously we have a different type of stainless pins.
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby xd ED on Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:29 pm

Bearcatrp wrote:
Ghost wrote:
Bearcatrp wrote:Have tried both ways. Even with half amount of pins. Pins do clean much better. I use 2 5 gallon pales. Dump water into 1st one, shaking to get most pins out. But draining and collecting the pins with a magnet just sucks. Reason why I want a large mesh cullender to pour through. Havent made it to bed bath and beyond to see the one i found on the net that they sell. Fairly large. Something like this:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... d=strainer

What magnet do you use for stainless steel?

Just a small telescopic hand wand type. Don't laugh, it works. Stick it down in the 5 gallon bucket. Can't bend much anymore with my lowest 6 discs fused. BTW, I have a separator already.
Image



If you put that in a plastic bag before you start picking up pins, it will be much easier to clean...simply extract the magnet from the plastic, and the pins will fall away
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Ghost on Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:51 pm

xd ED wrote:If you put that in a plastic bag before you start picking up pins, it will be much easier to clean...simply extract the magnet from the plastic, and the pins will fall away

Or get one of these which work awesome but still cost more than the RCBS separator.

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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Bearcatrp on Wed Sep 19, 2018 6:10 am

Did a search and found this from northern tool. Think I will check this out.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools ... gKMGfD_BwE

Amazon had a cheaper one so ordered that. I hated that I had to take pins off by hand. Now I can pick up and release into my pin cup holder.
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby BigDog58 on Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:05 am

Make sure you check your flash holes for stuck pins after using a magnet on them. I've read that some people are seeing where the pins get residual magnetism and the pins want to stick together in pairs. I use a refrigerator magnet on a string to pick up any that escape onto my floor. I've noticed even it, causes some to stick together and get stuck in the flash holes, of the smaller calibers I tumble. So far, it has not happened with my 50 BMG brass...Big Ass Flash Hole :rock:
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Bearcatrp on Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:53 pm

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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Scratch on Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:08 pm

When are you guys using magnets? After tumbling, I just dump all my brass and pins into the media separator and crank the separator with it about half submerged in water. I crank the seperator for a bit, then dump the water, rinse the pins, and dump the pins back into my tumbler. I fill my seperator again so it's about half submerged and repeat about 3 times.... Done.

I might find a pin on the second rinse, and sometimes a pin on the third rinse, but it's rare. Not sure when I would use a magnet unless I drop a pin in the sink or something.

I used to find a case with 2 pins in the flash hole but whenever I did, I would throw both of those pins out. It only happened the first few times I tumbled and I haven't had a pin stick in the flash hole for like 3 years now.

When do you guys use magnets?
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Ghost on Wed Sep 19, 2018 7:40 pm

Scratch wrote:When are you guys using magnets? After tumbling, I just dump all my brass and pins into the media separator and crank the separator with it about half submerged in water. I crank the seperator for a bit, then dump the water, rinse the pins, and dump the pins back into my tumbler. I fill my seperator again so it's about half submerged and repeat about 3 times.... Done.

I might find a pin on the second rinse, and sometimes a pin on the third rinse, but it's rare. Not sure when I would use a magnet unless I drop a pin in the sink or something.

I used to find a case with 2 pins in the flash hole but whenever I did, I would throw both of those pins out. It only happened the first few times I tumbled and I haven't had a pin stick in the flash hole for like 3 years now.

When do you guys use magnets?

For stainless tumbling I don’t use a magnet because I have a separator like you.

The way I remove the pins from the water is a sewing hoop thing (a couple plastic hoops that the outside one has a bolt to tighten), a bandana and a bucket. Stretch the bandana in the hoop over the bucket and pour the water and pins on it.
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Re: Best separator for steel-pin media after tumbling?

Postby Bearcatrp on Tue Sep 25, 2018 3:05 pm

Got my order in yesterday. Neat little magnet. No more removing the pins from the magnet by hand. Pull handle, pins drop. One note on pins in primer holes, have always run a magnet over the brass to catch any missed pins.
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