I have the wet and corn cob tumblers. I like both but when I use the wet I will let them dry then run them in the corncob with new finish for a bit. Keeps them from tarnishing so fast versus wet with no corn cob.
I found if you keep the water level low in the FA it helps keep the caps from leaking and still cleans well.
I considered wet tumbling but, with the rinsing and drying, it sounds like more work than using corn cob or walnut.
However, my main reason for dry tumbling is because I prefer to process my brass after it’s clean. I shoot in the desert so my recovered brass is almost always dusty and/or covered with grit. I really don’t want to run that grit through my sizing dies. So I’ll stick with walnut and corn cob.
A sheet of vibration dampening foam under your tumbler will reduce the noise quite a bit.
I have the wet and corn cob tumblers. I like both but when I use the wet I will let them dry then run them in the corncob with new finish for a bit. Keeps them from tarnishing so fast versus wet with no corn cob.
I've got one of those Frankford wet tumblers available for $150. I've found dawn and Lemi-shine work great, those pins get everywhere! I agree about the little harbor freight mortar mixer, a little dawn/shine and let 'em roll around. I re-use the solvent, pour it in a bucket for next time. Rinse with hose water 2X and dump that. I dry the brass on an old rag towel or 3, sitting in the AZ sunshine.
I use the Frankford w/o pins and use RCBS ultra sonic solutions. Works great. I did use pins but it isn't worth the hassle. They get super clean and you can't even tell they have been annealed either. I'm about to run some huge batches soon actually. Rinse well in hot water and put them in my dryer (no longer use the oven). No problems ever.
have a couple sonic units, and use them occassionally, but after destroying some brass by not getting 100% dry then packing away, i picked up a free electric stove and put it on patio with a cord, and now dry'm fast and easy, stove is used for other items also, so no war with teh dragon lady
I've tumbled brass for a long time. These days I wet tumble using a cheap/smaller Harbor Freight mortar mixer with dawn and lemi-shine, and NO pins. Sort for size first, let it run, pour out the liquid, put some water in, let it run. Rinse/repeat. Spread the brass out on a towel and let the sun dry it out. I only use corn cob tumbling for removing the Dillon Case lube when ammo is loaded.
I went full wet last year. I run about 75 pounds of brass and where I used to run 40 pounds of cob I now use 18 pounds of water so maybe I will get a longer life out of this mixer. After it is done I rinse and tumble the brass while it is being rinsed. When no more suds I put in in a bucket with holes in the bottom then I final rinse with distilled water and jet dry. Then throw it on a drop cloth in the garage and flip it over a couple times a day for a mostly spot free finish. Gets it clean enough for me. Not going back to the old ways.
