Case tumbling

[Pete]

To stop watermarks, I give a final good rinse in rainwater, (we have a butt with a tap), and blow dry with a hot air gun.

Pete

[Lancs Lad]

This is genius. That's the one drawback of the jewelry/rock tumbler I bought on ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3KG-Rotary-T ... 2633978097). You can only do a smallish batch of cases and I tend to do all my case prep & reloading in a large go at the end of the year when there's less shooting going on.

I'm also using Meguiars car wash with a spoonful or so of citric acid - everything comes out sparkly clean.

How do you rate the eBay tumbler? And by ‘smallish’ how many cases do you mean? I’d probably only do 100 .308/7.5x55/7x57 cases or so at a time.

Just make your own. There are numerous homemade examples on utube. The simpler the better. Use an old car windscreen motor for power.

LL

[Mattnall]

It could have been galvanic corrosion, it will happen when you have 2 different metals in a mild acid.

I don't know if the acid would have been strong enough, or if the time would have been enough.

That was one thought I had. Something similar happened when I tumbled some cases with some WWII fuzes we found in the fields but these came out slightly more copper coloured like the zinc had been removed. This time (it has happened twice where I've forgotten I've got it running) it was more a shade of black and only brass cases being tumbled. They were most likely different makes so possibly a slightly different alloy mix in the brass but nothing too different.
The colour made me think it was more to do with the black rubber liner and the time spent tumbling.
The brass returns to normal colour after firing and re-tumbling properly so it is not really a worry, just different.

[rox]

HOW DO YOU STOP WATER MARKS ?

The citric acid is meant to stop that by softening the water. If you get the marks next time put in a bit more..

Don't you rinse?

Surely if you do, no reasonable amount of citric acid in the wash solution is going to have a significant effect on the softness of the rinse water, and that's what will be left on the cases to potentially leave a mark after drying. Or are you suggesting citric in the rinse as well?

Initially I used rinse-aid in my final rinse, but it was a pain, a waste and totally unnecessary. 15 seconds with a towel and I get no marks. I'm convinced that the mechanical removal of surplus water from the surface is the key to avoiding marks.

[Mattnall]

HOW DO YOU STOP WATER MARKS ?

The citric acid is meant to stop that by softening the water. If you get the marks next time put in a bit more..

Don't you rinse?

Surely if you do, no reasonable amount of citric acid in the wash solution is going to have a significant effect on the softness of the rinse water, and that's what will be left on the cases to potentially leave a mark after drying. Or are you suggesting citric in the rinse as well?

Initially I used rinse-aid in my final rinse, but it was a pain, a waste and totally unnecessary. 15 seconds with a towel and I get no marks. I'm convinced that the mechanical removal of surplus water from the surface is the key to avoiding marks.

You're right, I rinse as I tumble to remove pins in a separator so any rinse aid is pointless. I get citric acid from work by the kilo so it's no big loss but as you point out it really doesn't matter when I rinse after tumbling.

As I said above; I pat dry and separate on paper towels on trays to dry, that is probably what keeps the water marks away.

[forbie]

I thought Citric Acid unless neutralized will leave the cases with a pinkish hue.
Certainly has done with my past experiences.

[redcat]

I have the lyman wet tumbler. I just use a squirt of washing up liquid in with the water and the cases come out really clean including the primer pocket. I would never go back to a dry tumbler. It is amazing how dirty the water is at the end of the cycle.

Hi, shoppe
Is this the Lyman Cyclone? If so, what is your impression?

Redcat

[Mattnall]

I thought Citric Acid unless neutralized will leave the cases with a pinkish hue.
Certainly has done with my past experiences.

I've never had that. Maybe too much acid in the mix?