Friends-

I have been handloading since 1979. To date it has been rifle only and cleaning media dust off of tumbled cases was as easy as using a dish towel dampened with alcohol to clean individual cases.

But, I have just received the motivation to handload my .45 ACP ammo. Here's my question. Wiping off rifle cases one at a time is one thing, but .45 ACP cases are a whole different matter. Call me lazy, but there has got to be a better way of getting media dust off of pistol brass.

What's the standard operating procedure, if there is one?

Thanks in advance.

After shaking the media out thru the strainer I just blow whatever might be left off with compressed air.

Good advice

If you add a tablespoon or so of mineral spirits or naphtha (charcoal lighter fluid) to the media and run the tumbler a minute or so before adding the cases, you should have no trouble with dust.

I've really had no trouble with dust. I tumble with strips of fabric softener sheets , Tumble outside with the top off, and always clean my dump bucket and tumbler after each use. The fabric softener seems to collect what dust isn't blown away. At least I never recognized that I had a problem. roger

I mix the treated corncob media with a little walnut hull media and the corncob media seems to collect the dust until the media gets rally used.

Well duh, I didn't know I had a problem. as I dump the media out of each cartridge, I give it a bit of a rub with a tea towel and call it happy. Actually, the question needs to be asked, what problem is a bit of dust on the brass gonna cause (after it has been resized and run through the tumbler)? I mean, you're gonna be working them about dumping in powder loads and seating bullets, wouldn't that take care of any casual "dust" that was on them?

I use walnut with the Dillon Rapid Polish. Put a capfull in each time and it reduces the dust or residue on the cases to near nothing.

quote:

If you add a tablespoon or so of mineral spirits or naphtha (charcoal lighter fluid) to the media and run the tumbler a minute or so before adding the cases, you should have no trouble with dust.

Doubless-

I like your idea about the Mineral Spirits or Naptha.

Has anyone tried dipping a batch of brass in a bath of rubbing alcohol and then pouring off the alcohol?

There are two ways most folks use that work.
1. Anti-static dryer sheet thrown in with the tumble 20 min before they are done will "collect" all the dust off of the cases. More than one sheet can be used if needed then thrown away afer each use.
2. Two cap fulls of Nu-Finish car polish used during the cleaning cycle will do the same thing,

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what the problem is with a light bit of media dust on the brass?

Beeman......my brass is cleaned before I size it so dust and lube dont go together.

I sometimes load high valumes of .223 and 40 S&W in a progressive press so I air blast to get the dust off before I spray lube on.
That is the way I do it

My bolt gun cases get wiped off individually as I only load 50 at a time

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what the problem is with a light bit of media dust on the brass?

That's because there isn't one.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:
After shaking the media out thru the strainer I just blow whatever might be left off with compressed air.

That's how I do it, or lay them out on a shop towel and run my hands over them... either is very quick and easy.

quote:

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what the problem is with a light bit of media dust on the brass?

Maybe I am a little picky, but, I tumble before I resize. As I stated above, with rifle cases I clean off with a cuptowel dampened with rubbing alcohol. I don't want to get grit from the media and case lube in my dies and ultimately my chamber. Rifle reloading, is relatively small batches, usually 50-100 rounds at a time. Pistol reloading is more of mass production process. I don't want to be wiping down 500 .45 ACP cases.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what the problem is with a light bit of media dust on the brass?

That's because there isn't one.

Amen roger

My Bride saves the dryer sheets for this dust collection. I have shoot an awful lot to have enough brass that needs tumbling to keep up with her production of dryer sheets.
I tumble rifle brass when I come back from the range, re size, tumble again to remove sizing lube.
I use fresh used dryer sheets each time.


Jim

I simply give all of my handloads a wipe down with a dry soft cloth after the entire process is complete, just before they go into a box or cartridge case to remove lube, oil, dirt or whatever. Dont want that crap on my chamber walls. Otherwise from the tumbler I dump, shake and visualy inspect flash holes and inside then move on. No worries.

Only very slightly off topic and that is to be careful with inhaling the dust as I am told that it represents the greatest risk of one accumulating organic lead in the body.

A bit of research has indicated that lead styphanate in primers and thus in the residue in primer pockets is "liberated" when you tumble them and the dust is pretty rich in absorb able lead. At the very least, do it outside and stay upwind or put a fan at your back to keep levels low at nose level and wash hands before you eat or smoke.
(Yes, I am medically trained if you count a veterinarian)

PS- Your primary care doc can easily do a blood lead level. Just tell them you work with stained/leaded glass if you are a bit reluctant to get the info that you shoot and reload into Obama's worldwide medical data system.

I've been tumbling my brass (without the lid) since tumblers came out so I guess I can expect to fall over at any moment.

quote:

Originally posted by gab:
Only very slightly off topic and that is to be careful with inhaling the dust as I am told that it represents the greatest risk of one accumulating organic lead in the body.***"

What is organic lead?
Can the lead emissions from tumbling cases with dead primers without a tumbler lid really be a serious health concern ? When comparing that to the exhaust from cars burning leaded gas of yesteryear, It's not even an also ran. roger

My bad, I assumed most would be cognizant of the risks of lead and what organic compounds are. When a lead molecule is combined with a carbon based molecule it becomes an "organic" When it is an oxide or chloride or other element ii is "inorganic"
Just the way chemistry is divided up.

If you want to plow through the following it may be helpful re: lead exposure.

Just trying to be helpful so sarcasm probably is not warranted. To me, ignoring it as a potential problem is akin to not getting a colonoscopy or mammogram "because I feel fine" buy hey, it's your life and I am a firm believer in the consequences of ones actions.


Gary

From the website of the National Cancer Institute--------------

Lead is a naturally occurring bluish-gray metal found in small amounts in the earth's crust. Lead can also be found in plants, animals, air, water, dust, and soil. Because it is an element, lead can't be broken down into smaller components. It can exist by itself as a metal, but it is more often combined with other elements in a variety of compounds.

In organic lead compounds, such as tetraethyl lead and tetramethyl lead, lead is combined with carbon groups.
Inorganic lead compounds, such as lead oxide and lead chloride, are combinations of lead with other elements.

Lead and its compounds have many useful properties. Lead is soft and easily shaped, durable, resistant to some chemicals, and fairly common.

Humans have used lead since early history. Lead has been used in plumbing, tableware, and other products since the Roman Empire. It has been used in pipes and plumbing, pigments and paints, gasoline additives, construction materials, lead–acid batteries, and many other products. It has even been used in some medicines and cosmetics.

The use of lead in pipes, paints, and gasoline additives has resulted in large amounts of lead entering the environment. These uses have been limited or phased out in many countries, including the United States. Lead mainly is used today in lead–acid batteries and, to a lesser extent, in ammunition, cable coverings, some paints and ceramics, in soldering and building materials, and in a number of other products.
How are people exposed to lead?

People are exposed to lead mainly by breathing it (from dust or fumes) or swallowing it. Because of its widespread use over the years, exposure to lead in the environment is now more likely to come from man-made rather than natural sources. Lead can change forms and can move around in the environment (for example, from the air to the soil), but it does not break down and go away.
Lead in the environment

In the past, when lead was added to gasoline, breathing automobile exhaust was the major source of lead exposure for most people. Lead in the exhaust also contaminated the soil near roads. Much of this lead remains in the soil today. The use of lead in gasoline for road vehicles was phased out in the 1980s and early 1990s, although it can still be used in some off-road vehicles and in airplanes.


Whether lead enters the body by breathing it in or swallowing it, it enters the bloodstream, from which it can reach other parts of the body. Most lead eventually ends up in the bones and teeth, but its main health effects are on other organs.

The main toxic effects of lead are on the brain and nervous system. In adults, high levels of lead can cause headaches and problems with mood, thinking, and memory. It may also damage peripheral nerves, which can cause tremors or weakness in fingers, wrists, or ankles. Adults whose work exposes them to lead have been shown to develop nervous system problems even at relatively low blood lead levels.

The effects of lead on the nervous system are even more of a concern in young children, whose brains are still developing and whose bodies take in lead more readily. Lead poisoning in children can lead to lower intelligence, stunted growth, impaired hearing, and behavioral and learning problems. These problems can even appear in children whose mothers were exposed to lead while pregnant with them.

High lead levels in the body can also cause:

Kidney damage, which can lead to high blood pressure
Bone marrow damage, which can cause anemia (low red blood cell counts)
Reproductive problems, such as miscarriage and stillbirth among exposed women
Low sperm counts and erectile dysfunction in highly exposed men
Digestive symptoms such as nausea, constipation, and stomach cramps
Bone and joint pain

At high enough levels of exposure, lead can severely damage the brain and kidneys in adults or children and ultimately cause death.

In fact, health issues other than cancer are the main reason exposure to lead is regulated.

Im brand new to this so my experience is only limited to about 1000 9mm rounds so far, but I tumble my brass and afterwards, i dump the brass in to a spagetti strainer and shake it to remove all the media. Then I dump the brass in a bardboard box, throw some dryer sheets in there, and close the lid to the box... shake it around for about 30 seconds and there you go... 1000 pieces of dust free, mountain scented casings!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gab:
My bad, I assumed most would be cognizant of the risks of lead and what organic compounds are. QUOTE]

Rather broad assumption. Many of us aren't even aware of what cognizant means.

What a brilliant retort!
A retort is a response or reply.
I assumed you might need an simplified explanation
for BIG words.
Did you attend class or just pass through.

Goodbye Beeman.

quote:

Originally posted by gab:
What a brilliant retort!
A retort is a response or reply.
I assumed you might need an simplified explanation
for BIG words.
Did you attend class or just pass through.

Goodbye Beeman.

Now aren't you the bright one? Rather glib, gab. roger

I used to tumble with walnut media, adding rouge to speed things up.

Finally switched to stainless steel media. Slightly different process and higher intial ca$h outlay for the system but the results are nothing short of amazing.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe from So. Cal.:
I used to tumble with walnut media, adding rouge to speed things up.

Finally switched to stainless steel media. Slightly different process and higher intial ca$h outlay for the system but the results are nothing short of amazing.

My experience as well.