Lyman Wet Tumbler Leak Solution

[Bruce_in_Oz]

The other caveat regarding "dry bowl" tumblers is the nature of rge "media".

Not the walnut shells or ground-up corn cobs, but the abrasive paste / grit added to actually to the work.

"Jewelers Rouge" is pretty abrasive stuff. Leaving ANY of it on or in a case will subsequently be a bit "harsh" on loading dies, especially full-length sizing ones for bottle-necked cases. See also "expander balls"; there is a reason Tungsten carbide ones are rapidly gaining popularity, especially in "high-volume" operations..

Full-length CARBIDE dies are seriously expensive, especially rifle-calibre ones.

[Atticus Thraxx]

Usabaker your concerns about media separation may not be without merit. Just finished a tumble of some PMC 6.5x55 and found this…edit: this had been through a rigorous tumbling in a media separator when I found it. It did tap right out easily.

[browningautorifle]

I had steel pins stick in 30/30 cases I think, not so much in a .308. They will also stay inside wet cases to some degree, I used to shake them after drying and sit with needle nose pliers and pull out the dozen or so pins that stuck. Just inspect them every time and there's no problem.

[Atticus Thraxx]

Found three more. One jammed so bad the case is a loss. I spilled a bunch of pins out and mic’d them(an exercise in dexterity and patience) and found wide variations in lengths. Shortest was .253 and longest .262.5 of the dozen I checked.
Now I’m not complaining, once I switched a few years ago, I became an instant convert. A bit more work, and more equipment certainly. But what a joy working with absolutely clean brass. I just gave all my dry tumbling equipment away.

[browningautorifle]

Pins do get stuck in the flash holes of about 2%

Yes, I had some but can't remember what the examples would be. Not many though. The cross stuck mouth pins will come out with needle nose pliers...I never lost a case to one. This is the first I heard of sealing the brass from tarnish like that. Yes, once you get started with this method of tumbling the corn cob and vibra tumber were sold. I'd never go back to that way, far too dirty.

[ssgross]

cross stuck mouth pins

never had one of these. I get the odd pin in a flash hole once in a while. What I got more when I switched to wet tumbling was different caliber cases stuck together by a wedged pin(s) when I thought I could save time by doing easily separable calibers together. Learned that lesson the hard way. 5.56 gets stuck in 9mm, 308 and 30-06 sticks in 45acp, or it gets really stuck in 45lc or 45-70. 9mm will wedge in 45 cases with the pins. Always test before you tumble together! if there is a way for them to fit together loosely, the pins will jam it super tight.

For what it's worth, I dry tumble in walnut just what I plan to load in a session for 15 min after sizing to remove lube. I deprime and size in separate steps, with wet tumbling in between which cleans the primer pockets very well, and all in all takes less time than handling each case to clean pockets (not counting the time drinking beer while the pins do all the work).

[browningautorifle]

I thought I could save time by doing easily separable calibers together.

There's even a disclaimer in their paperwork instructions not to do that. After fighting with them coming out of a thumblers tumbler and corn cob, the pins promised to permanently weld them together. the other thing was depriming first or the primers may never come out when you decide to process them. I'd size everything in a carbide die and a rockchucker, recycle the primers with scrap brass and then your cases were like new.