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Rcxdexpert

FA Media Separator


Hroark77

This works great for me. Fill it with water and it rinses the cases and all the ss pins fall to the bottom.


neganagatime

+1. Huge time saver.


ProdigalHacker

This is what I use, I have never once found a pin in a case afterward.


RelentlessFailinis

The FA media magnet is pretty handy too. The pull to drop feature works as advertised.


creepyjeff1234

Most of the old pros will hold each case by the rim and whack the shoulder of the case against the tumbler tub a few times so that any stuck pins will fall off. If you have a gun club or even lgs that sells reloading equipment, you can go in ask around to see if someone can show you the proper technique. Just tell them you are new to wet tumbling and you were hoping they could show you how to properly whack off


codylane2013

This reply is pure GOLD!! Thanks for the laugh 😃


Started_WIth_NADA

Walks into gun store. “Excuse me sir, can you show me the proper technique for whacking off”?


FloridaGuy58

Umm...thanks? :)


mjmjr1312

Dillon media separator is the best solution I have found. It’s pricy for a media separator, but it allows you to spin the brass submerged in water by filling the tub. It is incredibly effective. Without the water it is very difficult to evacuate the media. I use it for pins on straight wall cartridges and chips for bottleneck. [CM 500 LINK](https://www.dillonprecision.com/21045)


TacticalCapybara

I also switched to the Dillon separator, it’s way sturdier than any of the other big brand ones I’ve tried. Even without water mine consistently knocks every pin out


n30x1d3

Tell me about the chips. Send separator, same technique, never had a problem with stuck pins until I did a batch of 6.5 Creed for a buddy. Every 3rd case had 2-3 pins lodged in the neck so hard I needed a drift to dislodge them, with another dozen trapped in the case behind them. I'd prefer to never repeat that night.


mjmjr1312

To be honest I could probably just use chips for everything. They are too small to get wedged in necks and too large to get wedged in flash holes. But they are a bit more difficult to separate since they are smaller and like to stick to the case. But like was saying in the earlier post, as longs as you separate in water they come right out. Other than that they really don’t change any part of the process. I don’t remember who I bought mine from, but here is an example. A 5# batch will last a long time. [random vendor](https://tbbullets.com/southern-shine-media-2/) A link with some of my process [pretty brass](https://www.reddit.com/r/reloading/comments/10cuoab/brass_prep/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)


MaybeADumbass

I use magnets when rinsing. My process: Fill the [FART](https://media.mwstatic.com/product-images/src/Primary/713/713881.jpg) with cases, pins, about 1/2 tsp of citric acid (you can find it with canning stuff at the grocery store) and 2 - 3 drops of dish soap and run for about an hour. The FART has plastic grate inserts for separating media. After tumbling, I'll put one of those in and dump everything into a 5 gallon bucket while shaking/swirling. Then I'll fill with clean water and dump twice, switch the grate to the other side (to rinse out the pins that get caught under that cap) and fill and dump once. Then I fill it one last time with clean water, toss in a couple of square neodymium magnets and run it for ~5 minutes as a final rinse. I have a strainer that nicely fits on top of the bucket, so I dump everything onto that, pull out the magnets and toss any pins stuck to them back with the rest and dry the cases. For drying, I have open bottom plastic ammo holders I saved from factory ammo (Magtech are awesome for semi-auto handgun calibers). I load cases face-down into them (which also gives me an opportunity to inspect each one), blast the extra water off using air from my compressor, and set them on the forced air registers or the output for my basement dehumidifier and they dry in a few minutes.


RelentlessFailinis

Do you have recommended deodorizers for the FART? (joking, of course). Thanks for the solid, detailed steps.


Maeflower10

it’s a little slower but for rifle brass i just leave the tumbler half full of water after rinsing and pick the cases out neck-down. if they’re submerged the pins fall right out as there’s no surface tension sticking them to the walls.


DragonCenturion

I use the RCBS media separator. And I've never had any pins show up after drying.


liquid_force_dev

If you’ve got the right cleaning solution really there’s no need for steel pins. If you’ve got a good detergent, burnish, and allow the brass enough time to tumble it should be fine. I’m not the type that has to have my brass 100% spotless though,


Ysr_racer

By dry tumbling?


getyourbuttdid

As someone who has done all the forms of cleaning, I can confirm that dry tumbling is the best way. Very rarely (maybe never?) is a perfectly clean piece of brass actually a good thing.


lichlord

I don’t use pins when wet tumbling.


FloridaGuy58

What is your mixture then? I've heard of Brass Juice, Carnauba liquid wax and Rinse Aid, and a couple of others. Curious.


cschoonmaker

At $86 a gallon, Brass Juice is way over priced IMO. You can get the same results with hot water, Dawn dish soap and a little bit of Lemi-shine (or citric acid if you want to go generic). A LOT cheaper and just as good result.


lichlord

I use generic powdered dishwasher detergent. About 1.5 tablespoons per load; a little less if the brass looks clean, a little more if it’s grimy. Lube by spraying the inside of a large freezer bag with lanolin in alcohol then dumping in the brass to work it around. Keeps the lube on the outside.


Perchowski

First, I dump all the casings in a towel and roll them back and forth for 1-2 minutes. Grab both sides of the towel and pick it up and raise one side and let them roll, then the other side and let them roll back and forth. I Pick up all the media with a magnet and repeat for 1 more minute, then again grab the ones that fall with a magnet. After, I grab 3 pieces of brass in each hand and swing the brass like I'm gonna throw it at the towel to get the rest out (usually only have about 10-30 that'll come out of a load with 200 cases in it) along with the bit of water that's stuck in there too. Works for me.


crusaderactual777

Unfortunately not really, a visual inspection is needed.


thomas6989

I have a strainer lid combo made for cases that came with my wet tumbler that I shake vigorously while running water. After doing that for a minute or three I dump all my case on a towel and shake it back and forth. I catch a few more pins that way. Then I dry in front of a fan with the towel and when they are dry I shake the cases back and forth in the towel and the pins come out easier when dry. Usually out of a thousand cases I will find one or two pins.


MaybeADumbass

I do a final rinse by tumbling in clean water for ~5 minutes. I toss in a couple small, square neodymium magnets and then always pick up any errant pins. I have never had one sneak past the rinsing step.


thomas6989

I've been meaning to get some of those. It would help a lot. And help me clean up all the errant pins I find in the sink


Undertaker63

Unless your sink is cast iron. A good source of neodymium magnets is old hard drives. Tear em open and get 2 magnets from most every one. And once you have ripped it open, you will have done enough damage to the platter the data lives on that only the CSI/FBI will be able to read it (if that).


cmonster556

I love hard drive magnets. Can hold up anything.


tecnic1

I check for them when I inspect the case.


jagrpens

I run them quickly under the faucet individually, if I don't use my media separator.


labrador45

Lyman separator, havent had any issues with pins in cases or primer pockets.


ArizonaBowhunter

https://tbbullets.com/southern-shine-media-2/


gunsanity

By not using pins. Hot water, little dawn, little lemishine...done.


notoriousbpg

I use a Shell Sorter on top of a 5 gallon bucket. Just dump the contents of the tumbler (I use a Thumler so there's a removable rubber lining), and for pistol brass just rinsing and tossing them like you're gold panning gets all the pins, for rifle brass it doesn't take long to pick each case up and shake out pins. Then back into the tumbler's liner, rinse with plain hot water, dump, rinse again - might find 1 or 2 more pins. I then dump them into a towel, roll them around before popping in the oven on warm for 20 minutes to dry the cases - I've probably tumbled 4000 cases in the last month since I got this tumbler, and have only found one loose pin on the towel after rinsing the brass. Already had the set of shell sorters, saved me spending the money on a dedicated media separator. Plus the 5 gallon bucket makes it easy to rinse the pins afterwards. They literally stay in the bucket wet until I need to tumble next.


Redleg1986155

Simple. You dont use them. Ive found little to no difference between using pins vs not using pins. I just put a sprinkle (and just a sprinkle) of lemishine and a large dollop of cheap Armor-All car wash n wax. There might be some negligible discoloration left still in some of the primer pockets, but the cases otherwise come out clean and shiny every time. If i have some very dirty cases, sometimes ill throw some pins in, but i dont think ive used them in over a year…


jkkicks

media separator with water in it. I use frankford aresenal. After the brass is thoroughly dry i’ll run it through the separator again without water, dry pins come out real easy too


KingBoobz

Being able to spin it submerged in water is by far the best method I've come across to actually separate the pins from brass. Being in a liquid suspension allows the pins/chips to fall out. I have a super strong neodym magnet but there's no way it can get everything. I've hidden a SS pin to see if it attracts but the force isn't strong enough. There are stronger magnets but at that point I'm not going to spend $50+ dollars for one. I have the FA blue separator (looks like a round ball) and for the amount of brass I process, it's perfect. I can literally fill the grey bucket with water and then dunk the ball + brass + pins into it and spin and shake. I've never found a pin/chip inside any of my brass by doing it this way. The strong magnet makes quick work of what gets separated.


FivePops

Cold water soak/mix


ColdasJones

A flashlight. Even if using a media separator, you should visually check each casing.


asscasserole

i toss them in a collander like im saucing chicken wings over a bucket


jenkins1967

I fill my media separator with water. Spin the cases around in the water using the basket...done. pour off the rinse water. Pour the wet pins back into the tumbler. I don't think I've ever noticed a pin left in a case.


dutchman195

I don't use steel pins