seperating tumbler media from brass ?

[rebs]

how do you guys separate your media from your brass ? Do any of the different brands of separators work well ?
I have just been doing it with a cooking strainer and a 2 1/2 gallon bucket. Its kind of a pain having to turn over all the cases a few at a time to drain the media out, is there a quicker or easier way ?

[BDS-THR]

Originally Posted by rebs

is there a quicker or easier way?

Yes. This one works very well and the cover will keep the media from flying all over the place - http://www.eabco.com/store/products/...s-2059-58.html

[Misssissippi Dave]

I just use the squirrel cage separator from Dillon. It holds a lot of cases at a time. Crank it around a few times and you are done. It comes with a large plastic pan to catch the media. It might not be cheap, but it really works well.

[dahermit]

If you cannot afford a separator at this time, put your cases into a mesh sack that onions or oranges come in. Tie the top securely, tumble the cases while in the sack. When done, shake, role the sack over the tumbling bowel until the media has all fallen out. Then when you can afford it, buy the cheapest media separator(Midwayusa, Frankfort Arsenal, etc.) you can afford.

[abber]

I use one of the "gold pan" sifters, and a shallow bucket. Just take the tumbler bowl off of the base, put the sifter upside-down on top of that, and the bucket upside-down over the sifter. I then pick up all 3 pieces together, and shake it up and down, side to side, vigorously. Remove the bowl, and do a final "winnowing", as it were, by tossing the casings in just the sifter to get the final crumbs of media out. This works so well, I just don't see myself ever trying to improve on it, and I think it cost all of 15 bucks. The bucket is probably about a gallon capacity, but it is probably a 12 or 14 inch mouth, and only about 3 or 4 inches deep. I think I got that at Home Depot, whereas the sifter came from Sportsman's Warehouse. Hope this helps.

[Vance]

My Lyman tumbler came with a sifter lid. When done tumbling, I remover the bowl, hold the lid on the bowl while flipping the bowl upside down and shaking over a pail.

[moxie]

I just do it by hand. You can make sure you've got all the media out of the case, and it gives you good chance to do a 100% eyeball inspection of each case.

[Lead Express]

+1 on the Lyman tumbler with the sifting lid. It saves on space.

[jcwit]

Went to Wally World and bought a $2.00 metal mesh collander in the housewares/coocking section. Works like a charm.

[oldpapps]

I pick the brass out of the media, shake it empty, look it over and go for the next case.

I'm old.....school.

Enjoy,

OSOK

[rebs]

thank you for the replies I appreciate it

[jcwit]

I pick the brass out of the media, shake it empty, look it over and go for the next case.

I'm old.....school.

I keep my hands out of that contaminated stuff. Its full of lead compounds which aren't good for you.

Ya, I know you've done it for years, had your heavy metal levels tested lately?

[eddyb74]

I have a coffee can with the bottom removed and steel mesh over one end. I set it in a 1 gallon bucket and dump the contents.

[jepp2]

I use a Lyman tumbler with the autoflo bowl. Using fine media, I just pull the drain plug and let the tumbler run. All the media drains out of the brass and out of the bowl of the tumbler. It works really well.

[dickttx]

I have a Cabelas tumbler that came with a sifter pan. Also a Lyman 1200 with the sifter lid. I was constantly having bits of media on my loading bench, no matter how long and vigoriously I shook and sifted.
Finally bought the one BDS-THR linked to above (a Berrys.)
Empty the tumblers into the sifter, close the lid and turn two or three times each way and NOMORE media everywhere.
EAB seems to always have the best prices on these.

[MakarovFan]

Try two dollar store collander's clipped together with spring clips that hold chip bags closed or the paper clip type. I do it over a bucket and flip several times. I just dump them from the tumbler into the collander's.
Works fairly well.

[UncleLoodis]

QUOTED QUOTE:
I pick the brass out of the media, shake it empty, look it over and go for the next case.

I'm old.....school.

Quote:
I keep my hands out of that contaminated stuff. Its full of lead compounds which aren't good for you.

Ya, I know you've done it for years, had your heavy metal levels tested lately?

My take: Maybe I'm overkill, but I use the cheap latex exam gloves whenever I'm working with lead or cleaning brass cases in media. They cost like five bucks for a box of 100 at Bi-Mart. When done, just toss them. I agree, that stuff is nasty; I don't want it on my hands.

U.L.

[canis-latrans]

This may be a really dumb question but why would the media be contaminated with lead? The cases are brass, the bullets, (no longer in the cases) were copper jacketed, the primers are - well, I guess I don't what they are made of but I don't think its lead - and the powder residue is what, mostly nitrocellulose if not burned and carbon if burned. And the media is corn-cobs or walnuts or some such organic thing.

Where does the lead come into play? This answer is interesting to me because my next purchase is almost certain to be a vibratory cleaner, probably Hornady's and I had intended to just pick the cases out of the media by hand. Is the media only lead contaminated if you are reloading for pistol and shooting unjacketed cast lead bullets? I am only reloading for rifle now so maybe it would not apply in my case.

Thanks for whatever information you can provide.

[oldpapps]

You fella take everything so literal.

When I use the rattle bucket, I dump the cleaned load of grit and brass in a sifter thing, shake what media doesn't fall through out, then pick the cleaned brass up and shake what ever grit may have not fallen out.

However, for some time now I have been tumbling my brass in steel pins. I put a dribble of 'Simply Green' in the water to cut what ever. After tumbling for a long time. I normally forget that the tumbler is running, where the vibrating bucket can be noted inside the out building with the doors closed. Oh, if you are wondering, when I dump the brass, pins and very black water out of the rubber tubs, I dump it into a large pan, flush with water till the water is clear. Then pick the brass out of the clean water and put it on a cookie sheet with a towel. With the oven preheated to 300 degrees, the cookie sheet covered with towel, covered with one layer of brass, it all goes into the oven and the heat is turned off. By the time the oven is cool, all water is gone.

I hate latex gloves and have from having to have to them when a cop. And I get tested for all kinds of heavy metals every 6 months, but I shall not elaborate any further on that.

And for the 'lead' threat.... I don't live in Kalafornia. I don't buy in to an inert material attacking people as we pass by. It has to be ingested or broken down with a mild acid and still ingested...

Off the soap box now.
Calm.... They are just looking out for my well being. OK. I'm better now.

Thanks guys,

OSOK

[oldreloader]

I have to have blood work done next week to check Cholesterol . I asked the Dr to check lead levels. He wanted to know how I had been exposed. I told him I reloaded and shot lead bullets. He said he reloads too and unless I was casting my own bullets and sniffing the melting pot I didn't need to worry.

[j357]

Quote:
Try two dollar store collander's clipped together with spring clips that hold chip bags closed or the paper clip type. I do it over a bucket and flip several times. I just dump them from the tumbler into the collander's.
Works fairly well.
Quote.

This is my preferred method, except I lash one side with zip ties (makes a hinge) and simply hold/pinch together. Think clam shell..... Dump over a 5 gallon bucket and twirl. Takes under two minutes to sift a tumbler full. I do it outside for everyone who is concerned about my health or that of my family. LOL

[cheezhed]

I bought two five gallon buckets and drilled a bunch of 5/16 holes in one. I pour the media into the drilled bucket while it sits in the non drilled bucket and shake it. The media settles into one bucket and the cases stay in the drilled one.

[chris in va]

I drilled a few dozen holes in a small bucket. Agitate them inside the larger bucket, works well and practically free.

[Mike-Mat]

I just came from the $1 store and bought a nice 14" diameter strainer. Guess how much I spent on it!

Before I had a strainer that I had to drill out. This works much better.

Mike

[hounddawg]

I took 2 large coffee cans and cut a piece of 1/4" rat wire the size of the bottom of the cans. Then I cut the bottom out of one can and duct taped the 2 together with the rat wire in between. Worked like a champ until I quit tumbling. Media would fall to the bottom can cases stayed on top.