Brass in the oven???

Timothy · March 19, 2001, 07:24 PM

If you clean your brass using a liquid and then rinse them, they are wet. (Rather profound statement,I'd say). What is the best method of getting them completely dry? I've heard: Dry them in the oven.......and I've heard: Never dry them in the oven! It would seem to me that as long as the brass was not heated enough to affect it adversly it would not matter how you dried it. Is this correct? Does anybody know what temperature is too hot?
Sure appreciate you're help.

Hard Ball · March 19, 2001, 07:29 PM

I always dry brass in the oven, but I am very careful to keep the temperature loe. An oven thermomter is very useful.

jim-alex · March 19, 2001, 10:45 PM

Timothy: I use the oven also. I wash in the Maytag in cotton bags with Simple Green as detergent, then spread the brass on aluminum trays, place in an oven at 200 degrees or so, and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes. 45 dry fast, 9 are also fast, 38special takes a while longer because of the depth. Never a problem.

Regards, Jim

Rokchukrslave · March 19, 2001, 11:26 PM

personally I lay them out in front of a fan with the mouths pointed forward, but I only reload .223 and .308 in batches of no more than 100 at a time, usually 50. Couldnt tell you how long it takes since I don't ever time it. I do rinse them in the hottest water that comes out of the tap to heat the brass up a little to aid in drying.

Cheapo · March 20, 2001, 04:52 PM

Something above 300 F would be too hot, because that's where you start setting off primers if you happen to have either a live round or just a primed one mixed in with your brass.

Below annealing temperatures (700+), that's the only safety issue I know about. (edited to add this--)--> I wouldn't go above 250, just to be safe.

HTH

Archie · March 20, 2001, 10:11 PM

If you can scrounge up an old hair dryer, preferably one with a hose, hook it up to a cardboard box with holes to allow transverse air flow.....

Put the cases in the box and run the dryer.

Archie

BigG · March 21, 2001, 10:01 AM

doing as Jim-Alex said. I decap and resize, put in a pillowcase or other bag and wash in Maytag. Towel Dry. Bake at 200 for about 15 minutes until brass is too hot to handle. Then it's warm enough to evaporate all the H2O.

Works also for muzzleloader bbls with hooked breeches. After you pump water thru barrel and get clean, stick bbl in oven at low temp for just a few minutes to evaporate the water. Then oil as usual and put away. Works great.

stuckatwork · March 21, 2001, 01:46 PM

I never thought of popping brass into the clothes washer. One would think that the agitator would beat the tar out of the brass. I'm still a fan of the dishwasher.(posted that escapade here a couple of times) But the Mrs. has informed me of the errors of my ways with cleaning my brass in the dishwaser. (and using the spin cycle on the washer as a centrifuge) The disher washer works great because the brass gets washed and dried in one swoop. It may be worth buying one for the reloading shed....hummmmm.

Hutch · March 21, 2001, 04:49 PM

All this trouble to wash and dry brass makes me appreciate just how inexpensive, relatively speaking, the vibrating tumblers from Midway are. All these issues disappear for fifty bucks. Not pocket change, but amortized over the life of the tumbler, it's nearly free.

March 19, 2001, 07:24 PM	#1
Timothy Member Join Date: November 26, 2000 Posts: 97	If you clean your brass using a liquid and then rinse them, they are wet. (Rather profound statement,I'd say). What is the best method of getting them completely dry? I've heard: Dry them in the oven.......and I've heard: Never dry them in the oven! It would seem to me that as long as the brass was not heated enough to affect it adversly it would not matter how you dried it. Is this correct? Does anybody know what temperature is too hot? Sure appreciate you're help. __________________ "There ain't no use runnin' if you're on the wrong road."

March 20, 2001, 10:11 PM	#6
Archie Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2000 Location: Hastings, Nebrasksa - the Hear Posts: 2,209	Alternative to the oven..... If you can scrounge up an old hair dryer, preferably one with a hose, hook it up to a cardboard box with holes to allow transverse air flow..... Put the cases in the box and run the dryer. Archie

March 21, 2001, 10:01 AM	#7
BigG Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 4,334	I have had good luck... doing as Jim-Alex said. I decap and resize, put in a pillowcase or other bag and wash in Maytag. Towel Dry. Bake at 200 for about 15 minutes until brass is too hot to handle. Then it's warm enough to evaporate all the H2O. Works also for muzzleloader bbls with hooked breeches. After you pump water thru barrel and get clean, stick bbl in oven at low temp for just a few minutes to evaporate the water. Then oil as usual and put away. Works great. __________________ o "The Earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching." Assyrian tablet, c. 2800 BC o "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain o "They have gun control in Cuba. They have universal health care in Cuba. So why do they want to come here?" Paul Harvey o TODAY WE CARVE OUT OUR OWN OMENS! Leonidas, Thermopylae, 480 BC

March 21, 2001, 01:46 PM	#8
stuckatwork Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2000 Posts: 217	I never thought of popping brass into the clothes washer. One would think that the agitator would beat the tar out of the brass. I'm still a fan of the dishwasher.(posted that escapade here a couple of times) But the Mrs. has informed me of the errors of my ways with cleaning my brass in the dishwaser. (and using the spin cycle on the washer as a centrifuge) The disher washer works great because the brass gets washed and dried in one swoop. It may be worth buying one for the reloading shed....hummmmm. __________________ These are the words of Stuckatwork. They don't represent the views or opinions of my employers. They aren't that clever.

March 19, 2001, 07:29 PM	#2
Hard Ball Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 1999 Location: California Posts: 3,925	I always dry brass in the oven, but I am very careful to keep the temperature loe. An oven thermomter is very useful.

March 19, 2001, 10:45 PM	#3
jim-alex Member Join Date: March 14, 2000 Location: tired of NoVa Posts: 83	Timothy: I use the oven also. I wash in the Maytag in cotton bags with Simple Green as detergent, then spread the brass on aluminum trays, place in an oven at 200 degrees or so, and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes. 45 dry fast, 9 are also fast, 38special takes a while longer because of the depth. Never a problem. Regards, Jim

March 19, 2001, 11:26 PM	#4
Rokchukrslave Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2000 Posts: 111	personally I lay them out in front of a fan with the mouths pointed forward, but I only reload .223 and .308 in batches of no more than 100 at a time, usually 50. Couldnt tell you how long it takes since I don't ever time it. I do rinse them in the hottest water that comes out of the tap to heat the brass up a little to aid in drying.

March 20, 2001, 04:52 PM	#5
Cheapo Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 1998 Posts: 986	Something above 300 F would be too hot, because that's where you start setting off primers if you happen to have either a live round or just a primed one mixed in with your brass. Below annealing temperatures (700+), that's the only safety issue I know about. (edited to add this--)--> I wouldn't go above 250, just to be safe. HTH

March 21, 2001, 04:49 PM	#9
Hutch Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2000 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 1,124	All this trouble to wash and dry brass makes me appreciate just how inexpensive, relatively speaking, the vibrating tumblers from Midway are. All these issues disappear for fifty bucks. Not pocket change, but amortized over the life of the tumbler, it's nearly free.