Separating SS pins and brass.

[nf1e]

Have been using a Thumler tumbler for years using SS pins, Dawn and lemishine. Separating pins after tumbling has become quite simple. Used to get 1 pin left in 500 brass and found a simple solution. The Frankford Arsenal media separator is my choice. For years I separated before rinsing using the water and pins directly from the tumbler and turned the separator handle for 20 revolutions, dumped the dirty water and added hot water up to the fill line and cranked another 20 turns. Result were darn good by not perfect with 1 pin left per 500 cases. Now, by adding and additional 10 turns making it 30 for initial separation and again for the rinse, I have gone 15k cases with no pins left. That's 10K of .308 and 5K of .223 over the last year with not a single pin left in the brass before putting the cases in a Frankford Arsenal case dryer. Whatta Hobby!


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[Allen]

Having limited equipment I resort to simpler methods. I dump the Thumler's pins and spent water through a plastic colander over a 5 gal bucket. I stir and shake the brass about till most all the pins drop through into the bucket of water. Carefully I drain off the water not to have any pins run out, re-fill several times with fresh water while stirring the "brew" with my hand till clear water comes off. I have a magnet with an extension that I use to drag over the spot on the ground where I dump the dirty water. I normally catch a half dozen pins or so on the magnet.

The brass in the colander gets rinsed with the clean water going into the bucket. I lose a pin or two here and there but overall have pretty good luck.

I almost always tumble brass with the old primers removed first. Don't know if that makes a difference but there's nothing inside of the case that way that a pin could get stuck on and have never seen any pins left inside of the brass when finished and dried (air dried). Of course I don't reload at the volume you do either.

[nf1e]

Perfect item for herding those runaway pins. Whatta Hobby!








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[Allen]

Yep, good for nails and such too.

At my age I use something way smaller, lighter and with an extension handle. It is very strong for it's size though.

[nf1e]

I have one like yours that came from NAPA . Helps finding those flying springs that are loaded into some rifles. Whatta Hobby!

[PWC]

I don' wet tumble, but I have a question. Separating the pins while wet, the surface tension of the water is strong enough to hold on to pins inside a case head. Have you ever tried separating tumble after drying,?

[Allen]

I don' wet tumble, but I have a question. Separating the pins while wet, the surface tension of the water is strong enough to hold on to pins inside a case head. Have you ever tried separating tumble after drying,?

Well, I can't give the best answer for that. Banging the brass around in the plastic colander gets all the pins out for me. After air drying if there are any pins still in the cases they will fall out and be seen.

We're only speaking of a pin here and there.

I haven't checked current prices but the pins used to run about $30-$35 for a pound (many pins to a lb) so a loss of a pin or 2 isn't going to matter.

[nf1e]

I don' wet tumble, but I have a question. Separating the pins while wet, the surface tension of the water is strong enough to hold on to pins inside a case head. Have you ever tried separating tumble after drying,?

That's the whole idea of using the media separator using the initial tumbling water with the dawn still in it. Surface tension would be at a minimum. After drying I find no pins using my current method. Works like a champ. Whatta Hobby!