Drying after ultra sonic cleaning

[Snizz1911]

For those that use an ultra sonic cleaner what have you found best to dry the cases?

I've tumbled in walnut, takes a bit and the cases seem "dusty" on the inside, wouldn't think that is a big deal though.

Also tried air drying with a fan. Problem here was if your doing a bunch of cases and don't stack them upright it takes forever for the water to dry in the case?

Any suggestions? Appreciate it!

 

[Cowboy45]

For those that use an ultra sonic cleaner what have you found best to dry the cases?

I've tumbled in walnut, takes a bit and the cases seem "dusty" on the inside, wouldn't think that is a big deal though.

Also tried air drying with a fan. Problem here was if your doing a bunch of cases and don't stack them upright it takes forever for the water to dry in the case?

Any suggestions? Appreciate it!

Hair Dryer set on high heat.. Takes me about 30 min to dry out around 100 cases.. Beats waiting till the next day.. Or 4 hours on a fan..

 

[nucone]

I drain the excess through a strainer, and then dump the brass onto an old towel, wrap it up, shake it, etc. I then place the brass on a cookie sheet and use the solar oven in my driveway during the summertime to dry. If the weather outside is not cooperative, I put the cookie sheet in the oven with the temperature set at 170F for an hour (longer if I haven't decapped the brass).

 

[Snizz1911]

I drain the excess through a strainer, and then dump the brass onto an old towel, wrap it up, shake it, etc. I then place the brass on a cookie sheet and use the solar oven in my driveway during the summertime to dry. If the weather outside is not cooperative, I put the cookie sheet in the oven with the temperature set at 170F for an hour (longer if I haven't decapped the brass).

I may try the oven. Honestly, the drying time isn't a huge issue as I don't clean cases and reload the same day usually. But it would be nice to be done drying quicker.

 

[WhitleyStu]

I run my ultrasonic cleaner's solution heater at approximately 160°F so the brass is hot enough to dry its self when being placed on a towel for several minutes after the initial cleaning. Next it gets 10 minutes in the vibratory tumbler for a great shine.

 

[mac45]

Hair dryer. or, if it's the last batch of the day, I'll just let 'em air dry.

 

[ckcollins2003]

I run my ultrasonic cleaner's solution heater at approximately 160°F so the brass is hot enough to dry its self when being placed on a towel for several minutes after the initial cleaning. Next it gets 10 minutes in the vibratory tumbler for a great shine.

I use this method

If your ultrasonic doesn't heat up and you're wanting a quick way of trying, I'd do the oven thing. Otherwise, set the brass on a towel for a day and you should be good to go.

 

[1$Chuck]

I've tumbled in walnut, takes a bit and the cases seem "dusty" on the inside, wouldn't think that is a big deal though.


Any suggestions? Appreciate it!

Try putting a couple teaspoons of mineral oil into your tumbling media. It will cut down the dust in the air and on the cases.

 

[Gluemanz28]

I was thinking that a dehydrator would do a good job. It has several trays to lay the brass on and dont have to worry about over heating. When I read through my manual that came with my unit it said that a dehydrator could be used. I'm looking for a used one at a yard sale to be used for my setup.

 

[lucky4034]

Oven is probably the best way... even though might not be the quickest.

I wonder what an Acetone or Alcohol bath would do to the brass? My guess it wouldn't hurt the brass at all and they evaporate very quickly.

My guess is a quick acetone bath and hairdryer for 5 minutes would do the trick.

 

[Snizz1911]

Thanks everyone. My tumbler does heat to 150F I think, but I was rinsing the brass afterwards per the machines directions so I wasn't getting the quick evaporation at all.

Any risk in the baking method as far as compromising brass- rookie question but want to be sure

 

[Rhino12]

As long as you keep the oven around the temperatures that the members posted already, you'll be fine. The brass likely gets hotter than that when you shoot anyway.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I found that my brass looks a lot nicer if I roll it around in a towel to dry the outside before putting it in the oven to dry the inside of the cases.

 

[MikeDVB]

I just lay mine all out on a towel and let them dry overnight... I can't think of a single situation where I would be so pressed for time that I'd need them dried out within an hour unless I simply failed to prepare/plan for something where I needed a lot of ammunition.

 

[88E30M50]

I've spread brass out on a cookie sheet and baked in the warming drawer of the wife's oven set to 'warm' for an hour or so. That works well, but does tend to tarnish the brass a bit. If it's sunny, I shake in a towel and then spread it out on a dry towel in the sun. An afternoon in the sun will warm and dry just about anything.

 

[Jetman]

I dump 1000 decamped cases on a micro- fiber towel and grab the ends and shake side to side for about 30 or 40 rotations. Then dump them out on a dry towel and put an infrared " heat lamp on them for a couple hours or overnite. Sometimes I blow out the cases with compressed air before using the heat lamp if I want to continue loading. Compressed air and 30 mins of heat normally take care of it.

 

[KevMc]

Rinse in hot water if unit doesn't heat....spread on towel and roll to dry outside.
Blow out inside and dry on towel or in oven.

 

[Cat-Herder]

I wash cases I pick up out of muddy or filthy environments...they get washed in hot, soapy water in a bucket, rinsed, and put in a strainer on top of my wood stove to dry. I'm not sure how long it takes, but it doesn't cost anything.

 

[Chuck26287]

I was thinking that a dehydrator would do a good job. It has several trays to lay the brass on and dont have to worry about over heating. When I read through my manual that came with my unit it said that a dehydrator could be used. I'm looking for a used one at a yard sale to be used for my setup.

This works great. I have an older 5-tray dehydrator. No fan, just convection heat rising up and out. Newer ones with fans would dry them in no time. I've never even timed it. Whenever I've gone back for them, they've been dry. Always done before I needed them, so I don't know how fast they dry. I found them dry as quick as an hour and a half later.

It will actually hold more than my Thumblers wet-tumbler processes in one run.

Dehydrator is a great solution.