Separating Walnut media from SS Pins

[WestTN2288]

Does someone have a simple recipe for this?

Got a good deal on some 1X brass that had been “cleaned”. I would consider myself in the wet tumbling camp, so when I picked up the top handful-ish cases and saw primer pockets with room for improvement, I put them in the wet tumbler. At removal time, there was obviously one case packed with dry media. Whatever media it is, it sinks, so it is mixed with the SS pins.

So far:
- magnets pick up the pins with media still mixed in
- water hose jet through the bucket isn’t overly (again, media stays mixed with pins)
- best method so far: sifting the pins like I’m looking for gold

I know it doesn’t have a functional effect, but it sure is hard on my ocd. Surely someone here has the answer!

 

[RobertLosekamp]

Stick it all in a dehydrator until bone dry, shake it up really well, dump in water, skim the walnut off.

Might work? Idk lol good luck

 

[WestTN2288]

Hey that’s better than anything I’ve had so far, we will see!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

If your wife has one of those shoes dryer trays for the dryer those work too...

 

[Marbles]

Will the walnut float off? Put it in a 5 ga bucket half full of water.

 

[digger]

Magnet

 

[Axlrod]

I only used the pins a few times. They remove the carbon from inside the necks, which leads to very inconsistent bullet seating and release.
Shiny brass looks nice, but I would way rather have something that works correctly.

 

[WestTN2288]

I only used the pins a few times. They remove the carbon from inside the necks, which leads to very inconsistent bullet seating and release.
Shiny brass looks nice, but I would way rather have something that works correctly.

Dirty brass causing more consistent neck tension than clean? Not sure I’m buying it…

 

[Axlrod]

The carbon left in the neck acts as a lubricant. I run a stiff nylon brush chucked in a drill for a few seconds, to take out any loose pieces.
I use a K&N arbor press with a force pack & dial indicator, that measures seating force. In new brass and pin cleaned brass, bullets do not seat as consistent as fired brass with the carbon left.