Tip of the day
- Thread starter Snakeoil
- Start date
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Brilliant idea right there. Of course, we never buy new cars, so...
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Huh! Worth a try. I wonder if it works on faded chainsaw plastics. Currently those restoring them go through a detailed polishing process with ever finer abrasive compounds under a Blue Moon while a chorus of virgins sing logging songs into the misty night skies in hopes of appeasing the gods of Chainsaw Restoration! I'll have to give it a try. Do I need to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil or can I just use Cheap Slut Olive Oil?
Same goes for used car dealers.
I may be a bit TOO cranky for some, but I'm the same way with logo'd clothing - especially if I had to PAY for the clothing. Tee-shirts, ball caps, jackets, etc.
JonB
Halcyon member
One of my favorite things to buy at garage sales are Company Tee shirts/polo shirts with company logo. As a retired fellow, it always seems to spark a conversation with a acquaintance or stranger about where I've worked.
Triple-LIKE on that one.
I have found that Swiffer inserts that fit their cleaning tool, work as an excellent remover of any corn cob or walnut dust that may remain on cases after tumbling. I simply put one of those strips in an empty plastic jar with a lid, add the brass and tumble by hand for about a minute. Sure beats wiping each one off by hand with a rag!
That's interesting...
I wonder if part of a Swiffer sheet in the tumbler would mitigate the dust as well as, or maybe better than expended dryer sheets?
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
I find the dust issue interesting. In all my years of using walnut media, I've never encountered dust of any kind. My guess is your tumbler is creating a static charge and that is causing the cases to be charged and collect the dust or the dust is charged and it clings to the cases. You might try grounding your tumbler to see if that helps. I had to admit that I do see a static charge on the plastic bowl of my Dillon tumbler. The media does adhere slightly to the walls of the bowl when I dump the cleaned cases and media into my separator bucket. I shake/tumble the cases by hand almost like tossing cooked pasta in sauce in that separator to get all the media out of the cases. Not a hint of dust when done.
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
And your brass will smell springtime fresh!!
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
For some reason, mould halves do not want to stay together when they are stored without handles attached. So, I made a bunch of these small clamps to keep the halves together when being stored. You can stack them up and not worry about them coming apart and maybe damaging the mould in the process.
I make these from 1/16" sheet aluminum. But you can make them from sheet steel as well. You over bend them a bit to take advantage of the springiness in the metal. I bend little ears on them to engage the handle screws. You simply slip it into the handle grooves and then insert the screws. They work great and you can make them in a few minutes. I always thought that the mould companies should include something like this with every set of mould blocks. They could make them from plastic for pennies.
I make these from 1/16" sheet aluminum. But you can make them from sheet steel as well. You over bend them a bit to take advantage of the springiness in the metal. I bend little ears on them to engage the handle screws. You simply slip it into the handle grooves and then insert the screws. They work great and you can make them in a few minutes. I always thought that the mould companies should include something like this with every set of mould blocks. They could make them from plastic for pennies.
That's what I use now. Tried it on a whim after reading about it somewhere and voila! - no dust when I empty the bowl into the giant strainer. I don't think I really had a problem with dust, but what the heck - it's free and takes no effort.
@Snakeoil , thank you for the reminder that I should include a disclaimer* from time to time. The dust has never been a problem with any reloading equipment for me. Occasionally, dust (in general) will cause my sinuses great grief and I'll have a whole day in which my nose runs constantly, my eyeballs itch and I sneeze my brains out. Next day - nothin'. Incredibly annoying to have "one of those days" when you have stuff to do, so any time I have a chance to mitigate dust, I mitigate dust - with a vengeance. I see it as my evil nemesis, which lurks and waits and nails me when I'm not thinking about it, so whether it does any good or not, any time I have a chance to pay dust back, I pay dust back. The dust you DON'T see is the dust which is most problematic anyway.
The used dryer sheets are cheap - basically free, so no harm tossing a couple strips in the bowl.
Regarding any level of "brass prep," I'm sure I do a number of unnecessary things, but it's part of my confidence voodoo. Even on new pistol brass, I deburr flash holes and trim to consistent lengths. On fired pistol brass for carbines, I steel-wool the outside of necks and brush the insides each loading. Cheap, easy entertainment which doesn't seem to hurt anything.
*DISCLAIMER, or the moral of THAT story is - don't necessarily take what I do as something useful or helpful until or unless you've vetted it for yourself. It may just be busy-work or just something I do just to do it. Sometimes.
THAT is a cool idea!
I have been using 3/8" wide strips cut from a 26" bicycle inner tube - one on a pair of loose blocks or one on the ends of the handles if the handles are attached. They've worked fine, but don't forget to take them off before getting the mould hot, and don't try to put them on until they're cooled back off.
I don't think your "spring clips" would melt and stink up the place.
EDIT: Excellent drawing there, too!