Originally Posted By: LazerusAre you guys rinsing after your tumble?
yes
i actually use my rinsing stage as the pre-seperation from the pins.
i have a large plastic mixing bowl (from the dollar store) that i pour everything into from the tumbler barrel.
then i turn on the faucet and start rinsing the crud out. its amazing how dirty that water is.
once i have hand agitated them in the bowl for several minutes (think mixing up tossed salad) and the water is fully running clear, then i go into my tumbler for final separation.
i usually come back into the plastic mixing bowl for a final rinse before they get drained off and head for the dehydrator to dry. since i'm not using my seperator wet like you can the factory models, this makes sure i dont have a stray pin stuck inside to a drop of water. rarely do i get one on that final rinse, but every once in a while i do.
i put them into an old towel to do a basic external drying before they go into the dehydrator, i find this cuts my drying time in about half and with my hard water here on the well, prevents any spotting
i'm too cheap to rinse with distilled water