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Cleaning brass?
- Thread starter ChillyDog
- Start date
Along with doing wet for the brass for reloading, I'll toss in brass hinges, aluminum and brass cabinet handles, faded SS forks and spoons.
When I need to clean small steel parts I do that dry as the water will continuously create a rust layer. Works well on small steel automotive parts.
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I like to shoot, not fondle. So I tumble so I can reload without scratching everything up.
I've been using a vibratory cleaner for 20+ years and it has served me well. I switched to Harbor Freight blast media about 2 years ago when I started reloading .223. NuFinish liquid paste and used dryer sheets gives me pretty brass. I'm happy, because I like to shoot, not fondle.
I've been using a vibratory cleaner for 20+ years and it has served me well. I switched to Harbor Freight blast media about 2 years ago when I started reloading .223. NuFinish liquid paste and used dryer sheets gives me pretty brass. I'm happy, because I like to shoot, not fondle.
For wet solution get yourself a gallon of the concentrate solution that HVac guys use to clean coils on AC units. A gallon will last years and much cheaper than buying case cleaner solutions in 4 & 6oz bottles.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
There are companies that sell kits for wet tumbling. The kit I bought included a Thumbler's rotary tumbler, 5 pounds of pins and a media separator. The quantities involved are dependent on the volume of the tumbler. Just over one gallon volume will do 2 pounds of brass with 5 pounds of stainless pins. A little dish soap and citric acid go a long way!
Ivan
I use the harbor freight dual drum tumbler and stainless chips. Two hours running with dish soap and hot water, drain that, one hour with cold water and a pinch of lemishine, then I dry in a toaster oven for 20 minutes at 250. My wife calls it easy bake brass,lol.
I’m a scavenger, so the leftovers from the range can be rather nasty looking, comes out shiny and the chips don’t get stuck in primer pockets. I figure it saves from possibly scratching a sizing die.
It doesn’t do a massive amount of cases, each drum will hold about 80 223’s, or 45 460 magnums. Plenty for me.
I’m a scavenger, so the leftovers from the range can be rather nasty looking, comes out shiny and the chips don’t get stuck in primer pockets. I figure it saves from possibly scratching a sizing die.
It doesn’t do a massive amount of cases, each drum will hold about 80 223’s, or 45 460 magnums. Plenty for me.
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Simson-Suhl
US Veteran
I use both wet and dry tumblers. The dry rotary tumbler with crushed walnut shells will polish the outside of the cases to perfection, however, there is usually what I would call a 5 O'clock shadow left on the inside of the case. Doesn't hurt anything and is my usual method. The wet method I use ceramic media, dish soap and one teaspoon of cream of tartar. The brass will appear to be as new without a smudge anywhere. I find the ceramic far easier to use than the steel pins. Shooting BPCR Silhouette, the cases are wet method for certain.
twodog max
Member
In the warm months I put brass in the hot sun in loading blocks all day. One day is enough when the temp gets around 90. In the winter I put the brass in the blocks and set them near the fireplace. The dry wood heat has them dry very quickly. I mostly use the wet for real dirty stuff or my cast bullet rifle brass. They get real gummy with all the lube.
The vibratory tumbler is for small batches and routine not to bad dirty stuff.
The vibratory tumbler is for small batches and routine not to bad dirty stuff.
- Joined
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Wet tumbling here too. Dawn detergent, and a smidge of Lemi Shine. I don't use the pins either. After a thorough rinse and and a shoe shine dry in a large towel then it all goes into a food dehydrator at 115F and set the timer for 6 hours. Come back tomorrow and empty.
.223 range brass before and after, dehydrator:
.223 range brass before and after, dehydrator:
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Huskerguy
Member
I have both a dry 1200 and a FART, the larger model. I used dry for many years and the dust and media stuck rifle cases was a pain.
A couple years ago at my birthday I thought I would try wet with my BD discount. I wanted to give all the options a fair go so the first batches I did had no pins. They were better than dry but then I threw in the pins and there was no comparison. I was sold. I don't run brass until I generally have a red plastic can full.
I put hot water just a bit over the brass, a 9mm full of lemi- shine, a good squirt of Dawn and a capful and bit more of Armorall car wash and wax.
My brass sparkles which wasn't my main goal, I just couldn't handle the dust. I have developed my system and it works for me and I will not go back to full-time dry tumbling on a regular basis.
A couple years ago at my birthday I thought I would try wet with my BD discount. I wanted to give all the options a fair go so the first batches I did had no pins. They were better than dry but then I threw in the pins and there was no comparison. I was sold. I don't run brass until I generally have a red plastic can full.
I put hot water just a bit over the brass, a 9mm full of lemi- shine, a good squirt of Dawn and a capful and bit more of Armorall car wash and wax.
My brass sparkles which wasn't my main goal, I just couldn't handle the dust. I have developed my system and it works for me and I will not go back to full-time dry tumbling on a regular basis.
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metalman60
Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2014
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Dry media is the best
Been reloading for 41 years now. Have always used treated corn cob media in a vibratory tumbler for cleaning. Works well with straight wall pistol cases.
Been reloading for 41 years now. Have always used treated corn cob media in a vibratory tumbler for cleaning. Works well with straight wall pistol cases.
9mmPatriot
Member
Since I live in a semi-arid state I seldom use my drier. If I'm in a rush (cuz Zombies and other assorted riff-raff) then 45-60 minutes gets them warm and dry.
Tumbling brass
Dry corn cob for me w/Nu Shine! A few years back I bought 200rd of 32 H&R brass over the internet. They arrived bright and shinney with old primers. I went to the press and started to reload them! Sometime during the process, I broke a decapping pin! After inspecting the case I found a SS pin wedged in the 32 brass! I am now the owner of about 30 SS pins and one broken decapping pin, and neither do I have a use for! I can only imagine how much trouble these pins would be in rifle brass! Yes, corn cob media sticks in the rifle brass but it is much easier to remove than a stuck SS pin! To each their own and I will stick with the process that worked for me for 40+ years!
jcelect
Dry corn cob for me w/Nu Shine! A few years back I bought 200rd of 32 H&R brass over the internet. They arrived bright and shinney with old primers. I went to the press and started to reload them! Sometime during the process, I broke a decapping pin! After inspecting the case I found a SS pin wedged in the 32 brass! I am now the owner of about 30 SS pins and one broken decapping pin, and neither do I have a use for! I can only imagine how much trouble these pins would be in rifle brass! Yes, corn cob media sticks in the rifle brass but it is much easier to remove than a stuck SS pin! To each their own and I will stick with the process that worked for me for 40+ years!
jcelect
colt22man
Member
First I put all brass in a media separator removing debris. Next, I add brass to 1 gallon of hot water mixed with 1 tablespoon liquid dawn,1 tablespoon of liquid tide and 2 tablespoons lemon shine. Agitate (1-3 min.)and drain. Rinse with clear water until soap free. Lay on a towel in the sun and dry.
Then dry tumble in a mix of corncob media and red tufnut. I run my tumbler 1-2 hours. Pour from tumbler to media seperator, once satisfied with media separation, pour in a clean bucket and add zep aerosolv. drain and save aerosolv. Finished brass looks like new and ready to reload. I am a bit anal about my brass processing. I also sort and throw away any brass that is not a major brand name manufacture.
Then dry tumble in a mix of corncob media and red tufnut. I run my tumbler 1-2 hours. Pour from tumbler to media seperator, once satisfied with media separation, pour in a clean bucket and add zep aerosolv. drain and save aerosolv. Finished brass looks like new and ready to reload. I am a bit anal about my brass processing. I also sort and throw away any brass that is not a major brand name manufacture.
STORMINORMAN
Member
"Two tablespoons" of Lemishine...? WOW!
I use but a quarter of a teaspoon in my Thumlers...
Cheers!
P.S. But colt22man is using a gallon of water to begin with, and I imagine his liquid solution lasts for many batches...?
I use but a quarter of a teaspoon in my Thumlers...
Cheers!
P.S. But colt22man is using a gallon of water to begin with, and I imagine his liquid solution lasts for many batches...?
colt22man
Member
I do multiple batch's of brass cleaning with my gallon solution. Brass comes out so clean you really don't need to tumble, but old habits are hard to break.
BillBro
Member
Ultrasonic unit, resize and deprime, dry tumble in treated walnut shell, trim, prime, load, shoot, repeat. Simple. Aint all that work fun??
Side note
An advantage to using the Nu Shine Car cleaner/wax is it leaves the cases very slippery! I use Carbide resizing dies in all my pistol rounds and it most definitely makes them resize much easier and I'm sure it reduces the ware on the dies!
jcelect
An advantage to using the Nu Shine Car cleaner/wax is it leaves the cases very slippery! I use Carbide resizing dies in all my pistol rounds and it most definitely makes them resize much easier and I'm sure it reduces the ware on the dies!
jcelect
