Polishing brass question

[Double-O-Dave]

Like most, if not all reloaders, I'm a cheapskate. At work, someone was cleaning out the community kitchen and was throwing out an opened plastic canister of rice (white rice, by the way) that was nearly full. I fished it out of the trash can and found it makes pretty good tumbling media. I also add a little bit of liquid polishing compound, let the tumbler run about an hour or so, and then add a couple of torn up, used dryer sheets. It works great, but your cases will be "matte" finished, rather than "bright".

Regards,

Dave

 

[Magload]

Yes and if times get hard you can always eat the rice. You might gain weight because for the lead.

 

[arjay]

Ive tried several things over the years with mixed results
Walnut media-works well
light weight cat litter with car polish-takes forever
Rice-meh
Bartenders friend + water-works well,but needs a good rinse afterwards or it attacks the brass
Walnut lizard litter+ car polish-works well.
Decapping before cleaning in dry media results in picking bits out of the flash holes which is very time consuming-Dont do it.

 

[Frank46]

Check out your local welding supply houses in your area. Both corn cob and walnut shells are use as a media for blasting different surfaces. Should be way cheaper than buying it at a local gun shop or gun shop. Frank

 

[Juan Million]

I've tried a few different things over the years for cleaning brass.
Currently, I'm using lizard litter ( crushed walnut hulls) ,, Nu-Finish car wax and odorless mineral spirits ( 50/50).

A couple cap full of the 50/50 ,, vibrate for about 10 mins. then add the brass for 1 to 4 hours depending on how dirty the brass is ,,, and when I remember to stop it.

Use similar mixture. Keeps the dust down as well. I have found for me there is little difference between 4 hrs. and over night. But sometimes I do forget. Mixture does seem to lubricate the brass a little, runs smooth in the dies.

 

[wolfe2701]

Well here goes.....I just finished another hundred or so shells. Put them in one of my socks and tied the top with a knot. Put it in the washing machine with the rest of the laundry. The spin cycle get rid of the water and they come out bright and shiny.

 

[Bkreutz]

Well here goes.....I just finished another hundred or so shells. Put them in one of my socks and tied the top with a knot. Put it in the washing machine with the rest of the laundry. The spin cycle get rid of the water and they come out bright and shiny.

But what color are your t-shirts after that?

 

[wolfe2701]

No change. Did not bother the new towels or other clothes either. Its not bleach just fired brass right out of the revolver. O, could be if you put a few dozen socks loaded to the top with brass mixed with tighty whities they may show a change. How many do you put in tumbler at a time? 50? 100? Try is you may be surprised.

 

[chief38]

I use a Dillon Tumbler and have used Walnut shells and Dillon Polish for over 30 years. Worked OK.

Then a few years ago I switched over to Lyman Green treated Corn Cob media - works excellent! Way better than the Walnut shells!

Now I have seen a friends set up with the wet system and the stainless steel pins - incredible! I might actually switch but have not committed yet.
I would suggest any new reloader who has not bought anything yet - go with the wet system and the stainless pins! It's the best and cleanest system available. It's probably the least expensive in the long run and the healthiest - no dust.

 

[Bkreutz]

No change. Did not bother the new towels or other clothes either. Its not bleach just fired brass right out of the revolver. O, could be if you put a few dozen socks loaded to the top with brass mixed with tighty whities they may show a change. How many do you put in tumbler at a time? 50? 100? Try is you may be surprised.

I do about 2500 at a time in my tumbler with SS pins. I don't think I'm typical though. (my question was not serious about the washing machine, guess that didn't come across ) pic of my tumbler below.

 

[THEWELSHM]

Im tumbling last weeks range visit brass right now. I just pulled out the 44 brass out of walnut and put into Corn tumbler which had Cabellas polish in it. Stuck the 357 cases in the walnut for a couple of hours. All will come out real shiny. I have a sonic cleaner but havnt used it much unless the brass is real old and dirty. Then it goes through the above media too Whats nice about tumbling is, you can get your yard work done in between

thewelshm

 

[wolfe2701]

Like that big red tumbler. Looks kinda like a concrete mixer bet it works good also. Saw a video of a top shooter using a concrete mixer with water and soap doing 5 gallon buckets of range brass at a time. My daughter and I only shoot 3-4 hundred rounds each trip to the range so I would have to save up to use something that size.