Cleaning brass methods

[eb in oregon]

There are many different methods to clean brass, most of us have our opinions and methods. I clean brass by two methods: a Midway vibratory tumbler with a 50/50 mix of corn cob and walnut shell, and a rotary tumbler with a solution of one quart water, one half cup of vinegar, a squirt of Dawn dish soap. These .45acp cases were pretty tarnished and this is the result of 2 1/2 hours of tumbling. Placed in a bucket, rinsed and agitated for about ten minutes, and left in the sun to dry. I save the liquid method for really tarnished brass, but each time it looks "as new." The key is the rinsing and agitating, insure your cases are well rinsed.

Everyone has their favorite, I thought I'd share mine. I've been using the vinegar rinse for about 30 years and it always works like gangbusters. Understand, there is no need for cases to be bright and shiny, they only be need be cleaned from debris and carbon. I've reloaded and shot plenty of tarnished cases, however there is some personal satisfaction in making them look "new."

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[ma96782]

For me. I currently use the Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler (7L model) w/SS pins method.

My wet tumbling solution is : water about 1" above the brass, a bit of dish soap and less than a teaspoon of Lemi Shine. Proceed to tumble for the full cycle.

If I'm NOT satisfied. I'll try a second run through.

Yup, the brass cases doesn't have to glint in the sun to be "clean enough".

Aloha, Mark

PS.....In the past, I've also tried....
1) Birchwood Casey chemical brass cleaners.
2) Hot water with a solution of dish soap & vinegar (Lemi shine came later as a substitute for the vinegar). Let it soak with a bit of agitation every once in awhile.
3) Dry (walnut shells or whatever else).....vibrations method.

So far.....I'm loving the wet w/SS pins method.

 

[Flopsweat]

I just use walnut shell and time. However long the tumbler has to run. Like Mark, I don't need them to be super shiny. I don't think I've ever deliberately tumbled them longer than 4 hours. I did accidentally leave some 9mm in for half a day once, and they did come out really nice.

 

[SHPD_Retired]

Stainless Steel chips work better than pins

 

[gmerkt]

Birchwood Casey chemical brass cleaners

40 years ago, I used a tumbler with dry media exclusively Maybe ten or fifteen years later, I discovered the Birchwood Casey product. Stubborn carbon deposits on the case neck often don't come clean with a dry media tumbler. The BC worked better, but their recommended dilution was too weak so I doubled it up. Then another ten years later, someone mentioned Iosso liquid case cleaner, which worked better for me than BC. Both are mild solutions of phosphoric acid, but Iosso has some other "proprietary" ingredients that cause it to work better than BC.

So I dry tumble or use a chemical cleaner, depending on how tarnished or carbon sooted the cases are. I run my AR's very wet with LSA, those cases are usually fairly carbon free.

The liquid case cleaners get used repeatedly until they are no longer effective.

Nosler-like gleaming cases are pretty but that feature doesn't add to the functionality of the cartridge.

 

[RX-79G]

I wet clean mine in a jug - no tumbler. Works fine.

 

[crossbow5]

I use a stainless steel pin tumbler after de-priming that has the pins, water, dawn and a small amount of Lemi-Shine. After I resize rifle casings I put them in a Lyman Turbo 1200 vibrating tumbler with corn cob to remove the sizing lubricant.

 

[bionic knees]

minute rice, oatmeal, and a bit of rubbing compound dried and added to the mix. tumbled in an old rock polisher. don't knock it till you have tried it, actually works quite well.

 

[ferret427]

When I buy brass to make .300BLK brass, I buy once fired LC. Unprocessed. I have gotten boxes with mud, twigs and leaves in with the brass. Nasty, dirty brass (how I like my coffee, not my GFs). For 2-250 casings, cold water, steel pins, about 1tsp. Dawn and about 1/4 tsp Lemmi-shine. Brass shinier than new from Cabella's. Seriously, bought some Lapua brass for my .308 and it was duller than my once fired, sit in the woods for god knows how long MG fired casings...

 

[Papercidal]

FART with pins and half the recommended dose of brass juice. Half hour to 45min in the solution, rinse and run for 10-15 minutes with clean water.

 

[Stomper]

I have found the best method of cleaning brass is to just properly store it ammo cans and never shoot it.

 

[ma96782]

Stainless Steel chips work better than pins

I was thinking about that. For when, my pins wear out enough.

So, where do I get a supply of the "chips" (at a good price)? Any particular brand or size, etc....?

Aloha, Mark

 

[eb in oregon]

I was thinking about that. For when, my pins wear out enough.

So, where do I get a supply of the "chips" (at a good price)? Any particular brand or size, etc....?

Aloha, Mark

Well, if you work in a machine shop it's considered scrap. No one cares if you take a can or two. I once got a 55 gallon drum of magnesium chips. Had some fires of wood debris with that.

 

[ma96782]

A motivational video.

Having a timer surly helps me. Yeah, I don't want to burnout the motor. So anyway, I set it and forget it.
Did I forget it and let it sit for too long?
Oh well, I'll run it again. And, all will be well again.

Yeah....my LAZY WAY of doing it.

Aloha, Mark

 

[whiskeybill]

For years I just used walnut media in a vibratory tumbler. "Lizard Litter" from pet stores was a much finer grind of walnut hull and didn't stick in the flash holes. BUT, it was dusty. The cartridges for my Black Powder rifles never got clean enough inside, no matter what I did, so I finally broke down and bought the Frankford wet tumbler. I just use the Frankford pods as a cleaning agent, and they work just fine. Incidentally, some of the BP cartridges I use have always been expensive and difficult to find, even more so now (i.e. 45-110 SS, 45 Basic, 50-90 Sharps, etc). I intend to keep them shooting as long as my days hold out. And I started wet tumbling everything else as well.

 

[po18guy]

I just use walnut shell and time. However long the tumbler has to run. Like Mark, I don't need them to be super shiny. I don't think I've ever deliberately tumbled them longer than 4 hours. I did accidentally leave some 9mm in for half a day once, and they did come out really nice.

Use a little Flitz in with the walnut shell. Cases will be brilliant and Flitz leaves a protective barrier that leaves them slightly slick and more resistant to corrosion. In case you are not already.

 

[Flopsweat]

Use a little Flitz in with the walnut shell. Cases will be brilliant and Flitz leaves a protective barrier that leaves them slightly slick and more resistant to corrosion. In case you are not already.

Thanks! I have way more Flitz than I think I'll ever need, so that should work out well.

 

[Mono1]

Yup, the brass cases doesn't have to glint in the sun to be "clean enough".

Yeah, but it Just Looks SO Good!

 

[Mono1]

I have found the best method of cleaning brass is to just properly store it ammo cans and never shoot it.

Thanks for your Input, Stomp.

 

[Camelfilter]

I was thinking about that. For when, my pins wear out enough.

So, where do I get a supply of the "chips" (at a good price)? Any particular brand or size, etc....?

Aloha, Mark

Southern Shine media is where I bought mine a while back now.

No website really, & payment was via email/PayPal IIRC.

I believe they have a Facebook thing nowadays.

…yup FB just checked, they also have a tie in with a real website as well:

Southern Shine Media

Stainless steel tumbling media for brass

tbbullets.com