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I have found that a quick wash with this stuff in very hot water does a pretty good job:

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Just be aware that it contains oxalic acid (or so the mfr's site claims) which is poisonous if not handled properly. Also be careful as to length of exposure. Ordnance brass relies on the zinc content for its strength. Acids tend to consume zinc.
 
As for the "liquid method", I rinse mine under the hottest water from my tap (about 125 degrees), shake it in a towel, and lay it out to dry overnight. It's bone dry when I get to it the next morning. If I was in a hurry, I could always blow it out with compressed air or as some have suggested, dip it in alcohol and it will dry almost instantaneously then.
I am also using SS media. After tumbling, I am rinsing them off in cold water to remove the soap, then I put them in a colander, set it on top of my boot dryer (with the upper sections removed), and cover it with a plastic bag. I am doing small batches with one pound of media, as I have a small tumbler. Results look great.
 
I'm still nervous about SS but willing to learn that it's OK. It's harder than brass and I'm having trouble seeing how it doesn't work-harden the brass surface. Oh well, I've learned lots of new things before...

I still use walnut shells. They are way cheaper at a pet supply store than from reloading outfits including Harbor Freight which sells a tumbler. In fact, HF is high for media. I do punch the primers out first, but I have to be careful that there's no walnut left in the primer pocket or flash hole. I usually just blow the case out with the blow tip on my compressor, but I have a good dual inline moisture/oil trap for painting so my air is clean.

Since the tumbler does all of the work, I don't mind letting it run for several hours.

Face it - the whole reloading process is a tedious job not meant for those who don't like attention to details, not just cleaning but everything. It's not for everyone IMHO.
 
I do all my deprimeing in the day and load up my 3 tumblers in the eve and let them run all night ... i do use a brass polish that goes in the media... Walnut shells are the best in my opinion.. I also swap out my media when it gets to dark ......steve
 
I'm still nervous about SS but willing to learn that it's OK. It's harder than brass and I'm having trouble seeing how it doesn't work-harden the brass surface. Oh well, I've learned lots of new things before...

I still use walnut shells. They are way cheaper at a pet supply store than from reloading outfits including Harbor Freight which sells a tumbler. In fact, HF is high for media. I do punch the primers out first, but I have to be careful that there's no walnut left in the primer pocket or flash hole. I usually just blow the case out with the blow tip on my compressor, but I have a good dual inline moisture/oil trap for painting so my air is clean.

Since the tumbler does all of the work, I don't mind letting it run for several hours.

Face it - the whole reloading process is a tedious job not meant for those who don't like attention to details, not just cleaning but everything. It's not for everyone IMHO.

In order to work harden brass, you have to WORK it. Each of the small Stainless Steel "pins" weighs less than .6 gr. or .04 grams. These pins are not being fired at the brass by compressed air like might be done in a shot-peening operation, they are merely sliding along the surface of the brass scouring off any carbon or other "crud" accumulated on the brass case.

I believe this is a case of "over analyzing" a cleaning method without giving any serious thought to the actual dynamics. I mentioned this to someone at our range that supposedly has no less than 5 Engineering Degrees. He brought up the same reservation regarding the use of Stainless Media yet when asked if he felt there was more or less "impact", case on case, with his dry media method of tumbling versus a tumbler filled with water and stainless pins he merely shrugged his shoulders. Just remember that the stainless pins have no inertia and don't work the surface of the case at all. Not nearly to the extent that tumbling cases do in a lesser cushioning media or media separator.

I've been using it long enough now to get 8-10 reloading cycles on some Commercial Winchester brass that I have purposely not annealed. I shoot a near max load in these .308 cases and have seen no signs whatever of any "surface work hardening".

As I've stated in previous posts, the Stainless media does what cob/nut media doesn't. It cleans the inside of the case to a state just as if the brass was new. Every one of my loads now has no residue left from previous loads. No bits of carbon built up to take up room in the case and alter the case capacity.

Just remember, "Work Hardening" requires that the metal actually be "worked". It's not done by a bunch of .6gr bits of stainless working on a piece of metal that has a yield strength of 60,000 lbs (about 22,000 lbs if annealed)
 
In order to work harden brass, you have to WORK it. Each of the small Stainless Steel "pins" weighs less than .6 gr. or .04 grams. These pins are not being fired at the brass by compressed air like might be done in a shot-peening operation, they are merely sliding along the surface of the brass scouring off any carbon or other "crud" accumulated on the brass case.

I believe this is a case of "over analyzing" a cleaning method without giving any serious thought to the actual dynamics. I mentioned this to someone at our range that supposedly has no less than 5 Engineering Degrees. He brought up the same reservation regarding the use of Stainless Media yet when asked if he felt there was more or less "impact", case on case, with his dry media method of tumbling versus a tumbler filled with water and stainless pins he merely shrugged his shoulders. Just remember that the stainless pins have no inertia and don't work the surface of the case at all. Not nearly to the extent that tumbling cases do in a lesser cushioning media or media separator.

I've been using it long enough now to get 8-10 reloading cycles on some Commercial Winchester brass that I have purposely not annealed. I shoot a near max load in these .308 cases and have seen no signs whatever of any "surface work hardening".

As I've stated in previous posts, the Stainless media does what cob/nut media doesn't. It cleans the inside of the case to a state just as if the brass was new. Every one of my loads now has no residue left from previous loads. No bits of carbon built up to take up room in the case and alter the case capacity.

Just remember, "Work Hardening" requires that the metal actually be "worked". It's not done by a bunch of .6gr bits of stainless working on a piece of metal that has a yield strength of 60,000 lbs (about 22,000 lbs if annealed)

Thanks for the answer. That does make sense. I had a picture in my mind of a rotating tumbler "dropping" the stainless onto the brass, which would still concern me. I can see how a vibrating tumbler creates more of a rubbing action. I'll be buying some of the stainless and I really do appreciate your answer. :)
 
deadshot2, as I stated I am using 1# of the SS media. I still have 4# unused. Are you seeing any affect to the SS media over time? After ~25 loads I weighed it, and it was still 1#. I just rinse it off, throw another batch in, and more Lemishine, soap and water, and turn it on. It appears to me that there is no wear, and I can just keep using it ad infinitum. What is your observation?
 
Ive recently started using a mixture of 1 gal water...a couple squirts dawn dishwashing det and 1-2 teaspoons of citric acid.Seems to work real well and wont harm the brass.Soak it for an hour or so and drain.Even over night wont harm your brass.You can reuse the solution and it keeps well.Fred Meyers has citric acid in the bulk health food section for a buck or two for a couple ounces.I got this information for castboolits.com...
 
Ive recently started using a mixture of 1 gal water...a couple squirts dawn dishwashing det and 1-2 teaspoons of citric acid.Seems to work real well and wont harm the brass.Soak it for an hour or so and drain.Even over night wont harm your brass.You can reuse the solution and it keeps well.Fred Meyers has citric acid in the bulk health food section for a buck or two for a couple ounces.I got this information for castboolits.com...

Be careful of long term exposure of your brass to citric acid. It reacts with the zinc in your brass. Since 30% of your brass is zinc, long term use and exposure can weaken the brass. The "brightening" process is actually accomplished by the chemical removal of a small amount of zinc. Do it long enough and you no longer have the same alloy.
 
Some if not all of the tumbler manufacturers sell a polish which I'd hope they've tested and researched to be OK for the brass. I don't use generic polishes because I'm afraid they'll stay inside that brass and contaminate the primer and powder. (like car polishes which really make the brass shine but contain silicones)

I'm using the polish that came with one of my tumblers and I add just enough to hold the dust down in the walnut. It seems to work fine.

Edit: Sometimes I use a water based 3M polish which I get from an auto paint store. Body shops need water based when they buff a car before paint. It washes right off with soap and water leaving no residue. The choice of 3M polishes I have is called "Fast Cut." It's a fairly thick liquid in a squeeze bottle.
 

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