Brasso on cases?

Originally Posted By: Evil_Lurker Quote:My question has been answered......


Yep, I learned smething, too. That last link convinced me not to use it.

+1
I'll continue not using it!!!
Good thread guys!!!
 
Originally Posted By: Evil_Lurker Quote:1 part vinergar and 3 parts warm water will clean the brass in about 15 minutes.

However, vinegar actually leeches the zinc out of brass, so we're right back where we started.
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Not that I think 15 minutes in a dilute vinegar solution is going to destroy your brass, but I'm just sayin.

Evil Lurker I've not had a problem when using this on really gunky brass and getting several loadings from same. Not even close to destroy it, but you have caused me to second guess the vinegar method. I will do some more checking and give a follow up post.
 
Well, if it leeches the zinc out, I think it will end up turning them black instead of green. They should also be softer vs. brittle and I'm not so sure that would cause any problems.

I use a tumbler and dump them in there in whatver condition they're in, (after I knock the sand and rocks out), and that Frankford Arsenal stuff with corncob seems to work fast and the corncob lasts a long time, so I'm pretty much satisfied with that combo. Took me about 20 years to come to that conclusion and I tried quite a few things before I did.
I never really did see anything that seemed to hurt the brass any during my experimenting, and I tried a few different chemical solutions, steel wool, 3M pads and different media types. Polish and corncob seems like the easiest/cleanest combo I've found.

I shoot an H-K .308 that makes the cases look like a zebra, covered in soot, so it's a good challange to get them clean.
 
The only time I use vinegar is for really tarnished or dirty brass. I have noted the brass comes out clean and shiny with a slight red tint to it. Follow up is to run it through the tumbler afterwards. Have not had black or green brass and have some cases that have set on the shelf for 3 years.

Salt and vinegar are an absoulute NO in my book. Still looking for a difinitive answer.
 
Well, the vinegar I have in the cupboard says "Diluted to 5% vinegar" on the label. So right there, it sounds pretty weak.
Quote:1 part vinergar and 3 parts warm water

Now you're at 1.25% vinegar, using my example.

If you make a comparison to somebody's test results, and they're using 100% vinegar, that's probably not very valid.

I'm just sayin

Okay, I just set a clean .308 case in 5% vinegar solution so it covers it half way up. Tell me when you want a pic.

We'll play a little Mythbusters. I'll be the straight guy (if there is one).
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You can use ammonia based brass cleaners like Brasso in your tumbling media if you let it sit for a little while. The ammonia will evaporate when exposed to air. Just squeeze a few globs on your media and allow to "air out" for a few hours or overnight and it will be fine. The polishing grit is what you're after anyway, not the ammonia.

Brasso isn't reccomended to be used directly on brass cases directly from the bottle. The ammonia will make the brass brittle. I will admit that I have done it, but that was before someone corrected me, and now I don't do that anymore. I've also heard that vinegar will take tarnish off of heavily discolored cases? But, I haven't tried that yet.
 
Give you all a hint, 50:50 vinegar and water, 2 tablespoons of lemishine
to a quart and 3-6 drops of iodine and a blob of dish soap with ammonium
laurel sulfate in it. (it's a surfactant) The lemishine can be had at walmart.
Hot water will speed things up. This is the mixture I use in my ultrasonic
cleaner and the cases come out spotless inside and out. I rinse in baking
soda and water then twice in hot clean water. Even the primer pockets sparkle.
Some of your brass will turn pinkish after awhile but it doesn't hurt anything
as it is only surface leaching of the zinc. I never leave it in more than 1/2
hour.
 
Okay, 8 hrs. in the vinegar and the submerged portion is noticibly dulled and there is green corrosion forming above the liquid line (where it meets the air).

At 20 hours it looks about the same, the green corrosion ring is slightly higher on the case and heavier.
 
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