Brass cleaners

What is this "cleaning brass" you all speak of? My method is the easiest of them all. I just don't.

- DAA
 
I use a Dillon CV-500, have since 1992

But some years back I bought an US cleaner for cleaning scuba regulator parts so I could service my own regs. Since I had it, I experimented with it for brass, using some really tarnished 30-06

This cleaner uses a SS basket to hold parts. I found that this left discoloration on the brass where it touched the backet but otherwise it worked really well. I used a mix involving Dawn & Lemishine. Primer pockets were clean. Insides of cases were clean. Brass was clean & shiny.

I then tossed it all in my dry cleaner & the corn cob did remove the discoloration, brass looked great.

But old habit die hard & I still just toss it all in the Dillon & let it run for a while.
 
Good point Plant One, I would usually only get hand cramps individually trimming cases but I trim horse hooves for a living and have developed a grip.

Heck, why wouldnt steel wool in a rotary tumbler not work? It could be worth an expirament, the wool pads would probably have to be separated and tore up a bit but it might not need the water that SS pins need.

What Stu just said reminded me when I first started loading I picked up a jug of the liquid Iosso brass cleaner for extra dirty range cases I collected long before I started reloading. Iosso worked great but it didnt leave a polish at all.

My buddy had a bit of a scary time when he first started using a vibration tumbler and corn cob. He was polishing and loading 454 casull, poured a bag of brass into the vibrator with media then he poured a little hornady brass polish on top of the cases before turning it on. What happened was some of the polish got poured inside the case and it worked as glue for the corn cob and the stuff didnt tumble out. The cases came out looking great but there was bits of corn cob glued inside and they got loaded up that way with a few causing problems or acting weird... we looked everything over and found the gunk inside some unloaded cases.


 
Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerGood point Plant One, I would usually only get hand cramps individually trimming cases but I trim horse hooves for a living and have developed a grip.

unfortunatly my issue is nerve related to a upper back injury from getting rear ended. essentially *REAALLY* bad whiplash. several months of PT etc. during recovery, by the end of a working day i couldnt even hold onto a screwdriver and some nights would drive home with my hands stuck thru the steering wheel like stumps.

thankfully way past that stage, but repeated motions that involve lots of grip power on small stuff is still recipie for not fun. dang drunk drivers
cursing.gif


Quote:
My buddy had a bit of a scary time when he first started using a vibration tumbler and corn cob. He was polishing and loading 454 casull, poured a bag of brass into the vibrator with media then he poured a little hornady brass polish on top of the cases before turning it on. What happened was some of the polish got poured inside the case and it worked as glue for the corn cob and the stuff didnt tumble out. The cases came out looking great but there was bits of corn cob glued inside and they got loaded up that way with a few causing problems or acting weird... we looked everything over and found the gunk inside some unloaded cases.




ya.... i cemented up a bunch of cases like that too back when i was first getting started.... found out you need to add the nufinish to the media, let the tumbler run for ~20-30 mins and *then* add brass.

thankfully i caught mine in the post tumble inspection stage and was able to separate the oopsies out, and it was only about a dozen cases out of 5lbs worth of 300blk.
 
I decided to just keep using the media tumbler. I got mine repaired again and its doing fine. A lot slower than SS but it still makes clean shiny brass.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI decided to just keep using the media tumbler. I got mine repaired again and its doing fine. A lot slower than SS but it still makes clean shiny brass.

There is some chatter on using the SS pins, some say it works like shot peening the brass.
The wet tumble, I just see more time involved with drying?
Years ago when I was dropping cases in a pan of water, there would be water caught up in the inside for a number of days. More so the smaller the caliber. I would put them mouth down in front of a fan or heat register. Even then a tap on the bench on paper towel would show some moisture. I never did use an oven as heat source.

I have enough CC media along with some walnut to last me a long time. Besides I take the media when it’s dirty and mix it with old melted candles and form into bars for fire starters.
 
Originally Posted By: jshThe wet tumble, I just see more time involved with drying?
Years ago when I was dropping cases in a pan of water, there would be water caught up in the inside for a number of days. More so the smaller the caliber. I would put them mouth down in front of a fan or heat register. Even then a tap on the bench on paper towel would show some moisture. I never did use an oven as heat source.
For years I've been using just a blow dryer and a metal strainer. Run the blower on high, dump the brass in the strainer, and flip, swirl, and shake the brass till they're too hot to handle, and they're dry in five minutes or less. Then on to full length sizing....
 
My US cleaner does a great job on the brass, but it's more work. I have to mix the solution (which is reusable), set it all up, run it, dry it out.

My Dillon, I just dump a lot of brass in it & that amount is a lot more than my US cleaner can hold, turn it on & leave it for a while. Dump it in the separator & give it a few spins, done.
 
Talking to a friend and we both are retired. He ask me what was the hurry? What do you have better to do? I guess I have to agree. I put my brass in the tumbler today and take it out the next. Probably a lot longer than it needs but doesn't matter. Not like I have to have it right now. I buy a really fine media and usually put some type of metal polish in it. It shines like a new penny when its done. Been using the same process for many years, guess no reason to change now.
 
I need a vibrating tumbler for HBN coating bullets, my system for that is a pain also. Right now I put BBs and bullets in an empty water jug with HBN and set them on my wood stove when it's cool enough to not melt plastic instantly, then I shake that up by hand here and there until it's too hot to handle then keep shaking, I go through that cycle once or twice.
 
Originally Posted By: jsh

There is some chatter on using the SS pins, some say it works like shot peening the brass.
The wet tumble, I just see more time involved with drying?


The shot peening is debatable. i'd have to imagine getting shaken around in a vibratory tumbler does at least as much shot peening as does rolling around with stainless pins.

ive been wet tumbling since well before any of these modern kits were available and havent notice any adverse effects.


as for time - how long are youvibratory tumbling for? i know a lot of folks are well into 4+ hours, often overnight kinda thing.

i typically wash my brass for a 90 min wet cycle, spend about 15-20 mins rinsing/pin separating, do a quick pat dry with an old bath towel, and then about 2h in my dehydrator to get them 100% dried out.

so its all passive time anyway. its not like you need to sit there and actively watch/assist the drying process.

i got my dehydrator at a yard sale for $5. they said they used it once and never touched it again.

they're totally not hard to find for under $20 all over marketplace if you dont wanna play the spring yard sale lottery. ppl in high end neighborhoods get rid of this kinda stuff all the freaking time for peanuts.

my cousin got a cabelas commercial model for $25 a couple years ago, it was basically brand new they said they used it twice and its been taking up space in their storage room since.
 
I think the folks that use SS pins will more than likely have arguments about how good it works and those that use media will argue about how good it works. Moral of the story...use what makes you happy. As long as you get the end results your looking for then keep doing it. I thought I was going to have to replace my equipment and thought I might try the SS pin route, but I repaired my tumbler so I will keep using media until I can't repair it. I'll review my options then. There may be a later and greater way by then...if I'm still alive.
 
That's a big part of it. I've been curious about US cleaning & the wet tumbling with SS media, but the reality is that I have a vibratory cleaner that's built like a tank & working perfectly. So I'd have to spend money to replace something that really doesn't need to be replaced yet.

that pretty much kills the deal, though it this thing ever craps out, anything is on the table.
 
My buddy had an ultra sonic cleaner and he absolutely hated it. We had a couple of tables at the Wanamaker show and it and a big jug of the liquid was on the table. He said one way or another the machine was not coming home with him. I think he got $20 for it and was thrilled just to have it gone.
 
Originally Posted By: jsh
pyscodog said:
I've been told more than once that I'm to anal about my brass but I do like shiny things. LOL

You and me both.
Anymore I anneal every other time. Buddy bought an an Annealeze, I have done several K on it.
Clean brass = happy dies. There is way more going on pressure wise inside die than most imagine.
I still have two thumbless tumbler vibe type polishers. I got a deal on 50lb bag of corncob a few years ago. I use a squirt of Nu Finish every once in a while. A couple of caps full of mineral spirits every time, gets the carbon off.

(Clean brass = happy dies) Did you anneal some brass with carbon on the necks and scratch the die? If so did you leave scratches on the case necks?
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogMy buddy had an ultra sonic cleaner and he absolutely hated it. We had a couple of tables at the Wanamaker show and it and a big jug of the liquid was on the table. He said one way or another the machine was not coming home with him. I think he got $20 for it and was thrilled just to have it gone.

i love my ultrasonic - but for cleaning gun parts. ar bcg's and casette triggers come clean in minutes. same for pistol uppers.

field strip the bcg even days after a hard range session, drop it in the tray, add water and a scoop of powder, 20 mins later everything wipes off with a light brush and patch. hose everything down with brake clean to dry it out, coat it in hornady one shot and put it all back together for next time. way way easier than using one of those scraper tools
 
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