Brass Cleaning

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ET-Ret
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Brass Cleaning

#1

Post by ET-Ret »

I have used corncob tumbler for a long time and on larger brass 38sp and 357 44mag i does a good enough job. I am having
trouble cleaning 380 and 25
acp to my liking. 9 mm mostly ok. I tried a ultrasonic cleaner but it was not what I expected.
I used some cleaner called Bendix metal clean along time a go to clean brass matrices and it did them with out much effort on my part.
They have discontinued the Bendix metal clean. Does anyone here have much experience with wet metal Pins?
Any comments would be appreciated.
AB
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warnmar10
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#2

Post by warnmar10 »

I tumble with stainless pins. I also have ultrasonic and a vibratory. If you want impeccably clean brass I don't know how you can beat wet tumbling with stainless media. I like stainless pins the best. You have to separate your pins from your brass under water or you will never get them all out. Under water the pins don't cling to the brass they just fall to the bottom.

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Re: Brass Cleaning

#3

Post by Odiferous »

If you're not a terribly high-volume reloader, the Harbor Freight dual drum tumbler works fairly well as an inexpensive entry to wet tumbling (with appropriate coupon usage).

A popular cleaning solution to use with the pins is Armor All Wash-N-Wax with just a bit of Lemishine.

About the only argument I've heard against wet tumbling is that it's not really necessary, and you have to wait for the brass to dry. Some folks go to the trouble of using a food dehydrator to dry it.
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#4

Post by Charles L. Cotton »

I use a Dillon CV-2001 with crushed walnut hulls. I typically use the cheapest car polish I can find, but I recently tried Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. I was very surprised how well it works because I had previously tried one of Mequiar's polishing compound and it didn't work at all. Over time, cleaned and polished brass will get dull, but so far, those tumbled with the Turtle Wax haven't dulled at all. I keep them in sealed 1 gallon Ziploc bags, but I'm going to start using 40# dog food storage containers that are air tight. These are stackable so I can have one for each caliber I reload in quantity.

Chas.

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Re: Brass Cleaning

#5

Post by loktite »

Charles L. Cotton wrote: I keep them in sealed 1 gallon Ziploc bags, but I'm going to start using 40# dog food storage containers that are air tight. These are stackable so I can have one for each caliber I reload in quantity.

Chas.
The dog food containers are nice we have one. If one didn't need to access the bottom container of a stack without removing the top container, one could also get gamma seal lids and put them onto 5 gal buckets. Search home depot for "gamma seal" https://www.homedepot.com/s/gamma%2520seal?NCNI-5
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#6

Post by oohrah »

Charles L. Cotton wrote:I use a Dillon CV-2001 with crushed walnut hulls. I typically use the cheapest car polish I can find, but I recently tried Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. I was very surprised how well it works because I had previously tried one of Mequiar's polishing compound and it didn't work at all. Over time, cleaned and polished brass will get dull, but so far, those tumbled with the Turtle Wax haven't dulled at all. I keep them in sealed 1 gallon Ziploc bags, but I'm going to start using 40# dog food storage containers that are air tight. These are stackable so I can have one for each caliber I reload in quantity.

Chas.
Charles, I use the same type tumbler, someone recommended Flitz to me, but I haven't tried out yet. How much Turtle Wax do you add to your load?
Thanks
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#7

Post by Beiruty »

Once, I saw the first batch out of my Arsenal Rotary tumbler, I never looked back. I used Hornady Ultrasonic cleaner before, now it is collecting dust unless I need to clean some gun parts.

I have both SS pins and SS shreds, both works very well. If you clean straight wall pistol cases just stick with SS pins.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM ... 1BYlV3NmRB
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flechero
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#8

Post by flechero »

I only wet tumble with SS pins... it's so easy and works so well that the only reason I can think of for people not doing it is that they have a lot of money invested in a vibratory set up.

My set up is just a harbor freight rock tumbler (2 drums) with coupon was $20 and a bag of SS pins $25 plus $5 for a bottle of lemmishine and $6 for a gallon of Armor All Wash & Wax. I still have 1/4 gallon AA W&W and more than 1/2 the lemmishine after cleaning roughly 15k pieces of 45acp brass. Talk about cheap.

my batch (each drum) is:
3/4 qt warm water
1lb SSpins
1.5 tsp AA W&W
tiny pinch lemmishine
100-125 45acp brass

Run it while I do other things and dump when convenient... anywhere between 1.5 hours and all day that fits my schedule. I just throw the brass on an old towel and run a little fan over it to dry for about 20 minutes (or until I get back to it)

I've learned that using a little AA W&W in my final rinse water eliminates the need to use case lube. I used to use case lube just to smooth out the press but this works better and eliminates 2 steps plus the sticky cases!

Here is an average batch:
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#9

Post by rotor »

Tried them all and SS does the best but does it matter? I don't think so and now I just use my Cabella with corncobs and Cabella wax. Someone that reloads .25 ACP. I am impressed.

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Re: Brass Cleaning

#10

Post by flechero »

rotor wrote: Someone that reloads .25 ACP. I am impressed.

No kidding- I'd need 1.75x reading glasses, just to set the bullets onto the .25acp cases. :lol:
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#11

Post by Charles L. Cotton »

oohrah wrote:
Charles L. Cotton wrote:I use a Dillon CV-2001 with crushed walnut hulls. I typically use the cheapest car polish I can find, but I recently tried Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. I was very surprised how well it works because I had previously tried one of Mequiar's polishing compound and it didn't work at all. Over time, cleaned and polished brass will get dull, but so far, those tumbled with the Turtle Wax haven't dulled at all. I keep them in sealed 1 gallon Ziploc bags, but I'm going to start using 40# dog food storage containers that are air tight. These are stackable so I can have one for each caliber I reload in quantity.

Chas.
Charles, I use the same type tumbler, someone recommended Flitz to me, but I haven't tried out yet. How much Turtle Wax do you add to your load?
Thanks
I wish I could give you even a reasonable estimate, but I can't. I just squeeze the bottle and make a circle about half way between the center bolt/spindle and the outer rim. It makes a polish trail about 1/4" wide, but that too is a rough estimate. Sorry I can't do better.

Chas.
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#12

Post by Charles L. Cotton »

Beiruty wrote:Once, I saw the first batch out of my Arsenal Rotary tumbler, I never looked back. I used Hornady Ultrasonic cleaner before, now it is collecting dust unless I need to clean some gun parts.

I have both SS pins and SS shreds, both works very well. If you clean straight wall pistol cases just stick with SS pins.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM ... 1BYlV3NmRB
I have to admit that's impressive.

Chas.

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Re: Brass Cleaning

#13

Post by ET-Ret »

Thanks guys for the good info.
I think I will try the walnuts first and in the summer jump to the Harbor Freight wet tumbler.
I did not start tumbling with corn cob till the late ninetys and I guess I am just getting pickey.
Those in the photo look like factory.
Again thanks .
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#14

Post by Charles L. Cotton »

ET-Ret wrote:Thanks guys for the good info.
I think I will try the walnuts first and in the summer jump to the Harbor Freight wet tumbler.
I did not start tumbling with corn cob till the late ninetys and I guess I am just getting pickey.
Those in the photo look like factory.
Again thanks .
All I've ever used is walnut hulls, so I have no experience with cord cob media. I've read that walnut is better for cleaning while corn cob is better for polishing after cleaning. I've never been willing to tumble brass twice, plus I can get a good shine with walnut. It just doesn't get the inside as clean as wet tumbling, but I don't care about the inside. I might feel differently if I decapped before tumbling, that that's never going to happen!

Chas.
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Re: Brass Cleaning

#15

Post by puma guy »

Charles L. Cotton wrote:I use a Dillon CV-2001 with crushed walnut hulls. I typically use the cheapest car polish I can find, but I recently tried Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. I was very surprised how well it works because I had previously tried one of Mequiar's polishing compound and it didn't work at all. Over time, cleaned and polished brass will get dull, but so far, those tumbled with the Turtle Wax haven't dulled at all. I keep them in sealed 1 gallon Ziploc bags, but I'm going to start using 40# dog food storage containers that are air tight. These are stackable so I can have one for each caliber I reload in quantity.

Chas.
I second the car polish and walnut shell. I use Nu-finish.
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