What did I do to my brass?

[patsher]

I've been cleaning a lot of brass with citric acid, ran out of floor space (sheets on the living room floor), and put a cookie sheet full of brass into the oven to dry.

Did the oven dry thing on several batches, but the last batch came out BROWN instead of shiny yellow brass color. I assume I got the heat too high, right?

Question is, what do I do now? Did I ruin the brass for reloading use?

[nicholst55]

What temp was the oven set at?

[Frosty Boolit]

I've used brown brass before! Maybe the acid was not rinsed off well enough?

[3006guns]

I've used various chemicals to clean dirty brass and then oven dried them, but RINSED WITH WATER FIRST to get rid of anything left on the surface.


I would assume you had the oven set at a LOW temperature, just to dry the brass? If so, it would be far below the temp that would be required to anneal. As mentioned it's highly likely that the citric acid just "turned" from the heat. Tumbling should restore the color, but let's be honest here.......the final call as far as use is up to you.

[Jim]

First, I'll tell you I'm not a metalurgist.
As I understand it, a common residential oven cannot get hot enough to anneal brass.

[JMtoolman]

You bet it can, brass starts to be annealed around 400, don't go any higher than around 175 to 200. It will be very dangerous if the heads are softened. I once had some once fired brass that someone had done this to, and the the heads flowed with cast bullet loads of around 1400 feet per second. Had to get rid of it all. Best regards, the toolman.

[JJC]

Not to comforting. I remember reading a 50-110 was fired and the booilt went down the barrel with half the case attached. I have tossed cases for many reasons. Maybe put them on the side for a while.

[jhrosier]

....Question is, what do I do now? Did I ruin the brass for reloading use?

Brass is cheap, funerals are expensive.....crush the necks with pliers and throw it away.

Jack

[patsher]

The oven was set at 250. I had rinsed the brass thoroughly 3 times, in a bowl of water 2 inches above the brass, throwing away the water and refilling with fresh water each time, and stirring vigorously each time.

The only thing I can think is that I forgot to shut the oven off when I put the brass in, which is how I did the batches before that. And then it stayed in the oven for several hours at 250.

Would a long time like that anneal the brass?

You're probably right, guys. Just crush it and throw it away. Chalk it up to experience gained.

[Frosty Boolit]

May be they are those crummy brass plated steel cases?

[runfiverun]

i doubt you hurt them.
annealing is a factor of temp not time.
you get a case neck up to 700 it's soft, you don't need to hold it at that temp for 5 minutes.
the ones that browned just dried with a bit of oxidation.
you throw them in a tumbler they will be as shiney as the rest.

[Jim]

Several hours at 250*? I think Run is right.

[jsizemore]

As long as the temp didn't reach 495 degrees F there shouldn't be any change in grain structure of the brass even if it had been in the oven for hours.

[sargenv]

depending on the brass... some ppl here would be happy to take it off your hands to turn it into something else.. I don't think any of us should really ever toss the brass unless it is crushed somehow since it could be offered up to swagers who would gladly turn most brass into a projectile of some type :)

[Wayne Smith]

I did some of my 4-40 BP brass in citric acid and then in walnut media to day. It came out the most beautiful highly polished dark bronze you can imagine! I was assuming it was something in the BP residue that caused it.

[mold maker]

If it's 9mm or .40 brass, that's heated to the point of annealing, those of us who swage would love to have it.

[Dannix]

+1 on at least saving it for jacket material.

patsher, I consider buying a tumbler one of the bets investments I've made. Consider saving your schekles for one, save the brass for jacket material or trade it out, and chalk it up to experience. I personally went the wet route with a Thumbler B HighSpeed and stainless steel media.