Case Cleaning + Laundry Bag = Frugal Good Idea?

[lefty_red]

I've "heard" of it being done, putting cases in a laundry bag and running it in a wasing machine or dish machine, but never done it. Is it a cheap solution or urban myth?

Jerry

[Buckshot]

...............I did that once. A guy had given the rangemaster a bunch of brass that looked like it had had damp Cream of Wheat sprinkled all over it and been left to sit for a long time. We never could figure out if it had somehting to do with insect poop or just what it was. The dusty residue would kind of brush off but left a crusty ring in spots all over the brass.

But to the chase. A big bunch was LC 30 M1 carbine and at the time I had an M1A1 Paratrooper. Not being so stoopid as to use a good one, I asked the war dept if she had an old pillowcase I could have, and explained the reason. Probably an old mostly wore out threadbare pillowcase wasn't the right thing to use.

It is amazing the places those little cigarette butt sized cartridge cases could get, all mixed up with the clothes I'd put in the washer too :-) I did that because I figured the agitator would really bang that bag of brass around. Obviously you can see the pillowcase wasn't up to the job. I can report that the brass was squeeky clean, but still quite stained and in need of several hours in the case tumbler.

Birchwood Casey has a brass cleaner you mix with water that does a dang good job. It kind of reminds me of liquid dish deterent but liquid dish detergent doesn't clean like this stuff does.

.................Buckshot

[lefty_red]

OK, so its a good frugal option then, I figure it might take some time for the brass to dry out, but that OK. I've got 500 rounds of 41 mag and I usually shoot no more than 200 at a time.

Thanks
Jerry

[mooman76]

You can double sack(pillow case) your brass with rice and tuble in the drier on a no heat setting. The brass won't come out pretty but it will be clean!

[grumble]

I haven't done this with brass, but you might try using one of those plastic mesh bags that onions are sold in at the grocery store. It's worked for me in a washing machine with other things. Just tie it off good so the top doesn't come open, and don't overload to allow the brass to break through the mesh.

Onion bags also make good improvised fish nets.

[Dale53]

Washing brass in a washing machine is a bad and potentially expensive idea. In a former life, I repaired automatic laundry equipment. Believe me, a BAD idea.

Dale53

[lefty_red]

I ran a batch in a bucket and MEAN GREEN to get alot of the junk out. I just swached it around. Then I put them in a mesh laundry bag and put them on the top rack of the dishwasher. I'm happy!

Jerry

[rbstern]

I wet tumble my all brass in a rock tumbler, using lemon juice and a bit of dish detergent. The brass comes out beautiful, with no dust. The dirty water that is poured off after a batch is ugly. Not sure I would want that residue in the same machine my family's clothes to into.

[Dale53]

rbstern;
You are absolutely correct. Cases had lead residue in them and that will seek nooks and crannies in dish washers and clothes washers. I have found debris in both when I was in the business and I have no desire to eat dishes with lead residue on it nor wear clothes with that residue. Neither do I need repair bills because the cases escaped confinement and got where they were NOT supposed to go.

I use a large Dillon vibratory tumbler for cases and I previously used a rotary tumbler. Both do good work. The Dillon does really good work with the polish that they furnish. A couple of caps with a couple thousand pistol cases is pretty cheap for good results.

I had a couple of friends with BPCR's that simply washed in detergent water and rinsed and dried the cases. They got to looking REALLY bad (stained nearly black) but case life was good and they seemed to last as long as my cases. They were good about cleaning promptly, tho'.

Dale53

[imashooter2]

Better to just use the old 50/50 water/vinegar soak and avoid the potential marital strife.

[lefty_red]

:redneck: You gentleman haven't seen the DISHES that has gone in the dishwasher!

Jerry

[Larry Gibson]

I've "heard" of it being done, putting cases in a laundry bag and running it in a wasing machine or dish machine, but never done it. Is it a cheap solution or urban myth?

Jerry

Not sure about "washing" the cases but years ago I had the wife cut off the legs of a couple worn out jeans. She sewed the bottoms shut. I would put the dirt cases into them with sawdust (make sure it's pitch free) or rice, fold the top over and tie them with a stout cord. They were tumbled in the drier (putting a few towels in with the brass bag lessoned the "thump-thump") without heat for 30 minutes. Brass came out clean but not shiney. All went well until one day a cord came undone, had sawdust all over every thing. I had to take the dryer apart to vacuum it out completely. That was the incentive for the wife to let me buy a Thumbler. Sometime later divorced the wife but kept the Thumbler - she kept the drier.

Far better to get one of the vibrating cleaners. They are not that expensive. Not saying that incident led to the divorce but who knows(?). Told my current wife (this one is a shooter. hunter, camper and TOOOO good of a cook so I'll keep her) about the drier incident when I was contemplating geting a larger vibrating cleaner some years back. She told me she'd kill me if I EVEN thought about putting something like that in HER drier! What ever happened to community property? Anyways I have had both types of cleaners for some time now and am happy (and still alive!). Money well spent.

Larry Gibson

[redneckdan]

hmmm....maybe I'll have to try that. I'll have to wait fer the summer though. Brass thumping around in the dryier might piss somebody off, seeing how its final exam week and all....[smilie=1:

[redneckdan]

Hey, what about using a gallon zip lock bag inside of a cloth bird shot bag? The zip lock will be the sealing assembly and the cloth bag being the strength assembly. Just use a sewing machine to run a quick seem across the top of the shot bag to keep it shut. Tumble and then use a seem ripper to remove the stiching. Or maybe even have the special some one in yer life sew up you a couple canvas sacks with zippers?:mrgreen:

[lefty_red]

That's a thought....

I would just go and buy a damn tumbler, but my Young Prince through my cell phone done the toliet...know I've gota buy each!

Jerry

[redneckdan]

Unfortunately, a tumbler ain't in my budget. 'Specially seeing how I lent my .45 TC 230gr mold to a guy I just introduced to casting and I don't think I will see that mold again. So I'm feeling a Lee 6 banger commin' on, I kinda like the 228gr 2 ogive radius tumble lube, 'cept I'll have to wait till summer employment starts up. :roll:

[Matthew N. Dodd]

I wasn't too keen on spending money on a tumbler either, so I built my own (http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/tumbler.html).

http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/_tumbler1.png
http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/_tumbler2.png

[Junior1942]

Unfortunately, a tumbler ain't in my budget. 'Specially seeing how I lent my .45 TC 230gr mold to a guy I just introduced to casting and I don't think I will see that mold again. So I'm feeling a Lee 6 banger commin' on, I kinda like the 228gr 2 ogive radius tumble lube, 'cept I'll have to wait till summer employment starts up. :roll:There's 5 things you don't loan:

1. Your wife
2. Your toothbrush
3. Your guns
4. Your bullet molds
5. Your money

[waksupi]

There's 5 things you don't loan:

1. Your wife
2. Your toothbrush
3. Your guns
4. Your bullet molds
5. Your money

Or your chainsaw!

[walltube]

Birchwood-Casey it is!

I've thus far cleaned approx. 75 lb. of recovered brass from my sorely missed reloading cave that was subjected to 3-4 months soaking in Lake Borgne bottoms and only G-d knows what else. The brass was covered with a hard black scale that defied every non-amoniated house hold cleaner available.

Iosso worked well, and faster, than B.C. but etched the brass not to my liking. B.C. was kinder & gentler :). When the B.C. soaked brass was cleaned to my satisfaction I rinsed them in a large plastic colander under a stream of hot water. Pistol cases were poured onto a large Turkish towel to dry. Rifle brass were placed neck down in a poly cutting board into which I previously drilled rows of evenly spaced holes of sufficient diameter to accomodate the necks. All brass was then tumbled for many hours in corn cob media to a bright lustre inside and out.

Some equally dirty .44 cal. gas checks will get the same treatment ASAP I can find an existing local dealer with B.C. case cleaner. If all works well with the larger .44's, the 6.5 & .30 cal checks will be given the bath.

Wifey called it "Harry's Brassaholic Spa & Treatment Center".

Try it, you'll like it.........H.E.L.

[redneckdan]

There's 5 things you don't loan:

1. Your wife
2. Your toothbrush
3. Your guns
4. Your bullet molds
5. Your money


unfortunately I learn this stuff the hardway, already been through the gun loan thing, got it back but it was not quite in the same condition as loaned.

[redneckdan]

I wasn't too keen on spending money on a tumbler either, so I built my own (http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/tumbler.html).

http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/_tumbler1.png
http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/_tumbler2.png


my dad made one from a 1/4HP gear head motor, rock polisher style, works great, little noisy, bout 90 decibel in the basement while its running.

[jb12k]

Matthew N. Dodd's Tumbler should be in our projects area for sure !

[wills]

Washing brass in a washing machine is a bad and potentially expensive idea. In a former life, I repaired automatic laundry equipment. Believe me, a BAD idea.

Dale53


This is why there are Laundromats.

[redneckdan]

This is why there are Laundromats.


apartment laundry facilities are great too I can see doing 3k .45 acp cases at once

[slughammer]

... I put them in a mesh laundry bag and put them on the top rack of the dishwasher.

Jerry


Don't primers have lead acetate in them?
I eat off the things that go in my dishwasher, and so do my children. Same idea with the washing machine.

I consider the dust and dirt from cleaning cases some of the most hazardous stuff around. I clean my hands after I load and I sure don't let the stuff get near my kids.

[Dale53]

slughammer;
>>>I consider the dust and dirt from cleaning cases some of the most hazardous stuff around. I clean my hands after I load and I sure don't let the stuff get near my kids.<<<

I agree wholeheartedly and I feel the same way about others kids, so, no apartment or laundromat cleaning of cases for me in a washing machine or dish washer.

Not to be "preachy" but we are all in this together, fellows and gals (the world) and we certainly do NOT need to add to others problems...

Dale53

[azrednek]

Washing brass in a washing machine is a bad and potentially expensive idea. In a former life, I repaired automatic laundry equipment. Believe me, a BAD idea.

Dale53

I found that out the hard way, having to have the washer's pump replaced. I got a super deal on 7.62 brass that apparently was picked up on the southern Arizona gunnery range along with generous amounts of sand. The first batch came out clean, the second load the pillow case opened up dumping the sand in the washer's inards. I had to take a razzing from the repaiman saying my dilema was funnier than all the cat/child/washer stories he heard about.

[No_1]

I think your idea is a good one if SWMBO does not mind. As a suggestion, use the media seperator to tumble the sand from the brass before you place it in the washer which should prevent a visit from the repairman again.

Just my 2 cents worth,

Robert


I found that out the hard way, having to have the washer's pump replaced. I got a super deal on 7.62 brass that apparently was picked up on the southern Arizona gunnery range along with generous amounts of sand. The first batch came out clean, the second load the pillow case opened up dumping the sand in the washer's inards. I had to take a razzing from the repaiman saying my dilema was funnier than all the cat/child/washer stories he heard about.

[lefty_red]

Guys, that's why they call it a DISH MASHER, it washed the junk off...

Jerry

[wills]

Some other ideas

http://www.unitednuclear.com/ballmill.htm

http://www.abymc.com/Articles/Submitted/Ballmill.html

http://www.wecreate4u.net/dwilliams/mill/mill.html

http://www.vk2zay.net/article.php/36

[Bucks Owin]

Better to just use the old 50/50 water/vinegar soak and avoid the potential marital strife.


That's what I use, along with a "dash" of dish soap for extra flavor....

FWIW,

Dennis

[Bucks Owin]

I wasn't too keen on spending money on a tumbler either, so I built my own (http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/tumbler.html).


I like it!

I have an old sewing machine motor along with it's foot pedal rheostat that I've been thinking of building some kind of rotating tumbler with. Maybe a vibratory setup would be better/easier.....

Hmmmm....

Dennis

[woody1]

I like it!

I have an old sewing machine motor along with it's foot pedal rheostat that I've been thinking of building some kind of rotating tumbler with. Maybe a vibratory setup would be better/easier.....

Hmmmm....

Dennis
I used a foot pedal rheostat when I electrified my RCBS case trimmer. I hooked a 1/3 HP electric motor to the trimmer and switch it on/off by foot thru the rheostat. Overkill? Mebe but I had it. Regards, Woody

[lovedogs]

I've been reloading for 39 years now and have never had any kind of case tumbler or cleaner. I just treat my brass nice, wipe it off good, and use it. I haven't harmed any guns, brass, dies, or anything else that I know of by not polishing my brass. I have occasionally thought of some sort of tumbler but have been too frugal (cheap?) to buy one so far. Some day if my bank account looks flush enough I may break down and get one from Midway or someone economical. They really aren't that expensive.

[buck1]

In my pre tumbler days I washed them in a 5 gal bucket with little spot free dish soap. Then left them in a pan on my dash board a wile of on a very low heat in the oven.
But then I got one from midway for $40.00. I reuse the media by washing it and adding 3M polishing compound when dry. ....Buck

[Bucks Owin]

I used a foot pedal rheostat when I electrified my RCBS case trimmer. I hooked a 1/3 HP electric motor to the trimmer and switch it on/off by foot thru the rheostat. Overkill? Mebe but I had it. Regards, Woody

Hey, nothing like going first class! :drinks:

Dennis

[azrednek]

I think your idea is a good one if SWMBO does not mind. As a suggestion, use the media seperator to tumble the sand from the brass before you place it in the washer which should prevent a visit from the repairman again.

Just my 2 cents worth,

Robert

Robert, you're absolutely correct. I did this in the 70's in the Thumblers Tumbler era and to best of my knowledge there wern't any brass sifters on the market yet. The sand was also packed in damp and hard and an overnight tumbling wouldn't get it out of the inside of the cartridge of all cases.

I started out real proud of myself with the deal we got on the brass. The gunshow vendor had a huge ice scoop and if I remember correctly it was like two-bits a scoop. The deal went sour real quick after paying I think around $90 for the washer's repair and even worse I had to catch up the laundry, the now x refused.

[Shiloh]

I wasn't too keen on spending money on a tumbler either, so I built my own (http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/tumbler.html).

http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/_tumbler1.png
http://www.jurai.net/~winter/tumbler/_tumbler2.png

Great post!! Leave it up to the Clever folks. Necessity Is the Mother ov Invention.
Well Done!!

Shiloh

[Shiloh]

Better to just use the old 50/50 water/vinegar soak and avoid the potential marital strife.

Did the Dishwasher method with a mesh parts bag. All you fellows know what the LOOK is. Thats exactly what I got from the bride. I was told to cease and desist forthwith. "Keep your gun stuff where it belongs!!"

Shiloh

[Forester]

I stole a spoon from the kitchen once to use skimming a lead pot off. The hell I heard from that leads to me believe that cleaning brass in the washer/dryer/dishwasher might be fatal.[smilie=1:

Tumblers are $40 at MidwayUSA, sometimes less. I think thats the better plan.

[dakotashooter2]

Poor mans tumbler

1 or 2 coffee cans with lid/s
tumbling media
duct tape
pickup truck

Insert media and cases in coffee cans
snap on cover/s and duct tape in place
lay in box of pick and permit to rollaround

After driving around for a week check results

Not as fast as a tumbler but it works to some degree


I've also found that putting a few cases in your pants pocket every day does a pretty good job of polishing the outside. Tends to wear out pockets though.

[montana_charlie]

Poor mans tumbler

1 or 2 coffee cans with lid/s
tumbling media
duct tape
pickup truck
I am intrigued by the simplicity of that solution.
If you attached three or four arms to the bottoms of the cans...and put something on the ends of the arms to catch the wind...they would rotate as you drive if they were threaded onto a rod set between the stake pockets.
Longer arms cause slower rotation...and transversly.

One who lives in windy country could do without the pickup...
CM

[cohutt]

For really funky range brass- stuff i've picked up that might have mud, sand gravel, bugs, whatever in it:
I collect it in a mesh laundry back that had a drawstring top.
Shake it around a lot to get out the loose pieces of crud. watch the toxic dust though...
When i get back from the range, it is the first item i unload. It goes into a 5 gallon bucket of water with some dishwashing soap (some nasty peppermint smelling stuff someone gave us in a christmas basket a couple years ago) and maybe a tiny bit of "Simple Green" type cleaner.
Shake, rattle, slush, agitate a couple times
unload rest of gear.
Shake, rattle, slush, agitate a couple times again, notice toxic mud/carbon hue of water
Clean a couple of guns
Dump bucket and shake out as much water fro the bag of cases as you can
rinse bucket and return cases, turn on hos elow and leave running under bag of cases.
Clean a couple more guns, record range data, watch tv, aploogize to spouse for staying so late at range (again)
turn off hose, shake back in bucket if water looks clean, dump and put up
shake water out of cases and lay bag flat in sun (black truck bed liner makes a nice sun-oven even in winter.) roll over once or twice. IN dedicaed pan in warmer oven @ 200 degress works too if wetaher isn't good although i prefer to let the sun do it.
when cases dry, sort, inspect.
Tumble for a few minutes to finish the job.

I wash new to me range pickup so that:
1- I can sort/inpect scavenged case bounty more easily CLEAN
2- Tumlbing media lasts 5x longer.