Wet stainless pin tumbling

[ColColt]

After a three hour tumble yesterday my cases today had a tarnished look but I don't know for sure if my annealing them had anything to do with that or not. The got a second run through the other Lyman 1200 and now look better.

[Bayou52]

After a three hour tumble yesterday my cases today had a tarnished look but I don't know for sure if my annealing them had anything to do with that or not. The got a second run through the other Lyman 1200 and now look better.

That's a very fast reappearance of tarnish on the brass - just one day.

Just curious, what was your recipe for that batch?

[ColColt]

All five pounds of the pins, 40 cases, 1/4 tsp of Lemi-Shine and a squirt of Dawn for three hour spin. And, just enough water to cover the brass.

Tarnish may be a little too strong...more like dull as compared to when I first took them out of the tumbler.

[Bayou52]

Tarnish may be a little too strong...more like dull as compared to when I first took them out of the tumbler.

I've also noticed that immediately after tumbling, the brass has more of a high, bright yellow appearance. After being laid out, this high, bright yellow color becomes more of a richer, golden color. The Amor-All wash & wax seems to have allowed the brass to retain more of that high, bright yellow appearance. Sounds similar to the results reported from the use of Nu-Finish.

Bayou52

[Dale in Louisiana]

Follow the instructions found on the STM site. Don't over do the Lemishine or citric acid. Rinse well. Let me say that again, rinse well. The first time I used the tumbler, I didn't. I oven-dried, had a tray of shiny brass. The next day it was obviously tarnished.

On the next try, I rinsed through several changes of water. It's still shiny.

dale in Louisiana

[w0fms]

Thanks for the heads up on the Armor-all wash and wax. I read that elsewhere before. I'd like to try that -- AND -- the NuFinish. I have hard-ish well water and I think that causes the tarnish. After a month or so (I know, shoot more.. it's hard with a full time job, four kids and the local range always being closed for CCW classes every weekend) they are about two shades more "brassy" colored... like a trumpet would be colored though.

They are fine and look as good as new ammo. But they are just so "purdy" right out of the pins... If that will give me one shade lighter I'd do it!

Fred

[ColColt]

On the next try, I rinsed through several changes of water. It's still shiny.

That could have been my problem. Not that they still don't look good but I just gave them a lick and a promise rinsing.

[Bayou52]

Thanks for the heads up on the Armor-all wash and wax. I read that elsewhere before. I'd like to try that -- AND -- the NuFinish.

Fred -

If you do wet tumble first with the Armor-All and then do a follow-up dry tumble with NuFinish, could you please post your results?

I'd be interested in learning the outcome. Thanks -

Bayou52

[xacex]

I have been using just 2 cap-fulls of Armorall wash and wax with .5cc dipper of LS with great success with the HF 6 pound rock tumbler. It does more brass faster, and cleaner than my vibrating tumbler. No tarnish with the wash and wax. Now I need a food dehydrator to dry my brass faster.
With this unit I am using 1 pound of pins for each drum, and filling it up to almost the top with brass. Add LS, soap, warm water, and in a couple hours they are perfect, like new! I have some in right now that I trimmed to see it it will take care of deburring for me as well.

[rondog]

I've found that I have to dump my brass onto a cotton towel, dry them off with another cotton towel, then spread them out on a cotton movers blanket in the sun to dry. They'll stay shiny this way. When I just spread them out wet on a cheap non-absorbent movers blanket in the sun, they'd tarnish right before my eyes.

[Bayou52]

When I just spread them out wet on a cheap non-absorbent movers blanket in the sun, they'd tarnish right before my eyes.

That's interesting. After tumbling, I simply put a towel in the rotary media separator with the wet brass. After rotating for 30-40 seconds, 90% + of the remaining moisture is absorbed. Then, I just air dry the brass for an hour or so in a plastic tray.

The tarnish does not seem to return, and there's nearly no effort to this technique.

Bayou52