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Thread: Citric acid brass cleaner

  1. #681
    Boolit Master
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    Here in Colorado as well. I admit a batch of 45 Colt went in the oven to dry off this evening, Convection bake at 200F for 10 mins

    I use food grade citric acid, 5 lbs bags usually ship to the house for $15 -$20 dollars. I use two table spoons and s good dollop of washing up liquid with a quart of hot water. Lasts me a long time. Never more than 5 mins, generally 3 mins in the solution. Stir the brass, empty the bucket, rinse with cool water. Brass is super clean inside and out - primer pockets too, as you note. The citric acid also passivates the brass. It'll stay tarnish free on the shelf for a very long time.

  2. #682
    Boolit Buddy Littlewolf's Avatar
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    thanks for the now food link i found a storethat carries citric acid right here about 3 miles from the house, YAY

  3. #683
    Boolit Mold
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    I just use lemon juice. It works fine.

  4. #684
    Boolit Master
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    Awesome.... Another way to add to the cleaning brass obsession!

  5. #685
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    Thumbs up

    for all you people that have Kidney Stones (only works on calcium stones) take a 32 oz bottle, place 2 ozs each of lemon juice, lime juice(cuts some of the tartness) and Apple cider vinegar. fill with water and add two packs of Wilers water flavor (your choice of flavor). Cap and shake well and sip 2--3 ozs. at a time. if two bitter add some sweet and low to sweeten. It will disolve CALCIUM stones, which will be urinated out as Calcium oxilate. it works for me and for everyone that I have told about it. It has worked for 35 years for me whenever the kidneys start to act up. Old wives remedy that WORKS. God Bless to all and theirs

    Goofyoldfart
    Last edited by goofyoldfart; 03-16-2015 at 01:01 AM. Reason: correct spelling
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  6. #686
    Boolit Master dougader's Avatar
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    I find citric acid online for $2.25/14.4 ounces but they wanted $13 for shipping! Went to the local winery/home brewing supply store and got food grade citric acid $4.50/pound.

  7. #687
    Boolit Bub

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    Is there a need to use a wet tumbler or does the citric acid work just sitting in a bucket of hot water ?

  8. #688
    Boolit Master



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    Bucket of hot water works just fine. I do tumble mine a bit one more time after they have been rinsed and dried
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  9. #689
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    I went to Home Depot and bought two plastic buckets, a 5/6 gallon with a lid and a 2-1/2 gallon that would fit inside the larger bucket. I then drilled a bunch of 5/16 holes into the bottom and lower sides of the 2-1/2 gallon bucket for drain holes. I place the cases into the 2-1/2 gallon bucket and then place it into the larger 5/6 gallon bucket that holds the lemi-shine. I shake the smaller 2-1/2 gallon bucket about once every 30 - 45 minutes to help make sure there are no air pockets trapped. I generally let the cases soak about 2 - 3 hours then drain as much citric acid as possible before rinsing in water with dish detergent followed by a fresh water rinse and then throw them into my tumbler for 15-20 minutes to dry them.

  10. #690
    Boolit Master Grapeshot's Avatar
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    I clean my cases after I anneal them with Tarn-X. I put the Tarn-X in a plastic tub full of brass and let them soak for a few minutes as I stir them around with a wooden paint stirrer. I then pour the entire batch into a bucket of warm water supper saturated with Baking Soda to neutralize the Muriatic Acid in the Tarn-X. Works great and the brass makes great Jackets for my .45's.
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  11. #691
    Boolit Master Ole Joe Clarke's Avatar
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    I'm a believer, I sipped the koolaide.

    Not really, but I just washed 200 plus deprimed hulls in hot water with 2 packs of kool aide mix added. Worked like a charm. I then rinsed the hulls in cold running water and put them in the sun to dry. Then I found some really dull and almost black hulls for a test, dropped them in the solution and in about 5 minutes they were turning bright. Kinda scary what we will give our kids and ourselves to put in our body.

  12. #692
    Boolit Master ErikO's Avatar
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    Not sure if it was mentioned in the five years of this thread but I found this source for bulk: http://www.bulkapothecary.com/raw-in...s/citric-acid/

    $26 shipped for an 8# order to St Louis, folks near Aurora, OH can pick up for $16.
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  13. #693
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I just get my CA at WalMart in the canning section. Works GREAT!!!!!! You can use the mix several times. Also cleans darkened FMJ's nicely.


    I just do it in a big plastic container. Hot tap water does it. Recycled....heat in the microwave.

    Amazing stuff that has been around for a looooooooooooong time!

  14. #694
    Love Life
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    Diesel labs will sell 5 lb bags of food grade citric cid for a very reasonable price on Amazon. It's what I use.

  15. #695
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by StarMetal View Post
    Thanks, I quit putting it in, but knowing that I guess I'll add it again.
    Keep in mind that hydrochloric acid will eat away any metal. It produces the metallic chloride salt and hydrogen gas. I would avoid soaking for any length of time if salt is added. Even diluted, HCl is considered a strong acid.

  16. #696
    Boolit Grand Master
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    HCl is too strong ionically to use as a case cleaner. Unlike H2SO4 (battery acid) the ionic strength of HCl is at a very high level at only 5-15%. It will leach the components (zinc and others) out of your brass, leaving only Cu behind and possibly weakening the cases.

    Citric acid is very low on the ionic strength scale and performs very well for cleaning brass without doing structural or metallurgical harm that I can determine.

    I clean brass clock movements in my big ultrasonics with "clock cleaner"...normally an ammoniated solution made from green soap, 30% printer's ammonia solution, acetic acid, acetone, and water. It is an amazing cleaning solution!!!! NOT for gun brass cases!!!!!!!! Anything with ammonia will weaken your brass. That means BRASSO! And TarnX is right up there as a no-no also.

    bangerjim

  17. #697
    Boolit Mold kdbarker's Avatar
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    I use "Lemi Shine" for all my case cleaning and polishing needs. Its made from citrus acids and available in most stores. I use this in my wet tumbler with a little dish soap... simple, cheap, non-toxic, and available everywhere.
    Cleans inside out and gets the primmer pockets nice and clean.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by kdbarker; 07-09-2015 at 10:28 AM.

  18. #698
    Boolit Master
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    Well I read the whole 35 pages. I have been using vinegar water dawn and salt it has been working ,but when I expand my case necks the case sticks and I shake the whole bench to remove it .so I tried the ball canning citric acid.I think it worked as good ,and the case does not stick as bad .I was always worried about the vinegar hurting the brass . I might clean the real bad brass with water,vin ,solution first .I am trying to catch up ,but I am at least 5 years behind. But studying and casting seams to be cuting in on my shooting I'll get ready to fix that . Going shooting.

  19. #699
    Boolit Bub
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    That's what I use too, the Ball Citric Acid found at Walmart along with the Ball canning jars now that there in season. I like mixing some with sugar and eating a little bit when I use it. Reminds me of those sour apple drinking straws I use to get. Works quick on the brass too. A lot of people put it in their tomatoes when canning. Ball Brothers in Muncie, Indiana was the first factory I worked in June 1967.

  20. #700
    Boolit Master
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    Going to try that sugar thing to eat on the next batch you have to love you some old mason jars.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check