Citric acid brass cleaner

[Guido4198]

Thanks... I'm going to give it a try. Should cut tumbling time a lot.

[willlong9]

So citric acid helps clean out the inside of the cases..... I don't have a tumbler yet. ( new guy ) I just wash them in dawn dish soap and hot water.

[WallyM3]

Well...there's a whole lot more to it than that, but it's an significant part of a complete management regimen.

I've discovered a number beneficial nuances of the process since "sagacious" gave life to this thread.

[SniderBoomer]

When I was younger, we had lots of Citric Acid crystals at hand for cleaning home-made wine making demijohns.

I worked in a station, where some joker was safecracking our lockers on other shifts, and helping themselves to our coffee and sugar.

One night, we replaced the sugar jar with citric acid. They look identical.

No more of the 6-feet tall mouse stealing our sugar... (don't try this, if you have metal fillings in your mouth, the pain is instant and quite indescribable)

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Limishine, I think is the name of an additive for your diswasher to get dishes clean and spotless. Active ingredient is citric acid. Works with silver jewelery too.

[nemesisenforcer]

For a smart guy, I'm constantly amazed at how much I don't know.

Going to start this next load I have to clean.

[lreed]

I have just finished cleaning a five gal bucket of "gulf coast" pistol brass,brown,grungy stuff,but cheap. The citric acid treatment worked like magic,great stuff. Thanks lreed

[35Whelen]

$8 a kilogram ( thats 2.2lbs for the boys south of the 49th ) bought some today and cleaned up some old 30/06 brass I was going to chuck out. Thanks everyone, who would have ever thought we could generate 34 pages on this subject

[cbrick]

$8 a kilogram ( thats 2.2lbs for the boys south of the 49th ) bought some today and cleaned up some old 30/06 brass I was going to chuck out. Thanks everyone, who would have ever thought we could generate 34 pages on this subject

34 pages, 670 posts and 4 1/2 years. Must be something to it huh?

Rick

[spiritwalker]

34 pages, 670 posts and 4 1/2 years. Must be something to it huh?

Rick

That's what I'm beginning to think. I've actually used the citric acid treatment and the only way I can get my brass any cleaner and shinier would be to hand polish all of my brass.

[Dframe]

I don't use it all the time. But when I come into a quantity of REALLY REALLY filthy brass (Which I just recently did) there is just nothing better. I've noticed mine sometimes have a slight pinkish cast to them when the come out of the acid mix. Usually a paper towel wipe down takes care of it. If not a quick trip into the corncob will make them shine like new.

[beastybronco]

what happens if you use a metal pot with a non stick coating on the inside with the acid? Thats the only pan i have to heat up the solution with. Thanks

[huntincowboy]

I just use the hottest water I can get out of the tap in an old plastic bowl and it works great for me.

[300winmag]

Don't pay online prices for lemi-shime, it cheaper at Walmart and cheaper at the Dollar store.
Happy cleaning
300

[62chevy]

what happens if you use a metal pot with a non stick coating on the inside with the acid? Thats the only pan i have to heat up the solution with. Thanks

I agree hotter the better but I use a pan to heat the water and put the cases, lemi-shine and Dawn is a plastic coffee jug with a lid. Let it sit for an hour and shack every 10 to 15 minutes.

[Steve Steven]

I looked up three different products of the many versions available, seems like "LemiShine Origional" is the one to use, it has up to 100% of "Supplier Trade Secret" material which must be Citric acid. Lists up to 5% other "Supplier Trade Secret" material, probably scent or something. Walmart locally (Virginia) has it for $7 for 24oz.

Here is the web site with the MSDS list.

http://lemishine.com/system/130-2/

Steve

[RP]

Look over in the canning section they sell critic acid there also if you want a lot look at bakery supplies you can get a lot cheap if you want to order it.

[altheating]

At Walmart check next to the dish washer detergents. My local walmart has two kinds, Lemishine and one in a blue and white bottle. I have both and both work equally well. I cut a high base 12 gauge she'll off at the top of the brass as a measure for the limishine. One measure to two gallons hot water and a small squirt of cheap dish soap.

[depoloni]

Pricing update if anyone's cares. Midwesterners may be familiar with Meijer superstores...

Purchased 4 cans of "Ball" brand citric today in the housewares isle with the canning stuff. 7.5 oz per jar (4x = 30oz) at $2.49 per.
Works good. Always had just-fine results using ONLY detergent/dawn and water with the stainless pins, but this will speed up the necessary cycle time considerably. Isn't worth the minimal cost NOT to use it!

[Bongo Boy]

I've not used anything labeled as citric acid, but I use an Alconox product called 'Citrinox' which is citric acid based. I used roughly 2 ounces or so of the concentrate in my 1 gallon ultrasonic cleaner, and in 8 minutes I have brass that looks like it just came from the Starline factory--and in the primer pockets, which is my main concern. I stopped tumbling completely several years ago because I saw no point--for me, tubling got the outside of the cases looking pretty, but besides leaving rouge all over the place, it didn't do a damn think for the inside of the cases or, even more importantly, the primer pockets. Didn't see the point.

The only downside is that your cases are now wet. But I live in Colorado, so they won't be wet in 20 minutes. It's a little pricey by the time Amazon ships a gallon to me, but I believe a gallon would clean several thousand cases. Most of the time I don't clean my fired brass at all, but every now and then I like to 'start fresh', and ultrasonic with Citrinox is, or me, the answer.