Any 'homebrew' brass polish recipes?

[Tristan]

I've been using something recommended to me a while back, and it seems to work great.

It's Nu Finish auto polish/wax with a small addition of a small amount of mineral spirits. The measurements are critical - basically a couple good glops of the new finish in new tumbling media, and a capfull of mineral spirits; tumble a while to evenly distribute and then add the brass.

On average tarnish/grimy cases, it can get them looking like new in 2-3 hours.

When the mix gets 'dry' - add a little more spirits and polish and tumble to distribute.

After the media starts getting old, I add cut up t-shirt material, couple patches or so, to help gather up the grime and dust. Discard the patches when they get filthy.

What's your recipes?

[ErikT]

I use an old rock polishing tumbler to wet polish my brass, so I use 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 or 4 drops of liquid dish soap, and enough water to cover the brass. Tumble for an hour or two, and they look like new. My only complaint is I have to wait for the brass to dry.

Erik.

[zomby woof]

I believe Nu-finish should be avoided. It is a wax. I have tried it. it makes the brass too slippery. It does make it look and feel nice. You want the brass to grab the chamber.

I like my brass clean and shiny, not clean, shiny and slippery.

[GeneT]

I like Nu-Finish and I use it without the addition of mineral spirits. It is no more lubricious than sizing lube.

I disagree that you want the brass to grab the chamber - and a better explanation than I'm willing to type is here: http://varmintal.com/a243z.htm.

GsT

[waksupi]

I like Nu-Finish and I use it without the addition of mineral spirits. It is no more lubricious than sizing lube.

I disagree that you want the brass to grab the chamber - and a better explanation than I'm willing to type is here: http://varmintal.com/a243z.htm.

GsT

You may want to go back and re-assess that article. I gather apparently just opposite of what you do from it.

[Adam10mm]

I believe Nu-finish should be avoided. It is a wax.

There is also NuFinish polish. Use the polish, not the wax. We are polishing the brass, not waxing it.

[johnlaw484]

Soak tarnished brass in Cider Vinegar, then tumble as before.

[HeavyMetal]

Depends on how "dirrty" the brass is and it's size.

For some real bad 308 case's I used rice and a cup of comet then ran them through some walut shell with Turtle wax rubbing compound mixed in.

Rice is a very aggressive cleaner but doesn't do well with smaller case's like 222 or 223. 30 call or bigger it just pours out the case mouth.

I have also used Birchwod casey's brass cleaner. This is a concentrated liquid you mix up and then drop the brass in for 5 minutes. The down side of this stuff is to long a bath leaves a strange color to the case.

Have not tried the Lemon juice trick yet, next tough batch of brass I will give that a try.

[Hondo Lane]

I use an old rock polishing tumbler to wet polish my brass, so I use 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 or 4 drops of liquid dish soap, and enough water to cover the brass. Tumble for an hour or two, and they look like new. My only complaint is I have to wait for the brass to dry.

Erik.

Do you use real squeezed lemon or the stuff in the plastic lemon container?

[Wally]

I use crushed walnut shells and add paint thinner, Charcoal strater, or Naptha--about 1/2 an ounce--it will shine up your brass beautifully. I also add 1/2 of a paper towel that I pour the fluid on then cut into two---it will absorb the dust. You replace it with every other batch. You can also use used color catchers one uses when washing clothes...it works even better.

[ErikT]

Do you use real squeezed lemon or the stuff in the plastic lemon container?

Just the store-bought container juice works fine. My only complaint is that it doesn't clean the inside of the brass, but really, who cares? It's just going to be fired again. An interesting development, though, has been with my black powder cartridges. The black powder fouling seems to react with the lemon juice, and my brass has been coming out black. Nice and shiny, but black (if that makes any sense!) At least it makes it easier for me to sort my brass. Looks cool in my shell belt, too.

Erik.

[mold maker]

The amount of wax left on polished brass, when using Nu Finish, is not nearly enough to cause a problem in the chamber.
Another benefit is the brass wont tarnish from finger prints nearly as soon.

[DLCTEX]

Ok guys, check out the thread on citric acid case cleaning in the Shooting part of the forum. Cleans inside and out, stops tarnishing, and then tumble with corn cob with Nu Finish polish added. Easiest case cleaning I've ever done and very satisfactory results.

[mike in co]

I believe Nu-finish should be avoided. It is a wax. I have tried it. it makes the brass too slippery. It does make it look and feel nice. You want the brass to grab the chamber.

I like my brass clean and shiny, not clean, shiny and slippery.

right!


lol

sorry it is not an issue........

mike in co

[Hondo Lane]

Just the store-bought container juice works fine. My only complaint is that it doesn't clean the inside of the brass, but really, who cares? It's just going to be fired again. An interesting development, though, has been with my black powder cartridges. The black powder fouling seems to react with the lemon juice, and my brass has been coming out black. Nice and shiny, but black (if that makes any sense!) At least it makes it easier for me to sort my brass. Looks cool in my shell belt, too.

Erik.

Just like the good old days. I don't think buffaloe hunters polished their brass. It too had to turn black over time.

[mike in co]

Just like the good old days. I don't think buffaloe hunters polished their brass. It too had to turn black over time.

right...and they did not have scopes........computers .....load programs....nice primers and powder we have today....i guess i will just have to suffer with my polished brass.....

[Hondo Lane]

right...and they did not have scopes........computers .....load programs....nice primers and powder we have today....i guess i will just have to suffer with my polished brass.....

Surprising what a man will put up with in this day and time...

[Yellowhouse]

Ah, but a good many Sharps were fitted with telescopic sights. And the Conrad & Rath records at Ft Griffin show many a gallon of vinegar being part of the staples. Cider vinegar had medicinal purposes for sure but I'm betting that a diluted solution was used to help clean up brass and remove verdigris.

[Gelandangan]

Pop em brass into citric acid solution.. a couple of minutes later they all came out shiny regardless of the prior condition.

no need to polish

[excavman]

Gelandangan,
I've been to Oz, but that was a long time ago, 1968 R&R. My citric acid powder musta' come from a different kind of lemon, it doesn't work quite that good.
Larry