Easy case cleaning

[Ben]

I shot some 38 Specials a few days ago. They had a good bit of carbon and lube residue on them. My goal wasn't to shine them but to clean them of the carbon and lube residue.

I've found something that will clean them. Keep in mind that if you're looking for a mirror bright finish on your brass, this isn't for you, but if you want clean brass , this will do it. Clean brass without the expense of purchasing a tumbler, media, etc.

I full length sized & de-primed my cases, cleaned the primer pockets and dumped everything into a 2 gallon plastic pail. I covered the cases with the Castrol degreaser and allowed the brass to sit in the de-greaser for 5 minutes.

At the end of the 5 minutes, I poured the degreaser back into it's original container.

Flushed the cases clean with a hose pipe, had to do this about 5 times until there were no signs of any degreaser residue in the rinse water.

Put everything out in the 95 degree bright sun using a flat black surface in the pan to collect the heat. The cases were left in the sun for 2 hrs. They were so hot at the end of the 2 hours that they were VERY uncomfortable to hold in your bare hands.

I'll let them cool off to room temp and load them.

Thanks,

Ben

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/CASTROL-SUPER-CLEAN-GAL.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0001-64.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0002-45.jpg

[ilcop22]

I'd be wary about using that product, personally. It contains Sodium Hydroxide (Lye), which can react negatively with brass. Citric acid does the same job without the hazards.

[Ben]

ilcop22

You have personally de-greased brass and removed burned on carbon with citric acid ?

[btroj]

That looks interesting. I just can't buy that it was only 95 degrees in the sun in Alabama.

If it decreases then I am interested. Residual lube on my 32-20 brass is always a pain. It attracts dust in the tumbler and leaves a deposit. I don't like that. A degreaser would help remove that residual lube.

[Ben]

I've been using this stuff for a long time, if it has damaged any of my brass, I'm unaware of it.

I don't have any more case failures with it as opposed to not using it ? ?

Ben

[Lonestar22]

There are a myriad of ways to clean brass, some are more labor intensive than others. In the 54 years I have been a handloader; I have used two items for brass cleaning, ground walnut shells, and ground corn cobb. The walnut when I want clean brass with a satin finish, and corn cobb after walnut cleaning when I want bright shiny brass. Most of the time I settle for the satin look.
I dump brass and walnut in the vibratory cleaner, and four hours later I’ve got clean brass. That’s about as much work and time as I want to invest.

[dragon813gt]

Citric acid is the easiest way to clean brass completely. There are a few chemical processes that go on that actually protect the brass after removing them from the sollution. I use a citric acid wash in an ultrasonic because I have one and do small batches at a time Just soaking them in the sollution and stirring occasionally will yield the same results.

Just run a search for cleaning brass with citric acid. There is plenty to read on the subject.


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[btroj]

Ow does the citric acid do at removing lube residue on the cases? I am not looking to remove tarnish or carbon fouling. I am far more concerned with the bit o lube that remain in the case neck or around the outside of the case mouth.

A degreaser would remove these quite well, I don't think the citric acid would.

And that Golden Bullet award that Ben has, it means he has been around the block a few times. When he says something works well, I tend to take note.

[dragon813gt]

Add dishwashing soap to the mix if you want to degrease the cases. And I have no idea what a golden bullet award is so why does it matter?


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[btroj]

The Golden Bullet award is given by the owner of this site to those who have contributed in a significant way over the years to the general knowledge base of this site.

The recipients of the award tend to be somewhat revered on this site for their knowledge base.

[LUBEDUDE]

In my opinion Ben definitely deserves The Golden Bullet Award. I really enjoy his contributions and learn something in the process.

[Bullfrog]

Personally I use lizard bedding, which is ground up walnut shell about the size of ground coffee. I add a little bit of nu shine car cleaner (maybe a table spoon to new media) and tumble about an hour or two and it cleans quite well.

[Freightman]

I shoot black powder in my 45/70's and drop them in a dish soap/citric acid/ water jug. Slosh them around after a day, then dump the water around my trees (makes them grow) and put them in my tumbler with some rice and bb's cleans them almost like new. Then deprime them as the rice sticks in the holes if you do it before tumbling. No I do not size for my black powder.

[geargnasher]

One needs a "base" to emulsify greases and waxes in a water solution. Citric acid won't do this very well on it's own, but that's not what we use it for. Citric acid is for reducing tarnish oxides and passivating the metal, meaning that after it reacts with the metal oxides the surface is more stable against oxidation. Citric acid does particularly well on brass and stainless steel, such as sinks and cartridge brass.

Most any acid other than citric will actually dissolve zinc, even in mild concentration and short exposure, this is why acetic acid (vinegar) and many others in brass-cleaning products are so harmful to cartridge brass.

A short exposure to a strong base like Ben is offering up as a tip here isn't going to hurt the brass. I'm surprised he still shares his tips with us, seems that every time he does the whole world piles on and either offers up some unqualified criticism or simply says that "they" do it a different way even though they haven't tried what he was suggesting. Sheesh.

Here's my response to Ben's thread: I do it a bit differently depending on brass condition. I boil my dirty range brass in a big pot with rainwater, Lemon Joy dish detergent, and citric acid, rinse in hot rainwater, drain in a collander, and pour out on a big piece of cardboard, sheetrock, or plywood in the sun to dry. This removes tarnish, passivates, and cleans out most of the carbon. After that, I give it a light tumble with plain cob or walnut and some Nu-Finish liquid silicone car polish. If it gets too greasy and carboned-up from use, I use a similar degreaser with rainwater, put in a 5-gallon bucket, and shake for about 5 minutes, rinse and dry. It works great, and this is a good tip.

Gear

[Ben]

Gear,

I've got a thick skin. Not a problem for me.

My theory is " If you like the idea, try it..............If you don't like the idea, move on. Pretty simple really.

Ben

[btroj]

Well stated Ben.

I think I may try boiling some cases in water with a detergent added. I am softly looking for a degreasing method. I may look at the degreaser Ben is using. Beats having to boil a big ol pot of brass. Then again, hot brass might dry quicker.

Thanks for another grea idea Ben.

[btroj]

[smilie=b:I forgot to say this before. - Gear, shouldn't you be making or testIng lube instead of posting here?

Get back to work.

[guidogoose]

I have used hot water and a couple drops of laundry soap with good success. By the time the water is room temperature, the cases are degreased good enough for me. Finish in the tumbler with walnut shell media.

[geargnasher]

[smilie=b:I forgot to say this before. - Gear, shouldn't you be making or testIng lube instead of posting here?

Get back to work.

Nah. That's why I have all my lube-testing minions brainwashed into doing it for me! :kidding:

BTW, if you just use the degreaser and soft water to clean the cases, you don't need to boil them, in fact they oxidize less if you don't, although you're right about them drying faster. The sun is your friend for drying cases.

Gear

[atr]

hey Ben,,I'm with you on this one....I've been using the same product and the real key is to flush the cases clean after they have soaked in this chemical

[Ben]

atr

Yes, I think if you flush many times ( I usually do the rinse in cold tap water 4 - 5 times ) until the water is " bubble free ", I think you'll be just fine.

Ben

[atr]

well I hate using clean water....so I use the rain water which Ive collected in the horse trough,,,,rinse them through in a wire collander,,,,sun dry

[Ed in North Texas]

I've used lots of gallons of Super Clean, and the slightly less expensive "Purple Power" clone. Both are great degreasers and cleaners (super for cleaning bug spots off boats kept in a lighted marina dock). Hadn't used them for cleaning brass, but it's good to know they work well there too.

Ed

[Rockchucker]

Dawn dish washing detergent seems to work quite well also, especially if mixed with Lemi Shine.

[1hole]

Actually, cleaning the lube/soot off straight walled cases before sizing in carbide dies is not a good technique.

Carbide dies DO benefit from lube and such 'dirty' cases are the way carbide dies were originally expected to be used. Then came the vib tumbler craze and folks got the idea that surgically clean cases would be better for sizers because few knew it resulted in galled brass sticking to the carbide and then scratching successive cases.

I know of several people who tossed galled carbide sizers because they were "scratched", supposedly by stray "dirt" on a few cases. Not so, it takes diamond to cut or scratch tungstun carbide and dirt simply can't do it. I've salvaged a few such dies by simply spinning a snug fitting lap made with wood dowel wrapped with 400-600 grit carbide sandpaper in s high speed drill until the galled brass was removed; worked fine and the dimensions of the die were unchanged.

'Greasy' cases can be quickly, easily and cheaply cleaned with a quick rinse in a bucket with mineral spirits/oderless paint thinner. Afterwards, let the dirty solution sit overnight and all the solids will settle. Then the clean stuff can be poured back into its container for reuse.

[MGySgt]

I just want to know how you dry your cases in the winter without sticking them in the oven.

[btroj]

Boiling water, a fan, and time.

[MGySgt]

The reason I ask is that I have been using acetone like forever to degrease and decarbon and remove sizing lube from my cases.

Acetone works great - but it is getting more expensive, even buying it by the gallon.

I throw 400 38 cases in a pan cover with acetone, come back 1 hour later, pour acetone back into the can spread the cases out on an old towel and 5 minutes later it has evaporated. I then put them in the tumbler.

And no I don't do this in the house. My casting shed and only when I am not casting. Acetone is highly flamabol and the fumes are not too good for you either. I turn on my casting exhaust fan while the cases are soaking.

[dragon813gt]

I just want to know how you dry your cases in the winter without sticking them in the oven.

Hot water, a towel and then straight into the tumbler. Most of the water is gone after the towel since the brass is hot and helps the water evaporate. The little that is left is taken care of by the tumbler.


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[marklyftogt]

If you don't leave them in for very long and flush completely it shouldn't be a problem. If you let them soak for a week or two...that might be a problem:)

[btroj]

Acetone works but the smell, volatility, and flammability make me leary of using it.

Currently I justuse a tumbler for everything but a grease cutter used first would have some merit in specific cases.

[felix]

The use of a powerful grease cutter works as intended here. Paint thinner, any of the tri-chloro-x-anes, whatever is on sale wherever is what I use. I typically denature any of a first runwith juice from the last throw-away run to put some wax in the first. Circle jerk the cases in a plastic bucket for no more than a minute or two. Dump onto the concrete in full sun using cardboard, old newspapers, etc. Dry usually within an hour. Then decap and size and then store if there is no remaining smell. Paint thinner typically is a culprit, and so those cases must be stored away from the insides of the house for several days. ... felix

Don't use MEK, or any hydrocarbon "carbon" killer. Both are far too medically dangerous. If using gloves and nose protection, well, OK. ... felix

High ph soap solutions are best for cases dropped into the mud, or range pickups. This is because of the detergent effects, such as for womans' bras, i.e., lift and separate. Tumbler typically required to get out the very fine sand. ... felix

[Junior1942]

I've been using this method for years.

1. gallon milk jug.
2. squirt of dishwashing liquid
3. hot water
4. shake shake shake, shake your booty.
5. dump dirty hot soapy water and refill jug with cold water.
6. repeat #4
7. drain brass in sink and spread out on old newspaper.
8. put a small fan to blowing across the brass if you think it might be slow to dry.
9. The next day, congratulate yourself on your clean brass at almost zero cost.

[MGySgt]

Acetone works but the smell, volatility, and flammability make me leary of using it.

Currently I justuse a tumbler for everything but a grease cutter used first would have some merit in specific cases.

I would guess that you don't store gasoline for lawnmower, chain saw, etc. I store and use the acetone out of the house. Been using it since about 79 or 80.

My problem now is that I am getting ready to retire and the cost of it. It is running about $20.00 a gallon, I use about 4 gallons a year - $80 can go for powder/primers.

On second thought maybe it isn't as expensive as I thought. I use it until my cases feel sticky after drying (normally from the case lube) the boolit lube left and powder residue on the cases doesn't seem to bother it as much as the lanolin in the case lube.

That was when I was shooting over 1,000 rounds a month. Hope to get back to that after I retire the end of next month.

Of course with the extra time I should have maybe I can use some of these other solutions.

[Junior1942]

I've been using this method for years.

1. gallon milk jug.
2. squirt of dishwashing liquid
3. hot water
4. shake shake shake, shake your booty.
5. dump dirty hot soapy water and refill jug with cold water.
6. repeat #4
7. drain brass in sink and spread out on old newspaper.
8. put a small fan to blowing across the brass if you think it might be slow to dry.
9. The next day, congratulate yourself on your clean brass at almost zero cost.

PS: 10. Shiny brass, like shiny shoes, has no effect on accuracy.

[MGySgt]

Junior - that is great for 10 cases or probably 50 cases - what about 1,000 or 1,500?

When I process 38, 44, 45 acp I am usually doing 500 - 2,000 at a time. I do them in batches. Even my 45/70's are normally 100 - 150 at a time.

[1874Sharps]

Have any of you fellows used an ultrasonic cleaner, such as the one made by Hornady? It works quite well for either smokeless or BP cases with an appropriate fluid. By the way, my wife and I repair watches for local jewelers and therefore have clock cleaning solution. It is ammoniated and formulated to clean brass. This stuff really works great, too! It is available from various watch parts supply houses.

[Junior1942]

Junior - that is great for 10 cases or probably 50 cases - what about 1,000 or 1,500?

When I process 38, 44, 45 acp I am usually doing 500 - 2,000 at a time. I do them in batches. Even my 45/70's are normally 100 - 150 at a time.As long as you have room in the jug for shaking, you'll have clean cases. Besides, there's no law against using the jug twice.

I just finished cleaning 31, 222 Rem cases. I used a circa 32 oz peanut jar. They're under a fan drying as I write this. I'll prime them late this afternoon.

I think 100 45-70 cases or 250 357/38 cases would fit in a gallon milk jug with plenty of shaking room.

[rasto]

When you use a car frequently put a brass into a barrel together with citric acid and hot water and put it into a trunk.
After few hours it is ready for flush and dry.

[Longwood]

Have any of you fellows used an ultrasonic cleaner, such as the one made by Hornady?


I watched and waited then finally scored one off of Ebay.
I got one of the Harbor Freight ones for less than half of their sale price and I like it a lot.
I use either Zep or Maintex citric acid cleaner,, or,,, a good industrial degreaser such as "Greased Ligtning" that I get at Home Depot an add a citric acid.
Around 20-30 minutes in the sonic cleaner with an occasional stir,,,, quick sink rinse in a colander,,, dump into big towel,,,, grab the four corners and roll them back and forth in the towel,,, then about an hour in the vibrator cleaner with lizard bedding,, about $9 in BB's and red Tripoli rouge.
The little bit of moisture left inside the brass does not seem to do anything other than help control the dust..
What used to take all night, with less spectacular results, is now a quick and simple job.
I don't do as one person says to do and dump my media until it slows way down and turns pretty dark. If need be, I add more rouge.
After separating from the cleaning, polishing process, with a colander, I then run the brass for a few seconds in some clean lizard bedding with nothing in it but Nu-Finish.
Putting dryer sheets in the vibrator helps slow that down.

[Longwood]

When you use a car frequently put a brass into a barrel together with citric acid and hot water and put it into a trunk.
After few hours it is ready for flush and dry.

An American teenager would wear out the brass in one day.
They waste their gas too wear out their brakes.:shock:

[Boyscout]

I have used Lemishine (dishwasher additive) which can be purchased at the grocery store. It is citric acid based. It seems to clean most tarnish off the brass quickly and I follow up with a couple of hot water rinses and lay out to dry. I find it helpful with dirty brass and it makes inspection easier. It comes in powder form and is easy to store. I will usually decap brass first so it can work on the primer pockets.

[guidogoose]

How do clean brass for free and with out any special equipment or supplies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF5B6DkxXH8&list=UUw02LOPGRYM7QiVnfJuOrvA&index=103&feature=plcp

[Ben]

How do clean brass for free and with out any special equipment or supplies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF5B6...3&feature=plcp

*******************************************

I doubt that my wife would think that was a
very good idea in her new washer she bought recently ?

[guidogoose]

How do clean brass for free and with out any special equipment or supplies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF5B6...3&feature=plcp

*******************************************

I doubt that my wife would think that was a
very good idea in her new washer she bought recently ?

Quite possibly, but there's nothing that says you would have to tell her......

[btroj]

Marital harmony is far more important than clean brass.

I feel I am pushing it because I use the washing machine to clean the rags I use in my fun cleaning and reloading activities.

[guidogoose]

Marital harmony is far more important than clean brass.

I feel I am pushing it because I use the washing machine to clean the rags I use in my fun cleaning and reloading activities.

All of my rags are one time use. I use old t shirts. I tell people I know that I want their old T shirts that are torn, stained, or didn't sell at their garage sale, etc. I have bags and bags of them.