Question for Lemi-Shine Users

[GRUMPA]

My wife and I kid ourselves because if there's something going to happen it's going to happen to us first. Just cracked open my last container of Lemi-Shine this morning, everything went just like normal and went to dump out the first batch of the day and it looked like the brass got dipped in used engine oil, not oily just that dirty oil look on the brass.

I was trying all sorts of things figuring it was something I was doing so I added more soap than normal, hot water, cold water, so on and so forth. Then instead of 1 scoop of Lemi-Shine (9mm case full) I used 2 and then they came out just like brand new just like they always have.

I figure I must have got a weaker batch or something I never had to use 2 scoops before, has this ever happen to anyone else out there?

[runfiverun]

it's 96% citric acid.
you mighta just got some more of the other 4%

[Tom Myers]

Did the water you used come from a water softener unit?

I found that if I use water soon after the softener has recycled and freshened the brine, my cases appeared to have been tumbled in roofing tar.

I now use either distilled water or water from the garden hose that has not been through the softener and the cases are always clean and shiny.

[shotman]

tom is RIGHT about water. it will take that 96% to 40% very fast. try the "baby" water the stores sell its about distilled but much cheaper

[noylj]

Hasn't happened to me, yet. Can't imagine buying "special" water.
Wonder if you can use a pool tester for pH?

[blikseme300]

Yep, water problem. Was puzzled when I had the same experience. Tasted the water and it dawned on me as I had manually flushed the water unit about 30 minutes before.


Bliksem
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[felix]

Ph meter would be nice. Or use the chemical phenolphthalein, an acid-base indicator that's colorless in acid and red in base. Or use the swimming pool kit for Ph. ... felix

[GRUMPA]

Did the water you used come from a water softener unit?

I found that if I use water soon after the softener has recycled and freshened the brine, my cases appeared to have been tumbled in roofing tar.

I now use either distilled water or water from the garden hose that has not been through the softener and the cases are always clean and shiny.

Maybe I should have put that little detail in the first post, but I'm on well water and so far it's always been the same.


tom is RIGHT about water. it will take that 96% to 40% very fast. try the "baby" water the stores sell its about distilled but much cheaper


I do have distilled water on hand I use for my batteries (I'm on solar and use 2gal a month) but I tried that in the past with no difference at all.

[sparky45]

Exact thing happened to me on my first batch. I spoke to a gent that got me into using the SS Media and he said I didn't use enough dish soap, specifically Dawn dish soap. I re-ran the "sludge" a viola, clean brass. I have never had the problem sense heeding his advise. BTW, I bought some 300 BO brass from you about 6 months ago and it's been excellent; I can't remember if I told you Thanks.
sparky45

[Mike Hughes]

After reading this thread last night, It got me to thinking about what ph level would be ideal for cleaning the brass. I have read that you need to put enough to get to a certain level, after that, there is no benefit of adding more. I have a electronic ph meter from a hydroponic tomato project (project was aborted after receiving first electric bill). Those grow lights really eat up the kilowatts. Back to subject at hand, do any of you chemist guys know what ph # we should be shooting for? I always just use my well water and add pure citric acid. My water is 7.4 out of the faucet ( 7.0 is ph neutral) I started with 1 gal of water and added 1 tbsp of citric acid and ph showed to be 1.6. I added another tbsp and the level only went down to 1.4. This has me thinking that with water close to ph neutral, 1 tbsp per gal is giving you close to the full benefit. Any more seems to be a waste. Is this correct? I was really surprised that the 2nd tbsp made such a small difference. Looks like I may have been wasting a lot of citric acid as I had been putting 2 to 3 tbsp per gallon

[Dave Bulla]

Stupid question probably but what is Lemi-shine?

Sounds like maybe some over the counter citrus cleaner that makes for brass cleaning without tumbling? If so, I'm interested.

[vonzep]

Dave, walmart sells it in the dishwashing isle. It comes in gel and granular form. You want the granular form. Its cheap and works well

[nicholst55]

Stupid question probably but what is Lemi-shine?

Sounds like maybe some over the counter citrus cleaner that makes for brass cleaning without tumbling? If so, I'm interested.

You can also buy powdered citric acid at Wal Mart in the canning department. I think I paid $2.97 for a bottle about 2 months ago.

[vonzep]

I get that sludge from time to time too!

What do you all do to keep the brass shiny and not spotted? Mine always dries and dulls. Its not such a big deal most of the time as I dont like shiny,shiny brass. But from time to time a local wants to buy some brass and wants "the shine".

[GRUMPA]

My stuff stays on the shiny side for only about 2-3 months and at that point it starts to fade to where it's noticeable. The key is to dry them as soon as you take them out of the water and rinse them off, I use a beach towel and dry them off within a minute of being rinsed off.

Now if you want them to stay shiny longer you'll need to put the cases in corn cob media with Nu-Finish or something like that to create an oxygen barrier and the shine will last a lot longer.

[felix]

Correct, Mike Hughes. Might even work fast and good enough at ph 4 or so. Whatever that is, keep adjustment there to conserve on the acid. Watch for final copper colors changing to too dark at the selected ph. If so, change water and start over. ... felix

[Mike Hughes]

Thanks Felix,
I will try a batch at ph level 4. At that rate, my 2 pounds of citric acid is going to last a long time! That citric acid is some potent stuff! Bought it on ebay for $10 shipped. Looks like it may be enough to clean 100,000 cases

[Lizard333]

What kind of case lube are you using? I use lanolin and alcohol. Home made but it is the same as Dillon's. If too much lube us on the brass and I don't add enough soap I get that dull looking brass like you described. Happens every once in a while. Add some more soap and run it again. Your lemishine is fine.

Lately I have been rinsing all of my lubed brass in a hot water bath with some simple green. Haven't had a problem since I have been doing this.

[Tomuchiron]

I rinsed some shells and then did a light sudsey wash and rinse with ZIP WAX. Seems to have made the shine last a lot longer. I'm going to continue doing this. Has anybody else tried this for keeping the tarnish down.
Mike

[GRUMPA]

What kind of case lube are you using? I use lanolin and alcohol. Home made but it is the same as Dillon's. If too much lube us on the brass and I don't add enough soap I get that dull looking brass like you described. Happens every once in a while. Add some more soap and run it again. Your lemishine is fine.

Lately I have been rinsing all of my lubed brass in a hot water bath with some simple green. Haven't had a problem since I have been doing this.

I always use Lanolin and Vaseline and it's a 50/50 mix that I've used from day 1. I always have a routine when I do things and every now and then the other half joins in to help out when things get busy, so the routine has always been the same no matter what. Since I opened the new container I now have to double up on the Lemi-Shine, the amount of Dawn has always been the same from day 1.

I do like the idea that Felix gave though, problem is CRS kicks in when I go to town (maybe once a month if that) I write it down on my list but I forget to take the list :veryconfu, and there's only 1 place in town that I know of that just might have a Ph Meter.

[popper]

My tap water is pretty alkaline so it takes a bit more lemishine and soap. Still cheaper than distilled h2o. I have a problem with the black crud settling to the bottom of my US cleaner - hard to get off if I forget to dump the stuff out. Dad told me once that moth balls would slow down the tarnishing. Now I know why his mom's silver chest smelled so bad.

[Kydaddy]

Could be dirty media. About once every 5 or 6 loads run a batch with no media and just soap

[geargnasher]

I always use rainwater. It's distilled by mother nature and is also free unless you live in a state stupid enough to forbid collecting a few buckets full.

Gear

[Bonz]

How much NuFinish do you add to the corncob media to keep the shine on the brass ?

Also, I just recently tried sealing the brass in a plastic bag after it was completely dry to see if that helps.

[Kydaddy]

I use one capful

[Kydaddy]

Also I soak the brass in fresh water and lemi-shine or ten minutes after rinsing. Seems to help also

[jeff423]

After reading this thread last night, It got me to thinking about what ph level would be ideal for cleaning the brass. I have read that you need to put enough to get to a certain level, after that, there is no benefit of adding more. I have a electronic ph meter from a hydroponic tomato project (project was aborted after receiving first electric bill). Those grow lights really eat up the kilowatts. Back to subject at hand, do any of you chemist guys know what ph # we should be shooting for? I always just use my well water and add pure citric acid. My water is 7.4 out of the faucet ( 7.0 is ph neutral) I started with 1 gal of water and added 1 tbsp of citric acid and ph showed to be 1.6. I added another tbsp and the level only went down to 1.4. This has me thinking that with water close to ph neutral, 1 tbsp per gal is giving you close to the full benefit. Any more seems to be a waste. Is this correct? I was really surprised that the 2nd tbsp made such a small difference. Looks like I may have been wasting a lot of citric acid as I had been putting 2 to 3 tbsp per gallon

My guess is that the mix with 2 tbsp/gallon will clean twice as many cases as the mix with 1 tbsp/gallon. If you aren't cleaning many cases stick with 1 tbsp/gallon.

Jeff

[phil3333]

What kind of case lube are you using? I use lanolin and alcohol. Home made but it is the same as Dillon's. If too much lube us on the brass and I don't add enough soap I get that dull looking brass like you described. Happens every once in a while. Add some more soap and run it again. Your lemishine is fine.

Lately I have been rinsing all of my lubed brass in a hot water bath with some simple green. Haven't had a problem since I have been doing this.
I am thinking this, i got a batch like you described when i tumbled lubed brass,i dont tumble lubed brass anymore no more problems