Home made liquid case cleaner

[HotRodAl]

For those of you that like to do it yourself here is a recipe for liquid case cleaner that works really well, I've been using it for 10 years or so and its really {frugal} to make.

It will not damage your brass.

Here is a recipe for cleaning grungy brass,

1 quart of water
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup liquid laundry or dishwashing detergent

I use a net bag to place brass in and dip it into cleaner and let soak for 20 to 30 minutes, aggitating every 5 minutes or so. Rinse with water and towl dry, I usually tumble for 2 to 4 hours after.

[rugerman1]

HI AL! [smilie=s:

[45nut]

Thanks Al!

[Racer X]

I usually tumble for 2 to 4 hours after.

How clean do they get without tumbling? The thing I hate about tumbling is getting all the media out of the cases afterwards.

[ReAX222]

The media shouldn't stay in straight wall cases, and I have had pretty good luck with the Frankfort arsenal media separator. It shakes and beats the cases pretty well in just a few turns.

[hydraulic]

Just make sure the cases are dry before they go into the tumbler. Had the wife out shooting the other day and she had a misfire in her .38. Pulled the bullet and found dried, hardened tumbling media in the bottom of the case. Can't remember when I cleaned that .38 brass, but, then, I can't remember what I had for breakfast, either.

[Topper]

Thanks for the tip Al;-)
Now you got me thinking about another use for my newly acquired leaf blower.
Use one of my wife's old nylon stockings to suspend the wet brass in blast the water out:-)

[IcerUSA]

Welcome aboard Al, and thanks for the brass cleaner, I hate the smell of vinager tho LOL

[hunterldh]

For years I have been tumbling with corn cob media and I squirt in a little Westley's Concentrate Auto Polish. Works like a champ. I got the tip from a commercial reloader. I stocked up back then so I don't know if the stuff is still available. It was a Blue Coral product. - Hunter

[shooting on a shoestring]

I rarely tumble. Only do it when I want to impress someone (the older I get the less I care about that), or my brass is really dirty, like from dropping it in the mud, finding a disasterous lube recipe, or more than likely getting free range brass in the rotation. But when I do tumble, I get some good ventilation going, grab my air hose and blow each case out one at a time, turn it and blow through the opposite end. Often there's a bit of corn cob left in the flash hole. Before I turn loose of a piece of brass, I always sight through the flash hole just to make sure the hole goes all the way through. I'm sure I'm putting a fair amount of heavy metal particulate in the air when I do that, so its always in front of a good fan pointed out the overhead door.

[tommyn]

Hi Al welcome

[Shotgun Luckey]

Vinegar makes me think of french fries at the county fair...yum yum

[copdills]

welcome to the forum Al and thanks for the information

[DLCTEX]

I haven't had any problems with media stuck in the flash holes since switching to a finer ground corn cob, even in small primer holes. I still give them a blast of compressed air through the primer pocket a handfull at a time. DALE

[redbear705]

I used the water vinegar dawn dish soap for cleaning and boiled the lot for a half hour and it works well , the brass came out sparkling clean! but all polish and oil is removed and the brass will tarnish if no polish is applied to brass after the cleaning process.

I did use the oven to dry the brass after it was cleaned, as I was in a hurry to get the brass dry. Maybe the heat caused the tarnish?

JR

[Sig shooter]

Home depot tile cleaner with phosphoric acid . Dilute for a light cleaning - straight up for stepped on brown military brass . Warm water rinse with a towel dry / heat gun warm up .

[WildmanJack]

As far as Vinegar goes, my ex-wife had Tinea Versicola ( a skin fungus or so she said!)) and she used to bath in white vinegar EVERY NIGHT just before bed. I still can't eat a salad with dinner ! And the tumbling thing, hell I tried that a few weeks ago and dislocated my shoulder, sprained my neck, and broke a lamp in the livingroom. I'm gonna stick with a vibrator!!

[Dale53]

I can't understand the concerns about "tumbling media in flash holes". The first stage on my Dillon 550B is a "full length sizing and decapping die". Any media in the flash hole would be punched out along with the primer.

I have tumbled probably a couple hundred thousand cases (mostly the same few thousand a number of times[smilie=1:) and NEVER had a flash hole obstruction. I have NEVER had a clump of media stick in a case. I DO change my media when it becomes dirty (which is only after many uses..).

Dale53

[smokemjoe]

How would that work without the soap on copper.

[Mumblypeg]

I tumble mine first then lube and size them, that takes care of the flashole stuff. Then clean them in liquid to remove the lube. Warm oven for awhile dries them out.

[Jim]

Somebody on this forum told me years ago that vinegar hardens cases and causes them to fail much earlier than usual.

[bcp477]

Welcome to the forum. I have used approximately the same (homemade) case cleaner formula for a couple of years, always with good results. Last time I made a new batch, however, I omitted the vinegar and just used lemon juice, detergent and water. I am mildly allergic to vinegar anyway, so I thought I would give it a go without it. Same results - I can't see any difference. So, apparently, the acidic nature of the lemon juice (and the vinegar, for that matter), is the important issue. I cannot comment on the sustained performance of the mixture, i.e., whether it will be effective as long as the original formula, etc.....but it seems to work just fine. As it happens, I use Hornady Unique case lube - which is vegetable oil- based. Oddly enough, after washing the lubed cases (after re-sizing and trimming) in the homemade cleaner, they come out even cleaner and shinier than with the case lube I used before. Oh and I do not tumble cases - I never have. Perhaps the veg. oil has some positive effect, in combination with the lemon juice ? Anyway, the stuff works very well...and is cheap and environmentally friendly. Good enough for me.

Oh and (as someone else already mentioned) the cases cleaned this way WILL tarnish pretty quickly, if left out in the air.... that is not much of a concern for me. I simply store them in plastic bags, as soon as they air dry....which reduces the tarnishing problem.

[waksupi]

I believe that vinegar causes the copper to precipitate from the casing alloy. That is what you see, when there is a discolored spot on a case. Don't know if citrus would do the same, or not.

[remy3424]

I need to clean some cases that had Pyrodex used in them...Any special words of advise needed here???

[Dale53]

I have used Pyrodex in pistol cases a good bit (won a bunch of it at matches).

I decap the cases at the range (immediately after use) and drop them in a gallon milk jug half full of water with a couple of squirts of Dawn Dish Liquid. By the time you get home, most of the work is done. I then rinse them well in hot water direct from the faucet (while still in the jug - fill, shake and empty several times) then dump them in a colander:

http://www.usphome.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog_name=USPlastic&category_name=30912&product_id=30920&utm_source=google&gclid=CJHGx7vWxJQCFQSwFQod9lrlGg&cookie_test=1

and shake them a bit - it'll remove most all of the water. Then I dump the cases (still damp from the water) into my large Dillon Vibratory Tumbler for a couple of hours. The cases come out looking like new.

Pyrodex can be insidious stuff - if you leave your cases dirty, it can seriously corrode them to the point that they are destroyed for further use. Black powder can do the same thing. I use the same method for black powder cartridges for both rifle (40/65, 45/70, etc) as well as pistol and revolver cartridges.

It takes less time to do it than tell about it. The key is to do it as soon as possible. Right after shooting works well for me (let them soak in the jug while I am doing other things).

I use a Pope style re-decapper to remove the primers but a simple "punch and base" will do the same job for far less money. There are all kinds of decapping tools on the market and most any of them will work just fine.

I am kind of a lazy guy but have found that doing some jobs promptly saves a lot of effort and time in the long run.

A little of pre-preparation goes a long way (remembering to bring the jug of cleaning solution with you along with a decapper), etc.

The VERY necessary chore of decapping done before dropping the cases in the jug are simple but important. The primer pocket must be rinsed also. Otherwise, when you fire the next shot (after reloading) you take a chance on depositing that very corrosive mixer in your gun with smokeless powder (I use the same cases for both black and smokeless. Most importantly, if they are NOT decapped, you have a very real chance of the tumbling media packing in the case (from the water trapped in the case). That is NOT a good idea for many reasons.



Dale53

[Calamity Jake]

70/30 mix of water/Simple Green, ASAP after shooting, I do not decap first.
Rinse well then tumble for a couple of hours.

[remy3424]

Thanks Dale, I'll have to acqure some kind of a hand press to use at the range to decap there or get creative and make something, I only have about 220 w/ pyrodex to shoot yet. I will try the bath the next time out. Thanks again for the advice. I hope to get a smelting pot going this weekend and make some ingot mould from an angle iron bed frame. What a site, invaluable to anyone casting!!!

[dromia]

Dale thats my process exactly.

I have a Pope style decapper for the 45 - 70 and use a Lee hand press and the size dies with the decap pin well out for the .577" and the 450/577".

I tried the vinegar mix once with Winchester 45 - 70 cases and they corroded beyond use in 24 hrs soaking.

[testhop]

welcome AL
i use a dillontumbler and 2to 4 hr is plenty for 99 percent of the cases
most times 2 hrs is all i need use thefinesy tombling medium and you wont have any problums

[jimkim]

No one uses orange kool aid? Has anyone ever tried mineral spirits?

[870TC]

The lemon juice, Kool-Aid, Lemonade, Soda pop, recipes for cleaning brass all work because they all have Citric Acid in them. Citric Acid, sometimes called "Sour Salt" is used in alot of foods. You can buy it in bulk online for cheap. It comes as a powder, its eidible and safe to handle. Mix a tablespoon in a bucket of water and let soak or boil to speed up the process.
I have used Phosphoric acid also and this works fine, you can find it in toilet bowel cleaner or tile cleaner or Birchwood Casey's "Concentrated brass cartridge case cleaner".

[JSH]

I have no desire to clean any of my brass in liquid. It is enough of a pita to anneal them and get them dry after quenching. Seems like a little water bubble always sets up in the base/web area of cases.
I have tumbled and used walnut a CC media since I started reloading. I still have all the "old" CC and walnut media. I use this to clean dirty range brass. I always put a big dose of mineral spirits in the media, regardless. I say a big dose, about 2-3 T full at least. I put enough in so that it is damp looking. Make sure and put the lid on or it will evaporate away pretty quick.
The last batch of brass I run through I let run with out the lid on for the last 30 minutes or so. This lets the MS evaporate, so as not to cause a fire from combusiton.
I have had several fellows comment on how nice and clean my brass is. When I mention mineral spirits, they raise an eyebrow. I have yet to have a missfire I attribute to the MS.
BTW, a cap full of MS seems to wake up the polish of a lot of the compounds. I have used Flitz liquid and the Dillon polishing compounds. I was putting some in about every other batch, a bottle didn't last long and seemed to build up a residue on the inside of the bowl. With the MS this has not been a problem.
Jeff

[vinceb]

lime-away and water...the only issue i had was some 06 brass from 1952 turned green on the inside .

[Crash_Corrigan]

I buy that cheap walnut media from Graingers and add so Nu Finish car wax and let them run in the tumbler for 4 hours. This is after they are decapped.

They come out reasonably clean but not as nice as new brass but who cares?

I usually prime by hand and then run them thru the progressive without the decapping pin and assemble my rounds.

With the BPCR cases I immediatly decap with a univerasal decapping die in a Lee hand press and dump into a milk jug of dawn and water. This stops the crud from attacking my brass {$1.39 a piece thank you} and when I get home I rinse them and again dunk them in a stainless steel bowl with boiling hot water and dawn. When the water cools enuf to be touched I brush out the interiors with a .50 nylon brush and rinse again.

Then they are ready for reloading after they dry off some. My rifle gets a few wet patches with water and Windex w Vinegar. Then dry patches and then a wet patch with Ballistol. Then I wipe the whole gun with Ballistol. It stinks but it does keep things nice and shiney.

[deltaenterprizes]

Somebody on this forum told me years ago that vinegar hardens cases and causes them to fail much earlier than usual.

That is ammonia found in Brasso and it attacks the zinc. The brass is "pickled" during the drawing process after it is anealed. The "pickle" is an acid bath.
Just about all soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, read the label.That is also the active ingredient in lime away.

[geargnasher]

That is ammonia found in Brasso and it attacks the zinc. The brass is "pickled" during the drawing process after it is anealed. The "pickle" is an acid bath.
Just about all soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, read the label.That is also the active ingredient in lime away.

You are correct, Sir.

Observe on which end of the pH scale is ammonia.

The acids are fine as long as the brass isn't left in them too long, they are tumbled afterward, and the tumbler media is treated with some sort of wax like the car polishes mentioned to "seal" the stripped brass surface from flash-oxidation.

Gear

[ammohead]

[QUOTE=Crash Corrigan;779460]I buy that cheap walnut media from Graingers and add so Nu Finish car wax and let them run in the tumbler for 4 hours. This is after they are decapped.

Crash,

Go to your local pet store or ranch supply. Crushed walnut hull can be bought in 50# sacks as bird cage litter for less than $20 per 50#. I am pretty sure you can get corn cob media as well. They may not stock it but they should be able to get it for you.

ammohead

[Marine Sgt 2111]

I got lucky, my neighbor manages a Pet Smart and they had a 50# bag of ground walnut shells...that someone ordered and didn't pick up...oh but I did....sometimes you fall into good deals...

[steg]

Topper,I think you would do better using an onion bag, bigger holes won't hold back the pressure of the water and the nylons will just hold the water blasted media inside where it could find it's way back into the cases you just cleaned, the onion bag will let it fall out....steg

[jburris2001]

I just soak mine in hot water and dawn dish soap, then tumble for about 30 mins. They look pretty good to me.

[Papa Jack]

Cases dry almost imediatly if you dip them in boiling hot water ,give em time to heat up and lift em out, presto, they are dry, inside and out.
I use an old colander from the kitchen to hold the cases.

I have been using the Burchwood Casey case cleaner for a few years, works very good and I can mix up two 1 gallon batches per bottle, so it lasts a long time. Problem is it's not always in the local store when I need it. I found some last night and it's gone up to over $9.00 per bottle here.
I mix up the NRA formula, that is :
2 tablespoons of SALT
1 quart of Vinegar
I mix up a gallon Vinegar jug when I need a new batch.
I use it over and over and pour it onto deprimed and hosed off not muddy cases placed in a plastic tub or small bucket, then let them sit for a few minutes and pour it back into the jug. I use a plastic funnel with a stainless steel hose or faucet screen glued into the neck of the funnel so I don't loose any cases into the jug.
This cleaner works great for me, BUTTTTTTT, be carefull, it has removed some nickle plating on some of my range pick up brass....
I'll try some of the above formulas, Thanks guys !! "Papa Jack"

[rintinglen]

There comes a time when the media in the tumbler is so scrungy and dirt filled that it is no longer doing its job. You can clean it somewhat by using a cup of the afore mentioned formula to a gallon and a half of water, slooshing it around until the water is black, then straining it through a fine mesh screen. Follow by a rinse in cold water and drying in the sun and you are now one day (maybe two) older and good for another 10 to 20 batches.
(There was a time when such frugality was for me a necessity).

[donald duck]

After firing, my cases are vibrated in old walnut and corn cob mixed material, then I use a Midway case material remover, takes less than a minute, deprime all cases, sort and use Shaler Rislone , to lube case mouths, and size. Then I vibrate in clean fresh corn cob material and then they shine. The Rislone is the best lube material I have ever used. Apply to inside of case mouths with a Q tip. The Rislone is free as I add a quart to each oil change. Drain can into my lube bottle. A little goes a long way. As for cleaning flash holes, a needle on a cork works great!! I am too old for all that tumbling, tried it once and nearly broke my neck!!

[watkibe]

I tumble mine first then lube and size them, that takes care of the flashole stuff. Then clean them in liquid to remove the lube. Warm oven for awhile dries them out.

Same here. Tumbling first keeps grit out of your sizing die. The liquid I prefer is vinegar and dish detergent in very hot water. Too hot an oven will discolor brass, so use caution.

[mrc]

I used the vinager, lemon juice and soap to clean cases, worked very well. I wonder if adding some salt to the mixture would do any good. Some of the other recipes uses it.
thanks
Mike

[Molly]

If you guys want to see some real results for removing tarnish and other oxides from brass, try just a little phosphoric or citric acids instead of acetic acid (vinegar). Phosphoric is in soda pop, and citric is in lemonaid: Neither one is toxic or hazardous, but both are death on oxides.

One spoonful of phosphoric in a gallon of hot water is plenty, and you can use and re-use it over and over. The cleaning is almost instantaneous if your solution is warm, and within a few minutes if it's cold. Yet you can leave the cases in a solution for days without harm. I've seen range pickup brass that was actually black with corrosion clean up in just a few seconds.

And there is a huge thread on citric acid as a very successful case cleaner elsewhere on the forum. I haven't used citric myself, but there are a lot of rave reviews on the thread about how well and fast it works.

Acetic acid (vinegar) WILL do the job, but it's slow, and it will attack the underlying brass too, though so slowly it really doesn't hurt or matter very much. Stinks too! There are choices that are SO much better.

[troy_mclure]

im just starting to reload the 5.7fn. the cases are coated with a lacquer to help with feeding. a tumbler will damage the lacquer.

many recommend simple green.

i have found that putting the brass in a $1 lingerie bag, and sloshing the brass around in a bucket of hot water and dawn dish soap for 5 mins really works well. no expensive acids or cleaners, no complicated or fancy mixes, no long soaks. cheap, fast, and simple.

[bigfoot]

Would a can of soda pop work for the citric acid? along with the dish soap an vinegar? i was telling the better half about it and she ask me about the pop, said i dont know but somebody at cb will.
thanks for the help !!!
big foot

[Molly]

Would a can of soda pop work for the citric acid? along with the dish soap an vinegar? i was telling the better half about it and she ask me about the pop, said i dont know but somebody at cb will.
thanks for the help !!! big foot

No Bigfoot, you've got it backwards: Soda Pop has a tiny amount of phosphoric, not citric. And it isn't enough to clean cases very well. I only mentioned it because some folks worry that phosphoric acid might be corrosive, and it isn't. I've never tried adding vinegar to citric or phosphoric, and would be surprised if vinegar noticably helped the action of either one. For vinegar to be effective, I suspect you'd have to use a version called GAA, or Glacial Acetic Acid. It's basicly vinegar with all the water taken out. Real nasty stuff to your eyes, nose and your lungs. I really don't recommend it.

[bigfoot]

Thanks molly, didnt want to wast my soda !!!!!

[barrabruce]

Can some-one with a few more active neurons please verify for me a couple of things.

I believe the salt and vinegar / citric acid will work .....but will leach out the phosphorus in the brass making it brittle. Pink and red tinge means you have leached the brass. Causing embrittlement by the now voids left where the umm phospours was.

I know this by resurrecting up to 100 yr old brass stoves.
Where people have used sulphuric and other acids to clean them up.
The brass gets a slight crazed look and fine cracks when pressurized.
:(


This I think is with alfa brass as used in kero stoves etc.
I think cartridge brass is betta or another similar alloy.

Iv'e used a splash of phosphoric acid 86% Ie: ( ph down from the hydroponic suppliers) I think they use it in swimming pools as well.Little bit goes a long way.

Cleaned up the brass quite well but still left **** in the cases.
I was hoping for a soak and shake would do the job of cleaning out the burnt stuff in there.

I wasn't too successful but it made by brass shine up nice.

I was hoping for a easy fix to clean out my cases and not so much the shiney bit.

Please burn me if I'm wrong

Barra

[donald duck]

I went to Pet smart and purchased some crushed walnut media, mixed it in with some corn cob and it cleans brass and give it a good shine. Keep old dirty cleaner separate from new cleaner. I vibrate in Midway bowl vibrator with old walnut and corn cob media, then de prime with universal deprimer. Then back into corn cob and walnut clean media. Lube with Q-tip with Rislone inside necks, then lube outside necks, re-size neck only. Again back into clean corn cob and walnut media. Have big Midway basket to get all media separated from cases.
Crank it around a few time and nearly all media is out. Go over cases to be sure flash hole is clear.
Nice shiny brass that lasts a long time with neck sizing only. Works for .257 JDJ, 7-30 waters, 7MM TCU, and 7 X 57, as well as .38, .357. .32 H & R, and .44.

[223Pitbull]

Hot water and Lemi shine has been working well for me.............cleans the dirtyest of cases.

[Shakey Jakey]

I deprime and size first then give them a 1 hour bath in a dash of mr clean, vinegar and lemon juice. I add enough boiling water to cover the cases and give them an occasional agitation. Rinse several times in hot water and spread out on a towel. Nothing fancy but it gets the job done.

[Big brass ones]

I like Lemishine dish washer detergent and a sonic cleaner. Works well costs about 4 bucks at walmart and 60 bucks on sale for the cleaner at harbor freight. I use to use vinigar and dawn dish soap to clean before, but noticed that brass discolored too fast from the vinegar even after a bath in baking soda. The lemishine is citric acid based which really does a number on the tough brass, best of all it's really fast. I clean about 1000 cases per hr (40 s&w, 9mm).

[azshtr]

Actually this post is not my favorite formula just some information that might help someone a bit.

For members who live near a fairly large city and tumble quite a bit of brass the following might be a source for ground walnut and corn cob.

Check out local distributor's who specialize in blasting media (sand, hull, etc used for stucco, concrete and paint removal) I can buy ground walnut for $13.00 and corn cob for $20.00 in 50# bags. Last purchase I even bought some bags that were torn for $5.00 per bag off.

One nice thing is that they usually have various grinds available (10/14, 12/20, 14/30 etc.)

I have 2 large Thumbler's Tumblers and my process is as follows: Tumbler #1 has a combination of 1/3 corn cob and 2/3 walnut and no more than a Tablespoon of Mineral Spirits mixed in and run for about 1/2 hour.

I then remove the brass and place in Tumbler #2 which has the reverse mix 1/3 walnut and 2/3 corn cob with a Teaspoon of Liquid Floor Wax (which I purchased at Costco for $8.00 a gallon) and run for another 1/2 hour.

I usually place 3 USED fabric softner sheets in Tumbler #1 after running about 3 loads and it helps take out a lot of the powder, grime, etc. I do this with each additional load in Tumbler #1, (yep, we are clean people around out house so have saved up a lot of used fabric softner sheets.)

I am just finishing up some 20,000 rounds of 9mm and at about 15,000 I threw out media in #1 and replaced it with the media in #2 and added more walnut to the mix. I then started a new batch for tumbler #2.

For those who have purchased brass from me in the past the above is the process I used.

It's quick, pretty clean and inexpensive if you are tumbling a lot of brass.

There is a 1000 ways to clean brass, the above is just my preference for doing fairly large amounts with the limited equipment I have. By the way the Thumblers Tumblers have processed over 150,000 rounds from small pistol to large rifle and still going strong after 3 years of use.

[SSGOldfart]

nice,it's bound to be cheaper then the RCBS stuff you can't find most of the time anyways
One question will the Homemade liguid case cleaner work in the new Sonic cleaners??

[Mike 56]

I put a new dyer sheet in the tumbler with the brass cleans the brass and the media at the same time.

[Taylor3006]

I just started using walnut media to tumble after years of cob and am having great results. Brass not as shiney as cob but damn close enuff. It's easier to tell when cob is dirty as it starts off as an off white. The walnut is brown, how do y'all know when it's time to toss it?

[StratsMan]

I put a new dyer sheet in the tumbler with the brass cleans the brass and the media at the same time.

Hmmmm... I think I'll try that!!!


Taylor... I used to tumble with walnut to clean my brass. I stopped because it took so darn long to get the brass clean, and walnut would get good-n-stuck in flash holes... Use a cleaning method as described elsewhere in this thread, and you only need to tumble to get the brass dry. Or set it in the sun for an hour in TX and it will be dry!

Otherwise, just watch for the color change on the walnut, and note how long it takes to get the brass clean... When the cleaning time is unacceptably long, it's time to change...

[725]

In addition to the dryer sheet, put a couple small spots of "Nu-Car" auto polish in the media. Comes in an orange plastic bottle. Wal Mart, auto stores, etc. Fantastic.

[mold maker]

That's Nu Finish cleaner/wax, and it does a great job, plus protects the shiny brass from tarnish for a very long time.
Cheap too.

[Mike 56]

With a new dryer sheet my brass comes out real shiney i don't know if its something in the dyer sheet or its the clean media doing a better job. The dryer sheets come out of the tumbler real dirty and the media looks like new. I want to try New Finish car wax i keep forgetting to buy some. I have heard of people putting brasso and chrome polish in tumblers but i always thought they might be to harsh and might affect brass.

[trixter]

Mike 56, you are right about Brasso and Chrome Polish, I believe that they both contain ammonia, which tends to really shines brass, but then causes a chemical reaction to let it tarnish again, whereas Nu Finish does not contain that ingredient, and is just a polish. Works great.

[John Allen]

I have never tried using vinegar but will have to give it a shot.

[Whiterabbit]

vinegar works very well.

[trixter]

I know that this has nothing to do with boolits, etc; but we have stopped using bleach and replaced it with vinegar, in the washer.

[Old School Big Bore]

I'll have to try the dryer sheet, my media has a lot of dust in it that doesn't want to blow away just by leaving the top off the vibe.
I just use vinegar, swish it around a bit in a small container, drain it back into the jug, rinse the brass & dry it in the oven. Last time I needed fresh vinegar, we were out of white so I used a little apple cider vinegar. Makes me hungry for pickles when I walk into my shop now. The oven needs to be just over 212F/100C to make sure to vaporize the rinse water but keep from changing the brass' hardness/anneal.
I once took in some "please make me some ammo" brass from a fellow officer - we were in the middle of a hurricane, the trunk of his car had leaked and filled with rainwater, and the brass was swimming. One of the senior staff was walking by and remarked (sneeringly) that he would never have anything to do with brass that had been wet - I made an enemy that day by lecturing him that every round he had ever fired had been washed/rinsed at the factory, that this submerged brass would be fine after being properly dried. He was the same doofus who ordered, as a "sniper" rifle for the department, a glossy wood-stocked skinny-barrel bright-blued.270 with a TV eyepiece duplex reticle 3X9 scope...fine deer rifle but no way rural counter-sniper.
Dale - the problem with medium particles remaining in the flash hole is that with some presses, like my 550s, with the primer post under the decapping station, the crumbs can fall onto the primer post which is then slid to pick up a new primer, and then cause dents when the new primer is seated. Yes the pin will push them out, it's where they fall that's troublesome, that's all.

[TheDoctor]

Vinegar works great in the wash, just make sure you do a second rinse if you don't want to go around smelling like a salad! Some 40 Mule Team borax really helps with the kids jeans too! Got grease, give it a squirt of Dawn.

[HiVelocity]

Friends, go visit Big Lots, if you have one in your vicinity. I found several bottles of Nu-Finish for $3/bottle about 2 months ago.
Wally World still has it, but costs almost $7/bottle.

HV

[jonp]

I know that this has nothing to do with boolits, etc; but we have stopped using bleach and replaced it with vinegar, in the washer.

ammonia works very good also

[PeterfromFrance]

I used the water vinegar dawn dish soap for cleaning and boiled the lot for a half hour and it works well , the brass came out sparkling clean! but all polish and oil is removed and the brass will tarnish if no polish is applied to brass after the cleaning process.

I did use the oven to dry the brass after it was cleaned, as I was in a hurry to get the brass dry. Maybe the heat caused the tarnish?

JR
You had the oven on too high a temperature; tumble the cases immediately afterwards when they are cool to touch.

[retread]

For years I have been tumbling with corn cob media and I squirt in a little Westley's Concentrate Auto Polish. Works like a champ. I got the tip from a commercial reloader. I stocked up back then so I don't know if the stuff is still available. It was a Blue Coral product. - Hunter

Looks like True Value has it:

https://www.idealtruevalue.com/store/p/143058-Westleys-64-OZ-Concentrate-Liquid-Car-Wash.html

[Iowa Fox]

Some where I think in 2005 on this forum was a discussion about washing in Lemi Shine and hot water. I tried it and have never looked back. That's all I do anymore, no more polishing in media. I want clean cases, medium shine that will grip the chamber walls.

[Shawlerbrook]

Yes, Lemishine, Dawn and hot water works great in my HF ultrasonic cleaner.

[condorjohn]

I checked ebay and found a few different Lemi Shine products. Which is the correct one for cleaning brass?

[Shawlerbrook]

I use the plain lemishine granular in the cylindrical container from Walmart.
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[Cheeto303]

Just make sure the cases are dry before they go into the tumbler. Had the wife out shooting the other day and she had a misfire in her .38. Pulled the bullet and found dried, hardened tumbling media in the bottom of the case. Can't remember when I cleaned that .38 brass, but, then, I can't remember what I had for breakfast, either.

Well don't forget your anniversary or her birthday or you'll be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

[JackQuest]

Bought the knock-off of Frankfort tumbler some time back. Works fine. Noticed there was a lot of talk about getting clean brass and media OUT of the barrel, not so much about getting dirty brass and pins IN the barrel.

Changed out water softener resin a couple of years ago. Bought the cheap ($12) plastic funnel which really made that job go better, cleaner, faster, then had this weird funnel kicking around. LIGHT BULB - use the funnel to pour my pins and brass into the barrel. Works great and already paid for.

This outfit shows the same funnel - https://www.softenerparts.com/resin_replacement_guide

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[Charlie Horse]

I don't own a tumbler. Hot water, a squirt of lemon, a dash of salt and a few drops of Dawn is all I use. Spread the cases on a school lunch tray out in the sun for a day or so then load them up. Either single stage or progressive. I just make sure to leave them in the sun long enough to dry out the spent primers which are still in the cases.

[Wooserco]

ammonia works very good also

I know this is an 8 year old post, but DO NOT USE AMMONIA!!! It WILL destroy your brass.