You like clean brass ?

[Ben]

I have a nice tumbler and plenty of media. It works fine with the occasional stuck media in the flash holes.

I was in a " Dollar Tree " store a few days ago. I picked this up to try on cartridge brass. Prelim. results are good
, I had some " grungy looking " .40 S & W brass that needed a good cleaning, so I thought it would serve as a good test medium for the cleaner :


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0001-31.jpg

I soaked the brass in the liquid cleaner for 5 minutes and rinsed it with a high pressure water hose. Brass looks good:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0005-16.jpg

Here are the ingredients :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0002-23.jpg

When I finished cleaning my cases this afternoon, I simply poured all the liquid cleaner back into the bottle. I'll clean more brass tomorrow.

[jack19512]

I personally don't like to use a liquid to clean brass. It's just too easy to put the brass in a tumbler and be done with it. YMMV :)

[Ben]

I understand, but there could be some shooters on a " budget " reading this that don't own a tumbler.

With $1, a hose pipe, and some hot sunshine to dry the cases, a fellow on a " budget " can still have clean brass.
Ben

[docone31]

It works well in the short run.
Inside the cases, once loaded, a different story.
Nitrocellulose reacts with chemicals. In a confined environment, induced chemical reactions can occur.
From my experience, if I do not have access to media, either corn, or walnut, I would use none.
For years, I did not clean my brass. I never had a malfunction.
With that in mind, I tried walnut media. So far, so good.
However, I have seen old cases that were miraculously cleaned with Brasso mixed in with media. The individual had misfires, and the insides of the cases were oxidized.
Sulphamic Acid, has sulphur. That is not a good thing in a closed environment. Sulphur reacts with copper. Brass has a lot of copper. I use Rooto drain cleaner when I process my gold scraps from my shop. It eats the copper from plated items releasing the plating. Oxalic Acid reacts with the Nitric compounds in Nitro Cellulose.
I would reconsider using chemical cleaners inside the cases.

[Ben]

Thanks, If the brass is rinsed good from any traces of the acids is there still a problem ?

Lyman and Birchwood Casey are making liquid cartridge brass cleaners, are their cleaners subject to the same problems ?

Ben

[jack19512]

I understand, but there could be some shooters on a " budget " reading this that don't own a tumbler.







I understand, I am one of those that are on a budget, that is why I have to take care of my brass that I have had to buy. I have had to scrimp myself, I purchased one of those tumblers from Harbor Freight that people use to polish rocks with and believe it or not that thing does an excellent job of polishing brass. It even came with two bags of polishing compound. I know it probably won't last forever and I don't have to polish near as much brass as some do but I have had it for around 3 years now and it is still going strong. :)

[docone31]

The cartridge cleaners, are specifically compounded with the limits we face in mind.
I do not know their composition, however, I suspect it is passive to brass, and the propellant.
Household cleaners are not in that same criterion.
An example,
In my shop, I cast silver. There is made what is called a burnishing compound for polishing metals used in the trade. It is pretty costly.
In the effort to acquire the same finish, and, save some cash I have, experimented.
I have yet to find a replacement. The other common cleaners, and polishers, do a great job today. Tomorrow, the customer comes back with a silver ring grey in colour, or with a white haze. I have tumbled my castings, and they have also turned grey.
I am sure, the chemicals are simple and quite available. Things like that usually are.
It is finding out what ones, and in what ratio.
Brass cleaners are out. Ammonia based cleaners are out. Phosphate based cleaners are out. Chlorides are out. All of these create chlorides within enclosed spaces.
Borax, however has worked for me. Dry, not liquid, or liquified.
The issues are to not allow the cleaner to etch the inside of the case. This allows for porosity, which entraps residue, which allows for a chemical reaction. Either to the brass, or powder.
I got a vibratory tumbler from Midway. It works so well, I ended up with five more. I tumble my gold, silver, castings, and cases. The one for the cases, I used walnut media and it has lasted this long so far. The only issue I had is they seem to vibrate the black lead off the motor wires. I replace the end and off they go.
I also use the vibrator to debubblize my flasks for investing/casting. I leave it full of media, and when I need to, I turn it on, and set the flask on the edge. The vibration breaks loose the bubbles from the wax. Simple.
I am indeed not trying to be a wet blanket here. I have just seen some issues. I keep hoping to see the grail with household cleaners. I would like to use some in my shop. As it is, I have to completely replenish my solution every three weeks. That adds up.
I tried play sand once. It worked great, but, it wore my tumbler bowl.
I do indeed like clean brass.

[Echo]

I, too, used a rock polisher for many years, not only to clean cases (w/corncobs or walnut hulls), but also to lubricate them. A 1 lb coffee can just fit the rollers - I would place a SMALL dollop of STP in the can, about he size of a lima bean, smear it around inside, put my cases in, close up, and tumble for 10-15 minutes. Worked like a charm, but VERY easy to get too much lube.
Finally graduated to a vibrator, using corncobs, a smidgeon of rouge, and a couple of tablespoons of mineral spirits to keep down the dust. Love it...

[HeavyMetal]

I've been playing around with rice as a cleaning media.

first test ok, but nothing to write home about. Second test added a 1/4 cup dry Comet to the rice Holy Cow what a difference!

Then tried to clean some 223 case's. Spent hours getting the rice out of the case's.

Thoughts so far: Rice works good in a case 30 cal or larger! Small case's you'll hate it.

If you'll pardon the pun: food for thought!

[GabbyM]

Back when I was young and shot AR-15 quite a bit. $69.95 at Kmart for the “Mattel Gun”.
Sometimes the brass would get muddy and dusty. We had a front loading washing machine the wife claimed to be for clothing. I'd run my cases in that. Noisy but effective. Then towel dry, dump out on a few cookie sheets to go into the oven overnight. Reload next day and start over again.

I'm on my second vibratory case tumbler now.

[jonk]

In my fairly newly acquired ultrasonic I use either white vinegar/water or a citrus base cleaner. If going the white vinegar route I then do a 'rinse' in baking soda water to neutrilize any acidity. Any of the above end with a rinse in clear tap water- which leaves water marks but I don't see paying for distilled water to eliminate them.

I wouldn't use an acid unless neutrilizing with a base at the end.

[remy3424]

.
Nitrocellulose reacts with chemicals. In a confined environment, induced chemical reactions can occur.


Does white vinagar, lemon juice or liquid landry soap have this "Nitrocellulose" chemical??? Or are they safe??? How about the "Comet" trick??? Is it included in the statement below?? I guess I slept though my science classes!!

"Brass cleaners are out. Ammonia based cleaners are out. Phosphate based cleaners are out. Chlorides are out. "

What is the right thing for the nastiest of the brass cases??? My day to day cases don't need special attention, but sometimes one comes across a batch that needs help.

[jonk]

Nitrocellulose is one of the key ingredients in the gunpowder, not the cleaner.

[yondering]

Does white vinagar, lemon juice or liquid landry soap have this "Nitrocellulose" chemical??? Or are they safe??? How about the "Comet" trick??? Is it included in the statement below?? I guess I slept though my science classes!!

"Brass cleaners are out. Ammonia based cleaners are out. Phosphate based cleaners are out. Chlorides are out. "

What is the right thing for the nastiest of the brass cases??? My day to day cases don't need special attention, but sometimes one comes across a batch that needs help.

Nitrocellulose is in your smokeless powder, as one of the main ingredients.

[HeavyMetal]

Don't feel bad you aren't the only one who "snoozed" through a science class!

My "comet" trick is simple, Comet does contain Chlorine in powdered form, but as long as the brass never gets wet the chlorine is never "activated". I use Comet and the rice for seriously dirty range brass and then follow up with walnut shell. Again don't use the rice with small case's! I have not used Comet with other media so if you try it your on your own!

I chose to use Comet, not because of what it was made of but because of how it was made! Comet is an abrassive in it's powdered form and that, in conjuction with the rice, is what cleans the brass. Not a chemical reaction an abbrassive one.

Hope that clear things up.

[Shiloh]

Thanks, If the brass is rinsed good from any traces of the acids is there still a problem ?

Lyman and Birchwood Casey are making liquid cartridge brass cleaners, are their cleaners subject to the same problems ?

Ben

Rinsing well is the ticket.

I use Muriatic acid from the hardware store to clean really dirty or tarnished brass.
3 or 4 tablespoons per gallon of warm water will do it. A quart has lasted for years. Once is all it takes as the tumbler takes care of the polishing. Rinsing well neutralizes the reaction.

Shiloh :castmine:

[cohutt]

Muriatic is 30% hydrochloric acid.
Beware fumes in a shop environment- the lingering fumes will cause rust on anything containing iron like no other......
You can cut it to a weaker strength by adding water - it doesn't take but a trace of this to do some cleaning in most applications.
White vinegar is a good substitute for Muriatic acid in other areas like cleaning tile/freshly layed brick, prolly same with brass.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Sea shells (rinsed) will work,
limestone pea gravel will work.
go the farm supply store buy corn cob feed it will work.
IBM punch card chaff,
voting punch card chaff.
laundry anti static cloth put in old media restores it.
The list goes on:Fire:
,

[Jim]

A friend once gave me a coffee can full of old .45 ACP brass. It was as green as the uniforms worn by the guys that shot it in the '40's. I threw it in the tumbler with walnut media, set it to running and said goodnight. 24 hours later, I was dumbfounded as it looked like it just came out of the extruder. No polish, no chemicals, just walnut media. Works for me!

[DLCTEX]

One warning that should always be given about acid is that in diluting it, always put acid into water, never water into acid. Doing it the wrong way can get violent reactions. DALE

[hcpookie]

I've used rice with good results, just have to be patient when using .223 :) Works best IMO on pistol brass.

I have a question along similar lines - what do people recommend for cleaning a 5 gallon bucket full of range brass? There is a bunch of dust in it, mostly unburned gunpowder, and it is just a mess. I tumble with corn cob but it gets clogged so quickly I switched to rice. The problem is that there is still enough powder to keep it dusty, and I'd really like to get rid of the powder.

I was thinking about just rinsing the brass with a hose but I don't have a good strainer solution. Due to the almost certain presence of lead dust I don't want to use the dish washer. I could put a screen over the bucket and dump it upside down but I don't think that would really rinse it as well as for example repeated tumbling and rinsing?

[copdills]

+1 on what Dale said, Hydro is the same way

[Dark Helmet]

hcpookie
Go to a Dollar Tree store and get a plastic colander- i like the ones with slots. If you tumble your brass, make sure the holes are big enough to use it as a media separator- thats where I got mine!:mrgreen:
Wash in some Simple Green or other mild detergent, rinse well!

[Sprue]

Another vote for the kiss method. Toss it in the tumbler and move on to the next process....

Additionally speaking, tumbling always precedes sizing. And, a 2hr tumble is okay by me. YMMV

[billsr]

I use the Dillon case tumbler and their case cleaner with corn cob. Does a good job.

[Win52D]

Good looking brass and reloads are points of pride to handloaders and I love having my brass looking new. That said, if your brass is clean, not necessarily shiny, just free from grit and residue you are good to go. You need to remove the grit just to keep from scratching the brass and scoring the dies.

Glenn Zediker makes a point of this in his book Handloading for Competition. I clean my brass after shooting and sometimes will run it in the tumbler for 4-8 hours. They brass looks great though I sure a two hour tumble would leave the brass plenty clean. Occaisionally I will add a few capfuls of Dillion case cleaner but by and larger corn or walnut media will get the job done.