Kerosene to degrease brass?

[1988-4551]

Howdy all,

Did a quick search and didn’t turn up anything specific on it. I usually use regular unleaded gasoline to degrease my brass after resizing but have a larger than normal amount of brass to degrease. Does kerosene (have a mostly full jerry can of it we have no use for) do a good job degreasing it?

[Baja_Traveler]

Seems to me that the kerosene would leave as much residue as the sizing lube you are trying to get rid of.

I go about my case prep a bit differently, I size/deprime first, then tumble to clean so I never considered using volatile solvents in the process...

[merlin101]

NO!!! Kerosene is an oil, it works well to degrease engine parts but will leave an oily film that takes forever to dry and stinks even longer.
Also it would probably kill any primers it comes in contact with.

[toallmy]

May I suggest citrus acid and hot water instead of kerosene ?

[lwknight]

Mineral Spirits is a pretty good degreaser and it will dry up completely. It is not as nasty and carcinogenic as gasoline.
I also add it to my tumbling media to reduce dust and help clean the gunk of brass.

[Soundguy]

Howdy all,

Did a quick search and didn’t turn up anything specific on it. I usually use regular unleaded gasoline to degrease my brass after resizing but have a larger than normal amount of brass to degrease. Does kerosene (have a mostly full jerry can of it we have no use for) do a good job degreasing it?

I personaly wouldn't.

For petroleum / wax based lubes, I'd use something like prep-all that painters use to wipe down metal prior to painting.. if you don't you can get fisheyes.

For a couple bucks cheaper.. straight naptha would work.

Now.. if your lube is soap or water based.. then you could go with a mix of 90% isopropyl and a little naptha.

Use all these out doors in good ventilation.

[MyFlatline]

Mineral Spirits also has oil in it..

Not sure why you need a degreaser but Denatured Alcohol works well as does Acetone, neither leave any residue and they both evaporate pretty quick

[Petrol & Powder]

Kerosene is a light oil.

[lightman]

Kerosene would probably leave undesirable residue behind. When I use a lube that soapy water won't remove I spray the cases with brake cleaner or electrical contact cleaner. Kerosene might cut the lube and then you could use hot soapy water.

[high standard 40]

My opinion only. If you need gasoline or kerosene to remove the lube from your cases after sizing, then you are using too much lube or the wrong kind of lube.

[Shawlerbrook]

I use Imperial Sizing Wax and just give the brass a quick wipe with a cloth dampened with Windex or any other window cleaner. No to kerosene or gas.

[1988-4551]

Thank you for the replies everyone. In the long term this is one I’m going to be trying out some different lines.

Just doing it how I remember my dad doing it. Clean motor oil. Never heard of anyone else using it, and always just dealt with the degreasing as coming with the territory. Never did a batch as big as I’m currently doing and know their is probably a much better way of doing it. In the meantime I’ve got this one last batch to degrease and will hopefully find another method with easier cleanup once I do some research. Really enjoy having the forums search function and members to answer my questions.

[Soundguy]

I've seen people use motor oil and transmission fluid, MMO, etc... there are just easier to clean up lubes presently available.

[243winxb]

GAS The test fluids selected for this investigation were Fuel C, CE10a, CE17a, and CE25a. Fuel C was
selected as the control since it is representative of premium gasoline and is a standard test fluid widely
used for studying material compatibility to gasoline. CE10a represents an aggressive formulation of E10,
and as such, it can be viewed as a baseline test fuel since E10 is currently available in many, if not most,
fuel dispensers. Dawn dish detergent contains as much as 5% Ethanol. Ethanol may cause stress crossion cracking.


RCBS Case Lube-2 Liquid Water Soluble, Non-toxic .

[John Boy]

Add me to the list using Mineral Spirits

[Soundguy]

GAS The test fluids selected for this investigation were Fuel C, CE10a, CE17a, and CE25a. Fuel C was
selected as the control since it is representative of premium gasoline and is a standard test fluid widely
used for studying material compatibility to gasoline. CE10a represents an aggressive formulation of E10,
and as such, it can be viewed as a baseline test fuel since E10 is currently available in many, if not most,
fuel dispensers. Dawn dish detergent contains as much as 5% Ethanol. Ethanol may cause stress crossion cracking.


RCBS Case Lube-2 Liquid Water Soluble, Non-toxic .

How was the test conducted? was there any humidity control? ethanol fuel mixtures have quite an affinity for water. Water in the soloution ( azeotrope ) will allow much much more corrosion to occur.

Was there any method to prevent galvanic reaction? ( which would also hasten corrosion )

[farmerjim]

Use TSP (Trisodium Phosphate aka Detergent) and water. You can get the pure stuff at Home Depot. Do Not use TSP substitute.
It removes oil very well.

[CraigOK]

No experience with it for cleaning brass, but acetone will remove a lot of things and evaporates away very quickly.

[243winxb]

Google it. I wanted to know what damage Ethanol would cause to fuel systems in old cars and old mowers. The photo was part of the study.

[Soundguy]

if you could pass along the link you used to find it, it would be helpfull. just posting the info, then telling someone to 'google it'.. well.. that gets lumped into 98% of the rest of the 'truth' that turns up on the internet. Now.. if there is proof.. that's different. ;)

[243winxb]

https://bioenergykdf.net/system/files/Intermediate%20Ethanol%20Blends%20Infrastructure%2 0Materials%20Compatibility%20Study_Elastomers_Meta ls%20and%20Sealants_Kass.pdf Have fun reading. Intermediate Ethanol Blends
Infrastructure Materials Compatibility
Study: Elastomers, Metals, and Sealants .

Oak Ridge National Laboratory


Figures 16–18 represent the post-exposure appearance of coupons of cartridge brass, phosphor bronze,
and galvanized steel, respectively, resulting from the expanded testing. These images indicate the degree
of discoloration and film formation associated with each exposure (other materials indicated far less, or
even no, discoloration and film formation). As indicated by the planned interval test results,31 particularly
for the copper-based alloys, these corrosion films form quickly upon exposure to fuel at elevated
temperature and tend to be adherent to and protective of the substrate.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed on representative coupon surfaces following
testing (to compare with results from unexposed coupons) to assess the corrosion film thickness and
composition as a function of ethanol content in the exposure environment. The corrosion film
composition and thickness were not found to be substantially functions of the percent of ethanol in the
fuel blends (~ 10, 17, 20, and 25%). In other words, the XPS results for a given material were
indistinguishable and independent of ethanol concentration. Representative XPS results, shown in Fig. 19,
were measured for cartridge brass exposed to CE25a. The plot reveals the composition of the corrosion
product film as a function of depth from the surface (the film is incrementally sputtered from the surface,
and the identity of released materials is distinguished by relative energy). As stated, the sputter profiles
for cartridge brass exposed to CE10a, CE17a, and CE20a were indistinct from that shown in Fig. 19 for
exposure to CE25a.

So, inconclusive, may be not.

[country gent]

I have used acetone, rubbing alcahol , laquer thinner. at different times. What I prefer is to deprime lube and size. then a quick trip thru ground corncobs with a little nufinsh added. On large batches this is faster than wiping them down by hand. To just remove the lube may take 1/2 hour or so. This gets the brass clen of lube the nufinish leaves a protective coating against corrosion and last, is quick and easy.
I have 3 containers of corn cobs in use normally, besides the 50 lb bag of new. 1) is the oldest for range brass once fired that's really cruddy and nasty. This has been used first in the other 2 uses. this is the last use for corn cobs for me. 2) is for brass that's been fired by me and needs cleaned of fouling and a shine put back on it its treated with nufinish and Iosso brass polish. This brass is dull from firing and or age and needs a little time in the polisher to remove dust dirt and fouling before sizing. this is the second use of corn cobs for me. 3) This is new corn cobs with a little nu finnish added that already cleaned brass is ran thru to remove lubes after sizing. This is the newest corn cob being used. Here the nu finnish and sizing lube seem to condition it for the next uses. I have found the Imperial sizing die wax I use and the nufinnish in the corn cobs seem to make a combination for a very nice shine and polish job in the next use of them.

[Soundguy]

https://bioenergykdf.net/system/files/Intermediate%20Ethanol%20Blends%20Infrastructure%2 0Materials%20Compatibility%20Study_Elastomers_Meta ls%20and%20Sealants_Kass.pdf Have fun reading. Intermediate Ethanol Blends
Infrastructure Materials Compatibility
Study: Elastomers, Metals, and Sealants .

Oak Ridge National Laboratory



So, inconclusive, may be not.

I tried to reply to your pm, but you have replies blocked.

That's a good read. Close study of page xvi shows that while there is a copper sulfide film, it was considered of no consequence. In other words, it formed a protective patina.

I also see that galvanic corrosion was purposely caused by dissimilar metal combinations in the solution.

Also of note, was they were not using straight ethanol, but rather 'aggressive ethanol', which was a solution of water, ethanol, salt and sulfuric acid.

The purpose was to estimate long term exposure for immersed products. ( vapor test products produced nill results ).

Given those extreme variables used, it is easy to conclude that plain ethanol used to rinse brass will cause -0- harm.

On the other hand if you stack all the variables to their maximum negative impact, acid, galvanic, corrosive minerals, heat and long term duration, then you could end up with an essential non harmful tarnish.

Doesn't seem like a problem to me.

[EDG]

I lube my brass with Imperial. For about the last 20 years I have been removing the lube with 90% isopropyl alcohol.
IPA is a standard solvent used to clean flux residue off of PCBs (printed circuit board assemblies) and wire harnesses after soldering in the electronics industries. It is also used to clean and for wipe down of ultra high vacuum equipment in the semiconductor industry. Finally it is used to clean work surfaces, tools and work in process in medical implant manufacturing.

[retread]

No experience with it for cleaning brass, but acetone will remove a lot of things and evaporates away very quickly.

Acetone is what I use. As stated it evaporates quickly. I have a container (glass with a screw on lid) that I fill half way with acetone, add brass and shake for about 15 seconds.
Then I pour of the acetone into another glass container, dump out the brass to dry and return the acetone to my "cleaning" container, screw on the lid and save for the next batch to be cleaned. The acetone will last a long time before it needs to be changed. Works for me. I use Imperial sizing wax.

[knifemaker]

To degrease my rifle brass after sizing, I use alcohol. I buy one gallon at the local hardware, not that expensive. I use a large wide mouth container and put the brass in the container. Pour enough alcohol to cover the brass, screw the lid on and shake the brass in the alcohol. Then I pour the used alcohol into a empty one gallon can, use a funnel, and screw the cap shut to preserve the alcohol. Lay the brass on a towel to dry. You can reuse the alcohol several times to degrease more brass and the alcohol will last for a good amount of time.

[bangerjim]

Use Keri ONLY in kerosene lamps. Do no use if for degreasing.

Use acetone/laq thinner. Those cut grease, are readily avaiable at big box stores, are relatively harmless to you body , and do an excellent job of cutting grease.

I use laq thinner regularly to degrease everything in my machine shops. Cuts grease better than stoddard solvent. But watch open flames!!!!!!!!! ( heaters/water heaters/ etc). I degreaed a complete SouthBend 10" lathe using only laq thinner......with precautions observed.....nitrile gloves.

Banger

[Soundguy]

When I wrench on my farm tractors.. That's when I use kerosene or diesel as a parts degreaser..

[shortfal]

Lacquer thinner!! Always have it in my body shop. Works great and dries fast. Cleans up my cases lubed with a mix of alcohol/lanolin just fine. A good degreaser for most anything.
Pete

[Bama]

Thank you for the replies everyone. In the long term this is one I’m going to be trying out some different lines.

Just doing it how I remember my dad doing it. Clean motor oil. Never heard of anyone else using it, and always just dealt with the degreasing as coming with the territory. Never did a batch as big as I’m currently doing and know their is probably a much better way of doing it. In the meantime I’ve got this one last batch to degrease and will hopefully find another method with easier cleanup once I do some research. Really enjoy having the forums search function and members to answer my questions.

The only thing I have found so far that really works os vibratory cleaner with fine walnut shells and about a tablespoon of NU Polish drizzled into it. There is something in it that takes the lanolin off and it also cleans the black necks on bottle neck rifle cases. Just might be your solution.

[shortlegs]

Rubbing alcohol removes homemade lanolin/heet lube. Brass in coffee can,alcohol in put top on and shake lightly for a second or two. Strain and store alcohol in peanut butter jar in coffee can. Brass laid out on old cookie sheet dries in minutes. I have reused the alcohol several times and it still works great. I use the 91% rubbing alcohol.

[redhawk0]

Never use any product with Ammonia (works great to remove greasy waxes)...but it weakens anything with copper...which is a component of brass. I buy gallon jugs of Denatured Alcohol from HomeDepot or Lowes...it works great as a degreaser, general purpose cleaner. I use it a lot....and its cheap.

redhawk

[LenH]

I remember my parents using the term Coal Oil for kerosene.

[Walkingwolf]

Dawn, and hot water.

[6bg6ga]

After sizing its back into the tumber full of lizard litter for my brass. Once clean they get primed and loaded.

[Jack Stanley]

Thank you for the replies everyone. In the long term this is one I’m going to be trying out some different lines.

Just doing it how I remember my dad doing it. Clean motor oil. Never heard of anyone else using it, and always just dealt with the degreasing as coming with the territory. Never did a batch as big as I’m currently doing and know their is probably a much better way of doing it. In the meantime I’ve got this one last batch to degrease and will hopefully find another method with easier cleanup once I do some research. Really enjoy having the forums search function and members to answer my questions.

Motor oil as resizing lube ?????

Jack

[retread]

Acetone is what I use. As stated it evaporates quickly. I have a container (glass with a screw on lid) that I fill half way with acetone, add brass and shake for about 15 seconds.
Then I pour of the acetone into another glass container, dump out the brass to dry and return the acetone to my "cleaning" container, screw on the lid and save for the next batch to be cleaned. The acetone will last a long time before it needs to be changed. Works for me. I use Imperial sizing wax.

I use this same method but with Lacquer thinner. The same thinner lasts a loooong time.

[rodsvet]

I'm with Walkingwolf. Hot water and Dawn, rinse, dry, done.

[6bg6ga]

Motor oil as resizing lube ?????

Jack

There is a lanolin/ heat mixture that works great for sizing.

[6bg6ga]

Rubbing alcohol removes homemade lanolin/heet lube. Brass in coffee can,alcohol in put top on and shake lightly for a second or two. Strain and store alcohol in peanut butter jar in coffee can. Brass laid out on old cookie sheet dries in minutes. I have reused the alcohol several times and it still works great. I use the 91% rubbing alcohol.

If you have a tumbler use lizard litter and tumble the lube off. This is the safe smart way of doing things. About a 1/2 hr if memory is correct and this is all you need. Ultrasonic with dawn and a little commercial cleaner for a few minutes and the brass is clean. Either sun dry or a few minutes in the oven at around 130 degrees and the brass will dry.

[Jack Stanley]

There is a lanolin/ heat mixture that works great for sizing.

Of that I'm sure but I thought he said he was using clean motor oil .

Jack

[6bg6ga]

My point was there is a far better way of doing it. Using motor oil is a crude ineffective way of doing it. Motor oil is messy, attracts dirt and dust to the cases and to the sizing die. I've personally mixed up batches of heat and lanolin (heat with alcohol not meth) and sprayed the brass and forgot about the brass until the next day and sat down and sized and it works great. Once done the lanolin/heat mixture comes off either in a tumbler or in the ultrasonic cleaner. Anyone interested in sizing without denting surely in most cases would opt for the lanolin/heat mixture for a sizing lube. I've tried it with a lot of calibers and have loaned my bottle out to other people to try and its done bout everything with the exception of 50 cal.

My suggestion is to drop the motor oil jump into this century and try what other folks use and minimize your time and effort. All I can say is you can take a horse to water but you can't make them drink. I've done my share.[smilie=b:

[10mmShooter]

My solution is Imperial Sizing wax, I use it to resize MG fired LC .308 brass, simply wipes off, no mess no fuss. Gotta use the right tools sometime :)

[jeepyj]

My method is to use lube to deprime / resize then wet tumble. I even do this with carbide pistol dies for 357, 44, 500 S&W etc. My mixture for that is a rounded teaspoon lemi-shine or equivalent, small squirt car soap (I prefer Blue Coral) and a 1/4ish cup simple green then top off with water. My tumbler is about 3/4 gallon size. This is a fail safe method that produces extraordinary results with no harsh chemicals. I have done thousands cases using this method and am still amazed on how nice the brass comes out. Hope this helps.

[35isit]

My method is to use lube to deprime / resize then wet tumble. I even do this with carbide pistol dies for 357, 44, 500 S&W etc. My mixture for that is a rounded teaspoon lemi-shine or equivalent, small squirt car soap (I prefer Blue Coral) and a 1/4ish cup simple green then top off with water. My tumbler is about 3/4 gallon size. This is a fail safe method that produces extraordinary results with no harsh chemicals. I have done thousands cases using this method and am still amazed on how nice the brass comes out. Hope this helps.

I bought the little HF tumbler I size and deprime all my brass. Then clean it in water and ss pins with Dawn and Lemishine. Before I got this setup. I used a tumbler and media and I wiped the cases down with nail polish remover. That removed the bulk of the lube.

Glad to see I'm not the only one that does it this way. A lot of my friends clean their brass then lube it, load it then just wipe it off and shoot it.

[trapper9260]

For me I use Unique that is out by Hornady that I use to size my brass with. First I run them with ground walnut and then size and deprime and then use corn cobs that are grounded and run the case in that an then I load.If they are too dirty I use cirtic acid after I size and lube.and then use corn cobs.

[cajun shooter]

I can't believe what I've read on this thread, we can't really have people in 2018 using gasoline to do anything other than running a combustion engine can we. Just a very small amount of fumes can be very explosive.
I remember a visit from a team of gentlemen who were employed by Esso( now Exon) who came to our Jr. High School in Baton Rouge, La. to educate us on the dangers of chemicals in our homes. When they took a eye dropper of gasoline and put it in a glass beaker and shook it up. They then poured any of the gasoline that was left out. They put a cork on the beaker that had a small spark plug and when it was fired, the cork was proplled across the room with a loud boom. There was not a single person who didn't jump. Up until that time, myself and all my friends used gas to clean everything as it was only .25 cents a gallon. I never again used
gas !!!

[rbuck351]

I use gas all the time for cleaning. It's cheap and works very well. I do make an effort not to contain the fumes and then light them. For my brass I use Hornady Unique and then just wipe it off with a dry cloth. 60 years using gas and still no BOOMs.

[Soundguy]

Safer to just use naptha and denat alcohol vs gas, of course, at that point, it's. ALMOST gas anyway!

[DDriller]

Hot water and Dawn dish soap will take all the lube off.

[calm seas]

I use 1 oz of lanolin to 7 oz 91% isopropyl alcohol in a mister bottle. Brass in a ziploc, spritz, shake, let the alcohol evaporate. Cleans up with soap and water, and the lanolin is much friendlier to your skin than a lot of the other lubes.

[garbler]

For the record mineral spirits is a catch-all name for several agents such as 'paint thinner, Stoddards etc. The quality is everywhere as generic paint thinner is often a recycled and filtered product. Regardless, all of it does indeed contain some oil and if you require proof then merely pour a bit on some clean glass, let it flash or dry, then with your fingertip or a towel rub the surface for proof. When I was in the industrial and marine coating business you soon learn that this stuff will create serious bonding problems and void warranties for applicators. Don't use it to clean brass much better stuff out there.

[Soundguy]

It covers a range of light aromatic hydrocarbons.

[solman]

I lay the brass out on an old towel. I mist it with some 91% alcohol in a spray bottle and fold the towel over the top of the brass. I roll them around for a little bit and I'm done. I don't obsess over getting it scrupulously lube free. This seems to work for me and takes very little time.

[porthos]

gasoline, kerosene; IQ level??!!!. try imperial sizing die wax (think it goes by another name now). i'll never use the sticky goey stuff again. if that is all that i had and needed to size brass with it; i know that i have enough sense not to use petroleum products to clean the brass.

[Shopdog]

My loading room is not in the shop,therefore the chemicals need to be right much more polite than certain products listed in this thread.Further,if the wife can be employed for stocking said loading room,much the better.So,Q-tips.....Finger nail polish remover(actetone)....scotchbright.....and anything else that she can get at the grocery store is fair game.I use FNPR- finger nail polish remover.We buy acetone and Laq thinner in bulk for the shop.The FNPR comes in nice sized bottles,don't rip the foil safety seal off,make a hole with a small punch,thataway it dispenses at a dribble.

[BattleRife]

Also of note, was they were not using straight ethanol, but rather 'aggressive ethanol', which was a solution of water, ethanol, salt and sulfuric acid.

That explains things somewhat. When I first saw the statement that ethanol may cause stress-corrosion cracking on brass my first reaction was to call BS. But if it's a mixture, well maybe.

Thanks for the link to the paper, I will make a note to read through it tonight when I have some time.

[Soundguy]

Yup, that aggressive ethanol may be a world of difference.

Good luck.

[oldhenry]

I use Hornady's "Unique" sizing lube. It's water soluble, but I go one step further. I wet tumble in my Lortorn #12 tumbler with a 6 to 1 solution of lemon juice (the cheap stuff) & water (hot water is best) + a squirt of Dawn (a squirt probably equals 3/4 tp). They come out lubricant free & shiny. I pour off the liquid & pour out the brass on a towel (an old one my wife gave me) & do a 3 fold to contain them. A few back & forth motions & let them sit out in the S. GA sun & they'll be dry in 2 hrs.

Be sure to rinse well.

Henry