Need Your Imput On Cleaning Cases

[azshtr]

I just purchased several thousand cases in various calibers and am wanting to tumble clean before using and selling. They have been sitting in a storage shed at a firing range for years and are tarnished badly.

Just wondering what I can use as far as media and your favorite formula to clean and polish that won't cost an arm and a leg.

I have a Hornady tumbler and have corn cob at present.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

[Bent Ramrod]

I have a Thumler's Tumbler and use Steve Rhodes' (Arizona Sharpshooter) ceramic media and cleaning solution. I think the whole kit cost $30 or so. It works equally well on black-powder and grungy smokeless powder cases, leaving them clean and bright without that "polished" look that rouges and abrasive powders give.

I've done maybe 15 batches of shells since I got the setup and the bottle of cleaner is still about 90% full. The ceramic doesn't wear out; you just rinse it off, dry it and reuse it. I've still got half the ceramic left in the original bag; I figure this kit will last me a decade at least.

[Bloodman14]

Corn cob (treated) to clean, walnut to polish, if you want. Be aware, you may not remove the brown tarnish without using a liquid cleaner (e.g., Birchwood-Casey's brass cleaning concentrate). Brown won't hurt, as long as it's clean.

[Bloodman14]

By the way, if you do remove the brown, the case may be unsafe due to chemical breakdown of the metal.

[UweJ]

I use corn cob also and add a squirt of mineral spirits,not to much. Does the job.
Uwe

[mooman76]

Be advised if you tumble case that are close to the same size at the same time, ie. 40 &9mm 40 & 45 the case will get media in them and wedge together.

[dromia]

I have a Thumler's Tumbler and use Steve Rhodes' (Arizona Sharpshooter) ceramic media and cleaning solution. I think the whole kit cost $30 or so. It works equally well on black-powder and grungy smokeless powder cases, leaving them clean and bright without that "polished" look that rouges and abrasive powders give.

I've done maybe 15 batches of shells since I got the setup and the bottle of cleaner is still about 90% full. The ceramic doesn't wear out; you just rinse it off, dry it and reuse it. I've still got half the ceramic left in the original bag; I figure this kit will last me a decade at least.


Ditto.

[canebreaker]

I've picked up some tarnished brass and cleaned them well. I cut a lemon into small slices and add to media. Tumble the cases and remove lemon when sifting cases. Place media in a stocking and let air dry a few day or it will stink and mold.
I found pet bedding at tractor supply, corncob media, 10 lb. bag for 5.00. A bit larger, but mixed with regular media, works great.

[mike in co]

Corn cob (treated) to clean, walnut to polish, if you want. Be aware, you may not remove the brown tarnish without using a liquid cleaner (e.g., Birchwood-Casey's brass cleaning concentrate). Brown won't hurt, as long as it's clean.

BACKWARDS!!!!

WALNUT TO CLEAN DIRTY ( AS IN REAL DIRTY, NOT JUST FIRED STUFF).

CORN COB ,WITH OR WITHOUT A POLISHING AGENT( NUFINISH CAR POLISH),TO POLISH

mike in co

[August]

BACKWARDS!!!!

WALNUT TO CLEAN DIRTY ( AS IN REAL DIRTY, NOT JUST FIRED STUFF).

CORN COB ,WITH OR WITHOUT A POLISHING AGENT( NUFINISH CAR POLISH),TO POLISH

mike in co

+1

Walnut more aggressive than corn cob.

[1hole]

Simply polishing them in a tumbler will do all that's actually needed. But, to sell well, they will bring a higher price if the dark tarnish is removed first.

The tarnish is simply an oxide, much like rust, and the very mild acid in vinegar will eat it off with no damage to the underlying brass. I's easy to do and cheap too. Removing the tarnish is harmless to the cases.

Make a solution of two parts water and one part of white vinegar, actual ratio is not critical but stronger is faster. Soak/stir the tarnished brass in it over night, or until all of the tarnish has turned a sort of pinkish color. Then flush, dry a few days (get the insides totally dry or media will clot in them) and tumble normally.

[jcwit]

Posts 9-10-11 tell you all you kneed to know.

[Zim]

I've never tried this, but read about it on the WWW - twice.

Get a cement mixer. Get enough walnut lizard bedding from your favorite pet store to get a comfortable level in the mixer. Add cases and turn on mixer.

Leave running until the cases are cleaned to your liking. I like the clean, but brown color. Have a buddy that only settles for polished Navy Brass.

Problem solved.

[dromia]

azshtr.

I got my media from Buffalo Arms a few years ago. There are various recipes as to what compound to put in with the media. I'm using Micro90 just now as I have a few pints to hand.

Link to Buffalo Arms here:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/2,107.html

[WILCO]

Get a cement mixer. Get enough walnut lizard bedding from your favorite pet store to get a comfortable level in the mixer. Add cases and turn on mixer.


Sounds like the best way to clean several thousand cases!

[mike in co]

Sounds like the best way to clean several thousand cases!

yes but not for a one time deal of MIXED caliber cases...

one of my wholesale accounts has four cement mixers for brass polishing.

mike in co

[jcwit]

Ya right you need a cement mixer to clean several thousand cases. Get real folks, prepping cases and cleaning several will only take a week or 2 using an avg. sized tumbler. How do I know, done it many times. When you get .223 & .40 cal brass mixed in 2 or 3 5 gal. pails believe me I know. Several thousand cases is not that much really.

Now if you're talking 10's of thousands, thats the begining of a different story.

[abunaitoo]

For old tarnished brass I soak it in Bathroom tub and tile cleaner(phosphroic acid) for about an hour.
Rinse well in water.
Dry in the sun or toaster oven.
Tunble with corn with Bon Ami added for about two hours, or untill you feel it clean enough.
Gets even the worse brass clean.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

50/50 mix of ground walnut and corn cob media with a capful of Nu Finish car polish added. Cheapest and best solution I've found for tumbling media. Nice looking cases that are nice and slick result. For rifle cartridges, lube is still needed, but less than normal. For pistol, really smooths up the reloading operation with carbide dies.

Regards,

Dave

[mold maker]

50/50 mix of ground walnut and corn cob media with a capful of Nu Finish car polish added. Cheapest and best solution I've found for tumbling media. Nice looking cases that are nice and slick result. For rifle cartridges, lube is still needed, but less than normal. For pistol, really smooths up the reloading operation with carbide dies.

Regards,

Dave

+1 on that.
I've been cleaning range brass that way for years.
It's cheap, and effective.
Nu Finish polished cases stay bright longer too.

[mauser1959]

Simply polishing them in a tumbler will do all that's actually needed. But, to sell well, they will bring a higher price if the dark tarnish is removed first.

The tarnish is simply an oxide, much like rust, and the very mild acid in vinegar will eat it off with no damage to the underlying brass. I's easy to do and cheap too. Removing the tarnish is harmless to the cases.

Make a solution of two parts water and one part of white vinegar, actual ratio is not critical but stronger is faster. Soak/stir the tarnished brass in it over night, or until all of the tarnish has turned a sort of pinkish color. Then flush, dry a few days (get the insides totally dry or media will clot in them) and tumble normally.

+1... I also add a bit of salt to the solution , my thinking being that it goes into solution in the ionic form of HCL and NaOH.