Info Help needed

[Daywalker]

I had found a couple of threads and now can not seem to be able to find them again. I am trying to find the ones that offers the cleaning solution brine from water and vinager to clean my 40 brass after annealing to get them super clean, also, CVS can order the Lanolin (can not spell the first part) and was wondering how to mix it once it gets here.

can anyone point me back to the thread or if easier repeat it again?

Thanks so much

Tommy

[BT Sniper]

If you can find pool PH reducer this time of year it works very well as an acid bath. I am sure the mixture of water viniger and salt is not critical. My guess 1 gallon water, 1 cup vinigar, 1/2 cup salt. Just a guess.

The lanolin I mixed as directed too. seemed like 4oz castor oil to 1lb lanolin maybe. I thought that may have thinned it a little to much and may try half the castor oil. Again not sure of my numbers here. The posts are here someware. just keep looking back a page at a time I guess.

[Daywalker]

Thanks Brian for the info. Ill look into it some more.

[ANeat]

I use a vinegar/water mix on my brass, about 1/2 1/2 just a guess. Then follow that with water and a little baking soda to neutralize the acid.

For lube even straight anhydrous lanolin is fine but its kind of thick. I get mine from MMS,http://www.thesage.com/catalog/FixedOil.html#Lanolin I think I thined mine 80/20 with castor oil. (80 lanolin/20 castor) I warm it up a bit in the microwave and give it a good stir. Still kind of thick this time of year once it cools off.

[Daywalker]

Thanks for the info ANeat. So after I get done with the vinegar/water mix, empty that out, replace with fresh water and baking soda? Boiling both?

[ANeat]

I use an ultrasonic cleaner, but yes after the vinegar/water empty that and use the baking soda/water.

[bohica2xo]

Daywalker:

Use distilled water. Anywhere between 20% - 50% vinegar by volume will work fine. 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of solution on the salt.

Room temp works just fine. The vinegar can be reduced if you use an elevated temperature. Agitation is helpful - either mechanical or areation.

Keep ANY other metals out of contact with the solution. It will develop a blue color as the copper remains in solution. The solids that percipitate out are the zinc & trash. You can let the solution stand in a plastic container overnight & pour off the clean solution if you like.

If you reach into a plastic container full of cases & solution with a steel tool, plating will begin. The copper in solution will begin to deposit back onto the clean brass - and it will become copper colored. This is not an issue if you don't mind copper bullets. It does not take much steel contact either.

If you have a bath develop the plating habbit, you will need to make new solution & clean the containers well - if you don't want it to plate.

I clean cases in room temp solution after they have been red hot. You can put them in still warm, but I don't recomend quenching them in the bath. I use a plastic food container with a screw on lid, and just give it a shake every few minutes. 20 minutes to an hour usually gets them clean enough for me.

Rinse in clean water. The baking soda is good, as is hot or boiling water. Cold water works OK, but it takes a far bit of compressed air to get them dry...


As for swage lube, there must be a million recepies. Anhydrous Lanolin works great. I use Unique Lube for some jobs. Chevy/Ford/Boxers/Briefs/Ginger/Maryann - really just a personal choice or experiece.

B.

[docone31]

Muriatic acid also works as Pickle.
If you spray Borax on previously to annealing, the Borax helps to prevent Firescale, and comes right off with pickle.
I like to have my pickle hot. From there, directly into water to rinse the pickle. From there, to whatever method of cleaning there might be.
Be cautious and not get any, I mean any, for any length of time, I mean any iron tools in the pickle. Not even a microscopic piece! It turns the pickle into a plating solution, and the copper that drops out in the firescale, plates to the pieces.
Not a good thing, unless you want it to look like copper.

[Daywalker]

Thanks for the info guys. I will be studying these very close. I do not want any crud to get into my dies and scratch them so I am looking for a cleaner job than factory clean LOL.....

Been thinking about the ultrasonic cleaner, does have my interest as I can use that for more than one thing....

[BT Sniper]

found a thread on the lube

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=46445

[Daywalker]

Thanks a bundle Brian

[Daywalker]

Bought me one of them there fancy ultasonic cleaners the other day. Oh boy does it ever get them brass looking purty again! Following instructions from a site posted by aneat on another thread, I use equal amount of vinager and water with dish detergant letting it work for 24 minutes (3 cycles of 480 seconds) follow that up with the Baking soda water solution using 1 grain bs to ounce of water, then a hot bath and then a final step with distilled water. I like it alot!!

I think I am going to use this to clean my reloading dies amongs other thing.

Another thought, has anyone used the ultrasonic cleaner to clean the swaged boolits when done to get the lube and stuff off??

[ANeat]

Another thought, has anyone used the ultrasonic cleaner to clean the swaged boolits when done to get the lube and stuff off??

I would worry about any cleaning that may occur between the core and jacket using the ultrasonic on a finished bullet

[Daywalker]

have not thought about that. Glad I decided to ask before doing it! Thanks so much for the heads up and concern

[AF FAL]

What ultrasonic cleaner are you guys using?

[ANeat]

I think several guys are using the Harbor Freight model. I have a Bransonic, I think it holds about a gallon, I picked it up used.

[Daywalker]

I got mine off of ebay. 65 shipped. It is made by the same company that is making the new Hornday ultrasonic cleaner. 3 difference's, mine is white Hornady is black, Hornady has their name on the front and theirs is 99.99. The reason for the 65 shipped, miswording on the front

"Add water before turn on it"

Works great! I am using micro 90 with mine