Cleaning Brass

[HiPower]

I just bought a press and acc. but I have not gotten a tumbler yet. Just wondering if there is any way to clean brass without a tumbler?

Thanks

 

[undertaker]

friend of mine made one of ABS pipe, and a little motor- it rotates like a rock tumbler, but not as good by any means as a vibration tumbler

 

[nognog]

If you are reloading for pistol cal. You can get away from not tumbling your brass once in a while. I use to not tumble my 40 sw brass before reloading and had no problem. The dies could get dirty so quickly tho.

 

[Splatter]

Your brass doesn't have to be shiney before you load it. It does have to be clean. A slightly damp rag will do the job.

 

[pontcanna]

A cheap alternative: Soak the brass in hot water (mixed with dishwashing detergent and some concentrated lemon juice) then rinse with hot water and leave to air dry.

 

[Dmay]

Another suggestion-: Decap brass, soak overnight in one of those "Citrus" cleaners ( you see these all over - Citrisol(sp?) and the like, use the most concentrated you can find) then flush with hot water and dry - I use a hairdryer. Haven't used my tumbler since I started doing this.

 

[JCM298]

Before I got a tumbler, I'd put about 25 empty cases in socks, tie them off with a rubber band, and throw them and work clothes in the washer and dryer. It worked but it was noisy in the dryer.

Sometimes, I'd just spread them out in the sun to dry them. Getting things dry here in AZ is fairly easy.

I eventually bought a Dillon and have been using it for about 15 years.

John

 

[rkaine]

I've been using the Lyman case cleaner, 5 minutes soak, rinse with water and dry, been good for me so far.

 

[HPL]

Another suggestion-: Decap brass, soak overnight in one of those "Citrus" cleaners ( you see these all over - Citrisol(sp?) and the like, use the most concentrated you can find) then flush with hot water and dry - I use a hairdryer. Haven't used my tumbler since I started doing this.

Isn't it easier just to use a tumbler? I throw my brass in the tumbler, let it run an hour, then pour it out into a media separator, crank the handle a few times and the brass is good to go right then and there with very little effort on my part.

 

[pontcanna]

Easier vs. Expensive

Isn't it easier just to use a tumbler?

Easier maybe, but certainly not cheaper...remember, take an ordinary product, rebrand it for something special (like reloading) and jack up the price

 

[willy1]

I never used to clean my brass which led to dirty dies and gummy rounds. Since I started tumbling, reloading is faster and the rounds seem to feed through my gun better. My advice: save your pennies and buy a Dillon tumbler - the best on the market!!

 

[Ronforca]

If you are not reloading a whole bunch of shells Brasso works pretty good.I have cleaned up a lot of brass with Brasso.

 

[c1a1]

Using a vibratory tumbler not only gives the outside a cleaning, making it easier on reloading dies, it removes any lubricant and internal contamination. Also makes it easier for case inspection(neck cracks?) Clean cases also prevent any crud intering the chamber of your rifle.

 

[HiPower]

Thanks everyone. I think I will try the soaking thing until I have enough pennies for the tumbler.

 

[IM_Lugger]

I paid $75 for my tumbler because I just couldn't use dirty brass forever but if you have a lot of them you don't have to worry about the cleaning 'em for a while.

 

[JCM298]

Supposedly Brasso is not good for your brass. It has ammonia that weakens it. I don't know if that is true or not but I've read it on a number of forums.

John

 

[Ronforca]

You could be right JCM but I have been using it for 25 yrs.of reloading and have not had any problems.I used to fire some pretty hot loads too.My loads are like me now.Mellowed with age.

 

[thecollector]

Birchwood Casey has a cartridge brass cleaning concentrate ($10 a bottle, makes many reuseable solutions); soak hot for 20 min, drain, rinse, then air or oven dry (70 C for an hour) that's it. Use plastic containers for wash and rinse, and aluminum cake pan for drying.

 

[SandRoad]

Supposedly Brasso is not good for your brass. It has ammonia that weakens it. I don't know if that is true or not but I've read it on a number of forums.

John

This comment comes up many times about cleaners with small amounts of ammonia in them. You are not soaking the brass in concentrated ammonia. If it is used in a tumbler the ammonia evaporates fairly quickly and what is left is the abrassive.

Basically not enought ammonia to do any harm to the full thickness of the brass, especially when you compare that to what a case goes though from repeated firing and resizing.

K

 

[nognog]

Lyman Turbo tumbler. Spacious and best quality for your money.