Your preferred brass cleaning method?
- Thread starter Mcauthorn
- Start date
BattleRife
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- of No Fixed Address
I vibrate in untreated walnut shell media. I use an appliance timer to set the duration, usually 3 hours.
Result is brass that very clean on the outside, but not in the powder chamber or primer pocket. I usually don't remove the primers ahead of tumbling, as it isn't effective. While clean, the finish is typically rather matte. heavy oxidation or tarnish of the brass is not removed.
If I want a higher shine, or to remove tarnish, I pre-treat the brass by soaking it for a few minutes, maybe up to half an hour, in a dilute acid solution. I have used phosphoric acid, sulfamic acid, and citric acid with good results. Rinse well, spread out on a towel for a couple hours to get them mostly dry, then into the tumbler. Tarnish is still visible on brass after the soak, but it is made soft, so that the vibratory cleaning removes it easily.
Result is brass that very clean on the outside, but not in the powder chamber or primer pocket. I usually don't remove the primers ahead of tumbling, as it isn't effective. While clean, the finish is typically rather matte. heavy oxidation or tarnish of the brass is not removed.
If I want a higher shine, or to remove tarnish, I pre-treat the brass by soaking it for a few minutes, maybe up to half an hour, in a dilute acid solution. I have used phosphoric acid, sulfamic acid, and citric acid with good results. Rinse well, spread out on a towel for a couple hours to get them mostly dry, then into the tumbler. Tarnish is still visible on brass after the soak, but it is made soft, so that the vibratory cleaning removes it easily.
I used to clean my brass in a vibratory cleaner with walnut shells, worked ok.
Changed to wet tumbling about five years ago, far superior results, brass comes out like factory new, inside and out, including primer pockets.
I have also switched to wet tumbling, but I don’t use steel pins. Only run for about 30-45 minutes in hot water, lemi shine and a couple drops of dawn dish soap. Then I wipe them off with a towel and throw in a brass dryer.
I have noticed that the necks seem to require more chamfering and deburring as opposed to vibratory tumbling though. Otherwise the necks tend to shave bullet jackets.
I have noticed that the necks seem to require more chamfering and deburring as opposed to vibratory tumbling though. Otherwise the necks tend to shave bullet jackets.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
OP - you probably need to put the "brass cleaning" step into the context of your reloading process. In my case, I have a stainless pin wet tumbler, a dry "walnut" vibrator and an Ultra Sonic machine - each has its own advantages and dis-advantages and uses. If I want to clean my brass ( which sometimes I do not, other than a quick wipe with a rag), I typically have been using the wet stainless pin tumbler, the evening before doing the brass. I pop out the primers first - I used to use a Universal de-primer die, but often now, I just use a "punch" style thing. Perhaps a couple or so hours with Dawn dish soap, Lemi-Shine powder crystals and water in the pin tumbler. I clear out the loose pins that are stuck in there and let the cases stand mouth down, on a paper towel, usually in a bread pan tub. Next day, I roll to lube them - maybe 5 or so cases at a time - RCBS Case-Lube 2 water based lube on a Lyman pad (I messed up my original RCBS pad pretty good and replaced it, some years ago). I resize a case in an RCBS RockChucker press. Various brand shell holders and dies - Lyman, RCBS, Lee, etc. Then one case at a time into a Lee Case length trimmer stud in a battery drill - cut to length, chamfer and de-lube while spinning, with a damp rag. Then, that case into a case holder tray - one case done - several to go. I would typically "process" perhaps 50 to 100 cases like that in a session. Next session, I re-prime and load up the cases. I use a bench mounted RCBS priming tool that uses the same shell holder that I use in the press to resize the cases and then to seat the bullets. I use an RCBS ChargeMaster Lite to dispense powder and normally seat a bullet while the ChargeMaster is dispensing the next round's worth of powder. So, typically two sessions, to load up 50 to 100 rifle rounds. I have never done handgun brass; never used a rotating or progressive press, although I did used to use a volume powder thrower (Uniflow) into a scale pan and then trickle up to weight on the scale - I still have that beam scale set up, on a shelf front of me, about eye level to the beam - so I can verify as desired against that ChargeMaster Lite machine.
So, the "brass cleaning" is a relatively small part of my process. I have had to make at least three times, something to pull a stuck case out of the die without wrecking the die - I must have got "chintzy" with the lube, and managed to rip the rim off the cases - I no longer experiment with different case lubes, or different ways of doing that step.
So, the "brass cleaning" is a relatively small part of my process. I have had to make at least three times, something to pull a stuck case out of the die without wrecking the die - I must have got "chintzy" with the lube, and managed to rip the rim off the cases - I no longer experiment with different case lubes, or different ways of doing that step.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I use two different ways to clean bass depending on volume and how filthy it is. I use a vibratory dry tumbler with crushed walnut shell with some varsol and NuFinish car wax added, for small batches of brass and brass that isn’t that dirty. For large volumes of brass, especially dirty range pickup brass I wet tumble with SS pins.
Both work to get cases clean, wet tumbling is the quicker and superior way to clean if you want as clean or better than new brass. I’ve got to the point that I’m likely going to buy the smaller Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler and stop dry tumbling for rifle brass, I’ll still dry media tumble for small lots of pistol brass (50-150pc’s).
Honestly it all comes down to how clean you want your brass to be, I prefer it to be sparkling shiny lol. It shoots fine with dry tumbling as well, I just like shiny things.
^dry tumbled .308
^wet tumbled .303
Both work to get cases clean, wet tumbling is the quicker and superior way to clean if you want as clean or better than new brass. I’ve got to the point that I’m likely going to buy the smaller Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler and stop dry tumbling for rifle brass, I’ll still dry media tumble for small lots of pistol brass (50-150pc’s).
Honestly it all comes down to how clean you want your brass to be, I prefer it to be sparkling shiny lol. It shoots fine with dry tumbling as well, I just like shiny things.
^dry tumbled .308
^wet tumbled .303
Wet tumbler with pins and a cheap food dehydrator to make drying quick. Solution is a squirt of dish soap and about two capfuls of lemon juice concentrate, works like a charm. To only ''downside'' to a wet tumbler is you have to consider how full the drum is, too little or too much and the tumbling isn't great
Me Too ! Shiney GOLD color is BestI use two different ways to clean bass depending on volume and how filthy it is. I use a vibratory dry tumbler with crushed walnut shell with some varsol and NuFinish car wax added, for small batches of brass and brass that isn’t that dirty. For large volumes of brass, especially dirty range pickup brass I wet tumble with SS pins.
Both work to get cases clean, wet tumbling is the quicker and superior way to clean if you want as clean or better than new brass. I’ve got to the point that I’m likely going to buy the smaller Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler and stop dry tumbling for rifle brass, I’ll still dry media tumble for small lots of pistol brass (50-150pc’s).
Honestly it all comes down to how clean you want your brass to be, I prefer it to be sparkling shiny lol. It shoots fine with dry tumbling as well, I just like shiny things.
View attachment 912056
^dry tumbled .308
View attachment 912057
^wet tumbled .303
RJ
Deprime, treated media dry tumble, wipe with a paper towel dampened with acetone or rubbing alcohol (to get the polishing compound residue off), quick spin of the primer pocket cleaner before reloading.
Insides don't get clean, but who cares.
270WSMXBolt
Regular
- Location
- Delta B.C.
I like em shiny but it's not really needed to increase accuracy.
I anneal, hot sonic bath, compressed air, resize and trim, 2nd hot sonic, compressed air, walnut vibe until anneal marks are gone, compressed air, de-prime, check flash hole and pocket size, 3rd hot sonic, hot water rinse, compressed air, expander mandrel, install primer. They are ready to load now.
I leave the primers in to keep the pocket from getting loose from the walnut vibe. Cheers
I anneal, hot sonic bath, compressed air, resize and trim, 2nd hot sonic, compressed air, walnut vibe until anneal marks are gone, compressed air, de-prime, check flash hole and pocket size, 3rd hot sonic, hot water rinse, compressed air, expander mandrel, install primer. They are ready to load now.
I leave the primers in to keep the pocket from getting loose from the walnut vibe. Cheers
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
Am I the only hillbilly here? I spin my brass in a Lee shellholder drill chuck thing, and shine them up with dollar store green/yellow scrub sponges.
I used to care with pistol brass, but as long as it's physically clean, I don't much care anymore.
I used to care with pistol brass, but as long as it's physically clean, I don't much care anymore.
