Brass cleaning

[scattershot]

These poeces were tumbled for two hours in water, with Dawn and Lemishine. No pins! Stumbled across this method on Cavedweller 59’s site, and thought I’d share.

[relics6165]

Wow, just wow. What do the primer pockets and the insides look like?

[kevin c]

That technique has been well known for years. Variants are to use car wash and wax instead of Dawn dish washing detergent, which adds a wax shine and a bit of tarnish resistance, pure citric acid instead of Lemishine (basically the pure tarnish removal active ingredient), rinsing well in water and then drying the case exteriors by tumbling the brass in a towel sling to avoid water spots.

Wet tumbling with pins will clean the case interiors to just about factory new. Decapping beforehand will clean the primer pockets, if it matters to you, though improved drainage and drying is probably the main benefit.

[scattershot]

Thanks, first I’ve heard of wet tumbling without pins. I generally tumble without removing the spent primer, so the decapping pin will clean the flash hole. This wet tumbling method works well, but adds the step of drying the cases. No free lunch, I guess.

[kevin c]

Like you said, tradeoffs.

I got into wet tumbling to clean brass in an effort to avoid inhaling the potential lead exposure from the dust in the media, present despite mitigating measures. Then I read here that skin exposure to the used tumbling solution can raise blood lead levels, so I’ve traded a N95 mask for nitrile gloves.

And, honestly, the ballistics don’t change any if the case is bright inside or outside, personally it just scratches an itch.

[Shawlerbrook]

I do use tge same recipe in my HF ultrasonic cleaner. Decap first and they come out nice and clean but not as shiny.

[JimB..]

I read here that skin exposure to the used tumbling solution can raise blood lead levels, so I’ve traded a N95 mask for nitrile gloves.

Wearing gloves never hurts, but as long as you don’t lick your hands dry you’ll be fine. These lead compounds don’t readily absorb through your skin. Someone may have been thinking about the compounds in “the dip” including lead acetate which is readily absorbed through the skin.

[No_1]

I have used vinegar w/dawn dish detergent and liquid car wax for years. I knock the primers out the toss brass in the appropriate bucket of matching brass. When the bucket gets about 1/2 to 2/3 full of brass I fill it with warm water, add the ingredients then stir it around a couple of times with the broom stick. When I drain it out the water is really dirty and the brass is pretty clean.

Pins get the pockets really clean but for the most part are more of a pain in the hind-parts.

[kevin c]

Wearing gloves never hurts, but as long as you don’t lick your hands dry you’ll be fine. These lead compounds don’t readily absorb through your skin. Someone may have been thinking about the compounds in “the dip” including lead acetate which is readily absorbed through the skin.

Iirc it was member Ausglock who commented that he saw his lead levels rise when in contact with the (ime, very) dirty wash water while bare handed, with subsequent improvement when gloved. Correlation not causation, I know, but I figured gloving up was a reasonable general procedure that I do for most anything reloading and gun related, even though with chemically cleaned brass and coated bullets, the lead exposure is low. I just get less dirty in general.

Agree with No 1 about pins being a pain, but really shiny just appeals to the magpie in me.

[scattershot]

Wow, just wow. What do the primer pockets and the insides look like?

This is the best I can do with the primer pocket photo, and I can’t see the inside of the case at all. I generally don’t clean primer pockets. Call it a flaw in my character

[nicholst55]

I feel that cleaning primer pockets is highly over rated for the most part. I quit decades ago, and haven't noticed any difference. I have heard of very rare instances where there was so much ash in the primer pocket that the new one wouldn't seat properly, but have never actually encountered same.

[Dusty Bannister]

When I first went with the wet pin cleaning method, it did seem like a lot of extra work. Later on, I tried it without the pins, but still used the Armorall car was and wax plus lemishine. For heavily tarnished cases, this did not always remove the dark stain and a shadow remained on the case.

One step I have not, and will not skip is removing the primers before the process. It seemed to me that when the cases were dry, the primer skirts tended to stick a little harder in the primer pocket. If the skirt separated, then things came to a halt if using a progressive machine. That is avoidable, so I deprime and the visual case inspection can include the primer pocket and if needed a quick twist of the cleaning tool and keep going. Do what works for you.

[Mk42gunner]

First of all, I don't wet tumble. If needed I dry tumble using English walnut lizard litter from the pet store; shiny cases aren't needed, clean ones are.

I do deprime before tumbling, by using a Lee universal decapping die. After tumbling trip through the normal sizing die also takes care of any stuck tumbling media.

After dealing with a bunch of surplus brass that had gotten wet and had the spent primers corrode to the case, I started depriming before cleaning. Not a lot of fun trying to remove the sides of a primer cup after you punch the bottom out of it. Wet tumbling before depriming is just asking for trouble in my opinion.

Robert

[bandanaman]

I'm still in the throws of experimenting cleaning 45-70 cases after using black powder. I started using wet tumbling with stainless pins for 3 hours [too long] I had considerable case mouth peening. Experimented with 5 lbs. s/s pins,10 lbs. s/s pins ,Lyman angle cut ceramic media, 3mm round ceramic media. Went back to 5 lbs. s/s pins 2 1/2 lbs. round ceramic media tumbling with Frankford cleaner with some Lemishine and cut back the tumbling to 1 1/2 hours. I found I needed the pins to get a better result in the primer pockets as the round balls alone didn't seem enough.....others have had good success with the balls but did cycle the brass through an ultrasonic cleaner as well which I'm guessing was why their pockets seemed immaculate .Not having the ultrasonic system I'm seeing what I can do with what I have at the moment...My brass isn't sparkling brand new looking but it is clean inside and out .The primer pockets are acceptable but not perfect but I'm working on that.....The wet tumbling system with a media of some sort has been the best system for black powder residue by far that I have run across......The Frankford cleaner works well for me also ...... I'm guessing the above posts mostly if not all relate to cleaning after using smokeless powder....

[kevin c]

First of all, I don't wet tumble. If needed I dry tumble using English walnut lizard litter from the pet store; shiny cases aren't needed, clean ones are.

I do deprime before tumbling, by using a Lee universal decapping die. After tumbling trip through the normal sizing die also takes care of any stuck tumbling media.

After dealing with a bunch of surplus brass that had gotten wet and had the spent primers corrode to the case, I started depriming before cleaning. Not a lot of fun trying to remove the sides of a primer cup after you punch the bottom out of it. Wet tumbling before depriming is just asking for trouble in my opinion.

Robert

I’ve never had that problem, but then my cleaning process for my (mostly once fired) brass has the cases pretty dry in a matter of a few hours at most, so no time to develop corrosion related issues. Maybe I’d be singing a different tune if I were cleaning outdoor range brass that’d been rained on and stayed wet for days or longer.

[Lead pot]

I shoot black powder and I want my brass clean, inside and outside as well as the primer pockets are spotless.
I have found nothing that gets the job done better than these little 3mm balls and using an ultrasonic cleaner and a Frankfort Arsenal wet tumbler.

[kevin c]

Lead pot: are those balls ceramic? Do you get good cleaning of the extractor grooves and inside edges of the cases?

I’ve also used white vinegar to clean brass. The acetic acids works the same as the citric acid as a tarnish remover. I even tried pool acid (hydrochloric acid) a few times. It works too, but it was so strong it took a lot diluting, and I ended up with holes eaten in a couple pairs of pants.

[redhawk0]

Deprime, run wet with pins 1 hour, (citric acid, dawn), size then load. I have no issues with scratches during the sizing step since the brass is already clean. Now....I do sometimes need a second water/dawn bath just because I have some steel dies that require lube when resizing. But for me...handling the brass a second time isn't a huge issue...it also let's me check for any splits/cracks a second time.

redhawk