Brass cleaning

Use one of Lee's case trimmers in an electric drill or drill press. A little 000 steel wool and you can do a lot of cases quickly.
 
Doghntr,
It is a whole lot of work to clean brass without a tumbler or similar sonic device. My advice is to spend the $57 to get the Cabelas tumbler that is a kit. You get the screen, corn cob media with polishing liquid, & tumbler for that price. It is everything you need to get those cases really shiny.
 
Quote:
A soft tooth brush, Q-tips, and Brasso? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


NEVER-NEVER-NEVER use Brasso to clean brass cartridge casings!!!!

Brasso contains ammonia, it attacks and weakens cartridge casings, using it could cause case rupture with possibility of personal injury.

There are brass polishes made specifically for cleaning brass cartridge cases, they don't attack the brass and can be used safely, best when used with a vibrating case cleaner.

Good brass polishes
Flitz Media Additive
Dillon Brass Polish
 
NEVER NEVER NEVER use vinagar to clean brass cartridge casings !!!!
vinagar is an acid that likes to attack brass, thats why it cleans it so well.
I myself do use vinagar to clean my brass how ever after using the vinagar I soak in a baking soda solution to nutrilize the vinagar then rinse real well and dry. how much baking soda I don't know how ever you cant use to much so use plenty as it is cheap
 
Another tip I learned.."the hard way" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif Is make sure that all of the corncob media is completely removed from the casing, I was reloading some tonite... Tap, Tap Tap on the bench, checking each case, as I loaded shells I looked at the ammount of powder in each case as I reload them.. all of a sudden I get one that looks almost full to the neck ! I dumped out the powder, and tap tap... another wad of media fell out.. Im not sure why the media sticks, but Im going to keep checking all my cases.. Good luck !
 
Have started a new method for brass cleaning. Picked the tip up on another forum I frequent.

Using a Thumlers tumbler, stainless steel wire cut in very short pieces as the media. (.060"X.250") 5 lbs. of the media and 300 .223 cases, 2 oz. of Ivory dishwashing liquid, 8 hrs. run time, and the brass looks brand new. I decap, then run in the tumbler, primer pockets are completely clean, inside cases as well. Brass comes out gold, brand new looking, no dust.
 
i have switched to corn cob media that is ued for sand blasting and cleaning delicate parts in shop bead blast machines. it is quite fine, almost like coarse sand in consistancy, but obviously soft being corn cob. we pay almost $17 for the lyman media in the 2-3 lb container at sport stores, i bought a 50 lb bag for $37, and gave all my loading freinds pails of it. i use an old rock tumbler, and the cases come out shiny as new.
it pours out of the cases totally and really cleans the inside of the necks and flash holes. i have cleaned as many as 800 really dirty pistol cases before changing it without adding any of the cleaning additives or rejuvinators. its so cheap i just toss it and start fresh when need be. i think this bag will last me 10 years!! lee
 
Wipe each case with a rag and some lighter fluid. Clean the primer pockets. Any bad spots can be touched-up with fine steel wool.
Dillon makes a nice tumbler and you can buy walnut shells at the pet store in a 20# bag. I believe they use walnut shell for bird cages????Last bag I bought was $16.95 @ PetSmart.
 
Throw them in a round sealed container with some cob or walnut shell. Throw the container in the bed of pickup truck. After about a week of rolling around back there they should be good to go.

8P~
unloaded
 
I use tuff nut. i was board the other day and had 20 case that were to be trashed.I put 1 cup of play sand into my old media and let it and the 20 case run for an hour.aDON'T EVER EVER DO THIS TO GOOD CASE IT EATS THEM UP BIG TIME. Just for fun i put in new media and the ruffed up 20 cased and let them tumble for 40 hours they look really nice and shiney but whenyou look closely they are scratched up big time.

If you media is drying out add some lucas oil stablized just a small amount it works really good for sizing cases also.

BD
 
Cracker,
I've never had a problem using vinergar solution and a water rinse to clean gunked up brass. No surface cracks, splits, nothing. Just clean brass. I do prefer the water rinse as opposed to the baking soda rinse which leaves a residue and requires an extra rinse in clean water. So I will continue to promote it as a way to clean gunked up brass on the cheap. By the way don't add salt to the vinergar-water mixture or you will get the NEVER NEVER NEVER result. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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