First try with SS media, brass is rainbow colored

[Dave in WI]

Just got a Lyman Cyclone and rushed to try it out. Couldn't wait to run to town for some Lemi-shine. Added a little Dawn and let cases tumble for 1 hour. I thought I rinsed cases after really well...? They have a blue/red tint to them. Two brands of cases, Hornady and R-P. R-P was noticeably more tinted. They clean up for the most part with 0000 steel wool. Is it because SS media was new and I didn't run am empty cycle first? Because I didn't rinse well enough? Didn't use Lemi-shine?
I suppose the "Rainbow" color will make them politically correct.....

***edited to add: of course I didn't use supplied cleaning solution....

 

[Hollis Wood]

I've had that happen as well. I was thinking I used too much Lemi-Shine. But you didn't use any? hmmm.

 

[rwj]

You may find the “rainbow” coloring will dissolve if you place the cases in a mild solution of water/white vinegar.

 

[rardoin]

If you did not pre wash the media you could get some discoloration.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Rainbow coloring is from lack of rinsing and not enough citric acid. You need to run those pins by themselves for a day then rinse til theres no more metallic water. Id do this with a full drum and dawn maybe 2 spoons. You can run that brass again once you do all this with your citric acid added. I use real lemon from the fridge

 

[Dave in WI]

Thanks, everyone. I will load pins up with Dawn and let them run this afternoon.

 

[Had2muchofForums]

I have never needed to "clean" the ss pins before tumbling. My first batches on two different tumblers with two individual sets of ss pins came out perfectly, straight from the bag. When you run your brass use about a .45acp case full of lemishine, cold water, and about a tablespoon of Dawn. I like to tumble for 3-4 hours. Brass always comes out bright, shiny, perfect, and the correct color.

After cleaned, I've found it easier to pick out each piece of brass and toss it in a bowl of fresh water. I like to inspect each piece for pins stuck in the neck or primer pocket. From there I pour the brass into a spaghetti strainer and rinse under the faucet.

I usually then dump all the brass onto a large towel and get the bulk of water off the brass. Then I transfer them into a new dry towel and wrap up. Usually I'll put the towel over a vent on the floor and let the air circulate through the towel. Or, throw the brass in the oven at 200F for a couple hours. This is faster, but does take a little shine off the brass.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have never needed to "clean" the ss pins before tumbling. My first batches on two different tumblers with two individual sets of ss pins came out perfectly, straight from the bag. When you run your brass use about a .45acp case full of lemishine, cold water, and about a tablespoon of Dawn. I like to tumble for 3-4 hours. Brass always comes out bright, shiny, perfect, and the correct color.

Its not about cleaning the pins its about getting all the sharp edges knocked off. It took 8-10hrs on this current batch im running to get the metalflakes to stop showing up. It just dulls them out a bit and may stop a lot of the complaints of peening case mouths if the media was broken in

 

[Had2muchofForums]

Its not about cleaning the pins its about getting all the sharp edges knocked off. It took 8-10hrs on this current batch im running to get the metalflakes to stop showing up. It just dulls them out a bit and may stop a lot of the complaints of peening case mouths if the media was broken in

It has been my experience the necks will get dinged slightly even after the media is broken-in. A chamfur and debur will always be necessary imo, otherwise you will be shaving the jackets from the bullets upon seating, even with the lightest neck tension. Have you had different experiences?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

It has been my experience the necks will get dinged slightly even after the media is broken-in. A chamfur and debur will always be necessary imo, otherwise you will be shaving the jackets from the bullets upon seating, even with the lightest neck tension. Have you had different experiences?

no but it seems to be less violent. I still chamfer but ive seen some horrific pictures

 

[Sixgun]

I have never needed to "clean" the ss pins before tumbling. My first batches on two different tumblers with two individual sets of ss pins came out perfectly, straight from the bag. When you run your brass use about a .45acp case full of lemishine, cold water, and about a tablespoon of Dawn. I like to tumble for 3-4 hours. Brass always comes out bright, shiny, perfect, and the correct color.

After cleaned, I've found it easier to pick out each piece of brass and toss it in a bowl of fresh water. I like to inspect each piece for pins stuck in the neck or primer pocket. From there I pour the brass into a spaghetti strainer and rinse under the faucet.

I usually then dump all the brass onto a large towel and get the bulk of water off the brass. Then I transfer them into a new dry towel and wrap up. Usually I'll put the towel over a vent on the floor and let the air circulate through the towel. Or, throw the brass in the oven at 200F for a couple hours. This is faster, but does take a little shine off the brass.

Doesn't putting the cases back in cold water defeat the purpose of Lemmy Shine? Dawn only to clean first...THEN add Lemmishine for the rinse.

 

[Sixgun]

Just got a Lyman Cyclone and rushed to try it out. Couldn't wait to run to town for some Lemi-shine. Added a little Dawn and let cases tumble for 1 hour. I thought I rinsed cases after really well...? They have a blue/red tint to them. Two brands of cases, Hornady and R-P. R-P was noticeably more tinted. They clean up for the most part with 0000 steel wool. Is it because SS media was new and I didn't run am empty cycle first? Because I didn't rinse well enough? Didn't use Lemi-shine?
I suppose the "Rainbow" color will make them politically correct.....

***edited to add: of course I didn't use supplied cleaning solution....

Make sure you check your cases!! I just got into SS tumbling too and it was always in the back of my mind that "what if a pin was left in the case". Sure enough, on one case two pins stuck to the wall and one on two others. So I changed my processing separating pins. Probably would have ruined the barrel...but the following shot could've been the catastrophe.

 

[thatguyshm]

I don't use near a 45 case worth of Lemishine. I've always used a 380 case with Lemishine almost to the top and just drop the case in. It has been tumbled many many times. Always nice and shiny brass. I'll use just dawn for 45 minutes to an hour, dump the water and pins, cold water and Lemishine for a half hour. Case mouths aren't getting beat up like they used to also.

 

[GrocMax]

If the outer layer of a few molecules of zinc get stripped off due to the wrong or too strong of a solution, the brass will tend towards a streaky copper color instead of brassy. Redo them with a weaker solution, all will be fine. It takes a very small amount of lemishine to brighten it fully.

And yes I'd definitely pre-burnish the ultra-cheap rough cut wire media. Maybe with steel parts, nuts, bolts, whatever. Professional quality media is different. And more expensive.

 

[Rsadams]

Make sure you check your cases!! I just got into SS tumbling too and it was always in the back of my mind that "what if a pin was left in the case". Sure enough, on one case two pins stuck to the wall and one on two others. So I changed my processing separating pins. Probably would have ruined the barrel...but the following shot could've been the catastrophe.

Always shake the cases under the water when removing them from the tumbler , this really helps remove pins that are inside..... Add Dawn and lemishine at the same time and run them.... I did let my pins run awhile when new with just Dawn and water , rinse repeat.... Just use a 9mm or .45 case full of lemishine...

 

[Rustytigwire]

Coloration is oxidation.
Surface only.
It doesnt matter.
I tumble with hard well water.
Chlorine rinse water?
I rinse mine in city water and get colors.
edit
Oh yeah, I may be wrong too, but i have bigger problems to solve and color is less detrimental at this point.
Great input from many here.

 

[243winxb]

Avoid ammonia, *petroluem products* and vinegar when washing cartridge brass.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/cleaning-brass-using-citric-acid.708100/page-2

Incidentally, citric acid may also be used to passivate stainless steel. If you have something made of stainless that nonetheless picks up rust spots on the surface, that's due to free iron from tooling or other contamination and you can passivate the steel by eating the free iron off the surface. The right concentration for that is usually 10% and you have to degrease first. The best temperature depends on the type of stainless steel you have. The article in the link covers that.

https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/how-to-passivate-stainless-steel-parts

 

[243winxb]

I will load pins up with Dawn and let them run this afternoon.

Dawn may contain up to 10% * Ethanol*. 2 drops Dawn , in a citrus solution is plenty.

 

[Medic505]

Dawn may contain up to 10% Ethanol. 2 drops Dawn , in a citrus solution is plenty.
View attachment 1085228

I had to look up the MSDS for Dawn. It does have 1 to 5% ETOH. Plus other alcohols . Who would have thought that...

 

[Gappmast]

Its not about cleaning the pins its about getting all the sharp edges knocked off. It took 8-10hrs on this current batch im running to get the metalflakes to stop showing up. It just dulls them out a bit and may stop a lot of the complaints of peening case mouths if the media was broken in

Listen to Dusty he is giving you some good info. I had peening at first now my pins have about 20 hours on them and I have no peening at all.