A Great Recipe To Clean Brass!

[onelastshot]

A few weeks ago I broke down and purchased a Lyman stainless steel tumbler. Over the past few weeks I've experimented with different solutions to clean brass. I think I finally perfected the recipe. Time and again I've heard to use a tablespoon of liquid soap and a teaspoon on Lemishine. I think I found something better.

I still use the tablespoon of liquid soap but instead of lemishine I actually use a half of a lemon. I squeeze out most of the juice and then just throw the rind into the tumbler. The brass comes out better than new. I've had some brass with green oxidation that I considered throwing out, they came out looking new. I've tried a half dozen recipes over the past three weeks and using real lemon has turned out the best. It sounds crazy but, try it.

 

[Richard Coody]

I just wipe mine off with a rag damp with ballistol

At the range while my barrel is cooling or people are posting targets i decap with my harvey decapper and wipe the cases off with ballistol. Then i put them in a Ziploc in my range box. When i get home my brass is decapped, cleaned and lubed ready for sizing.

This method leaves the carbon in the neck in place.

 

[Juma]

So you cut the lemon in 1/2 use the juice from that half and peel the rind off that 1/2 and throw it in the tumbler?

 

[watercam]

I'm betting he is throwing the entire half in. Why not, a little more juice and the whole rind would help move things around a bit more.

 

[onelastshot]

So you cut the lemon in 1/2 use the juice from that half and peel the rind off that 1/2 and throw it in the tumbler?

I used the juice for something else, just threw in the lemon rind.

 

[Fast14riot]

Yep, it's all I've done, just grab whatever citrus fruit is left over in my bar, cut it in half and squeeze into the tumbler. I don't throw the half in the tumbler though. They do come out exceptionally nice though!

 

[Texas10]

I guess if you have a ready supply of lemons at hand, your recipe is fine, especially if you're enjoying some of your favorite beverage while it tumbles

Lemi-Shine is citrus acid, so is lemon, and chemically they're the same however, since you were tossing the rind in, it may be the lemon oil in the rind that is adding an extra shine to the brass. Does it hold it's shine longer than when using Lemi-Shine?

You may be onto something

 

[Eddie Vializ]

I use half a lime in a small glass of Tanqueray and tonic and throw the brass away!

 

[TheOtherZilla]

You guys clean your brass???

 

[divingin]

Personally, I use a tablespoon of car wash and wax and 1/8 tsp of Lemishine. That's for a Thumlers 12lb drum.

 

[JohnKielly]

I use half a lime in a small glass of Tanqueray and tonic and throw the brass away!

Tried The Botanist?

 

[Sniper338]

I was using ss pins and tumbler. I stopped. It gets brass TOO clean. You will find you have excessive seating issues.

 

[HPMike800]

If you don't want the inside of the cases super clean just use a timer to shut it down early. The inside is the last portion of the case to clean. I set the time to leave a little residue in the neck.

 

[MrMajestic]

I use half a lime in a small glass of Tanqueray and tonic and throw the brass away!

I find that if you use Bombay you'll never hit the trash can.

 

[ngb1787]

My gun shoots great know matter how ugly the brass is

 

[vonb]

I was using ss pins and tumbler. I stopped. It gets brass TOO clean. You will find you have excessive seating issues.

Can you not dips the necks in graphite to prevent excess tension?

 

[Sniper338]

Can you not dips the necks in graphite to prevent excess tension?

Ya you can.. i just quite cleaning them and just brushing the necks out, works perfectly so far

 

[centershot]

Are you using an ultrasonic cleaner or a tumbler/vibratory cleaner with media?

 

[nmkid]

So...A perfect use for all the lemons life has given me!!

 

[bayoubrass]

A few weeks ago I broke down and purchased a Lyman stainless steel tumbler. Over the past few weeks I've experimented with different solutions to clean brass. I think I finally perfected the recipe. Time and again I've heard to use a tablespoon of liquid soap and a teaspoon on Lemishine. I think I found something better.

I still use the tablespoon of liquid soap but instead of lemishine I actually use a half of a lemon. I squeeze out most of the juice and then just throw the rind into the tumbler. The brass comes out better than new. I've had some brass with green oxidation that I considered throwing out, they came out looking new. I've tried a half dozen recipes over the past three weeks and using real lemon has turned out the best. It sounds crazy but, try it.

What size drum?