Brass cleaning tip

[racesnake]

For all whose brass cleaning method involves water:
I've tried several methods to dry the brass after cleaning and they all came up wanting. I finally hit upon something that works and is quick and simple. I bought a slow cooker from Wally World for $10.
After the brass is agitated to remove the bulk of the water, I drop them into the slow cooker with the liner removed and the heat control set on low. After about an hour or so the brass is dry and ready to go. I checked the brass temperature while in the cooker and it never got over 140F which will not affect the metallurgy. If someone has a simpler method - lets hear it.

 

[ebby927]

my wife has one of them newfangled front door clothes dryers with the shoe and hat rack you lay inside. i spread my brass out on a towel and lay em on the rack for about a hour on normal cycle and that usually does the trick. However i have not tested the temp of the brass, but you can handle them right after the dryer quits.

 

[Kingfisher]

I toss mine in a tupperware dish with a couple inches of rubbing alcohol in the bottom and roll them around, then take them out and either stick them in the sun for 20 mins if I'm in a hurry or just put them in the reloading tray if I'm not. The alcohol deals with the water in short order and evaporates quickly.

 

[necchi]

The Oven.

 

[gotcha]

+1 Oven on cookie sheet. Lowest setting = 15 to 20 min. If your wife is like mine........ Its best she isn't home at the time 8)

 

[Erik Cortina]

Oven. Set at 225 for 15 minutes and done.

 

[Leaddog]

I toss mine in a tupperware dish with a couple inches of rubbing alcohol in the bottom and roll them around, then take them out and either stick them in the sun for 20 mins if I'm in a hurry or just put them in the reloading tray if I'm not. The alcohol deals with the water in short order and evaporates quickly.

+1. After the alcohol bath, I hit them with a hair dryer for a couple minutes on a metal tray. After that, they go straight to the Benchsource for annealing. Fast and easy.

 

[amlevin]

I just have lots of brass. The stuff I clean in the pins and water can just sit there for a day or two until I need it. No need for me to hurry up the drying process.

That said, I do like the slow cooker method. They're supposed to be set to give about 160 degrees max on the low setting.

Garage sales always have one or two available for cheap.

 

[Juma]

Before that put lime juice i.e. squeezed from your lime tree into your water in the USC. Give it 3x 5 min cycles. It does an impressive job of cleaning brass and especially the inside of cases.

 

[22BRGUY]

I bought a small used toaster oven at the thrift store for about $10. I set it at 200 degrees for about 5 minutes....works good.

 

[amlevin]

Nobody's mentioned Food Dehydrators yet. When I read the thread I did some quick looking. An Uncle Jack's Food Dehydrator with multiple drawers (looks somewhat like a Little Chief Smoker only with drawers) sells from $10-$15 on Craigslist or ebay. Harbor freight has a plastic one for about $25.

To me the food drier makes a lot of sense if one's in a hurry.

 

[bsekf]

Cookie sheet from wally world. DO NOT I repete DO NOT use your wife's cookie sheet. Shake the water out, put on cookie sheet put in oven at 225 for 15 -20 minutes and turn off. In the morning you are good to go.

As my hardware store guy tells me....."you guys are jumping over dollar bills to save small change"

Bill

 

[Juma]

How many have you got to do? what about an old towel initially then followed by the air compressor.