anyone got any recipes for water brass cleaning? presently I use hot water and heavy duty toilet bowl cleaner. I would love to hear of something better so I could change my father-in-laws mind.
brass cleaning
- Thread starter coblenblueface
- Start date
I use a Dual Drum Rotary Rock Tumbler (http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html) with stainless steel media (http://www.bullseye-reloading.com/) and a touch of Lemi Shine (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lemi-Shine-Super-Concentrated-Dishwasher-Detergent-Additive-12-oz/15724190). I just finished up cleaning some 308 military brass and the results are impressive.
Lemi shine (walmart), dawn dish detergent, SS rock tumbler (i use the Thumbler), I just switched to cold water and run the tumbler a bit longer, I got the feeling the hot water and drying in the fla sun prematurely hardened the brass.
hot water and sunshine just to dry wont affect the hardness.
Indeed. Check the phase diagram for brass and nothing going on below about 400C (~750F) and then only in weird systems. You can use water as hot as boiling and do nothing to the hardness. I dry in a convection oven for 45min at 235F and suffer no ill effects or hardening. Also use a Thumbler and will be giving the Lemishine/Dawn recipe a try next week. Am using a ceramic/stainless pins media mix.
Toilet bowl cleaner tends to contain bleach and bleach is not going to shine up your brass…
The reason people use Dawn dish soap, Lemishine, and hot water is because the hot water softens the carbon so that the stainless steel media can rub it off, the soap helps to keep the dirt in the water so that it does not stick back on to the brass. The Lemishine which is citric acid will dissolve the oxidation (tanish) on the brass so that it will shine.
There is nothing wrong with experimenting but you need to know what you are using and what it might do. I would also like to add that one should take special care if one is thinking using more than one cleaning chemical i.e. mixing as that can have dangerous result and produce things like a poisonous gas... Do some careful research first before proceeding.
The reason people use Dawn dish soap, Lemishine, and hot water is because the hot water softens the carbon so that the stainless steel media can rub it off, the soap helps to keep the dirt in the water so that it does not stick back on to the brass. The Lemishine which is citric acid will dissolve the oxidation (tanish) on the brass so that it will shine.
There is nothing wrong with experimenting but you need to know what you are using and what it might do. I would also like to add that one should take special care if one is thinking using more than one cleaning chemical i.e. mixing as that can have dangerous result and produce things like a poisonous gas... Do some careful research first before proceeding.
Joe Maisto
jam711
If you have the time, just chuck up your cases one at a time into a hand held cordless, ( with the adapter for your cal., and spin it using NEVERDULL.
They don't get any better than that.
Forget all the other concoctions and.......... toilet bowl cleaner? Good grief !
Joe
They don't get any better than that.
Forget all the other concoctions and.......... toilet bowl cleaner? Good grief !
Joe
A teaspoon of citric acid(sour salt) , a couple of qts of hot or boiling water, a hundred DEPRIMED 5.56 cases( or a proportional amt of different sizes, maybe 50 7.62-51) Stir w/ a wooden paddle or spoon. Abot 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly, drain and dry according to your needs. I roll them in a towel and put them out in the sun for an hour. Clean and shiny, except primer pocket which usually has a three point streak of carbon, but its minimal. All inexpensive , easy and safe.
I have used white vinegar for years. Very cheap at Costco. Water rinse to get the dirt out, into the vinegar for 10-20 minutes, and then a water rinse to neutralize the vinegar(or your brass will turn black), then into the tumbler with Iosso polish or Nushine car wax and walnut media. Keep in mind, I use cement mixers for polishing, but the results are outstanding.
The vinegar can be reused and is non toxic. Nice not to have to worry about polluting the water source.
The vinegar can be reused and is non toxic. Nice not to have to worry about polluting the water source.
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