how well can you clean cases ?

[dansig]

I have both the Ultrasonic cleaner and Tumbler from Lyman, I started with the Tumbler and was quite happy with how clean the cases were, but I didn't like the time it took or the noise it makes so I got the Ultrasonic cleaner, it's faster but it doesn't clean as well as the tumbler.

I've read good things about the Thumbler's Tumbler

and I'm wondering if I should get it.

for fun I took some Brasso and tried cleaning some cases with it, the result was amazing...

here is a case that's already been cleaned in the ultrasonic for 16 minutes, wiped dry and primer pocket's been cleaned.

this is the amount of Brasso used, quick turn of the can and excess liquid scraped back in to the can.

this is the dirt that came from that one case...

and here it is compared to another ultrasonic cleaned case..

in 16 minutes I could probably wipe down 40-50 cases with Brasso, kinda boring but the result is amazing..

 

[P1ZombieKiller]

I have a Thumblers Tumbler, and I love it. It does take a longer time, but I just budget for that. I not only use if for my dirty cases, but I also use it for my new brass I sell. I tumble the brand new cases for 48 hours, and they come out very shiny. I don't use any checmical in my tumbler as I feel just the rotation of the media does the trick. I use a mix of very fine corn and pecan (or walnut) and that does the trick.

When my cases are as dirty as that .223 pictured above, I may run it in the ultra sonic for 15 minutes, set it out to dry for a few hours, and then tumble it for a day. There are most certianly faster ways of doing it, but faster does not always mean better.

If you are in a hurry, there is nothing wrong with shooting brass that has not been cleaned. In fact, in my bench guns, I don't ever get my brass super clean. I run it in my tumbler every 10x firings or so. When my brass gets super clean, it does not shoot as good (in my gun). Not suggesting this.... just noticed it on several occasions. You have to listen to what your gun is telling you.

 

[Preacher]

Dansig---just be aware that Brasso has stuff in it that will harm brass cases over time..
The Thumbler and SS media will clean your brass as good if not better than anything on the planet..
Like Wes mentioned you can get it so clean that it wont shoot as good as it did when it was dirty.

 

[37Lincoln1]

Brasso contains ammonia.

 

[alf]

Here's an hour or so in a vibrator with corn cob media......

Sometime I wonder what all the other fuss is about.........

 

[amlevin]

There's a lot to like about ultrasonic cleaners but IMHO they aren't the best for case cleaning. Gun parts? Yes. Small complex shapes that won't take well to tumbling, absolutely. AR-15 Bolt parts, great.

For cases it's my preference to use the Stainless Steel Pins in a tumbler with simple Dawn Dish Soap and a teeny amount of Lemi-Shine. I predict that my first $3 container of the stuff will last me a long time at 1/4 tsp per "load".

The cases come out clean and shiny, not just on the outside but inside and primer pockets as well.

When I dump the cases out of the rinse water I either let them dry for a day or so if I'm not going to process them right away or I anneal them and they're dry almost instantly.

Case mouth peening, if any, disappears with the trimming process.

While handling the brass through all the remaining steps my hands stay far cleaner. Cleaner than even the corncob/walnut shell "outside shine". I use a collet die for neck sizing so lube isn't even an issue.

I prefer totally clean to just shiny outside. As for "how it shoots", if only I shot as good as all my finished ammo 8) But you've got to blame something.

 

[ColWhitecakes]

One thing I notice about the above picture of the corn cob cleaned cases is that they look fantastic on the outside, but the inside still looks sooted up. Maybe it's just shadow from the pic?
I ultrasonic mine in 8 minute cycles: 3 with vinegar/water, 1-2 with water and a dub of baking soda, and 1 with straight water. The outsides are pretty dang shiny, but what I like the best is that the inside is pretty dang shiny, too. It makes them absolutely clean, as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes the outsides will get a lil dull if i dont get them to dry fairly quickly, but I like knowing that there is absolutely (as far as I can discern) nothing inside to effect the powder in any way. I don't know if that is necessarily ever a problem to begin with, but it makes me feel more warm and fuzzy about it