Stainless Steel Brass Cleaning Recipe

[JohnW...ski]

I have finally gotten some stainless steel media (.040 dia x .265 lg.) for my tumbler to clean some of my brass cases. I also picked up some Lemi Shine.

Can anyone give me a recipe of how much pins to use and weather or not to use soap with the Lemi shine? I have a 15 pound tumbler.

Also anyone have any luck using a vibratory tumbler? I have an 18 pound vibratory unit.

Thanks,

John

 

[Steve Blair]

My best results are:
1 gallon hot water
5 pounds pins
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine crystals
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine Rinse
1 teaspoon Ajax dishwashing detergent
100 cases
30 minutes in Thumler's Tumbler
Rinse and dry

 

[Judd]

I use 2 tbsp of dawn, 1/8 tsp of lemishine and go an hour or two.

 

[bigedp51]

Long, long ago before the internet was invented people were forced to read the instructions that came with their new toys. :



Now my comments.

1. Get a magnet to pickup stray pins.



Separate the media using the delicate hand rinse cycle. :



If you feel the need for speed when drying cases.



Clean shiny brass shoots straighter and is easier to find on the ground.

 

[Steve Blair]

Ed, [br]
I did follow the instructions initially, but did not get good results. They probably don't have tap water so hard that you can watch precipitate form. I mostly clean 6BR, .284 Shehane and .300 WSM brass. Using the described mixture, I see no additional benefit past 30 minutes. YMMV

 

[bigedp51]

Ed, [br]
I did follow the instructions initially, but did not get good results. They probably don't have tap water so hard that you can watch precipitate form. I mostly clean 6BR, .284 Shehane and .300 WSM brass. Using the described mixture, I see no additional benefit past 30 minutes. YMMV

sleepygator

The OP JohnW...ski asked a question and I gave my answer, he even asked if he should use soap. : And this is WHY I mentioned reading the instructions or in military jargon RTFM.

sleepygator, you already know what it takes to get "YOUR" cases clean and the OP hasn't even done any basic research on using dish washing soap to clean his cases.

Can anyone give me a recipe of how much pins to use and weather or not to use soap with the Lemi shine? I have a 15 pound tumbler.

Instructions for Thumler's Model B Tumbler

Notice. It takes a few times to get the media broke in. The media is dirty from manufacturing process and has a few burs. Media does not work in a vibratory cleaner

1. Add 5 Lbs (2.27 kg) of SS media into the drum
2. Next fill with 1 gallon (3.78 Liters) of cold water. (One gallon)=8 Lbs/3.63 kg
3. Add your brass into the drum (2 Lbs/907g of brass)
4. Add dish soap. 1 -2 Tbs (15-30 mL) of either Dawn, Ivory, or Joy dish soap
(if there are no soap bubbles in the water after you tumble, you need more soap)
5. Add 1/4 Tsp. (1.25 mL) of Lemishine. This is the key to the shine. (Not too much)
6. Tumble 3-4 hours with the Model B High Speed Thumler’s Tumbler
7. Pour out as much water as you can without losing any brass or pins
(The more you rinse the brass and pins the better your results will be next time)
8. Fill drum with water, and separate brass by hand or use an STM Media Separator with water.
9. Rinse your brass off really good with some warm water. (Not getting a good rinse can leave water spots on the brass)
10. Dump brass onto a towel and let dry. If any pins get stuck in the neck of the brass throw those pins away
11. Store Stainless Steel Media either wet or dry in drum

And some of us know how to use Google to get information.

What’s in Lemi Shine? – UPDATED
(citric acid hemihydrate) acidic etching cleaner like liquid brass cleaners
http://www.chemistry-blog.com/2012/05/18/whats-in-lemi-shine/

 

[AR Shooter]

Have used the Thumbler's Model B for about a year and find that the cleaning fluid sold for stainless pins from Buffalo Arms works great. Nothing else but water as hot as it comes from the tap. Have also discovered that something <1 hour works best. To empty, pour everything through a t-shirt lined colander sitting in a 2gal pail mouth. Catches the media. Tap cases against the inside of the tumbler to knock out the pins and put them in a second colander. I then rinse inside and out with water as hot as I can stand and place on a cookie sheet and dry in a convection oven for 30 minutes at 235F. I've found that running the tumbler too long or without enough water (I fill to within 2-3" of full) results in a slight but noticeable peening of the case mouth.

 

[bigedp51]

Have used the Thumbler's Model B for about a year and find that the cleaning fluid sold for stainless pins from Buffalo Arms works great.

$14.00 dollars a quart plus $10.92 shipping for a fluid designed to clean black powder cartridge cases? ($24.92 per quart)

Dawn dish washing soap 12.6 ounces $1.75 (1 tablespoon = 0.5 ounces)
Lemi Shine 12 ounces $3.66 (1 teaspoon = 0.166667 ounces)
$1.75 + $3.66 = $5.41 (and no shipping at Walmart) ???

Signed
bigedp51 AKA "the cheap bastard"

 

[amlevin]

Ed, [br]
I did follow the instructions initially, but did not get good results. They probably don't have tap water so hard that you can watch precipitate form. I mostly clean 6BR, .284 Shehane and .300 WSM brass. Using the described mixture, I see no additional benefit past 30 minutes. YMMV

Your water's that hard and you don't have a water softener unit installed?

Just buy a 5 gal jug of drinking water and use it to clean brass. Cheaper than pulling your hair out

 

[Steve Blair]

Your water's that hard and you don't have a water softener unit installed?

Just buy a 5 gal jug of drinking water and use it to clean brass. Cheaper than pulling your hair out

[br]
No, I dislike them about as much as hard water. Besides, I don't drink that stuff. The mixture I use works very well with our tap water. And, no, I don't pull my hair out. I jealously guard what little is left.

 

[AR Shooter]

Have used the Thumbler's Model B for about a year and find that the cleaning fluid sold for stainless pins from Buffalo Arms works great.

$14.00 dollars a quart plus $10.92 shipping for a fluid designed to clean black powder cartridge cases? ($24.92 per quart)

Dawn dish washing soap 12.6 ounces $1.75 (1 tablespoon = 0.5 ounces)
Lemi Shine 12 ounces $3.66 (1 teaspoon = 0.166667 ounces)
$1.75 + $3.66 = $5.41 (and no shipping at Walmart) ???

Signed
bigedp51 AKA "the cheap bastard"

You may have something there.
Though I will not shop at Walmart.

 

[lightman]

A common formula is a couple squirts of Dawn, a 9mm case full of Lemi-shine in a gallon of water, 5# of stainless and 2# of brass. Adjust the lemi-shine for the hardness of your water. If your water is real bad, use bottled water. Tumbling time ranges from 30 minutes to 4 hours. Hope this helps. Lightman

 

[JohnW...ski]

My best results are:
1 gallon hot water
5 pounds pins
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine crystals
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine Rinse
1 teaspoon Ajax dishwashing detergent
100 cases
30 minutes in Thumler's Tumbler
Rinse and dry

Thanks that is what I was looking for.

I would still be interested in any results with a vibritory tumbler. They are much more efficent in other applications and very common in commericial applications.

 

[Gillie Dog]

My best results are:
1 gallon hot water
5 pounds pins
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine crystals
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine Rinse
1 teaspoon Ajax dishwashing detergent
100 cases
30 minutes in Thumler's Tumbler
Rinse and dry

+1

I also use this recipe with out the LemiShine Rinse with good results. I'll try the rinse on the next batch.

30 minutes is all it needs to run.

GD

 

[Juma]

Only put 100 cases of 223 in a batch i.e. dont overload working the pins and then you get best results. Follow the instructions apart from that.

 

[bigedp51]

For those of you following this posting sleepygator has very hard water and adds Lemi Shine Rinse to combat his hard water. I'm at the opposite end of the water spectrum with filters and water softener.

The STM Thumbler's Model B instructions call for 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish washing soap depending on water hardness and how dirty your cases are. I just tumbled some once fired .40 S&W pistol cases with two tablespoons of dish washing soap and when done the water was too soapy, meaning I should have only used one tablespoons of dish washing soap and had less soap to rinse off.

Bottom line, the instructions for the STM tumbler are a "normal" base line, the amount of soap depends on how dirty your cases are and water hardness. The soap holds the dirt in suspension and if you run out of suds this "dirt" can end up embedded back on your cases.

P.S. sleepygator I also use Dawn dish washing soap in case I need to wash baby ducks in "soft" water.

 

[Steve Blair]

P.S. sleepygator I also use Dawn dish washing soap in case I need to wash baby ducks in "soft" water.

[br]
I, too, have duck washing experience. There was an oil spill off St. Petersburg when I was a kid and we adopted an oil-soaked duck. My mom's favorite dish soap was Palmolive, so I suspect that's what we used. Followed the instructions and applied lanolin to the feathers after washing, fed the ungrateful little pecker corn meal, and finally released him into the bay when he got too ornery to keep. He splashed around a little, made some derisive noises and flew away. The end.

 

[JohnW...ski]

My best results are:
1 gallon hot water
5 pounds pins
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine crystals
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine Rinse
1 teaspoon Ajax dishwashing detergent
100 cases
30 minutes in Thumler's Tumbler
Rinse and dry

Just tried it and it works great, thanks.

John

 

[Steve Blair]

My best results are:
1 gallon hot water
5 pounds pins
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine crystals
1 teaspoon Lemi Shine Rinse
1 teaspoon Ajax dishwashing detergent
100 cases
30 minutes in Thumler's Tumbler
Rinse and dry

Just tried it and it works great, thanks.

John

[br]
You're welcome, John. I'm glad it helps.