Water Stains.

[onelastshot]

Using stainless steel pins to clean my brass; the brass comes out looking new but by the time they dry they're covered with water stains. I know it has no effect on the brass but if I go to the trouble of cleaning the brass I don't want them covered with water stains.

Any Suggestions?

 

[savagedasher]

I don't clean that way but you could try distilled water. . Larry

 

[ED3]

Using stainless steel pins to clean my brass; the brass comes out looking new but by the time they dry they're covered with water stains. I know it has no effect on the brass but if I go to the trouble of cleaning the brass I don't want them covered with water stains.

Any Suggestions?

Assuming the stains are mineral deposits,
remove as much water as possible, then
a rinse in distilled water.

 

[geraldgee]

I don't often use SS tumbling anymore but when I do, the brass goes from the tumbler to a food dehydrator for drying - I don't like water spots either.

Good luck

 

[Webster]

Using stainless steel pins to clean my brass; the brass comes out looking new but by the time they dry they're covered with water stains. I know it has no effect on the brass but if I go to the trouble of cleaning the brass I don't want them covered with water stains.

Any Suggestions?

I 2nd distilled water. Recently was on sale 2 gal for a buck at Marcs. I seldom do more than 50 cases at a time so it's not a big inconvenience. I rinse thoughly in tap water, I shake each case to remove internal water then rinse in distilled water then I roll them on a paper towel then dry them at 180F for 3 hours. Drying at 200F discolors the brass a little darker. Actually I leave them in the oven at 180F for about 3 hours then turn the oven off and leave them cool over night to make sure there is no water remaining. I shake the Pyrex dish they are in after about 1 hour. Last I look into about 10 cases with a flashlight for remaining water. FINISHED.

 

[dickn52]

Add one (1) drop of dish soap. 1 teaspoon of Lemishine to a thumlers tumbler. Soap to cut grease and dirt, lemishine breaks up the hard factor of the water. IF they still don't look right, then a dry vibrator with walnut and polish. That's my recipe.

 

[jepp2]

Any Suggestions

When my brass comes out of the SS pin tumbling, I roll them on a towel to remove most of the exterior moisture, then I toss them in a 20-40 corn cob dry tumbler with some Meguiar's cleaner/wax. It completely dries the brass, and puts a protective coating on it, so it takes much larger to start to tarnish. No water spots and you can feel the slickness of the brass.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Rinse in HOT water, shake out the excess, roll them on an old towel, stick them in a warm oven overnight.

 

[spaniel]

I don't like it, but it's cosmetic. I load and shoot.

 

[Texas10]

You can try altering the amount of Lemi Shine you use for each batch, and use distilled for the final rinse, but make it a hot rinse. I use compressed air to blow off residual water and clear out flash holes. I then put them in a hot box made of a cardboard box and hair dryer. Make an entry hole and (most important) an exit hole. It'll get up to about 170 F in a couple of minutes, dry in 10. No spots. Wife can't complain about "bullets" in the oven...LOL

 

[Texan]

As others have suggested here, I would make sure to rinse well, but I'd just use hot tap water.

Rinse several times. I rinse 4-5 times until the suds disappear.

Water is different according to location (pH, minerals, etc.), so this may or may not fix your issue.

My local water doesn't create water spots or discoloration on my brass, but I find that it's actually too clean after wet tumbling.

This may not make a difference for rifle brass since you have to lube anyway, but I find that the super-cleaned pistol brass takes more force to size (since I don't lube them).

To make pistol brass easier to size, and to "seal" the bling on all my brass (seems to prevent yellowing over time), I dry tumble in corn cob and Flitz media additive for a short time after wet tumbling and drying.

 

[hogpatrol]

Easy fix, distilled water.

 

[JSH]

Since it looks like there are several that "wash" their brass, just what are the benefits? I mean, wash,dry water spots........
I use corn cob, a bit of polish once in a while and mineral spirits every time. Cleans primer pockets as well.

 

[jds holler]

Y'all must have some mighty fine looking cartridge brass, but I'm wondering how your dinner ware looks. jd

 

[Texan]

Since it looks like there are several that "wash" their brass, just what are the benefits?

There aren't many practical benefits, but wet tumbling with SS pins brings the appearance of brass back to new, or even better than new.

One practical result: It's easier to find defects during inspection.

I wet tumble because I like to see my reloaded ammo looking as good or better than factory ammo.

 

[Sniper338]

Using stainless steel pins to clean my brass; the brass comes out looking new but by the time they dry they're covered with water stains. I know it has no effect on the brass but if I go to the trouble of cleaning the brass I don't want them covered with water stains.

Any Suggestions?

Use distilled water. It fixs this problem. 100% garenteed.

 

[JSH]

I wet tumble because I like to see my reloaded ammo looking as good or better than factory ammo

I agree, I like mine shiney as well as clean. My CC media with my polish and the mineral spirits cleans them up same as new.

I do know a lot of folks that never change their media, there in lies a lot of issues.

 

[divingin]

I run my wet tumbler (12lb drum) with about 2 tablespoons of wash and wax auto shampoo and about 1/8 tsp of Lemishine. Rinse well (about 3 times in all), then into a dehydrator for 1/2 to 1 hour at 70C. Don't have a problem with spotting. If it's your water (hard water will exacerbate the problem), then AFAIK the only way around it will be filtered or distilled water for the final rinse.

 

[jonbearman]

As soon as you take out of the tumbler put them on an old bath towel and roll them around. Then take a hair dryer and dry them immediately. I get no water spots.

 

[dickn52]

As soon as you take out of the tumbler put them on an old bath towel and roll them around. Then take a hair dryer and dry them immediately. I get no water spots.

Here in Sunny Florida, we roll them in the towel and then spread them on the picnic table on the towel to 'sun dry'. After one hour you need the towel to handle them almost.