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Old February 24, 2013, 07:34 PM   #1
BoogieMan
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Tarnished cases

I have a vibratory tumbler running with walnut shells. Added a couple scoops of turtle wax rubbing compound and a couple scoops of mothers. Others said nu-finish but I didn't have any on hand. No matter how long a tumble I still have some cases tarnished. Will Nu-Finish make the difference or should I try adding a little flitz or other polish. i read the Brasso post and dont think I want to try that.They are smooth and function fine. I just figure if im going to go through the trouble I should make em pertty
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Old February 24, 2013, 07:48 PM   #2
dacaur
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Tumbling is a pretty low impact way to polish. If they are badly tarnished, you have two choices, use stronger chemicals (bad idea) or use a more aggressive cleaning method. I have read of people chucking them up in a drill to polish, or get some stainless steel pins and a rotary tumbler..... Of course, a new tumbler is a big investment just to make them pretty.... If you have a treadmill, I read about someone getting some SS pins and then using a regular old Gatorade bottle on a treadmill (Gatorade bottles are not smooth, so that quickens the process) Set it on a treadmill and let it roll (you will have to fashion something up to keep it from rolling off....)

Or , if you are not opposed to spending a reasonable amount of money, harbor freight has a rock tumbler for $40 that can be used with stainless pins http://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-ro...ler-67631.html
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Old February 24, 2013, 08:28 PM   #3
david_r
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You could just get some lemishine and give them a dip. BTW, I would not use rubbing compound anywhere on my guns.
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Old February 24, 2013, 08:44 PM   #4
BoogieMan
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Thanks for the advice. As far as the fine polishing compound we are talking about a teaspoon in 25lbs of media. I dont think that will be an issue.
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Old February 24, 2013, 08:55 PM   #5
j357
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I live with what you are seeing. I have some 38 Spl WCC 93 and 94 cases which are probably just on their 10th loading that just done come completely bright and have some light tan blotchy streaks around the neck. (I got them as reloads from a great friend of my father 20 years ago and began using them about 5 years ago when I started.)

As long as they don't show pits or dark brown I load them up.

Corrosion is what you want to avoid. Dark brown from laying around on the ground too many days or signs of corrosion or chemical damage, like pits, end up in the scrap bucket.
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Old February 25, 2013, 05:29 AM   #6
chris in va
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I've reloaded dozens of the dark brown cases with zero issues. These are the cases that get dug up out of the famous Kentucky mud at our lower range. They're so brown I often mistake them for steel cases.
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Old February 25, 2013, 09:13 AM   #7
Magnum Wheel Man
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just take that Gatorade bottle, add your cases, 1/2 a bottle of water & add a little lemishine or citric acid, give it a few shakes & rinse well... if they are the dark brown tarnish, they may turn pink ( ish )... my understanding, is you can then put them back in the tumbler & tumble the pink off them, but I've not tried that...
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Old February 25, 2013, 11:23 AM   #8
maillemaker
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Lemishine and dish soap. That's what I tumble my range-scrounged brass in, and it comes out astonishingly bright.

Darkens a bit immediately, but when it comes out of the water, it's amazing.

Steve
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Old February 25, 2013, 11:57 AM   #9
BoogieMan
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I was just going to ask about citric acid. I have plenty of it here for passivating SS. I can mix it weak and rinse the cases through that first. I tried an ugly one with some and it looks great now. I couldnt find any issues with it weakening brass like ammonia.
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Old February 25, 2013, 12:14 PM   #10
david_r
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Boogieman,
It works for me. Doesn't take much at all. I suggested lemishine because it can be purchased at walmart. Citric acid, you need to find it during canning season or at a brew shop. Works fine.
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Old February 25, 2013, 12:26 PM   #11
Magnum Wheel Man
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I use Citric in my wet tumbling with no issues so far... if you do a search on it, you find there are several threads discussing it's use...
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Old February 25, 2013, 12:49 PM   #12
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I use a sonic cleaner with some Hornady cleaner Thats nothing more then Citric acid, after two 480 cycles in the sonic cleaner, I rinse then I dry them in a towl and then hit them with a hair dryer, I then tumble in crushed corn cob for about 20 minutes with NU-Shine polish, comes out great, darn near factory clean.

Last edited by Old 454; February 26, 2013 at 05:35 AM.
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Old February 25, 2013, 01:09 PM   #13
F. Guffey
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I use ground up corn cob and nothing, if I want tarnished/discolored cases I use vinegar, if I want my cases eaten up, I use vinegar. If I use vinegar to reduce tumbling time from 8 days to 2 hours I use vinegar, if I do not want vinegar messing with my cases I reduce the effect vinegar has on cases I rinse the cases and I limit the time factor to 15 minutes maximum, for the life of the case. And, yes, I can use less time,

tumbling is not a ritual made up of a concoction, again, I clean/tumble with corm cob ground up with nothing added.

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Old February 25, 2013, 07:28 PM   #14
BoogieMan
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Bathed them in a citric acid, same stuff I use for passivate SS. Just mixed milder. It cleaned them up in a few minutes soak. Tossed them back in the walnut shell with nufinish for about 20 mins. They look like factory or better.
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