Cleaning Brass

panamint · January 25, 2002, 02:38 PM

I was wondering if anyone cleans there brass with water and a cleaner before they tumble them. If so what do you use as a cleaner in the water. Is simple green ok to use?

Timothy · January 25, 2002, 04:34 PM

It's ok, but why go to the bother? Just tumble. If you do wash them you can dry on a cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest heat for just a few minutes until dry prior to tumbling

Kit Barton · January 25, 2002, 09:08 PM

The firing points on our range are rock crusher dust. My first project after range visit is to run my brass thru my Dillon media seperator. I usually wind up with a tablesoppm or so of grit/sand.
then the brass goes to the tumbler.
It works for me.

Kit in AR

labgrade · January 26, 2002, 08:23 AM

Seque offa Kit's ...

I pick up range brass & toss it all into a mesh bag. A few goodly shakes & hand tumbles gets 90%+ of all that grit out of the cases right there.

clown714 · January 26, 2002, 09:41 AM

all i ever do,is throw it, into
the tumbler.

jtduncan · January 26, 2002, 03:51 PM

Tried it. Same results but more work.

You can re-use media a good 4 times even with real dirty brass twice.

But didn't someone around here first out how to clean the media so it can be resused?

Dave-Ga · January 26, 2002, 04:35 PM

IF you are going to go to the trouble of getting the cases wet, I'd add some vinegar and a drop or two of liquid detergent to your wash. A mix of 50-50 vinegar/water will make the brass really shiny coming out of the solution, but they will dull over time. Washing the cases is more work than it's worth, but it probably does a better job of getting rid of grit before you decap or tumble the cases. Most reloaders don't bother.

dick w. holliday · January 26, 2002, 10:17 PM

i've got some 30 carbine that is stamped 1943 and looks really bad i'm wondering will the vinegar solution work on somethinl like that or is there some other concoction that will clean it up ....thanks----Dick

Dave-Ga · January 27, 2002, 08:47 PM

Dick,

The vinegar solution works fairly well in shining up brass but doesn't do much to actually remove crud from the cases. It would be easy to just put some full strength vinegar in a small jar and add a couple of cases to see what happens. Most of the vinegar users also add a little dish detergent and a pinch of salt, which converts some of the vinegar into some other type of acid. If you try it and it works on your ancient cases, let us know!

Archie · January 28, 2002, 12:37 AM

A capfull or two. It dissolves the powder residue that forms most of the grime on cases. I use it in the walnut media for initial cleaning.

The new formulation will not damage the brass.
Don't use any of the bore cleaners touted for removing copper fouling. That stuff attacks the brass.

I used to pre-wash. Waste of time.

**Mike Irwin** · January 28, 2002, 11:58 AM

Water and detergent are the ONLY things I use to clean my brass, when I bother to clean my brass at all.

Nanaimo Barr · January 29, 2002, 12:26 AM

ok, I have been told by my gun pusher to ALWAYS rinse brass before anything else to get loose crud off so it doesn't scratch the dies.. comments?

dick w. holliday · January 29, 2002, 06:09 AM

Well if you're not going to tumble it---and it's got sand or something stuck to it--you need to get it off somehow------but nobody i know washes brass before tumbling it.......i do occasionally shake brass around in lacquer thinner to get the lube off--(if i've done a bunch of them)...let it dry over night.....Dick

Redneck2 · January 29, 2002, 06:15 AM

the guy at Realguns.com says it works well and is a lot faster than tumbling. I haven't tried it as I already had the vibrator cleaner.

Nanaimo Barr · January 29, 2002, 11:26 AM

tried the Birtchwood Casey. majorly unimpressed, sloppy, time consuming, expensive, and when I did a head to head against a tumbler and Walnut there was a major difference in favour of the Walnut.

January 25, 2002, 02:38 PM	#1
panamint Member Join Date: February 6, 2000 Location: Inman SC Posts: 38	Cleaning Brass I was wondering if anyone cleans there brass with water and a cleaner before they tumble them. If so what do you use as a cleaner in the water. Is simple green ok to use?

January 25, 2002, 04:34 PM	#2
Timothy Member Join Date: November 26, 2000 Posts: 97	It's ok, but why go to the bother? Just tumble. If you do wash them you can dry on a cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest heat for just a few minutes until dry prior to tumbling __________________ "There ain't no use runnin' if you're on the wrong road."

January 25, 2002, 09:08 PM	#3
Kit Barton Member Join Date: March 26, 1999 Location: Fort Smith, AR,USA Posts: 23	The firing points on our range are rock crusher dust. My first project after range visit is to run my brass thru my Dillon media seperator. I usually wind up with a tablesoppm or so of grit/sand. then the brass goes to the tumbler. It works for me. Kit in AR __________________ Kit in AR

January 26, 2002, 03:51 PM	#6
jtduncan Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 1999 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Posts: 1,686	Tried it. Same results but more work. You can re-use media a good 4 times even with real dirty brass twice. But didn't someone around here first out how to clean the media so it can be resused? __________________ The Seattle SharpShooter Reloaded .223 Rem, 9mm, 40SW, 357 SIG, 10mm, 44 Mag, 45 ACP Today?

January 26, 2002, 10:17 PM	#8
dick w. holliday Senior Member Join Date: January 13, 2001 Location: NC Posts: 589	more questions i've got some 30 carbine that is stamped 1943 and looks really bad i'm wondering will the vinegar solution work on somethinl like that or is there some other concoction that will clean it up ....thanks----Dick

January 26, 2002, 08:23 AM	#4
labgrade Member In Memoriam Join Date: November 29, 1999 Location: west of a small town, CO Posts: 4,346	Seque offa Kit's ... I pick up range brass & toss it all into a mesh bag. A few goodly shakes & hand tumbles gets 90%+ of all that grit out of the cases right there.

January 26, 2002, 09:41 AM	#5
clown714 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2001 Location: ga Posts: 395	all i ever do,is throw it, into the tumbler.

January 26, 2002, 04:35 PM	#7
Dave-Ga Junior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Posts: 13	IF you are going to go to the trouble of getting the cases wet, I'd add some vinegar and a drop or two of liquid detergent to your wash. A mix of 50-50 vinegar/water will make the brass really shiny coming out of the solution, but they will dull over time. Washing the cases is more work than it's worth, but it probably does a better job of getting rid of grit before you decap or tumble the cases. Most reloaders don't bother.

January 27, 2002, 08:47 PM	#9
Dave-Ga Junior Member Join Date: July 27, 2001 Posts: 13	Dick, The vinegar solution works fairly well in shining up brass but doesn't do much to actually remove crud from the cases. It would be easy to just put some full strength vinegar in a small jar and add a couple of cases to see what happens. Most of the vinegar users also add a little dish detergent and a pinch of salt, which converts some of the vinegar into some other type of acid. If you try it and it works on your ancient cases, let us know!

January 28, 2002, 12:37 AM	#10
Archie Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2000 Location: Hastings, Nebrasksa - the Hear Posts: 2,209	Add Hoppe's # 9 to the media. A capfull or two. It dissolves the powder residue that forms most of the grime on cases. I use it in the walnut media for initial cleaning. The new formulation will not damage the brass. Don't use any of the bore cleaners touted for removing copper fouling. That stuff attacks the brass. I used to pre-wash. Waste of time. __________________ There ain't no free lunch, except Jesus. Archie Check out updated journal at http://oldmanmontgomery.wordpress.com/

January 28, 2002, 11:58 AM	#11
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	Water and detergent are the ONLY things I use to clean my brass, when I bother to clean my brass at all. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 29, 2002, 12:26 AM	#12
Nanaimo Barr Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Location: North Idaho Posts: 1,024	ok, I have been told by my gun pusher to ALWAYS rinse brass before anything else to get loose crud off so it doesn't scratch the dies.. comments? __________________ "Question that Regulation, you might be suprised to find out it's Illegal"

January 29, 2002, 06:09 AM	#13
dick w. holliday Senior Member Join Date: January 13, 2001 Location: NC Posts: 589	Well if you're not going to tumble it---and it's got sand or something stuck to it--you need to get it off somehow------but nobody i know washes brass before tumbling it.......i do occasionally shake brass around in lacquer thinner to get the lube off--(if i've done a bunch of them)...let it dry over night.....Dick

January 29, 2002, 06:15 AM	#14
Redneck2 Senior Member Join Date: April 24, 2000 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 519	Anyone try Birchwood Casey??? the guy at Realguns.com says it works well and is a lot faster than tumbling. I haven't tried it as I already had the vibrator cleaner.

January 29, 2002, 11:26 AM	#15
Nanaimo Barr Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Location: North Idaho Posts: 1,024	tried the Birtchwood Casey. majorly unimpressed, sloppy, time consuming, expensive, and when I did a head to head against a tumbler and Walnut there was a major difference in favour of the Walnut. __________________ "Question that Regulation, you might be suprised to find out it's Illegal"