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Old August 23, 2012, 04:37 PM   #15
daddySEAL
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Join Date: February 23, 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 405
I use Stainless Steel pin media in a 15 lb. Thumblers Tumbler that I used to use for rock polishing, and have for over 6 mos now...and besides the rare pin that gets wedged in a flash hole, it has worked brilliantly (pun intended)!

I've learned a bit during that time.
The detergent you use has different results, depending on which you use.
I used Dawn liquid (as the ss media folks recommend) when I had it, which works well...partly because it contains a bit of ammonia, which I found on a deep msds search. Ammonia is not good for repeated use on brass.
I am not a chemist, but an avid reloader with a curious mind, and frequent MSDS searcher on-line.

I had some Very disappointed batches using Oxy clean liquid detergent, because it oxidized my brass right in the tumbler...and they came out very dull and ugly...probably "clean", but looked worse than when they went it.

Even the NuFinish people rave about working so well in dry vibrating media has a trace of ammonia in it.

I don't use Lemi Shine, as they suggest either, because the citric acid affects zinc in brass and removes a tiny bit of the metal.

So, having said all that...what do I use?
1 tablespoon of Simple Green, and 2 teaspoons of liquid jewelers rough buffing compound....period, nothing else.
My brass comes out brilliantly shiny.

I hope this helps someone.
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Last edited by daddySEAL; August 24, 2012 at 08:39 AM.
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