Cleaning brass - Page 2

RC20 · November 23, 2016, 04:08 PM

I like clean and shiny.

Also shows up issues better IMNSHO

JeepHammer · November 23, 2016, 06:23 PM

It's the clean part... Stainless cleans the inside of the case just as well as the outside.

I've got some stainless chips on order, I want to see how they do.

Stats Shooter · November 23, 2016, 07:30 PM

Stainless chips you say? I didn't know of such a thing. I have the pins. Hopefully the chips are all small enough to easily go in and out of smaller calibers

cw308 · November 24, 2016, 10:44 AM

I went with the wet tumbler with Stainless Steel Pins using the pins designed for it. When I saw how it cleaned the primer pockets & the carbon out of the inside of the case I was hooked. Gave the outer away to a friend.

1100 tac · November 25, 2016, 06:41 AM

"Yup. I put them in the oven on a piece of foil on the lowest setting to dry them out afterwards. "

Couple of paper towels on a cookie sheet work great.

disseminator · November 26, 2016, 11:24 PM

I run my rifle and magnum pistol brass through an Ultra Sonic cleaner then lube, resize, and trim. I then tumble them in walnut with Dillon polish.

This gets the brass very clean inside and outside including the case necks. I do decap prior to the sonic cleaning and it does well with the primer pockets although not 100% probably 90%.

For 223 and 300 blk, where I am prepping about a thousand at a time, I'll skip the sonic and tumble them twice since I am not looking for these rounds to win beauty contests.

trixter · November 27, 2016, 06:20 AM

Just a note here to all of my friends that use walnut media to clean their brass, from experience; make sure that the dryer sheets that you use are USED! The unused/new ones will make your media ineffective.

shootbrownelk · November 27, 2016, 06:27 AM

Hey Trickster, I forgot that part about the dryer sheets being used ones. Thanks for the correction.

JeepHammer · November 27, 2016, 06:20 PM

Mississippi, odd shapes of stainless media has been around for polishing for probably as long as tumbling has been around.
Throw an eBay search for Stainless Chip Media and have a look...

The 'Jewlery' version isn't really suitable for anything but larger pistol cases, IF you mix in some pins for flash holes & primer pockets,
And when you say 'Jewlery' the price shoots up...
But it's something to look at so you get an idea.

I threw larger stainless chips from a saw into the deburring machine, screened out the really small and really big and threw it in with the pins.
Result wasn't cleaner brass since brass comes out pretty well spotless anyway,
But it cleaned even the dirtiest brass REALLY QUICKLY, about half the time it normally takes with pins.

I don't have any stainless jobs coming up that will produce chips of sufficient size, so I ordered some more.

50 shooter · November 27, 2016, 07:58 PM

If your only worry is the necks, try using an old green scrubbing pad with a little soap on it. It will get rid of the carbon with just a quick spin.

I do this with surplus brass when I run it through Iosso, a green pad with Iosso on it wil remove carbon from carbon! After a couple minutes in Iosso I rinse it and then throw it in the oven set on warm. 10 minutes later and you have clean shiny brass ready to load, if you want it super shiny you can throw it in some corncob for a half hour.

November 25, 2016, 06:41 AM	#30
1100 tac Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2012 Posts: 299	"Yup. I put them in the oven on a piece of foil on the lowest setting to dry them out afterwards. " Couple of paper towels on a cookie sheet work great. Last edited by 1100 tac; November 26, 2016 at 11:09 AM.

November 27, 2016, 07:58 PM	#35
50 shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2002 Location: SoCal PRK Posts: 986	If your only worry is the necks, try using an old green scrubbing pad with a little soap on it. It will get rid of the carbon with just a quick spin. I do this with surplus brass when I run it through Iosso, a green pad with Iosso on it wil remove carbon from carbon! After a couple minutes in Iosso I rinse it and then throw it in the oven set on warm. 10 minutes later and you have clean shiny brass ready to load, if you want it super shiny you can throw it in some corncob for a half hour. __________________ I see the world thru bloodshot eyes Streets filled with blood from distant lies The dogs of war never compromise, No time for rearranging.

November 23, 2016, 04:08 PM	#26
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	I like clean and shiny. Also shows up issues better IMNSHO

November 23, 2016, 06:23 PM	#27
JeepHammer Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2015 Posts: 1,768	It's the clean part... Stainless cleans the inside of the case just as well as the outside. I've got some stainless chips on order, I want to see how they do.

November 23, 2016, 07:30 PM	#28
Stats Shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2016 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,636	Stainless chips you say? I didn't know of such a thing. I have the pins. Hopefully the chips are all small enough to easily go in and out of smaller calibers

November 24, 2016, 10:44 AM	#29
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	I went with the wet tumbler with Stainless Steel Pins using the pins designed for it. When I saw how it cleaned the primer pockets & the carbon out of the inside of the case I was hooked. Gave the outer away to a friend.

November 26, 2016, 11:24 PM	#31
disseminator Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2016 Location: Minnesota Posts: 960	I run my rifle and magnum pistol brass through an Ultra Sonic cleaner then lube, resize, and trim. I then tumble them in walnut with Dillon polish. This gets the brass very clean inside and outside including the case necks. I do decap prior to the sonic cleaning and it does well with the primer pockets although not 100% probably 90%. For 223 and 300 blk, where I am prepping about a thousand at a time, I'll skip the sonic and tumble them twice since I am not looking for these rounds to win beauty contests.

November 27, 2016, 06:20 AM	#32
trixter Member Join Date: February 27, 2011 Location: Where E. Pine St. crosses I-5 Posts: 51	Just a note here to all of my friends that use walnut media to clean their brass, from experience; make sure that the dryer sheets that you use are USED! The unused/new ones will make your media ineffective.

November 27, 2016, 06:27 AM	#33
shootbrownelk Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2013 Location: Wyoming Posts: 329	Hey Trickster, I forgot that part about the dryer sheets being used ones. Thanks for the correction.

November 27, 2016, 06:20 PM	#34
JeepHammer Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2015 Posts: 1,768	Mississippi, odd shapes of stainless media has been around for polishing for probably as long as tumbling has been around. Throw an eBay search for Stainless Chip Media and have a look... The 'Jewlery' version isn't really suitable for anything but larger pistol cases, IF you mix in some pins for flash holes & primer pockets, And when you say 'Jewlery' the price shoots up... But it's something to look at so you get an idea. I threw larger stainless chips from a saw into the deburring machine, screened out the really small and really big and threw it in with the pins. Result wasn't cleaner brass since brass comes out pretty well spotless anyway, But it cleaned even the dirtiest brass REALLY QUICKLY, about half the time it normally takes with pins. I don't have any stainless jobs coming up that will produce chips of sufficient size, so I ordered some more.