Is this a stupid way to clean brass

BerettaFox · April 27, 2008, 08:40 PM

I got bored tonight and ran a hundred or so rounds of dirty brass through the dishwasher, stopped it before it hit the dry cycle, and made sure the vast majority of the water was out of all of them if they got flipped upside down, then let it do the dry cycle. Is this bad for the casings, as in corrosion or maybe lead poisoning? or has nobody ever thought of this before? I just put them in the bottom thingy in which the silverware is normally put for cleaning. What's this sound like to you? STUPID or SMART?

okiefarmer · April 27, 2008, 08:48 PM

It's really not going to hurt it IMO, but doubt it will do much more than get the big mud chunks off the brass if you dropped it in a puddle at the range. Don't think soap does much to brass, but if dried promptly it won't corrode wither if that is what you are worrying about. You can always put them in the oven for a few minutes on low heat to dry out completely, leave the door open like making jerky.

Clean brass does more to prevent wear to dies than it does in accuracy (if any) of the round, clean vs tarnished. It's all aesthetics (sp)

farnorthdan · April 27, 2008, 09:19 PM

I was my fired brass by hand in the sink with soap and water, then put on a rack in the dryer until dry. I then throw them in the tumbler with wallnut and cap full of mineral spirits. Once they have tumbled clean I wash them again in sink with soap and water and dry, then resize/deprime ......

totalloser · April 27, 2008, 09:23 PM

I would note the possibility of lead from the primers contaminating your dishes if you use it for anything else. I wouldn't do it for fear of being poisoned. I got poisoned by lead from welding on steel with a lead based paint, and it was NO FUN.

HJ857 · April 28, 2008, 08:10 AM

I also clean brass using the wet method in a rock tumbler. I use the dual drum tumbler from harbor freight. Been working great other than a couple broken drive belts.

For 9mm brass I just throw a bunch in each drum (nearly full), add a few drops of dishwashing liquid and a teaspoon of lemon juice, tumble for 30 minutes. Put them all in a large plastic colander and rinse. Then size and decap while still wet. Then back into the tumbler with less soap and more juice. Tumble for an hour, rinse and then on a pizza pan in the oven at 150 degrees for 90 minutes - done.

Rifle brass is the same except I size and decap using a liquid spray lube first, and then the two washes. Having the primer hole open really helps clean out the pocket.

This keeps the residue out of any sensitive area such as a dishwasher or a washing machine.

The brass comes out with a lustre sort of finish and not a polished shiny finish.

jmorris · April 28, 2008, 09:11 AM

I wash my hands between reloading and eating or drinking. I guess I wouldn’t need to if I mixed the two. I’d say two thumbs down.

davlandrum · April 28, 2008, 10:47 AM

Quote:

so rounds of dirty brass through the dishwasher

I would be killed by the slowest, most painful method my wife could dream up if I was caught doing that....

Dang you for putting that idea in my head.....

BerettaFox · April 28, 2008, 10:54 AM

I know, I poked around for a few minutes just to see others innovative ideas on washing casings.... I didn't go as far as plugging "dishwasher casings" or anything like that into a search. But I figured if it went really bad, it was only a hundred casings.

AlaskaMike · April 28, 2008, 11:28 AM

Quote:

I would note the possibility of lead from the primers contaminating your dishes if you use it for anything else.

I don't think that would happen, probably even if you threw the brass in with the dishes. If it's something that worries you, just run the dishwasher empty once before you load it with dishes.

I wash my plastic loading blocks in the dishwasher without any worries at all. I just make sure I do it when my wife is out of the house.

Mike

DWARREN123 · April 28, 2008, 01:20 PM

I just clean in a tumbler with corn cob media, works for me.

Rustynuts · April 28, 2008, 06:10 PM

Not sure if I'd trust the dishwasher soap, it's pretty caustic I think with metals. I just hand wash mine in a big bucket and some mild soap and washing soda, rinsed and briefly hit with some vinegar in the water to brighten them up and rinsed again. Dried then tumbled.

stinger · April 28, 2008, 09:03 PM

I guess I'm weird...

I put my cases in the tumbler, let it run for a couple of hours, then take them out.

I guess I'm doing it wrong.

Guys, buy a stinking tumbler. You are wasting time and/or money if you are doing it any other way.

achey · April 28, 2008, 09:28 PM

Thanks for saying it Stinger. Now I don't have to.

achey

Oberg · April 29, 2008, 02:10 AM

Yeah I agree with you last two.. alot less work and alot less time. and no chance of killing yourself. K.I.S.S. "Keep It Simple Stupid"

AlaskaMike · April 29, 2008, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Not sure if I'd trust the dishwasher soap, it's pretty caustic I think with metals.

Not at all. Lots of black powder shooters clean their pistols (even blued steel) in their dishwashers after removing the grips. My carbon steel knives also do just fine in the dishwasher, not to mention my stainless steel, aluminum and copper pots and pans.

The water is more of a risk than the soap.

That said, I DO use a tumbler--they're cheap and the least amount of effort compared to any other method of cleaning brass.

Mike

BigV · April 30, 2008, 09:02 AM

Wow, … Washing brass in the dishwasher seems to be a waste of soap, hot water and electricity.
Washing them by hand will give you dish-pan-hands and the hot water could shrink up your brass.
If you wash them in your clothes washing machine, make sure you sort your brass and wash each caliber separately. You don’t want all your brass stained pink….

50 shooter · April 30, 2008, 09:52 AM

Dishwasher works good for .50 stuff as you can place them on all the little pins that stick up to hold the dishes.

Dan31 · April 30, 2008, 06:34 PM

Outside of what you guys have been doing, I just put about 50 or so cases in a bowl and fill it with fabric softener just enough to cover them all. It cleans them in a couple days[ I have plenty of time to wait for them to be cleaned] and when they get clean the dirt floats to the top. I can reuse it for about 150 cases before I need to change it.

thallub · May 1, 2008, 08:19 AM

There is no stupid way to clean cases. If it works for you that is all that matters. Went to work in a quarry when I retired from the Army. They had those big rock sorting screens that shook like mad. Put my brass in a bucket with corncob media and wired it to a screen. In about three hours the brass was squeaky clean.

Groucho · May 1, 2008, 05:35 PM

Alkali or ammonia detergent could cause the brass to weaken...

rn22723 · May 2, 2008, 02:34 PM

The OP needs really not be so lazy! Can we say Lead residue? Not in this boy's home!

The Lovemaster · May 2, 2008, 02:59 PM

I'm with Stinger and Achey, apparently I use an odd method too - Petsmart walnut bird bedding media, a capful of Nufinish every other load, and a used dryer softener sheet cut into six pieces. I use the NRA recipe (vinegar, water, salt, laundry (or is it dish?) soap) for removing tarnish.

Grandpa Shooter · May 2, 2008, 03:08 PM

You guys got it all wrong. Take a small butter dish, attach it to the side of the hamster exercise wheel, put your media and brass in and watch the hamsters get a kick out of running it around for you. Only takes a couple of days to get a dozen or so pieces clean!

Inspector3711 · May 3, 2008, 01:00 AM

My wife would strangle me in my sleep if she found brass in her $600 dishwasher! Although... I do know it is one of the better ways to clean a disassembled 4bbl carb (DON"T TELL HER!!)! I saw a post above about Harbor Freight tumblers and their ability to burn through drive belts. I found out before I bought mine that this can be a problem and, in fact, the belt snapping can break the blades on the plastic cooling fan. Before buying a "cheapo" tumbler that eats belts and cooling fans I decided to see if there was a solution. Research revealed that Loretone tumblers have at least some parts that are interchangeable. loretone is pretty high end in a rock polisher compared to Harbor Freight. Their belts cost a couple bucks more (around $5) but don't break nearly as often and they have a metal replacement fan that fits too. A url for these parts:

https://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp

All you have to do it let them know which tumbler (3 lb single or 3lb X2) you need parts for. While you're at it look at the three gallon tumbler! I could clean some brass in that bad boy! $389 though.

saudst · May 3, 2008, 05:37 AM

50 Shooter, it took me a couple of min. to stop laughing from that photo. That, for some reason was funny as heck to me. I guess for 50's, that would be a reasonable way to do it but man you killed me

Baretta, buy a tumbler and you'll save on your water bill and electric.

April 27, 2008, 08:40 PM	#1
BerettaFox Senior Member Join Date: April 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 144	Is this a stupid way to clean brass I got bored tonight and ran a hundred or so rounds of dirty brass through the dishwasher, stopped it before it hit the dry cycle, and made sure the vast majority of the water was out of all of them if they got flipped upside down, then let it do the dry cycle. Is this bad for the casings, as in corrosion or maybe lead poisoning? or has nobody ever thought of this before? I just put them in the bottom thingy in which the silverware is normally put for cleaning. What's this sound like to you? STUPID or SMART?

April 27, 2008, 09:19 PM	#3
farnorthdan Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2007 Posts: 371	I was my fired brass by hand in the sink with soap and water, then put on a rack in the dryer until dry. I then throw them in the tumbler with wallnut and cap full of mineral spirits. Once they have tumbled clean I wash them again in sink with soap and water and dry, then resize/deprime ...... __________________ Believe NONE of what you hear; HALF of what you see and ALL you believe Accuracy is king,penatration is queen but why not jack'em in the process if you can.

April 28, 2008, 01:20 PM	#10
DWARREN123 Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Location: BETWEEN TN & KY Posts: 1,758	I just clean in a tumbler with corn cob media, works for me. __________________ Have a nice day!

April 30, 2008, 09:52 AM	#17
50 shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2002 Location: SoCal PRK Posts: 986	Dishwasher works good for .50 stuff as you can place them on all the little pins that stick up to hold the dishes. __________________ I see the world thru bloodshot eyes Streets filled with blood from distant lies The dogs of war never compromise, No time for rearranging.

April 30, 2008, 06:34 PM	#18
Dan31 Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: Graham, WA Posts: 145	Outside of what you guys have been doing, I just put about 50 or so cases in a bowl and fill it with fabric softener just enough to cover them all. It cleans them in a couple days[ I have plenty of time to wait for them to be cleaned] and when they get clean the dirt floats to the top. I can reuse it for about 150 cases before I need to change it. __________________ I was told once "if you don't have anything good to say don't say anything at all"

April 27, 2008, 08:48 PM	#2
okiefarmer Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 381	It's really not going to hurt it IMO, but doubt it will do much more than get the big mud chunks off the brass if you dropped it in a puddle at the range. Don't think soap does much to brass, but if dried promptly it won't corrode wither if that is what you are worrying about. You can always put them in the oven for a few minutes on low heat to dry out completely, leave the door open like making jerky. Clean brass does more to prevent wear to dies than it does in accuracy (if any) of the round, clean vs tarnished. It's all aesthetics (sp)

April 27, 2008, 09:23 PM	#4
totalloser Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2007 Location: Fort Bragg, CA Posts: 679	I would note the possibility of lead from the primers contaminating your dishes if you use it for anything else. I wouldn't do it for fear of being poisoned. I got poisoned by lead from welding on steel with a lead based paint, and it was NO FUN.

April 28, 2008, 08:10 AM	#5
HJ857 Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Posts: 447	I also clean brass using the wet method in a rock tumbler. I use the dual drum tumbler from harbor freight. Been working great other than a couple broken drive belts. For 9mm brass I just throw a bunch in each drum (nearly full), add a few drops of dishwashing liquid and a teaspoon of lemon juice, tumble for 30 minutes. Put them all in a large plastic colander and rinse. Then size and decap while still wet. Then back into the tumbler with less soap and more juice. Tumble for an hour, rinse and then on a pizza pan in the oven at 150 degrees for 90 minutes - done. Rifle brass is the same except I size and decap using a liquid spray lube first, and then the two washes. Having the primer hole open really helps clean out the pocket. This keeps the residue out of any sensitive area such as a dishwasher or a washing machine. The brass comes out with a lustre sort of finish and not a polished shiny finish.

April 28, 2008, 09:11 AM	#6
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,077	I wash my hands between reloading and eating or drinking. I guess I wouldn’t need to if I mixed the two. I’d say two thumbs down.

April 28, 2008, 10:54 AM	#8
BerettaFox Senior Member Join Date: April 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 144	I know, I poked around for a few minutes just to see others innovative ideas on washing casings.... I didn't go as far as plugging "dishwasher casings" or anything like that into a search. But I figured if it went really bad, it was only a hundred casings.

April 28, 2008, 06:10 PM	#11
Rustynuts Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 94	Not sure if I'd trust the dishwasher soap, it's pretty caustic I think with metals. I just hand wash mine in a big bucket and some mild soap and washing soda, rinsed and briefly hit with some vinegar in the water to brighten them up and rinsed again. Dried then tumbled.

April 28, 2008, 09:03 PM	#12
stinger Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: west texas Posts: 772	I guess I'm weird... I put my cases in the tumbler, let it run for a couple of hours, then take them out. I guess I'm doing it wrong. Guys, buy a stinking tumbler. You are wasting time and/or money if you are doing it any other way.

April 28, 2008, 09:28 PM	#13
achey Junior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Posts: 11	Thanks for saying it Stinger. Now I don't have to. achey

April 29, 2008, 02:10 AM	#14
Oberg Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2008 Location: Minn Posts: 212	Yeah I agree with you last two.. alot less work and alot less time. and no chance of killing yourself. K.I.S.S. "Keep It Simple Stupid"

April 30, 2008, 09:02 AM	#16
BigV Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2005 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 328	Wow, … Washing brass in the dishwasher seems to be a waste of soap, hot water and electricity. Washing them by hand will give you dish-pan-hands and the hot water could shrink up your brass. If you wash them in your clothes washing machine, make sure you sort your brass and wash each caliber separately. You don’t want all your brass stained pink….

May 1, 2008, 08:19 AM	#19
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	There is no stupid way to clean cases. If it works for you that is all that matters. Went to work in a quarry when I retired from the Army. They had those big rock sorting screens that shook like mad. Put my brass in a bucket with corncob media and wired it to a screen. In about three hours the brass was squeaky clean.

May 1, 2008, 05:35 PM	#20
Groucho Junior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Posts: 9	Alkali or ammonia detergent could cause the brass to weaken... __________________ Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

May 2, 2008, 02:34 PM	#21
rn22723 Junior member Join Date: December 10, 2001 Location: Burbs of Minneapolis Posts: 676	The OP needs really not be so lazy! Can we say Lead residue? Not in this boy's home!

May 2, 2008, 02:59 PM	#22
The Lovemaster Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 416	I'm with Stinger and Achey, apparently I use an odd method too - Petsmart walnut bird bedding media, a capful of Nufinish every other load, and a used dryer softener sheet cut into six pieces. I use the NRA recipe (vinegar, water, salt, laundry (or is it dish?) soap) for removing tarnish.

May 2, 2008, 03:08 PM	#23
Grandpa Shooter Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2007 Posts: 140	You guys got it all wrong. Take a small butter dish, attach it to the side of the hamster exercise wheel, put your media and brass in and watch the hamsters get a kick out of running it around for you. Only takes a couple of days to get a dozen or so pieces clean! __________________ Old enough to know better and way too old to care!

May 3, 2008, 01:00 AM	#24
Inspector3711 Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2008 Location: Puget Sound Washington Posts: 1,553	My wife would strangle me in my sleep if she found brass in her $600 dishwasher! Although... I do know it is one of the better ways to clean a disassembled 4bbl carb (DON"T TELL HER!!)! I saw a post above about Harbor Freight tumblers and their ability to burn through drive belts. I found out before I bought mine that this can be a problem and, in fact, the belt snapping can break the blades on the plastic cooling fan. Before buying a "cheapo" tumbler that eats belts and cooling fans I decided to see if there was a solution. Research revealed that Loretone tumblers have at least some parts that are interchangeable. loretone is pretty high end in a rock polisher compared to Harbor Freight. Their belts cost a couple bucks more (around $5) but don't break nearly as often and they have a metal replacement fan that fits too. A url for these parts: https://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp All you have to do it let them know which tumbler (3 lb single or 3lb X2) you need parts for. While you're at it look at the three gallon tumbler! I could clean some brass in that bad boy! $389 though. __________________ "If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." The Dalai Llama (5/15/01, The Seattle Times) "That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." George Orwell

May 3, 2008, 05:37 AM	#25
saudst Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2008 Location: Central Wisconsin Posts: 184	Tumbler 50 Shooter, it took me a couple of min. to stop laughing from that photo. That, for some reason was funny as heck to me. I guess for 50's, that would be a reasonable way to do it but man you killed me Baretta, buy a tumbler and you'll save on your water bill and electric. __________________ Tim. "Fear of death will not prevent dieing, but it may prevent living".