Cleaning Brass in Washing Machine

[Daily Fred]

In an article in a recent "Blue Press" catalog I read that a fellow used a washing machine to clean his brass by putting it in old socks and washing it along with some old towels. I also found this briefly mentioned in the firing line archives.

Questions:

1) Does this work? Does anyone here have any experience with it? Any recommendations as to type/quantity of soap? Other recommendations as to technique, e.g., I think removing the primers beforehand would be a good idea.

2) Does this mess up the washing machine, i.e., does it do any damage or will I be risking depositing lead or other nasties on clothes I wash subsequently?

3) (broader question) How absolutely necessary is it to clean brass before reloading? Are there any tangible safety or accuracy reasons for cleaning or not cleaning?

Thanks in advance, I appreciate the expertise and wisdom dispensed in these forums.

[Evil Dog]

I think it would be a pretty safe bet that he isn't married.

[Daily Fred]

Hence the concern about lasting effects on the washing machine.

[Smokey Joe]

Daily Fred: Your questions:

1. Yeah, you can do it. There are advocates who reccommend it. No personal experience.

2. The question has been raised about leaving chemical residue in the washer. That question has not been definitively answered. I for one would not care to have primer residue in my underwear, no matter how little. Can't see how the procedure you mention could mechanically damage the machine--people wash pocket change by accident all the time and washers take this in stride. It might be hard on the sock(s) being used, though.

3. Cleaning brass before reloading is not necessary per se. The most important reason to do so is to prevent scratching and damage to the resizing dies. Aside from that, clean, shiny brass looks nice, and may feed better, than cruddy brass.

Now, to the HEART of my answer: There are 1007 various mickey-mouse ways to clean brass. All of them involve washing (and then having to dry thoroughly), nasty chemicals, manual putzing, or some combination of these. Fer cripes' sake, get a vibratory tumbler & a bag of lizard bedding, and be done with it. The tumbler will run you ~ $40. Lizard bedding and ground corncob--or walnut--medium are exactly the same, but the pet-store price is much cheaper.

For many years, I cleaned my brass by hand. I thought I was being smart, not having to buy a tumbler. I wasn't. I was wasting my time. I've tried chemical cleaning also--poison, vapor, etched brass; forget it. Then I bought a tumbler. Now, in 3 hours, I have bright, clean brass, while I do something else more interesting.

Dunno about others--the choice for me is obvious.

[UniversalFrost]

frankford arsenal quick n eztumbler at midwayusa is 29 bucks, why waste your time on putting your brass in socks then in the washer.

I have a couple of the frankford arsenal tumblers and all work well for me for that last few years I have done around 400 cases a week of pistol and 100 of rifle. no problems with the tumblers, but I go through a lot of media, so I buy in bulk.

[Daily Fred]

Thanks. I was looking more to save space than money; my basement is already piled high with ap-cray and I was looking to multiplex some existing hardware. But it sounds like it's worth it to just get a tumbler

[The Tourist]

It's not as odd as you might think.

In my area during the early 1970's, an area bulk bullet caster and reloader tumbled finished ammo in an old dryer filled with crushed walnut shells. It brightened the brass and cleaned off errant lube.

Most of the combat guys of that era used his stuff and found it to be of good quality.

[swmike]

I use a Washing Machine all the time. A small one, that was made by RCBS. It's called a Sidewinder. This way I don't have to sleep with one eye open in case my wife found out I was using HER washing machine.

As for cleaning brass, I consider my handloads to be the product of my labours. If I can't be proud of them, why do it? Who would be proud of old tarnished, crud covered reloads? Shiny new cartridges are nice to look at when sitting in trays when finished and the fired brass is easier to find on the ground.

If you have lots of brass to clean, a small cement mixer works good too. Have someone spray the inside with "Rhino Bedliner" material and you can then process a few thousand at a time.

[glockster157]

When I was in the AF in GA during the 80's there was a guy had a brass business called the Brass Monkey. He tumbled brass in a concrete mixer with crushed walnut shells. Worked well, he used a coal shovel to work with the brass and media.

[RJay]

At one time when I didn't have any extra funds I read an article in American Rifleman about using the washing machine to clean brass. I tried it and it works, and it works very well. I simply place the brass in old socks, waited until my wife had a full load of washing and popped them in. They came out clean and bright. not shiny bright but clean bright. No damage to the washing machine and no damage to the brass. If my Dillon tumbler broke I wouldn't hesitate to use the washing machine again. BTW dirty brass shoots just as well as polished brass, just doesn't look as nice.

[eaglesnester]

Being an old time silver photo buff I have full color darkroom that I never use. The computer and digital photography have rendered silver equipment obsolete.
While thinking about tumbling and cleaning brass a lightbulb went off in the old brain pan. Why not use your Beseler color developer motorized unit with the old color developing drums. The Beseler motorized unit can be switched from complete rotations or counter rotations. Just add your brass, and your cleaning medium, snap on the lid' set the developing drum on the motorized unit turn it on and away you go. Double duty from two different hobbies.
Cheers: Eaglesnester

[Shell Shucker]

Brass can be cleaned many different ways............ The logical answer is obvious; spend the $40 and buy a tumbler! It will clean your brass for years W/O the PITA factor associated with other methods. While you're at it treat your media with Dillon Rapid Polish 290 or similar. You'll get better results in half the time as untreated media.

[Shell Shucker]

I'd like to add that in the past I've used the washing machine to clean brass, and shotgun shells (that went through a flood). The results were less than impressive. At the time it was just the wife and I. Now we have a new-born son (and a new washing machine). I'm definitely keeping the laundry LEAD FREE from now on!

[Mike Irwin]

I wouldn't want to do it for the simple reason that there's the possibility that you could contaminate the next load of laundry with lead.

Some people have wondered about cleaning guns in a dishwasher...

I give them the same answer.

I was my brass by sloshing it around in hot water and lysol in a 5 gallon bucket, rinse well, and then spread it on a sheet in front of the furnace to dry.

[Scorch]

Years ago, I used to use a rock tumbler to polish brass, but that's all there was back then. I'd tumble in with soap and brass tumbling agent, rinse well, dry in the oven at 150 degrees for several hours, put them neck down in loading blocks, then the next day or week or whatever, prime them and load as usual. As you can probably imagine, I didn't tumble my brass unless it was nasty gross dirty. Then I got a Lyman vibrating tumbler, and I use it all the time now. Polish that brass, wipe it down, resize, prime, load. It takes half an hour in the tumbler, then a minute between two rags, and I'm good to go. And it's so pretty!

[mainebear]

As one poster said... There are a lot of Mickey Mouse ways to clean brass. Give in, buy the tumbler. If space is the factor, just think, there must be a couple square feet somewhere that can be used for the tumbler, there just has to be. Put the thing on top of the washer when you use it!
The time saved and the end result will be worth the time and effort.
Keeps peace in the household too.

[totalloser]

Uh, MERCURY!!! Absolutely NOT. The primers have mercury residue. Lead can make you sick (dumb and agressive) but mercury is significantly more toxic. It also is impossible for some people to process it out of their systems. Stays in your teeth for life. There has been a direct link between a preservative named Thymerosol used in immunization shots, and autism. This was due to the mercury in the compound. If there is any chance of contact with young children EVER this is a terribly bad idea. I think some primers are made with an explosive called Mercury fulminate. They used to.

[Mach II Sailor]

for large volume tumbling, find an old front loading washing machine and let your injinuity take over O K ??

[Mike Irwin]

"Uh, MERCURY!!! Absolutely NOT. The primers have mercury residue."

Mercury hasn't been a component of primers in the United States for over 100 years and for a similar length of time in Europe.

A few speciality batches of mercuric corrosive primed ammunition was loaded for match shooting in the 1960s and 1970s, but it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to have fireable quantities of ammo so prime.

It's also an EXTREMELY bad idea to attempt to reload brass that has been fired with mercuric primers.

Mercury causes significant weakening and embrittlement of brass, and a head separation or significant case failure can result.



"There has been a direct link between a preservative named Thymerosol used in immunization shots, and autism."

Only speculation. It's not a proven scientific link, but it is an avenue for concern, so much so that Thimerosol is now banned from being used as a vaccine preservative in the US.

Other countries banned it in the 1990s, but oddly enough, their rates of autism have continued to rise, which seems to indicate that there's more than just a vaccine preservative at work.


That said, however, mercury is extremely toxic and should be avoided.

[totalloser]

Thank you for the clarification. Glad I am wrong.

[Slamfire]

BTW dirty brass shoots just as well as polished brass, just doesn't look as nice.

Heresy! Everyone knows that bright shiny brass shoots better than ugly brass.

Except in pistols. Might be due to the fact that I am a poor pistol shot.

[Nibsey]

After searching the 'Net' and it being a Sunday, I decided to try something I read...using Silicone spray to lube the cases in a peanut butter lid, I put the cases through a 'bulge' sizer. (a must for re-sizing brass in IPSC shooting) Then I put 100 cases into my tumbler with 2 pieces of 'Bounce' that I cut into 2" strips, turned it on and ran for 3 hours. Using walnut media. I was amazed at the amount of dust that sticks to the Bounce, and the brass was shinny like a new penny. Still have to wipe off any residue, but it's minimal, and the dies won't get hurt.

[A pause for the COZ]

Why get the wife mad... If you want a quick way to wash your brass if you do not have a Sonic cleaner.

Boil a quart or so of water. add a shot of dish soap and a shot of Lemi Shine.
Add the brass and mix with a ( what ever) for a few minutes.
Dump them in a colander.
Then I just put them in a vibratory cleaner for a hour or so.

All done, they come out clean and shinny.

[Sport45]

I cleaned my brass in the washing machine for about a year before I bought the Lyman 1200. It worked and the wife didn't mind.

The hassle was more with drying the brass than anything else.

If you have the space and a litte extra money, get the tumbler. Buy lizzard litter at Petco to use as media. About a tablespoon full of mineral spirits makes it clean faster.

[Marco Califo]

First deprime the brass.
Use a 5 gal bucket
Add you brass
Add water as hot as you can get it
Add dishwasher or laundry detergent
Agitate repeatedly
Let sit several hours
Drain well, rinse, and drain again, 3 times
Spread out side in the sun or use an oven set to 220 degrees to dry

Wash your clothes in the washing machine as normal.