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Old April 3, 2006, 07:36 PM   #1
prime8
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Any body clean cases the old fashion way?

IM not sure I want to get a tumbler. Ive read articles about the lead from sifting your medium. Ive got a baby around the house and Im just not comfortable with it yet. I clean my cases with soap, water, and a bore brush. Ive yet to meet anyone else who does it this way. I know other people do it, Iv just never met them. Id like to hear some other old school ways of reloading?
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Old April 3, 2006, 10:26 PM   #2
ribbonstone
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I gave up on ploishing brass some years ago...I just found that I don't give a rat's if they are bright and shinny, just want them clean. CLEAN counts as it keeps your dies alive and happy, but polished is just for show.

I like the look of arsnel new military brass..clean and bright, but not shinny.

So I went back to the old-old NRA formula or white vinegar, a little soap, and a touch of salt (and i haven't a clue why the salt... but do know it works a bit better with it than without).

Just heat the solution, soak the cases, strain them out (saving the solution), wash them off well, and let them dry.

That forumla was old before I read about it in the 1960's...but it still works, is safe to keep around the house, and is cheap.
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Old April 3, 2006, 10:56 PM   #3
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Anybody that tumbles their brass indoors needs to have ear protection on the whole family.The noise is very annoying. I do mine in the garage. Same place I keep gasoline, ant poison, drain cleaner. My kids are safe.
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Old April 3, 2006, 11:05 PM   #4
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There was a thread on this not too long ago. Since I don't know how to link it I'll bump it!
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Old April 3, 2006, 11:32 PM   #5
Dave R
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I used to do it that way, for about a year.

Then I broke down and got a used rock polisher at a garage sale, and use it for a tumbler. Works as well as a $5 tumbler should...

And its quiet enought to use in the house.
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Old April 4, 2006, 06:43 PM   #6
brasszz
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Ribbonstone what is the ratio of vinegar soap and salt? I would like to give it a shot.
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Old April 4, 2006, 07:48 PM   #7
ribbonstone
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I'm not that exact...but belive it was a table spoon of soap powder (which no one has, so use a small squirt of dishwashing liquid or a tea spoon of laundry detergent) and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt per quart.

Can get basic no-name white vinagar pretty cheaply, and the solution lasts. Have seen big containers at the bulk stores (like Big Lots).

Will usually use two one gallon plastic containers (one full of solution, one empty) and a pot to heat it in. A quart of soltuion seems about right...will cover a large amount of cases in a 1 gallon container. plastic water pobbles with the top cut off on one and left alon on another work fine.

Put the cases in the top-cut-off plastic container. Will heat the solution to just short of a boil. Willusually use an old beat up cofee pot i bought at a lawn sale (get one...works great for pouring shot too). Pour it in and let it sit. Every so often, give the contaier a shake as you pass by and take a look-see. Maybe an hour for most cases.

Let is settle...pour out the soultion into the non-cut-off continer (try to leave any dirt in the first container). Rince the cases under how water and then spread them ut to dry. IF the water is HOT, will dry faster...but can lay thime out in sunlight in summer, or on a cookie sheet in winter and pop them into a 150-200degree oven for a few minutes.
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Old April 4, 2006, 08:40 PM   #8
prime8
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Thank you

I knew I couldnt be the only one out there. Ill have to try your formula. No scrubbing with a bore brush? Ive been chamfering with an old cabide shaping bit chucked in my cordless drill. Real preatty, and purrty consistant. I deburr with steel wool and a file. Time consuming, but it beats watchin tv. Gets me in my shop and Im relaxed.
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Old April 4, 2006, 08:45 PM   #9
Leftoverdj
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Clean is important, bright is not. I clean big lots of range brass in a five gallon bucket with soapy water, dump them into a big strainer, and rinse with a hose. If I did not have the big strainer, I'd just drill a bunch of quarter inch holes in another bucket to make one. Used one of those until it age cracked and it worked fine.
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Old April 5, 2006, 07:55 AM   #10
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cream of tarter and water works well,,its been years since I used it and I forgot the ratio
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Old April 5, 2006, 10:41 AM   #11
Harley Quinn
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From 45's vs modern ammo, to vinegar, salt vs tumbler

Geez you guys are killing me this morning, 45s in the desert for protection to salt and vinegar. one is 100years old the other 20 times that. LOL.

Hang in their fellas, I am not against it I am just surprised.
Next we will be talking about smoke signals vs the cell phone. Not a bad idea if you run out of batteries.

HQ

Last edited by Harley Quinn; April 5, 2006 at 10:43 AM. Reason: can't give it away, a secret.
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Old April 5, 2006, 02:53 PM   #12
2400
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Quote:
Anybody that tumbles their brass indoors needs to have ear protection on the whole family.
What kind of tumbler do you have? Mine makes very little noise.
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Old April 5, 2006, 05:43 PM   #13
tomf52
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Herre's how I do it - 5 gal pail with shells dumped in -enough really hot water to cover all shells - a squirt of liquid dish detergent - three tablespoons of concentrated lemon juice- stir vigorously with a stick for 3 or 4 min - let sit 1 hour(stir occasionally during this time period if you remember to) - dump, drain, and rinse then spread out to dry on a towel. They come out loke new. If you deprime before washing, many of the primer pockets will not have to be touched.
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Old April 5, 2006, 06:35 PM   #14
prime8
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Awesome

I like doing things the hard/ old fasion way. If I dont have to spend $ on some new shiney gadget, Im pleased. Im a woodworker by nature and am always looking for ways to cut out unneeded, tools, and processes. When I build a piece of furniture, I start with lumber from tree's that I personally harvested, dried, and milled to my specifications. I get ALOT better results in my work by doing every process by hand. Ive got 8-10,000$ in power tools, and I still preffer my hand saw. I make my own loading blocks, and wash brass by hand. There are methods of woodworking that have been lost to power tools in the last 100 years. Im new to reloading but Im sure were losing knowledge to convenience the same as other skills. Thanks for all the great ideas, and dont let your knowlege be forgotten.
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Old April 10, 2006, 06:17 PM   #15
prime8
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The potion!!

Tried the Vinigar, lemon juice, and salt solution. Works great. Cuts way down on the scrubbing. Now I have time to work the brass over w/ 0000 steel wool. Shiney as new. If I get a tumbler Id just end up Never Dullin the brass. I like the results though!!! I will be using this method from now on. Ive recently discovered, that I can deburr the outside of the casses, by running them across a wet stone real quick. No scratches on my feed ramps!! lol
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Old April 10, 2006, 11:44 PM   #16
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As per Lee...use steel wool. I don't load a lot and did this for a long time. I finally got some extra scratch for a tumbler, but did just fine with steel wool.


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Old April 13, 2006, 04:36 AM   #17
airmanbell
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Wow!

I just tried this. used about 3 cups of whitre vin, a table spoon of salt, and a tablespood of dish soap. boiled it, and threw in 20 .223 shells that were along some of the most dirty ones I had. put it all in a half gallon milk jug, shuck it for a min, let it set, and shuck it up for a few seconds every 5 min for half an hour. Wow! They look new. Guess I won't be buying a tumbler after all!

Only thing I have to say though is, try cutting off the heat right when it begins to boil, the mixture likes to boil off quickly!!! I lost most of it when I walked away fromt he stove for a few seconds.
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Old April 14, 2006, 02:39 PM   #18
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25% white vinegar in water squirt of washup liquid and pinch of salt. Dont use neat vinegar (Acetic acid) it will weaken the brass cases. I used it for years and it is ok dont leave them in more than about 30 mins make the liquid just short of boiling and remember to rinse them thoroughly in clean hot water. I bought an ultrasonic bath some time ago ( it was for cleaning paint spray equipment) holds a gallon plus and a whole lot easier, iuse a ultrasonic brass cleaner at 50-1 mix in warm water, 15 mins and the brass comes out like new. It works great but costs more than tumblers. A Frankford tumbler from midway is cheap and corn cob from the pet store works well with about 1 hr running. They have a lid on so no dust out and just do the sorting outside in the garage so no risk to the baby.
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Old April 16, 2006, 10:52 PM   #19
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Ultrasonic cleaner

I have a small ultrasonic cleaner that I think I paid about $35 (amazon.com, if I remember right) for cleaning eyeglasses and the like. It will easily hold 50 .38 Spl cases. Put in 1 Tbsp. of Windex, fill it with with warm water, and run for about 10 minutes. No noise, no dust. Lift out the basket, rinse the cases under hot water, and dump them onto an old towel to dry overnight. It even gets the primer pockets clean.
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Old April 16, 2006, 11:16 PM   #20
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I havn't cleaned brass in the 3000 +rnds ive reloaded with the same dies that work great to this day.I might use a rag as im trimming and de-burring but thats it..Im sorry I just don't get it.my ammo always functions and shoots very accurate in my ar15 and in the encore I shot years ago.
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