Brass case cleaning

Daggs01 · November 18, 2010, 02:28 AM

I just bought a Lymans tumbler and wanting to know what people use for media?

I use rice with a cap of brasso in it, I mix the brasso up first and leave it for a day to soak up then put the brass cases in for 1 hour and they are like new inside and out.

Rockhanger · November 18, 2010, 07:41 AM

I use corncob media. Plain for cleaning and I keep a seperate batch with polish in it for polishing.

BDS-THR · November 18, 2010, 08:09 AM

I use crushed walnut media for cleaning and corn cob for polishing. I have used plain dry rice to use as "rough" cleaning media with good results but rice does not clean as well as walnut.

I use Dillon/MidwayUSA polish or NuFinish liquid wax as they do not contain ammonia like Brasso which makes brass brittle and shortens case life. I do not recommend Brasso as tumbling polish.

4runnerman · November 18, 2010, 08:31 AM

I go to the pet store and buy a 25 lb bag of lizzard bedding(chrushed walnut) for $12.00. Works great ,very fine texture(wont plug primer pockets) And works very fast.

Wag · November 18, 2010, 11:32 AM

Crushed walnut. Add a tablespoon of Turtle polish to the mix.

I'm about ready to pop for the stainless media and tumbler but that's some $$$$.

--Wag--

overkill0084 · November 18, 2010, 11:49 AM

Reptile bedding. Good to know, thanks. Do you have a preferred additive?

Edward Horton · November 18, 2010, 12:02 PM

WARNING

I was watching a David Tubb video last night and David Tubb said to clean your brass after approximately five reloadings. He also stated to "NOT" polish the brass to a high luster because it would not grip the chamber walls as well and increase bolt thrust.

David Tubb is a U.S. NRA highpower shooting champion.

I have been tossing my brass in my tumbler after each firing using walnut shell media. Water, oil or grease in the chamber increases bolt thrust. Also chamber finish and cartridge finish effects bolt thrust and thus accuracy.

MADISON · November 18, 2010, 12:10 PM

I buy my media at PET'S MART, in bulk.
A cap full of NuFinish helps out.

4runnerman · November 18, 2010, 12:27 PM

I puit no addetive in mine at all.Cleans them like new

zippy13 · November 18, 2010, 12:59 PM

Another user of lizard litter. My small LGS doesn't have media, but the local pet store does. My present additive is from Dillon; but, in a previous similar thread, many had good things to say about NuFinish. I may give it a try when it's time to replenish.

demigod · November 18, 2010, 01:18 PM

Quote:

I go to the pet store and buy a 25 lb bag of lizzard bedding(chrushed walnut) for $12.00. Works great ,very fine texture(wont plug primer pockets) And works very fast.

I've had lizard walnut that would stick in the primer flash holes. But the last big bag I bought was the finer stuff and it was a lot better about not sticking in the flash holes.

4runnerman · November 18, 2010, 01:30 PM

Ya the stuff i get is just as fine as sand..Works real fast. was kinda leary about it first time i tried it ,but in the end im stuck on it now. I sell brass on the side so i go through a lot of it

demigod · November 18, 2010, 02:13 PM

I'm loving the fine grain stuff. It tends to stick in the spent primers a little bit, but that's a far better trade off compared to sticking in the flash holes because the decap kicks it out anyway.

brickeyee · November 18, 2010, 04:32 PM

Quote:

WARNING

I was watching a David Tubb video last night and David Tubb said to clean your brass after approximately five reloadings. He also stated to "NOT" polish the brass to a high luster because it would not grip the chamber walls as well and increase bolt thrust.

He may be a great shooter but he knows nothing about this.

Gauge blocks are used to set precision lengths in machining and inspection.
They are so polished that they stick together by atomic force (AKA 'specific adhesion').

Once you 'wring' the blocks together they cannot be pulled apart.

A bigger issue would be the use of any type of wax or other material that will act as a lubricant and CAN limit specific adhesion (though it is already limited between dissimilar materials in many cases).

A clean and dry chamber and shell will produce the greatest adhesion, and the more polished the better.

Wag · November 18, 2010, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brickeyee

Quote:

WARNING

I was watching a David Tubb video last night and David Tubb said to clean your brass after approximately five reloadings. He also stated to "NOT" polish the brass to a high luster because it would not grip the chamber walls as well and increase bolt thrust.

He may be a great shooter but he knows nothing about this.

Gauge blocks are used to set precision lengths in machining and inspection.
They are so polished that they stick together by atomic force (AKA 'specific adhesion').

Once you 'wring' the blocks together they cannot be pulled apart.

A bigger issue would be the use of any type of wax or other material that will act as a lubricant and CAN limit specific adhesion (though it is already limited between dissimilar materials in many cases).

A clean and dry chamber and shell will produce the greatest adhesion, and the more polished the better.

Exactly. As high as the heat and pressure are in the chamber of a gun, adhesion is the least of the problem.

--Wag--

Daggs01 · November 18, 2010, 06:11 PM

I did read somewhere that Brasso makes them brittle so i wont be using that. last night i used just rice and tumbled it for 30 min and they came up really good.
I will go and get me some lizard bedding and give that a go.

So should i be using pollish to get them like new or not?

Looks like there are all types that people use its just finding the one i like.

sc928porsche · November 18, 2010, 06:52 PM

I like to use the fine grain corncob media. Unless you use a polish designed for firearm brass cases, you can adversley effect the brass. That is because most polishes contain ammonia. I use rubbing compound that I get at the auto store and thin it out with water. It only needs a small amount to do the job. A small canister of rubbing compound will last for years. You can also purchace pretreated media from frankfort arsenal at places like Midway USA.

Daggs01 · November 18, 2010, 08:15 PM

I have seen the stainless steel media and looks like it does an unbelievable job. Hard to say if it works that well without seeing it yourself.

I wonder if you could put it in a Lymans tumbler to see if it works with some water..

Slamfire · November 19, 2010, 10:45 AM

Quote:

I was watching a David Tubb video last night and David Tubb said to clean your brass after approximately five reloadings. He also stated to "NOT" polish the brass to a high luster because it would not grip the chamber walls as well and increase bolt thrust.

David Tubb is a U.S. NRA highpower shooting champion.

I have been tossing my brass in my tumbler after each firing using walnut shell media. Water, oil or grease in the chamber increases bolt thrust. Also chamber finish and cartridge finish effects bolt thrust and thus accuracy.

David Tubb also uses Moly Lube on his bullets.

According to Hatcher's Notebook, even lightly greased bullets "dangerously" raise pressures.

If Tubb was worried about bolt thrust maybe he should stop selling moly lube kits.

Maybe they are both wrong.

So according to Tubb I am to let my cases get groady because shiny brass is dangerous? How groady?, corncob groady?, is there a RMS spec on groadyness?. Should I be beadblasting my cases after tumbling? What about those mirror finish factory rounds? I guess those guys, and they have pressure testing equipment, they can’t read the dials and gages? Should I beadblast my factory ammunition too? What abrasive do you recommend?, I assume I need the really sticky stuff because I want a lot of case friction.

Should I roughen up my chamber too?

Can I still shoot in the rain?.

Taroman · November 19, 2010, 09:09 PM

I tumbled with lizard litter. Recently, almost as a joke, I threw a bunch of fired cases into a wash bag and washed them in the washing machine along with my shop rags. They came out shining.

t45 · November 19, 2010, 09:56 PM

I use walnut media with a small splash of mineral spirits. Nice and clean.

brickeyee · November 19, 2010, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Acording to Hatcher's Notebook, even lightly greased bullets "dangerously" raise pressures.

If Tubb was worried about bolt thrust maybe he should stop selling moly lube kits.

Hatcher never even considered something like moly.

Moly coating rather consistently LOWERS pressures, and it often takes a few grains more powder to recover the velocity lost by the lower pressure.

ArizonaRick · November 21, 2010, 01:17 AM

Just curious, what is the lowest cost media? Which one is the best for overall cleaning & polishing cases? I have always used corn cob.

Daggs01 · November 21, 2010, 09:59 PM

I am using rice and it cleans them very nice, I am going to try Lizzard Bedding next to see how it goes.

Still trying to see if i should use a pollish or not.

rsrocket1 · November 22, 2010, 12:08 AM

I got a 50 pound bag of crushed walnut shells from the local feed store for $13. Perfectly sized bits for tumbling brass, very low dust and none at all when I throw in a cut up used dryer sheet. I've heard others get it for a few bucks less, but 50 pounds should last me a long time.

November 18, 2010, 02:28 AM	#1
Daggs01 Junior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 10	Brass case cleaning I just bought a Lymans tumbler and wanting to know what people use for media? I use rice with a cap of brasso in it, I mix the brasso up first and leave it for a day to soak up then put the brass cases in for 1 hour and they are like new inside and out.

November 18, 2010, 11:32 AM	#5
Wag Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2010 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 1,010	Crushed walnut. Add a tablespoon of Turtle polish to the mix. I'm about ready to pop for the stainless media and tumbler but that's some $$$$. --Wag-- __________________ "Great genius will always encounter fierce opposition from mediocre minds." --Albert Einstein.

November 18, 2010, 12:10 PM	#8
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	Case cleaning media I buy my media at PET'S MART, in bulk. A cap full of NuFinish helps out.

November 21, 2010, 01:17 AM	#23
ArizonaRick Member Join Date: November 1, 2006 Location: Southern Missouri - Ozarks Posts: 89	Is one better? Just curious, what is the lowest cost media? Which one is the best for overall cleaning & polishing cases? I have always used corn cob.

November 18, 2010, 07:41 AM	#2
Rockhanger Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2010 Posts: 115	I use corncob media. Plain for cleaning and I keep a seperate batch with polish in it for polishing.

November 18, 2010, 08:09 AM	#3
BDS-THR Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2010 Posts: 479	I use crushed walnut media for cleaning and corn cob for polishing. I have used plain dry rice to use as "rough" cleaning media with good results but rice does not clean as well as walnut. I use Dillon/MidwayUSA polish or NuFinish liquid wax as they do not contain ammonia like Brasso which makes brass brittle and shortens case life. I do not recommend Brasso as tumbling polish.

November 18, 2010, 08:31 AM	#4
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	I go to the pet store and buy a 25 lb bag of lizzard bedding(chrushed walnut) for $12.00. Works great ,very fine texture(wont plug primer pockets) And works very fast.

November 18, 2010, 11:49 AM	#6
overkill0084 Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2010 Location: Northern, UT Posts: 1,162	Reptile bedding. Good to know, thanks. Do you have a preferred additive?

November 18, 2010, 12:02 PM	#7
Edward Horton Junior member Join Date: October 13, 2009 Posts: 70	WARNING I was watching a David Tubb video last night and David Tubb said to clean your brass after approximately five reloadings. He also stated to "NOT" polish the brass to a high luster because it would not grip the chamber walls as well and increase bolt thrust. David Tubb is a U.S. NRA highpower shooting champion. I have been tossing my brass in my tumbler after each firing using walnut shell media. Water, oil or grease in the chamber increases bolt thrust. Also chamber finish and cartridge finish effects bolt thrust and thus accuracy.

November 18, 2010, 12:27 PM	#9
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	I puit no addetive in mine at all.Cleans them like new

November 18, 2010, 12:59 PM	#10
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Another user of lizard litter. My small LGS doesn't have media, but the local pet store does. My present additive is from Dillon; but, in a previous similar thread, many had good things to say about NuFinish. I may give it a try when it's time to replenish.

November 18, 2010, 01:30 PM	#12
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	Ya the stuff i get is just as fine as sand..Works real fast. was kinda leary about it first time i tried it ,but in the end im stuck on it now. I sell brass on the side so i go through a lot of it

November 18, 2010, 02:13 PM	#13
demigod Junior member Join Date: March 13, 2008 Location: AZ Posts: 1,129	I'm loving the fine grain stuff. It tends to stick in the spent primers a little bit, but that's a far better trade off compared to sticking in the flash holes because the decap kicks it out anyway.

November 18, 2010, 06:11 PM	#16
Daggs01 Junior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 10	I did read somewhere that Brasso makes them brittle so i wont be using that. last night i used just rice and tumbled it for 30 min and they came up really good. I will go and get me some lizard bedding and give that a go. So should i be using pollish to get them like new or not? Looks like there are all types that people use its just finding the one i like.

November 18, 2010, 06:52 PM	#17
sc928porsche Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2008 Location: now living in alabama Posts: 2,433	I like to use the fine grain corncob media. Unless you use a polish designed for firearm brass cases, you can adversley effect the brass. That is because most polishes contain ammonia. I use rubbing compound that I get at the auto store and thin it out with water. It only needs a small amount to do the job. A small canister of rubbing compound will last for years. You can also purchace pretreated media from frankfort arsenal at places like Midway USA.

November 18, 2010, 08:15 PM	#18
Daggs01 Junior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 10	I have seen the stainless steel media and looks like it does an unbelievable job. Hard to say if it works that well without seeing it yourself. I wonder if you could put it in a Lymans tumbler to see if it works with some water..

November 19, 2010, 09:09 PM	#20
Taroman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Posts: 166	I tumbled with lizard litter. Recently, almost as a joke, I threw a bunch of fired cases into a wash bag and washed them in the washing machine along with my shop rags. They came out shining.

November 19, 2010, 09:56 PM	#21
t45 Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2010 Location: Foothills, NC Posts: 782	I use walnut media with a small splash of mineral spirits. Nice and clean.

November 21, 2010, 09:59 PM	#24
Daggs01 Junior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 10	I am using rice and it cleans them very nice, I am going to try Lizzard Bedding next to see how it goes. Still trying to see if i should use a pollish or not.

November 22, 2010, 12:08 AM	#25
rsrocket1 Junior Member Join Date: November 22, 2010 Posts: 13	I got a 50 pound bag of crushed walnut shells from the local feed store for $13. Perfectly sized bits for tumbling brass, very low dust and none at all when I throw in a cut up used dryer sheet. I've heard others get it for a few bucks less, but 50 pounds should last me a long time.