Brass cleaning recipe

[clintbailey]

Not sure if I'm behind the times (as usual), but I just found out about these brass cleaning tricks a month or two ago, and thought I would share.

First, the "LSD" treatment: Go to Walmart/grocery store/wherever, and buy a can of LemiShine; it will be with the dishwasher soap stuff. Be sure and get the powder form, not gel or packets. Take a container with a lid, add a 45 acp case full of the LemiShine, a squirt of Dawn, and fill half full of HOT tapwater. Dump brass in, and shake up good. I usually leave mine soaking overnight.

When you're ready to take them out, dump them out and rinse well; I use a cheap kitchen colander. Let them dry for a while, or use a hair dryer,air compressor, etc, some people even dry them in the oven. I just air dry in the sun on an old towel. Also, I decap/size before this so it will clean the primer pockets better.

Next, after they dry, I throw them in the tumbler. I use corn cob media myself, and add a used dryer sheet, cut into 4 pieces, and a capfull of NuFinish car polish. I only add the polish every 5/6 loads; the dryer sheet squares cuts way down on the dust from the media, and change them out every load.

This is just my method, but after the LSD soak, I can get my brass cleaner and shinier in just 2-3 hours of tumbling than I used to in 12-18 hours+ in the tumbler alone. Hope this benefits some yall! Clint

 

[Hump66]

The first part works best with a Thumlers(sp?) Tumbler, then you can skip the corn cob tumble, and save a lot of time.

 

[Blitzfike]

Thanks Clint. I have used that recipe and it works well. In my ultrasonic cleaner, I use a mix of vinegar, with a capful of liquid laundry detergent and about a cup of hydrogen peroxide. Really gets the gunk off and out of the brass. I then rinse in hot water, shake in a colander and then dry in my blue oven on low heat. Works best if deprimed of course, Thanks for the input.. Blitzfike

 

[DRC458]

Yeah, the LemiShine works really well. I can't keep it on hand since my wife discovered it for it's 'intended' purpose.

Blitzfike - how much vinegar do you put in that mix? I may have to try that next time.

 

[swampratt]

I have seen brass left in vinegar solution too long and it will leach the zinc from the surface and leave the case pink in color..
acetic acid needs to be neutralized ..citric acid will pasivate the brass.. a little protection basically.

In my solution i use very little lemi-shine 1/8 teaspoon and about 3 drops of palmolive or dawn and hot water..
pin tumbled for 2-3 hours..copper pins that i made and about 1 quart of water.

all carbon and crud is removed from inside and outside and primer pockets are clean like new..I also made my own tumbler.
some nasty 45acp after 2 hours..I rinse with hot water 3 times then pour out onto my towel.

 

[WessonOil]

I was using Flitz for my Hornady Vibratory Tumblers, but the cost and availability was becoming a hassle.

Much online reasearch showed that NuFinish is highly thought of, and readily available.

I use two caps per about 3.5 pounds of walnut shell.

Also, walnut media is cheaper if you buy it at PetSmart or such, as it's used for birdcages and reptile cages.

 

[dennishoddy]

Any liquid car wax will work. I've been using turtle wax for 5 years now, as that is what was on my shelf.

 

[WessonOil]

Any liquid car wax will work. I've been using turtle wax for 5 years now, as that is what was on my shelf.

Yep, heard lotsa' people using that as well.

 

[clintbailey]

There's a BUNCH of recipes/tricks out there, just thought I'd share this as I didn't notice a post concerning this subject for a while. Figured this would help the new to reloading guys, and also those that don't have access to an ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[Blitzfike]

Yeah, the LemiShine works really well. I can't keep it on hand since my wife discovered it for it's 'intended' purpose.

Blitzfike - how much vinegar do you put in that mix? I may have to try that next time.

I use the larger ultrasonic cleaner from Horrible Freight. I fill it about 2/3 with white vinegar and add a capful of liquid laundry detergent. Then I put anywhere from a half cup to a cup of 3% peroxide solution to speed up the process. Temperature determines how much of the peroxide I use. The warmer it is, the less I use. This will turn the brass pink if left in too long. I rinse in hot water and then dry in my blue oven at low temp. This removes case lube and old corrosion pretty well.