How Do You Keep Your Wet Tumbled Brass Shiny?

[Profreedomokie]

I don't know why but my wet tumbled brass doesn't come out shiny like it used to. I haven't changed the way I've been doing anything, but the brass doesn't look like new like it used to. The inside of the brass looks great but, not the outside. What's your secret to shiny brass?

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

How long do you tumble?

I use the Frankford Arsenal packs and my brass is shiny with 3 hours of tumbling.

 

[RickN]

I don't know why but my wet tumbled brass doesn't come out shiny like it used to. I haven't changed the way I've been doing anything, but the brass doesn't look like new like it used to. The inside of the brass looks great but, not the outside. What's your secret to shiny brass?

How long do you tumble? What mix do you use? When is the last time you washed your tumbler and media? All make a difference.

 

[RangerRick]

Rinse everything after use. i use 2 cap full of Hornady one shot and very warm water tumble 3 hours, not filling over half full of brass and fill to about 3/4 full of the warm water rinse everythng with tap water and dry as quickly a possible to keep from water spotting brass ( just me about the water spots)

 

[Profreedomokie]

I run the brass for at least 4 hours. I use Dawn and Lemon Shine with warm water. I spin all the brass in a Dillon media separator twice. Once to get the pins out and once after a rinse to help dry it. Then I use a Franklin brass dryer to keep it from spotting. I'll clean the pins this morning and see if that helps. They usually get rinsed off with the brass each load. Thanks.

 

[Mr.Glock]

I run the brass for at least 4 hours. I use Dawn and Lemon Shine with warm water. I spin all the brass in a Dillon media separator twice. Once to get the pins out and once after a rinse to help dry it. Then I use a Franklin brass dryer to keep it from spotting. I'll clean the pins this morning and see if that helps. They usually get rinsed off with the brass each load. Thanks.

Only mixture to use! Dawn and Lemon Shine!

 

[User_3155]

Sounds like too much water / not enough brass / not enough pins. I have the big wet FART, I use an eyeballed 2 tbsp of Armorall wash & wax and a 10mm brass of lemishine. If the brass is really nasty I tumble 1.5 hours, drain most of the water, refill with water, soap, lemishine and go again for 2 hours. Otherwise, if it's cleanish brass I just throw it in with above soap / lemishine and go for the 3 hours. I only fill with water unitl it's about 1/2" over the top of the brass.

Have never replaced my pins in almost 3 years and I've never went to a lot trouble to clean them. I have found that the big wet FART sucks for small batches of brass. Also, if you have sizing lube on the brass, you may need to dump and resoap / lemishine a couple of times the first hour to get it off so it will polish.

 

[Profreedomokie]

The big question here is why the brass isn't shiny now when I'm processing it just like I always have? The batch I have running right now is smaller than the ones before. I thought I would try that first. I think how you dry the brass has more to do with it. Before I bought the dryer, I put them in the oven with it set on 200 degrees and that darkened it. The Franklin dryer's lowest setting is 90 degrees which is what I use. One thing to note is the brass is clean and shiny inside.

 

[swampratt]

I use a universal deprimer to deprime all cases and NO sizing is done and no wax on cases.

Some of you guys tumble for a long time.
I have cut my time down to 1 hour sometimes 45 minutes.
But small batches of about 1 quart of brass and my container is a 2 quart.
It gets full of warm water.
I like the armor all wash and wax.

Too much citric acid will dull the cases and tumbling in black water for long periods does not equate to a good thing if you like clean shiny cases .

Like @User_3155 stated drain and refill if you have very dirty cases.

My cases are copper pin cleaned though not stainless pins.

I do not dry my cases with heat.
I rinse them all with the pins in hot water 5 times while shaking the cases around.

After it is all rinsed off I dump my pins and cases and dry all the cases on a big bath towel that has been washed in Free and clear laundry detergent..No oily residue on towels that way.

On rifle cases while the insides are still a bit wet I have annealed them.

I am in no big hurry for my cases to dry inside of them and laying them on the carpeted floor in the reloading room they will be dry inside the next day.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

The big question here is why the brass isn't shiny now when I'm processing it just like I always have? The batch I have running right now is smaller than the ones before. I thought I would try that first. I think how you dry the brass has more to do with it. Before I bought the dryer, I put them in the oven with it set on 200 degrees and that darkened it. The Franklin dryer's lowest setting is 90 degrees which is what I use. One thing to note is the brass is clean and shiny inside.

Gotta leave the oven door open