Case cleaning

[ttuttle]

A bit of quandry. I have tried corn cobs and walnut shells for polishing brass in a shaker but either process is slow and not very successful. I am wondering about using aluminum oxide blasting media or even silicon carbide grit. Questions:
1. Has anyone tried either of these solutions?
2. If so, what grit size did you use?
3. Did it work out successfully?
4. How long did the shells "cook" in the shaker?
Thanks for the help and any suggestions you may have

 

[mcunningham615]

Aluminum oxide and carbide are much harder than brass. It may actually eat away too much brass. I usually run my brass through the tumbler overnight with either crushed pecan shell or corn cob media. Hornady also makes a stainless steel media to tumble in, but I've never tried it.

A bit of quandry. I have tried corn cobs and walnut shells for polishing brass in a shaker but either process is slow and not very successful. I am wondering about using aluminum oxide blasting media or even silicon carbide grit. Questions:
1. Has anyone tried either of these solutions?
2. If so, what grit size did you use?
3. Did it work out successfully?
4. How long did the shells "cook" in the shaker?
Thanks for the help and any suggestions you may have

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[grasshopperglock]

Tagged

 

[ttuttle]

Aluminum oxide and carbide are much harder than brass. It may actually eat away too much brass. I usually run my brass through the tumbler overnight with either crushed pecan shell or corn cob media. Hornady also makes a stainless steel media to tumble in, but I've never tried it.

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Case erosion could be a problem but if they cook for a short time and are watched for the desired results the result may be what I am looking for. I haven't had much luck with corn cobs but I've never tried pecan shells. Would they work better than walnut shells?

 

[mcunningham615]

I use pecan shell before resizing. After resizing, annealing, etc. I run it through corn cob media mainly just to get the case lube off. Didn't like using the sonic cleaner. Corn cob does a real good job cleaning off the sizing lube. I tried doing different things and this is what worked for me. What kind of tumbler are you using?

Case erosion could be a problem but if they cook for a short time and are watched for the desired results the result may be what I am looking for. I haven't had much luck with corn cobs but I've never tried pecan shells. Would they work better than walnut shells?

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[ttuttle]

I use pecan shell before resizing. After resizing, annealing, etc. I run it through corn cob media mainly just to get the case lube off. Didn't like using the sonic cleaner. Corn cob does a real good job cleaning off the sizing lube. I tried doing different things and this is what worked for me. What kind of tumbler are you using?

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I'm using a Franklin from MidwayUSA. I've seen other tumblers but I can't really see a difference.

 

[mcunningham615]

I'm using a Franklin from MidwayUSA. I've seen other tumblers but I can't really see a difference.

How long do you run it? Are you putting in too much brass? Is it really nasty range brass or stuff you just fired?

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[ttuttle]

How long do you run it? Are you putting in too much brass? Is it really nasty range brass or stuff you just fired?

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I run it until the brass is shiny and clean. It is circulating very well in the tumbler. As I said, corn cobs and walnut shells take a long time, or am I just impatient after 24 hrs.

 

[mcunningham615]

I usually just run overnight and its nice and shiny. Not sure how big your tumbler is, but I can run 200-250 rounds of .223 at a time with about 1/2 to 3/4 bottle of tumbling media. It's pretty well loaded then but almost seems to clean better when loaded full. It's seems like it rolls over in the tumbler faster when good and loaded.

I run it until the brass is shiny and clean. It is circulating very well in the tumbler. As I said, corn cobs and walnut shells take a long time, or am I just impatient after 24 hrs.

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[Rusty Gun]

I run mine at Least two hours and used crushed walnut shell from harbor freight. Cheap and works pretty good. I don’t really need shiny as new brass just want it clean so it runs in the Dillon and shoots okay. I also add a few cap fulls of Nu shine car polish and put it on a time so it runs 2-3 hours.

 

[ttuttle]

I was wondering what kind of liquid is being used. I know they make special brass polishing liquid but It may be a Ford/Chevy discussion. The special brass stuff seems to be unreasonably expensive.

I run mine at Least two hours and used crushed walnut shell from harbor freight. Cheap and works pretty good. I don’t really need shiny as new brass just want it clean so it runs in the Dillon and shoots okay. I also add a few cap fulls of Nu shine car polish and put it on a time so it runs 2-3 hours.

w

 

[Charlie]

I don't care about "shiny" brass Looks good but that's about it. I clean mine with an ultrasonic cleaner. Shiny looks good but has no relevance to shooting better, etc. It only looks prettier until it's shot again. I have a solution that cleans the brass inside and out leaving no residue. Then I load 'em up.

 

[baboon]

Stainless steel pin tumblers are the only way to clean brass.

 

[Charlie]

Stainless steel pin tumblers are the only way to clean brass.

I disagree. As long as I get the inside of the case clean (which ultrasonic does) as well as the outside, I'm OK. I don't need to see a shiny outside. Granted that steel pin tumblers do clean inside as well inside, it's a great deal cheaper and quicker to do the ultrasonic thing. And ultrasonic is a great deal quicker.

 

[ttuttle]

I disagree. As long as I get the inside of the case clean (which ultrasonic does) as well as the outside, I'm OK. I don't need to see a shiny outside. Granted that steel pin tumblers do clean inside as well inside, it's a great deal cheaper and quicker to do the ultrasonic thing. And ultrasonic is a great deal quicker.

What is the mix in your ultrasonic cleaner? How many rounds can you do per run?

 

[Charlie]

I'll have to check my mix as I've not run some in a while. I can run about 50+ in about 5 minutes. My ultrasonic cleaner costs only about $50 or $60 bucks (I think).

 

[ttuttle]

I'll have to check my mix as I've not run some in a while. I can run about 50+ in about 5 minutes. My ultrasonic cleaner costs only about $50 or $60 bucks ( I think).

 

[mcunningham615]

I'd like to know your mix too. I've tried several different cleaners designed for cleaning everything from jewelry to brass cases and have not had much luck. I have a pretty nice sonic cleaner that I can control the intensity and heat but I can get my cases much cleaner tumbling.

I'll have to check my mix as I've not run some in a while. I can run about 50+ in about 5 minutes. My ultrasonic cleaner costs only about $50 or $60 bucks ( I think).

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[Dawico]

I run my brass 12 hours or so in untreated corn cob. It comes out very shiny.

I am not surprised that you are not having the best luck with the cheapest tumbler available.

 

[Charlie]

My mix is simply a couple of drops of dish soap and a small amount of vinegar (1/2 teaspoon).

I don't care about shiny. Shiny does not add to accuracy or case longevity. And I don't have to run it half a day or buy an expensive tumbler and pins (or corncob) to have shiny brass until I shoot it. As long as it's clean it's OK. My cheap ultrasonic cleaner has been doing it's job for more than 15 yrs. now.