Clean Brass

[Laelkhunter]

Thank you for all the feedback and new ideas. It looks like I will be sticking with the walmart media and trying some of the added steps mentioned.

I had purchased some once fired brass off gunbroker and it really looked good and the seller mentioned using stainless steel pins.

Make sure you are adding a polish to the media. I use Flitz and add a capful of it to the walnut media, then let it run for 15 minutes to distribute the polish, and dry it out a little. If you put the brass in the tumbler when the media is still damp, it will clump up inside the brass and be difficult to remove.
Don't use anything that contains ammonia (Brasso). It will weaken the brass. The Flitz tumbling media polish is the best I have found, and my brass is clean and shiny in about an hour. It shouldn't take much longer than that to get the brass clean. Definitely not a day or more.

 

[Mtns2hunt]

Thanks for the tips. I'll try the flitz.

 

[Vern400]

Clean and shiny are really two different requirements. In the spectrum of must, need, and want, got to keep it in perspective there.

I don't necessarily like the year-old tarnished cases found in the dirt, but if they go through the cleaning process and are off color they're still okay to use, just like lacquer Coated cases and a annealed cases.

If I want a box super shiny, I squeeze a piece of scotch right over the case while I'm trimming necks in a cordless drill. That will recover even the tarnished cases. Walnut tumble and they're good to go.
And I hate those kernels of Walnut in the flash holes too!

 

[crich]

Yes, rock tumblers works with SS pins. I started with cheap little harbor freight rock tumblers to do it. Upgraded to the frankford arsenal wet tumbling setup which is a good value IMO. It spins a little fast for my liking but works well. SS is the way if you want like new shiny brass. I dont.

I've since moved to vibratory tumbling with rice. Doesn't clean primer pockets or make brass as spotless as SS pins. Keeps the carbon in the necks a little better which is a benefit. It is the easiest to deal with and doesn't have the dust of the walnut or corn cob medias. I still have the wet tumblers collecting dust if I ever have really nasty brass that needs work.

This sounds much simpler and cleaner.

You mind posting a pic of the finished product with rice?

 

[wind gypsy]

This sounds much simpler and cleaner.

You mind posting a pic of the finished product with rice?

This is the article that led me to rice. https://www.primalrights.com/library/articles/clean-brass-with-rice
Seems like the choice in rice can make a big difference in how much of a headache there will be with rice in flash holes and primer pockets. I’ve only used the stuff he suggests.

This is just once fired and resized brass that never got filthy but it’s a fair representation still imo.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Jasmine or basmati?

 

[wind gypsy]

Jasmine or basmati?

Amazon.com

 

[Caseknife]

Amazon.com

Same rice that I use, works good for me.

 

[rcompart]

Is there a compelling reason not to tumble with SS pins in isopropyl alcohol? That would make for a quick dry time as the IPA would flash off rather quickly I would think.

 

[pertnear]

All methods seem to have their draw backs. I have & use both the vibrator/walnut-media & the SS pin wet tumbling. My big gripe about reloading is cleaning off the case lube - inside & out. I eventually bought a spare drum for my FA tumbler. I reserve this drum for tumbling without pins. Just a squirt of Turtle wax liquid, lemishine & water. If the brass was originally polished once with pins, I was surprised how good that works & how much easier it is to process a batch. I see-saw the wet brass in an old bath towel then spread it out on a dry towel to dry. I speed up the process with a hair-dryer once over. The brass spread out on a towel in the Texas sun dries pronto. The comments about lube removal using SS pins it definitely true. If I notice pin cleaning is taking too long or the end result is dingy looking brass, it is pin cleaning time. I put the pins in a bucket & just cover with water & a cap full of Dep purple degreaser. I swish & hand stir thoroughly & let them soak for a short while. Finally a super flush with clean water. Just FYI & YMMV....