What are you using in your tumbler for high polish brass?

[Redbaron307]

What are you guys using in your brass tumblers to get that super deep polished brass look? Thanks!

 

[hntnnut]

I'm still using ss pins, dawn dish soap and lemashine (citric acid).

Richard

 

[B23]

I'm still using ss pins, dawn dish soap and lemashine (citric acid).

Richard

Same for me but the one thing I'll add and this is from learning the hard way, with the Lemi Shine, more is definitely NOT better. If you're using Lemi Shine and your brass isn't coming out shiny and instead is more dull looking, cut back on the Lemi Shine. I have a Thumler Tumbler and I use a little less than 1/4 teaspoon of Lemi Shine. I also use distilled water to clean as well as rinse, we have fairly hard water, and I don't get any water spots.

 

[Leverwalker]

What are you guys using in your brass tumblers to get that super deep polished brass look? Thanks!

SS pins and Frankford Arsenal soap pods. Dawn and Lemmishine also work as well. Just using up the pods. Where we now live has much harder water so I've learned to dry quickly to avoid staining.

 

[DiabeticKripple]

same as above.

just a squirt of lemi shine is all you need, more is not better as stated.

once its done tumbling i put the brass on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 150f to dry them out

 

[Leverwalker]

same as above.

just a squirt of lemi shine is all you need, more is not better as stated.

once its done tumbling i put the brass on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 150f to dry them out

I dry the same exact way. The only difference is that given our hard water, I have to wipe them off first, then fully dry in the oven.

 

[DiabeticKripple]

i also have hard water, but dont mind the spots because after i lube and re-size, i wipe the cases with alcohol to get the lube off, any water spots disappear as well.

 

[LiveFire]

Basically the same as everyone else so far. Ss pins, harbor freight tumbler, dawn and a touch of lemishine.

 

[Redbaron307]

Is the only way to get that shine in a wet tumbler then? No way to do it with dry media? Thanks for the input guys!

 

[LiveFire]

You could use s vibratory tumbler with a bit of nu finish mixed into the media and let it tumble for a while. Wont be as good as a wet tumble in my opinion though.

 

[Ice-kub]

I have a frankford vibratory tumbler, I throw it on at night and let it go til morning. It's got a mix of two types of Lyman crushed walnut, they come out bright as can be, no extra added stuff.

 

[Leverwalker]

Is the only way to get that shine in a wet tumbler then? No way to do it with dry media? Thanks for the input guys!

I can't speak to a dry tumbler, though I think they get quite clean, just takes longer as ice-kib says above. I know my Hornady ultrasonic never got as clean as I get now with the wet tumbler.

Then there's the question on whether they even need to get shiny. So long as they're cleaned, and lubed properly for the sizer, I don't think it makes any difference. I admit though, I prefer it because it just looks purdy. It also has the practical benefit for me of more readily seeing any developing flaws or similar in the fired brass.

 

[Carl Ross]

In my experience shiny brass is to make you happy about how it looks, it doesn't really help anything else. Like makeup. Unless there's actually mud on my brass, I don't tumble it until after sizing, and then its 10-20 minutes to get the lanolin lube off.

If I was still trying to shine my brass (used to), I'd run in for hours in a dry tumbler with Nu Finish added to the media as someone else mentioned. It won't get quite as shiny as wet tumbling, but wet tumbling has other potential downsides I'm not interested in flirting with. If shine is the #1 priority, wet tumbling is the answer.

 

[Leverwalker]

In my experience shiny brass is to make you happy about how it looks, it doesn't really help anything else. Like makeup. Unless there's actually mud on my brass, I don't tumble it until after sizing, and then its 10-20 minutes to get the lanolin lube off.

If I was still trying to shine my brass (used to), I'd run in for hours in a dry tumbler with Nu Finish added to the media as someone else mentioned. It won't get quite as shiny as wet tumbling, but wet tumbling has other potential downsides I'm not interested in flirting with. If shine is the #1 priority, wet tumbling is the answer.

Carl, what are the downsides you're talking about? Brass pinging?

 

[Carl Ross]

The two potential issues that'd be a factor for me are:

- Removing carbon from the inside of the case mouths that helps prevent cold welding and can promote smoother seating overall (the carbon acts as a lubricant and a barrier).

- Rounding over/peening case mouths.


I have known enough people (who shoot in volume at a high level) who started wet tumbling and then stopped for the above reasons, that I never bothered with it myself.

The #1 reason I'd consider wet tumbling is that annealing can leave some hard artifacts on necks that can cause issues, and wet tumbling w/ pins reportedly cleans that up better than dry. But I've been avoiding annealing too as of late.

 

[Leverwalker]

The two potential issues that'd be a factor for me are:

- Removing carbon from the inside of the case mouths that helps prevent cold welding and can promote smoother seating overall (the carbon acts as a lubricant and a barrier).

- Rounding over/peening case mouths.


I have known enough people (who shoot in volume at a high level) who started wet tumbling and then stopped for the above reasons, that I never bothered with it myself.

The #1 reason I'd consider wet tumbling is that annealing can leave some hard artifacts on necks that can cause issues, and wet tumbling w/ pins reportedly cleans that up better than dry. But I've been avoiding annealing too as of late.

Know of the rounding issue, didn't know or think of the carbon benefit on the inside. Thanks. I keep my sessions to 45 minutes and so far I haven't noticed any issues with the rounding, but I'm wondering if it's something that begs a closer look (I mean that literally, as in, a magnifier of some sort).

For the lubrication idea, I flare the 45-70 (and the lead alloy bullets have lube grooves, obviously), and with the bottlenecks I very lightly lube the inside of the neck every 5th one or so, whenever I start feeling resistance at all. Very interesting stuff though, thanks for the points.

I only anneal the straight cases every 10th or so, as they get crimped pretty well, and the bottlenecks every 4th (.338 WM) or 5th (30-06, 30-30). I suspect I'm doing it unnecessarily often. Before I started annealing the 45-70 I was getting well north of 20 firings without any signs (always Starline). The others, mostly an abundance of caution. Or overabundance.

 

[hntnnut]

Same for me but the one thing I'll add and this is from learning the hard way, with the Lemi Shine, more is definitely NOT better. If you're using Lemi Shine and your brass isn't coming out shiny and instead is more dull looking, cut back on the Lemi Shine. I have a Thumler Tumbler and I use a little less than 1/4 teaspoon of Lemi Shine. I also use distilled water to clean as well as rinse, we have fairly hard water, and I don't get any water spots.

yes I agree about the lemashine, I have a small dipper that I made out of a 32 acp case that seems to be the right amount.


Richard

 

[sdupontjr]

Corncob media in a vibration tumbler. How shiny do you need them? I'm not trying to win a beauty contest but it works pretty darn good. This is R-P brass on its 6th firing.

 

[LiveFire]

I like to see my reflection on the inside of the case. Kidding. Truth is a wipe down with a paper towel is enough for reloading. Barring any mud or other foreign material. I like a clean case to cut down on junk in my dies. Which vibratory tumblers and corn cob/walnut always seem to leave residue of sorts behind especially when reloading cases that require lube. Once again a paper towel can fix that.

Those who do ss pin wet tumbling. Try tumbling without the pins. It does a decent job without the side effects some worry about.

 

[sdupontjr]

It does leave a slight dust residue, but I also blow them off with my air compressor