Brass cleaning issue

[openlake]

For those of you using steel media, you have my attention. I just looked on MidwayUSA and the description for steel media said for use with rotary tumblers only, not for use in vibratory tumblers. I don't understand the why behind this. Anyone using steel media in a vibratory tumbler?

 

[mawbro]

For 45 years I rubbed, wiped, twisted, turned, dusted and dinked with cleaning brass. I thought a tumbler was the coolest thing when I got one. Lately I've been shooting much more and I began to hate having to reload because of the cleaning issue. After a few YouTubes and some more research I got a Lyman Cyclone Rotary Tumbler and Dryer with a Frankford Arsenal magnet to help manage the SS pins. I will never waist one more precious minute of my life cleaning brass any other way. Let the machine clean them like new, size them up, give them a quick bath w/o the pins to remove lube, load and go have fun. You can be shooting while the other guys are still wiping off lube.

 

[Frog4aday]

Tumbling in stainless steel pins, with Lemishine and Dawn, isn't perfect either. The case mouths get peened and 'rolled'. And the inside of the necks get 'too' clean, leading to cold weld. So...now you have to add something new to your reloading process to account for that. Then there is the rinsing and drying process.

This isn't to 'put down' the SS pin method. It works. As does corn cob or walnut media in a vibratory 'tumbler'. Ultrasonic cleaning also works. They all have their pros and cons. The OPs brass is 'etched'. There was something in his media (Brasso?) that attacked the cases. If it has ammonia in it, you don't want it on your brass.

Just trying to keep it real. Some people want to claim 'their' method is the end all, be all. And that's great they are happy with what they are doing. But there is no panacea. Each method has 'problems' that have to be known and addressed (or just accepted.)

 

[Rick Richard]

Polished brass is 'purdy' and I have no issue if folks want that, but it absolutely does nothing for increasing accuracy. Not sure what the OP has on his brass, but if the methods discussed does not remove it, then don't sweat it.

 

[Wayne Huff]

View attachment 142994 Here is a picture of the coloration. Some cases are better than others.

This is caused from to much sizing lube on the brass when you put in the tumbler .

View attachment 142994 Here is a picture of the coloration. Some cases are better than others.

 

[Muddyboots]

OK, I am a dinosaur to brass cleaning plus just old enough to be a dinosaur as well.. I still use walnut shell media BUT I mix standard walnut from Lyman with lizard bedding extremely fine particle walnut media from Petsmart 1:1 for many years. Brass comes out bright, shiny, clean, flash holes rarely clog, doesn't take as long to clean since the extremely fine bedding media provides exponentially more surface area touching the brass. Brass is usually shiny bright clean in < 1 hour with this mixture. The cases themselves rarely clog. When it is mixed this way in a standard vibratory cleaner there is a definitely rapid fluid type rotation motion that is not normally there with standard walnut media. The lizard bedding adds "fluidity" to the media I believe which obviously helps clean brass faster. I also add Flitz for every cleaning and my media lasts for years without having to worry about carbon buildup. I shoot maybe 2K rounds a year for general info on media life and clean every case before loading.

The case mouths are not banged up like SS can do at times and this is still very cheap and effective brass cleaning method that anyone can use with whatever tumbler or vibratory cleaner they have.
BTW - I buy Flitz at Ace Hardware:https://www.acehardware.com/search?query=Flitz
Lyman: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1064203968/lyman-turbo-brass-cleaning-media-treated-tufnut-walnut
Petsmart: https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/su...ving-things-ground-reptile-bedding-24571.html

 

[MTGunner]

MT257, I have been using corn polish and good old Turtle polish for years. Cleans, polishes my brass great. Just try the regular old green Turtle polish that you can buy at Walmart. The stuff you get in the small bottle from Midwayusa and other distributors is nothing but good old Turtle polish. Good luck. MTG

 

[KyleAnderson0607]

I had that issue with walnut so I switched to untreated corn cob and I haven't had the issue since.

 

[Nowoolies]

In my years of cleaning my brass I have only used corn media and a cap full of either Brasso or turtle wax my brass is always like or better than new shine

 

[MT257]

Well i changed media out and ran the tumbler for an hour. All the staining issues were resolved.

 

[MOOSE39465]

Absolutely.

Price too high? Buy once, cry once. Good tools beat cheap tools every time.

Amen to that. Plus the brass is just as clean on the inside as it is on the outside.

 

[MOOSE39465]

Well i changed media out and ran the tumbler for an hour. All the staining issues were resolved.

Try the dryer towels if you haven't already. Will help some with keeping media clean.

 

[MOOSE39465]

I have switched to wet tumbling with stainless media. My sequence with fired rifle brass:

Deprime with Lee Universal depriming die
Wet tumble with stainless, Dawn and Lemishine
Air dry
Anneal
Lube and size
Dry tumble briefly with corncob media to remove any remaining lube; since the brass is already clean, the media never gets dirty
Trim if necessary
Prime
Load

One step I can add is brush out the primer pockets before tumbling in stainless media. Cuts my time down some.

 

[bayou shooter]

Can you share the brand name and manufacturer of what you are using with us? Thank you.

I use the Franklin Arsenal wet tumbler. It came with 5 lbs of stainless steel pins. I add a small squirt of Dawn dishwashing detergent and just a dab of lemishine. After depriming, throw the brass in the tumbler add some water and turn it on for 2 hours. The brass will look like brand new.