Cleaning Cases For Long Term Storage

[agdavis]

I am new to reloading and have a question about case storage.
I have about 320 once fired 30-06 Supperformance brass that I have so far kept in the boxes that I bought it in. They have not been deprimed or cleaned in any way yet, some of them are a few years old.
Up until now I didn't think to much about them but I recently a watched a few videos about wet tumbling brass with the Frankfort Arsenal tumbler. That got me thinking about cleaning in the following presses....
1) Deprime and size brass with my Redding press and dies
2) Trim cases with the Little Crow trimmer, not purchased yet
3) Wet tumble cases in Frankford Arsenal tumbler, also not purchased yet.
4)Dry cases in the sun/oven/dehydrator
5) Vacuum seal cases in boxes until I start reloading.
I don't know when I will start reloading because I have an additional 320 loaded rounds to shoot, I when on a buying spree when it seemed that prices of ammo would skyrocket around 2009.
My some questions that are rolling around in my mind are...
1)Has anyone used the Imperial Sizing Wax with the application media? I will be working my basement so an aerosol case lube like Hornady One Shot is not recommend.
2) I plan on use it Dawn dish soap in the tumble. I also saw that Lemi Shine was used but it may cause issues , something to do with a chemical reaction to the brass.

Like I said, I am just getting things set up at the moment and that moment might not be for a while.

 

[eklarsen]

Sounds like you have done your research...
Imperial works great but if you have a progressive press it can get tedious, use the case lube from Hornady, it wont be an issue in your basement if you don't over do it. I use the Lemi shine every time just make sure you rinse well after or else they will discolor slightly.
You dont need to trim everytime, measure first and see but you wont need to for several reloads at least.

Good luck and enjoy

 

[Heef]

I use Lee Precision lube because it's water soluble. Just spuirt a little in a Tupperware, put brass in, lid on, give it a shake.

I also use a "Thumler's Tumbler Model B" that I've been happy with.

I've been impressed with that LCGW trimmer so far too.

 

[bigedp51]

If you do not want the cases to tarnish then use some untreated pet store lizard litter in a vibratory tumbler and add some NuFinish car polish. This will coat the cases with wax and seal out any moisture and air that cause the cases to tarnish.

Wet tumbling will get the cases very clean "but" and if not protected they can tarnish in storage. I wet tumble and then use a vibratory tumbler to remove the lube. And the Nu Finish car wax will protect the cases with a coat of synthetic sealant.

NOTE, over wet tumbling with stainless steel media will peen the case mouth. So I wet tumble the minimum amount of time and use my vibratory tumbler to remove the lube and finish the tumbling using Nu Finish.

 

[Heef]

That first video LOL
Coatings in conjunction with cathodic protection!

Really if you plan on vacuum sealing them I would think just tossing an oxygen scavenger in there with them would do the trick for long term storage too. No oxygen, no oxides!

 

[MudRunner2005]

After I clean and polish them, I put them into ZipLoc freezer bags, and then store them in old surplus .50 cal metal ammo cans (that still have a good rubber seal in them). Waterproof, sealed, no issues. Had brass stored in there for 7-8 years, and still looks new when I open the cans.

Ziplocs or vacuum-seal, either way, but I highly recommend the surplus .50 cal metal ammo cans. There's a reason the military still uses them for ammo storage.

 

[bigedp51]

That first video LOL
Coatings in conjunction with cathodic protection!

The purpose of the Nu Finish that thousands of reloaders use is to keep the cases from tarnishing.

Cathodic protection is like galvanizing steel with a zink coating.

In museums they use a neutral PH wax on the metals of antique firearms and other metals to prevent corrosion.

If air and moisture can't get at the metal it will not corroded, and WHY they use Nu Finish with the tumbling media.

Our forefathers would rub a mixture of 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 raw linseed oil and 1/3 turpentine on their firearms wood and metal to protect them from the elements. This same mixture was used during the Civil War as cosmoline. And this same mixture was used by the lady of the house as old world pre-petroleum age furniture polish, and was "NOT" galvanic protection.

 

[Heef]

Cathodic protection is like galvanizing steel with a zink coating.

"NOT" galvanic protection.

My NACE member number is 306749

What's yours?

 

[bigedp51]

My NACE member number is 306749

What's yours?

Since when is a car wax cathodic protection, the wax kept the water from direct contact with the brass case. And car wax is nonconductive and has nothing to do with cathodic protection, LOL, LOL LOL

Cathodic protection (CP) is a technique used to control the corrosion of a metal surface by making it the cathode of an electrochemical cell. A simple method of protection connects the metal to be protected to a more easily corroded "sacrificial metal" to act as the anode.

Cathodic protection prevents corrosion by converting all of the anodic (active) sites on the metal surface to cathodic (passive) sites by supplying electrical current (or free electrons) from an alternate source. Usually this takes the form of galvanic anodes, which are more active than steel.

 

[Heef]

Did you see when he hooked up the screw to the negative side (cathode) of the battery, and the brass to the positive side (anode) of the battery, and then put them in the water (electrolyte)?

That's called cathodic protection. In that case, the screw was the one being protected (cathode) by the brass (anode)

You're right, the car wax (coating) keeps the anode from the electrolyte (though, no coating is perfect, as you can clearly see in the video) removing a piece you need to form a corrosion cell.

I've got a flipping college degree in this, you don't need to quote Wikipedia to me, buddy.

 

[bigedp51]

That's called cathodic protection. In that case, the screw was the one being protected (cathode) by the brass (anode)
I've got a flipping college degree in this, you don't need to quote Wikipedia to me, buddy.

One more time, the brass case did not have cathodic protection, It was hooked up to a battery to speed up the corrosion process. We are talking about protecting brass cartridge cases from corrosion and not protecting a flipping screw.

So much for your college degree "buddy". Cathodic protection had nothing to do with the videos I posted. "BUT" Nu Finish car wax will help keep the cases from tarnishing and corroding, just like the wax a curator puts on the metal parts in a museum.

 

[Heef]

K LOL

 

[bigedp51]

Since the OP is wet tumbling with SS media the cases can be rinsed in the solution below after tumbling.
"BUT" you will still need to remove the lube so tumbling in dry walnut lizard litter and Nu Finish also removes the case lube and protect the cases from tarnishing.

STM Brass Tarnish Inhibitor Concentrate
https://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/brass-tarnish-inhibitor.html

Quick Overview
Helps to prevent tarnishing and oxidation of clean brass
Provides a very thin molecular barrier on brass cartridges (NOT Cathodic Protection)
A must for high humidity climates
Works best to store treated brass in air tight bags or containers.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Or you could just save all that Excedrin Migraine pills you are fixing to be taking, and just ultrasonic clean it, and then dry it, and tumble it in #2 corn cob media with Frankford Arsenal polish for about 5-6 hours. They will look better than new. Then wipe off the excess polish, put them into ziplock bags, push the air out, then seal them in .50 cal ammo cans. Simple as that. No headaches, no fuss, no special equipment, no anodic or cathodic ********. Just clean polished brass.

Here's a before and after using my method...

Before...

After...