Lemi-shine tarnish fix?

[RetiredSniper]

Washed a load of Lapua brass last night in my Frankford Arsenal Platinum wet tumbler and this load came out clean but dull. I didn't have my normal measure for my lemi-shine and I think I over did it a bit. If I aggressively wipe them off with a towel the tarnish does come off but it's still not as shiny as usual. Should I run them again in my tumbler to get the tarnish off? If I should, do I run the same mix of lemi-shine and car wash soap I normally do or should I forego the Lemi-shine?

Everybody who sees my wet tumbled bras with SS Pins asked "HOW DO YOU GET IT SO CLEAN AND SHINNY?" I use DAWN Dish soap, just a small amount and Lemi-Shine. Many who have seen my brass are dumping their dry tumblers and going to wet and using what I am using!

 

[SFC TONYM]

We don't have a water softener in our house (yet) but I haven't had issue with hard water spots when I let everything air dry. I don't have an air compressors to speed the process up anyways.

 

[SFC TONYM]

Use distilled water

 

[misterc01]

I get great results with 1 Tsp Lemi-Shine and a drop of Dawn dishwashing soap. Harbor Freight Ultra sonic cleaner, for 8 minutes. Clean, shiny brass, nice clean primer pocket.

 

[crystalgayleguy]

after I wet tumble I put the brass in a vibrating tumbler it dries and shines the brass

 

[crystalgayleguy]

I put mine on a cookie sheet and into the oven on about 180 for a bit. Dries them out nicely.

if I'm not using my wet tumbler for a while I'll put my stainless steel pins in the oven to dry

 

[RetiredSniper]

We don't have a water softener either but I have had no problem!!!!

 

[gruising]

First, look at your pins. If they are not bright shiny and appear a dull grey they are dirty and need to have the lube cleaned off of them. I used that purple cleaner to clean them. Second, if you lube the cases for sizing wash if off first with a bit of Dawn and hot water before tumbling. I use a bit of Hornady sonic clean in my tumblers. A teaspoon full in a small tumbler will be plenty. Leaves the cases bright as new inside and out. A bottle will last forever. I use a big tumbler and do hundreds of cases at a time so I don't want problems, this method has worked for me for years. I had the same problems that you did when I started till I noticed my pins were making my hands dirty when I handled them. If you wash the lube off first that won't happen again. Just saying.

 

[crystalgayleguy]

First, look at your pins. If they are not bright shiny and appear a dull grey they are dirty and need to have the lube cleaned off of them. I used that purple cleaner to clean them. Second, if you lube the cases for sizing wash if off first with a bit of Dawn and hot water before tumbling. I use a bit of Hornady sonic clean in my tumblers. A teaspoon full in a small tumbler will be plenty. Leaves the cases bright as new inside and out. A bottle will last forever. I use a big tumbler and do hundreds of cases at a time so I don't want problems, this method has worked for me for years. I had the same problems that you did when I started till I noticed my pins were making my hands dirty when I handled them. If you wash the lube off first that won't happen again. Just saying.

what purple cleaner

 

[SavageHunter11]

what purple cleaner

You can find it at Walmart in the automotive section. I believe it's called "Purple Power" and it's a heavy duty degreaser.

 

[Dosh]

You can find it at Walmart in the automotive section. I believe it's called "Purple Power" and it's a heavy duty degreaser.

Changed the name several years ago, now tagged "Super Clean". I don't know if the formula was changed, but the old stuff would remove paint.

 

[Dr. Vette]

View attachment 161872

Changed the name several years ago, no tagged "Super Clean". I don't know if the formula was changed, but the old stuff would remove paint.

Got that right. You had to be very careful using it on cars.

 

[SavageHunter11]

Washed a load of Lapua brass last night in my Frankford Arsenal Platinum wet tumbler and this load came out clean but dull. I didn't have my normal measure for my lemi-shine and I think I over did it a bit. If I aggressively wipe them off with a towel the tarnish does come off but it's still not as shiny as usual. Should I run them again in my tumbler to get the tarnish off? If I should, do I run the same mix of lemi-shine and car wash soap I normally do or should I forego the Lemi-shine?

An update for anyone watching this forum, PLEASE LEARN FROM MY ERROR. Last night I ran the this batch of brass for a fifth time (I was switching the recipe each time to try and find the factor that was dulling/tarnishing the brass) and the batch came out dull and with a residue that could be wiped away to reveal shiny brass and would blacken my fingers. At the range I was shooting with an friend who happens to be my old high-school chemistry/physics teacher and I was expressing the frustration I was having. Long story short, after I described to him everything I was doing/putting in the tumbler he started laughing stating he knew why my brass was dull and apparently I didn't listen well in his class.

I was cleaning my Lapua brass but I also had room for additional brass and had thrown in 40 pieces of nickel plated 280 Remington brass I picked up at the range last weekend. I was retaught the lesson that two different kinds of metal in an acidic solution (thanks to the Lemi-shine) was creating an environment where my two different types of brass were essentially trying to electroplate each other. Came home after shooting and ran the just the Lapua brass in my tumbler with my normal mixture of a cap full of car wash/wax soap, hot water, and a 1/2 teaspoon of Lemi-shine and my brass looks better than new again.

I'll state this, I am still new to wet tumbling, so if the knowledge that one should be separating brass and nickel-plated brass is common knowledge I apologize. Regardless, there are bound to be other who, like me, did not know this and I'd like to save them the headache I went through. Separate out that nickel-plated brass everybody and save yourself the headache I endured. It took one last lesson from my chemistry teacher to figure it out.

 

[crystalgayleguy]

I learned not to wet tumble pennies