Cleaning brass
- Thread starter Big Tam
- Start date
After F/L sizing and decapping (and case length trimming and primer pocket cleaning) I use a 3 litre ultrasonic cleaner. Level tablespoon of citric acid and a squirt of Fairy dishwash liquid. 40 degrees for 15 minutes, then rinse with fresh water. Shake out, towel dry, bung in a cloth net and put in the airing cupboard/use an oven on low heat/use a dehumidifier.
paulbshooting
Well-Known Member
I decap then wet tumble with stainless pins, hot water, spoonful of nitric acid and couple of squirts of washing liquid. Rinse in warm water then dry in dehydrator or on radiators. Then full.length size, clean necks inside and load up.
Decap then 10 minutes in an U/S with Lyman additive . I only do this to ensure consistency when seating primers and to keep contamination of the annealer wheels and dies to a minimum .
Shiny brass just isn't for all of us .
Nothing wrong with this approach, we all do it our own way .
Shiny brass just isn't for all of us .
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
I love shiny 
so I now wet tumbler with stainless pins and it’s the dogs dang lies 
so I now wet tumbler with stainless pins and it’s the dogs dang lies 
stalker.308
Well-Known Member
I love shiny things, I really want to start tumbling my brass…..but keep stopping short of buying anything to clean it with as I just can't be bothered to add more steps to a process (reloading) than it has to be- I therefore keep reminding myself that reload so I can shoot…..
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
Yep, I was like that and torn with parting with a silly chunk of money for shiny brass, but so pleased I did, Chuck 3-400 cases in. Switch it on and go off do what I want and forget about it = lovely shiny brass inside and out with spotless pockets
Will try that, thanks.
In theory not a good idea, since Brasso contains a lot of ammonia, partially how it works so well. Together with abrasive. But ammonia can attack your brass invisibly, potentially making it more susceptible to splitting or cracking.
I use crushed walnut shells sold as pet litter/reptile bedding, with a dollop of liquid car polish and a small amount of powdered jewellers rouge. A small amount, not a teaspoon full as I tried at first
Having bought a huge pot of it for very little money. Rouge being a superb material for fine polishing even down to telescope mirrors and lenses. Not many jewellers would use Brasso to polish silver or gold.I reckon that's what's in the commercial products, the reddish coloured ones, the rouge is very effective and any dust left on the cases when resizing might even help keep the dies nicely polished inside. The car wax polish I think just helps keep the cases from tarnishing later on, which is an effect that certainly occurs on surgically clean brass as from ultrasonic (which does not polish) or wet pin tumbling.
I then clean the primer pockets with a scraper or brush, it's not necessary for them to be spotlessly clean, merely to have removed the deposits that might interfere with proper primer seating.
Neddle
Well-Known Member
Makes it easier to chamber though
Neddle
Well-Known Member
And this makes case inspection easier?
Stainless pin wet tumbling, it’s the only way to fly!!Good afternoon everyone hope everyone had a good Christmas just a quick question what is everyone using to clean there brass in preparation for reloading any help and advice much appreciated thanks for looking and happy new year
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