Cleaning outdoor range brass

[mds131s]

I usaully get all of my brass off of an outdoor range. I use walnut media and dillon case polish in the tumbler and usually run it for about 8 hours a batch. I am having trouble removing the tarnash from the cases and making them shine. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get tarnashed cases to shine like now ones???

Thanks

[High Lord Gomer]

After polishing with the walnut media, try corn cobb media with NuFinish car wax.

Actually, I use corn cobb, rice, and NuFinish and do it all in one step. Works very well.

[Jim M.]

I have a suggestion, but it won't work in most tumblers. You will need either a case tumbler that holds water, or a plastic bucket -- the tumbler is better.

I use an RCBS SideWinder case tumbler that holds liquid cleaners, so this first description is for that. Fill the tumbler drum just about one-fourth full with brass, so that it can still turn and the cases have room to move through the water. Then, fill the drum up with enough hot water to cover the cases, plus about one inch. If your cases are dirty or muddy (not tarnish, just dirt), rinse them thoroughly, then pour off that dirty water and fill again to same level with clean hot water.

Add a liquid dish detergent that has citric acid in it. I use "Ajax Lemon dish liquid", that you can find at the grocery store or most big box stores. It doesn't take much. I use a fired .45 ACP case as a measure, and one case full of the detergent is all you need for a bucket of brass. Then, put the drum in the tumbler and let it run for a few hours.

After a few hours, drain off the water with the detergent and rinse the brass in hot water. If it is not shiny enough, repeat the tumbling with clean water and another .45 case full of the detergent.

After the brass is bright enough to suit you, rinse it well in hot water, then tumble it to remove the rest of the water. I use a media separator for that, but you can do it by hand just by pouring the wet brass back and forth between two buckets. Then, put the brass in one of the cardboard flats that beer or dog food (your choice) comes in, set it in the sun, and let it dry.

If you don't have a tumbler that holds water, use a two and one-half gallon plastic bucket (from Home Depot or such). In that case, I find that it helps to shake the bucket every hour or so to mix the detergent around in the cases.

I suppose there are other dishwashing liquids that would work as well. I just like use Ajax because my girlfriend used it for hand-washing dishes, and had it around. The active ingredient is citric acid, which works very well to remove the tarnish without damaging the brass. Avoid vinegar, which contains acetic acid which will leach out the zinc in brass, leaving a weakened copper case.

This process takes a bit of time, but very little work. If you are using range brass, you probably have a lot of brass and can let the brass sit in the tumbler or bucket for several hours. I don't think it is suited to a high speed reloading operation!

Jim M.

[Graham Smith]

I usaully get all of my brass off of an outdoor range. I use walnut media and dillon case polish in the tumbler and usually run it for about 8 hours a batch.

You may find it worth the trouble to wash your brass first. Use a small bucket and hot water and detergent (I like Simple Green). Mix well and let soak for a few hours agitating a few times. Then rinse well and spread it out on a towel to dry.

Run it thorough the tumbler afterward. I don't worry about some tarnish, but stuff that is heavily tarnished goes in my recycle bucket because it's too old for me to trust.

If you do a search, you will find this discussed several times.

[Sarge]

I agree you should search this out because some of the advice hear is alot of work. First I would check the walnut shell to see if it is still sharp. Scoop a handful of yours then a handful of brand new. You will be amazed how dull the walnut can get eventually without noticing it except that brass does not clean up well. It is probably dull because you run it so long in my opinion. You run 8 hours I run no more than 2 but change it after 6-8 uses so after a few 8 hour runs it is going to get dull. The best way to shine brass that I have found is about 2 hours with good sharp walnut and no additives other than dryer sheets to collect grime. Then about the same with corn cob and nu finish. It looks better than new. For me walnut mixed with cob is counter productive because the walnut cleans and burnishes the brass while cob and wax shine it. I agree that washing is needed if the brass is muddy or already wet and full of grass or whatever. I just put the brass in a pan or bin and fill with hot water so the grass can float to the top and get skimmed off. Then I just slosh it around until it is clean then lay it out to dry. And don't rush the drying process because walnut loves to cake up inside your brass if wet and if left in there can cause pressure issues.

Good luck and search this out and you should have enough to read for the night.

[HaroldCo]

Have tried Franklin and Flitz in tumbler with walnut. Flitz wins in a 3 hour run. My .223 brass is clean and smooth with a nice shine.

Noticable difference between the franklin and flitz media additive.

[Graham Smith]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried a Thumler rotary tumbler?

[kryo]

On 9/15/2009 at 4:12 PM, Sarge said:

I agree you should search this out because some of the advice hear is alot of work. First I would check the walnut shell to see if it is still sharp. Scoop a handful of yours then a handful of brand new. You will be amazed how dull the walnut can get eventually without noticing it except that brass does not clean up well. It is probably dull because you run it so long in my opinion. You run 8 hours I run no more than 2 but change it after 6-8 uses so after a few 8 hour runs it is going to get dull. The best way to shine brass that I have found is about 2 hours with good sharp walnut and no additives other than dryer sheets to collect grime. Then about the same with corn cob and nu finish. It looks better than new. For me walnut mixed with cob is counter productive because the walnut cleans and burnishes the brass while cob and wax shine it. I agree that washing is needed if the brass is muddy or already wet and full of grass or whatever. I just put the brass in a pan or bin and fill with hot water so the grass can float to the top and get skimmed off. Then I just slosh it around until it is clean then lay it out to dry. And don't rush the drying process because walnut loves to cake up inside your brass if wet and if left in there can cause pressure issues.

Good luck and search this out and you should have enough to read for the night.

I know this was super long ago, but I just picked up walnut media today to try instead of rice with everyone buying up non-perishables. Gonna give the 2 hours a try with dryer sheets and see how it goes!

[Sigarmsp226]

Sarge - Thanks Sir for this comment as this is how I clean/polish my brass some times and my brass was coming out less than great. Guess this is the reason why....Thanks Again for posting this information....Mark

 

“For me walnut mixed with cob is counter productive because the walnut cleans and burnishes the brass while cob and wax shine it.”

Edited April 13, 2020 by Sigarmsp226

[AHI]

11 year old thread

[Balakay]

8 minutes ago, AHI said:

11 year old thread

It is risen

 

[Sigarmsp226]

My friends always told me I was a little S-L-O-W......Guess they were right.....