Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by in2anity » 22 Jan 2018, 9:14 pm

OP has specified the old NRA solution (minus the salt) I’ve been cleaning my brass using ONLY this method for many many years; works a treat. We used to clean fullbore brass using this method when I was a wee lad. Shoulders and necks split the same regardless of cleaning method. I really don’t see the need for a tumbler except to make your brass pretty and “tacticool”.
Last edited by in2anity on 22 Jan 2018, 9:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Roo farmer » 22 Jan 2018, 9:15 pm

Apart from looking nice, does shiny brass serve the purpose any better than dull brass?
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Jan 2018, 9:49 pm

Roo farmer wrote:Apart from looking nice, does shiny brass serve the purpose any better than dull brass?



NO NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO

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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Jan 2018, 10:01 pm

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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Stix » 22 Jan 2018, 10:43 pm

Roo farmer wrote:Apart from looking nice, does shiny brass serve the purpose any better than dull brass?


Yes...it helps to fulfill some necessary requirements of OCD...
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by sungazer » 23 Jan 2018, 10:46 am

The answer is I don't really know. But does a bit of carbon change the neck tension from case to case. Dirty primer pockets does the primer get seated firmly? Is there a bit of carbon over the flash hole? If you were certain of all those things then I would say don't clean. If not clean and make them all the same.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by wanneroo » 23 Jan 2018, 12:50 pm

I see wet tumbled shiny brass as one of the ways to get back to a baseline for the case. Getting rid of excess powder and primer residue or as I sometimes deal with military surplus brass, excess primer or neck sealant is one benefit. The other is that with shiny cases I have been able to more readily identify issues such as potential case separation, split necks, excess gouges in brass, etc
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by JimTom » 23 Jan 2018, 1:55 pm

Tried the 1/4 vinegar 3/4 water solution today to clean some brass. Also used the diluted bicarbonate soda pre rinse as suggested by Happyhunter. Left it in for an hour agitating it every so often and what do you know, it worked a treat, although I must say that the insides weren't anywhere near as clean as the 9mm brass in the photo on the original post.
Still needed to give the primer pockets a bit of a clean too, nevertheless, I think it's a good method if you don't have an US cleaner or case tumbler.
Just by two bobs worth.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Wylie27 » 23 Jan 2018, 4:07 pm

Hey scooter,

To get it that clean you need to let it sit for longer than an hour. I think from memory it was 3 or 4 hours.

I have since bought a cheap ebay wet tumbler 3kg one for $89 and it works well
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by sungazer » 23 Jan 2018, 4:10 pm

Go the 5kg one Ive had the 3 it was a pain opening not really big enough for your hand. I had my 4 year old willing to help. also 50 308 was a push. The 5kg not much more expensive a real step up. Probably same motor dont know yet. but better.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by JimTom » 23 Jan 2018, 4:12 pm

Thanks Wylie27. So I take it there were no problems leaving brass soak that long in the solution? Appreciate the input, also is the wet tumbler a better option than the other methods in your opinion mate?
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Wylie27 » 23 Jan 2018, 4:44 pm

Scooter i didnt have any issues. After soaking i dunked the brass in a bicarb / water solution for a bit and then air dried. With the wet tumbler it does a better job in half the time. I can clean a thousand 9mm in a few hours. But the manual method worked great too. Just took longer.

Sungazer the 3kg is fine for me, i can clean about 150 odd 9mm brass at a time. Let it run for 1 hour or so.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by JimTom » 23 Jan 2018, 5:15 pm

Mate can you chuck up a few details of the tumbler you ended up buying please if you get a chance.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Wylie27 » 23 Jan 2018, 5:56 pm

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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by JimTom » 23 Jan 2018, 6:43 pm

Mate thanks very much for that. I only do 50-100 (308 or 223)at a time so the 3kg should be fine provided it has the volume to take at least 50 x 308 cases.
You're a legend mate, sincerely appreciate it.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by sungazer » 23 Jan 2018, 7:06 pm

I did mention that the 3kg is at full capacity with 50 308 cases. It does a better job on 40.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by straightshooter » 24 Jan 2018, 7:43 am

I suppose tumbling and polishing are OK if your aim is to pass off 'near death' brass as 'once fired'.
Most of the processes people talk about that make their brass look all shiny and new all have a potentially detrimental effect in one way or other.
For example tumbling in SS pins work hardens the brass, worse still the brass will then continue to age harden, clever move if you have gone to a lot of trouble to carefully neck anneal.
Another example, all polishing leaves some abrasive on and inside your cases, what does that do to your bore and eventually your chamber and your loading dies?
The one I really don't get is soaking brass in acids such as vinegar or citric acid which unless they are completely neutralised means you will be shooting some acid residue down your bore. Often the advocates of acid cleaning will also rail against the use of ammonia based bore cleaners. The ammonia based bore cleaners are alkaline. Acids are harmful to metals alkalis are not.
Go figger.
What do I do?
Only when I FLS I then boil the brass in water with a cap full of dish washer powder added (which by the way is highly alkaline), rinse a few times in clean water and then blow dry with air.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by JimTom » 24 Jan 2018, 8:00 am

What sort of results are you getting using that method straightshooter?
Would be interested to see the results. Might give it a try myself.
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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Jan 2018, 12:13 pm

Scooter wrote:What sort of results are you getting using that method straightshooter?
Would be interested to see the results. Might give it a try myself.


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Re: Brass Cleaning - No Tumbler

Post by Oldbloke » 24 Jan 2018, 12:44 pm

If you rinse in tap water a couple of times after the salt/vinegar wash. should be fine. If your worried rinse in a week baking soda solution.

During production they go through an acid solution so I don't see it as a issue if you do as above.

Neck tension is about all being consistent. Whether you don't clean, use the salt/vinegar solution of tumble, if they are all done the same way tension should be consistent.
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