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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Southern Ohio
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    8,341

    Default Brass cleaning/polishing

    How do you do it?
    Sam

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    kansas
    Posts
    2,216

    Default

    Tumbler, stainless steel media wet with a little dawn dishwashing soap currently. Rinsed and dryer in dehydrater. I use to tumble in walnut media, but this get it much cleaner. A friend has really good luck with a sonic cleaner, but the volume is pretty small.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Alabama, Gulf Coast Region
    Posts
    9,426

    Default

    You have indicated in the past that you plan on wet tumbling with the pins so that's where I start.

    In my small rotary tumbler I use, for example, 200-300 38 special cases, 5# of SS pins, maybe a half teaspoon of Dawn and about a quart or more of water. The tub will end up being about half full. I have to limit the weight because my tumbler has a small motor and a belt that drives the tub.

    Since you are going to be tumbling in volume and using a cement mixer you won't have to be so gentle. I don't know how big your mixer is but you will definitely
    need more than 5# of pins (available from sellers on ebay for about $5 a pound). I let mine tumble overnight but the cement mixer may tumble faster. The water will get dirty and need to be changed every time you start a new load so that means you will need to dump the tub into some type of large bucket or washtub. When dumping the contents into the collection tub you will need some type of strainer to separate the brass from the pins. The pins are re-usable and costly so you want to save every one of them.

    When I bought my 5# of pins I was expecting them to come in a bag about the size of a 5# bag of sugar but instead the bag was about the size of a pouch of tobacco. My point is, you may need at least 20# to do a good quick job. Just guessing though.

    The pins along with the water/soap solution gets the brass so clean you won't really need to polish them. They will be bright and shinny. If you are concerned about long term storage causing them to tarnish then you could dry polish them in a rotary or vibrator type tumbler with walnut shell media and a few drops of Nu-Finish auto polish (wax). If you do so with the spent primers removed then you will have the ordeal of picking out the clogged pockets and flash holes. Small caliber cases like the 223 can get completely clogged with the media. I just put my finished brass in something air tight like ammo cans, zipper lock freezer bags or plastic coffee cans. This will prolong them from tarnishing. I don't use the dry media at all any more.

    Here is a YouTube video showing how to do it with a very small rock tumbler but it is the same principle. The Lemi Shine shown is optional but may prevent water spotting and protect the brass against tarnishing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9WPNGADueU

    Start off small and play with it. Experience is the best teacher.
    Last edited by Allen; 01-25-2018 at 05:20.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Dagsboro, Delaware
    Posts
    1,877

    Default

    I use a rotary tumbler with crushed walnut shells as a cleaner. I have used concentrated liquid brass cleaner diluted, too. Along with the walnut shells, I add a capfull of brass polish to give the cases a nice sheen.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    8,341

    Default

    My concern has been the amount of steel pins that I will need to use. Right now just trying to get thru the federal paperwork that is needed, the cost factor of each operation. Rather then jump into this with unknown expectations, I plan on crawling first. I have seen too many business go wild and end up with too much production and money wasted. NO money will come out of the household, all will come from what I will generate from manufacturing and local sales. 35 Years ago I did local and decided to go national, big mistake as I was overwhelmed! Irritated customers, lost future sales and 80 work week is crazy. No, I plan on going slow but sure this time.
    Sam

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    6,045

    Default

    I use Frankfort Arsenal wet cleaning equipment exclusively. Does at least 600 .223 cases at a time. I have their case dryer too which works wonderfully.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    London, Ontario
    Posts
    3,251

    Default

    Brass doesn't need polishing. A couple hours in my old Lyman vibrating tumbler in walnut shells cleans 'em as much as they need.
    Wet cleaning is a lot more time consuming, but 15 minutes on a cookie sheet in a 'warm' oven is enough.
    "...business go wild..." Doing it for a business is a totally different thing. Still just a matter of size of the tumbler though. I'd use a 5 gallon plastic pail, you might be able to get free, stuck onto an electric motor. I would think steel pins would be excessively costly in large quantities(not to mention the time and effort required for drying) and it doesn't do anything any better than walnut shells($22.99 for 25 pounds at Harbor Freight. Vs $29.99US for 5 pounds of Lyman brand SS pins at Cabela's. Wouldn't pay retail though. Still more expensive than walnut shells.)
    Spelling and grammar count!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,885

    Default

    Commercial SS pins in bulk for tumbling are not that expensive until you put the term jewelry or brass polishing along with it and look for small lots. At least to me, 7 bucks a pound in 5 ob lots from guntap seems very reasonable.
    I am sure in the 100lb plus amounts it could be even cheaper.
    Last edited by nf1e; 01-26-2018 at 06:12.

  9. #9

    Default

    A fiend of mine uses a steel pin polisher and sheepishly admitted that he didn't think it was worth the effort or expense. I seldom polish cases and usually just wash them in hot soapy water after sizing and then put a little squirt of toilet bowl cleaner in the hot water and allow it to work for must a couple of minutes, then I rinse. Ctg cases are clean and shiny when done. Dry with hair dryer.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    8,341

    Default

    I went ahead and ordered the Frankfort tumbler, Hornady drier and Frankfort pin retriever yesterday. I am going to keep my Lyman and use it to remove the sizing lube from rifle ammo. I also ordered 5,000 45acp brass and 2500 5.56 so I should have something to do over the next few weeks.
    Sam

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