cleaning brass

do you guys run any brass polish in your media? right now im running just dry walnut shells

Walnut will clean brass very well, but it doesn't seem to polish. Corncob will polish much better than walnut but isn't as aggressive as a cleaner. I used to clean with walnut and then polish with corncob. Adding a little polishing agent to the corncob would help also.

I do none of that anymore. I've gone stainless media tumbling and will never look back. The results simply cannot be beat.

Still do the brass your old way, haven't gone to the SS method yet or sonic yet.

I've always used untreated walnut shells, and an overnight tumble will result in some shiny brass come daylight, kinda.

But over the last 3-4 years, because of some good advice from some reloading pros, I've started squirting a couple thimble-fulls of Turtle Wax Premium Polishing Compound (Autozone) in my walnut media prior to tumbling. In 2-3 hours, the brass is as-new and glistening. Reportably, the Turtle Wax leaves a wax coating that keeps the brass looking new much longer too. It's even brighter than brand new brass, if that's possible.

I use to use corn cob or walnut and some dillon polish. I have also gone to ss tumbling but have not run a batch yet.

Walter

Can you run the ss media in a normal vibrator tumbler?

Nope. Gotta be a rotary.

where did you buy yours and media?

The best price is from ss tumbling. He has a kit with everything and I got the rebel tumbler.

If you google it it is STM or something like that.

Walter

300.00 for setup found it..

Two tablespoons of Lemi-Shine and about the same of mineral spirits in walnut for about two hours in a old style shaker and they're cleaner than I care to worry over.

Never said it was cheap..... But it is the best option and everything in one go...

Walter

midway runs the frankford one on sale from time to time...though it was sub 200

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/713881/...=ProductFinding here it is
this is what i use and like it....so far it has been the best way to clean brass

I deprime.... long clean clean

lube, resize quick clean

prime

powder and seat

checked my brass this am let it run all night with walnut shells and they look brand new.. guess ill try this for a while but will pick up some lemi-shine

I just use the walnut shells. Works Ok. I honestly don't see the joy in super shiny brass.

On the one hand I can relate to that, but on the other hand...when you take your brass out of your tumbler and it looks brand new inside and out---including the primer pocket---once you see perfection of results you can't pass it up.

Other benefits of stainless tumbling: your media never wears out, it won't get too dirty to use, no dust to deal with including LEAD, all the crud goes down the drain, and a perfectly clean and shiny case is easier to inspect.

I agree also it doesn't get stuck in the primer pocket like the media will

Walter

The flash hole is clean too with ss media.

I tumble to get the crud off the brass and then use SS/rotary,Dove/Lemishine after popping out the primers ( Lee universal deprimer ). BTW I have had SS media get stuck in a primer pocket when tumbling some .357 nickel stuff and some LC .223. Now 8-10 cases over a couple thousand rounds is not a lot, not like walnut or corn cob in almost every flash hole....

If I recall correctly, it's the 0.041" pins that cause the trouble. When a pair of them try to go through a flash hole at the same time they might get stuck. I believe they're selling stainless pins a little larger in diameter now to address that issue. When I run 200 .223 cases, there will usually be a half dozen or so with pins jammed in the flash holes because I am using 0.041" pins. I keep a small needle-nose plier handy for that, and I don't see it as that big a deal.

RR,

I will have to look into that. Like I said, its not a big deal considering how nice the brass looks. I bought mine about 2 years ago and never looked back. I will have to check the pin size. Thanks.

A little redneck enganeer'n, with pieces parts and an old dryer motor can get you into SS pin tumbling on the cheap, with good results...

I use this stuff called lizard litter and a capful of NUFINISH car polish.... It works amazing

This!!

I use plain walnut with a vcouple tablespoons of comet or ajax added. Shines plenty good for me.

I'm currently using corn cob, but I have no loyalties to any method or media. But the thing that concerns me about SS is drying. How are you guys drying your cases? At the very least, it takes up lots of space, and a lot of time unless you're using an oven. My time is pretty valuable, so what gives?

I have a couple year old corn cob media in my tumbler. I run it overnight and it gets them plenty clean for me. Deprime with a universal decaping die tumble size trim and load away.

After spinning in a rotary separator, I wad the brass up in an old large bath towel and dry them on the outside, then I spread them on a pizza pan and warm them in the oven at about 160 or so for about half an hour. That seems to be sufficient.

With really dirty brass I have washed with dish soap then I bunch them in groups of 20 with a rubber band and use my wife's blow dryer to dry them.

Walnut shell media (lizard bedding from PetSmart, cheaper that way.). For SHINY brass, finish up with corn cob media, all done in an old, cheapie Frankfort Arsenal tumbler.

I don't ever get the brass wet, just tumble and go.