Brass tumbled, now what ???

FEENIX

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A newbie question ... just got me a new tumbler and did my first tumbling run using corn media mixed with polish. Brass came out clean and polished after a couple of hours. They've all been de-primed and re-sized and all clear of any media. Do I still need to do any other cleaning after tumbling?

Thank you in advance for your support and understanding.

V/R

Ed
 
You're all done cleaning with the exception of your primer pockets. Unless somehow you pockets got cleaned out in the tumbler. Now go load em up!
 
I believe that if you used a polish of some kind in the media there will be some polish residue on the cases.
If this polish is Ammonia based then you want to remove any residue as Ammonia hardens brass!
I would wash the cases in Shellite ( AKA - White spirit , naptha ) and dry them out in the sun. It evaportaes real quick.
If you can't find Shellite then a bathroom product called CLR will remove any greasy coating or residue and will clean mildly tarnished brass well . 1 cup of CLR in 2 pints warm water ( not real hot water ) .
Rinse in plain warm water after .
If you can't find CLR then a wash in warm water and dish wasing detergent and a few rinses off in warm water and dry them in the sun or use a hair dryer.
Then you have clean and residue free cases.
 
Very good point Jumper-------lose the polish in the future. Polish may hep the process but does leave residue period and guess where it goes or what effect on the powder after a indeterminate amout of time.
 
Brass polish used is ammonia free.

frankford-arsenal-brass-polish.jpg


Thanks again.

V/R

Ed
 
Soak your brass in vinegar cider to remove the carbon build-up for a couple hours then rinse in water. Really works.
db
 
"...there will be some polish residue on the cases.
If this polish is Ammonia based then you want to remove any residue as Ammonia hardens brass!"

Ammonia is a liquid, it evaporates and dries. We will NEVER find any "ammonia residue" in dry cases any more than we could find "water residue" after it dries. By the time cases are tumbled, any tiny amount of ammonia has evaporated and it's GONE!

Ammonia IS harmful to brass. But the tiny amount in the small quanity of liquid polish we use in tumbling media is diluted so low as to make it pretty much irrelivant, and even that trace amount will evaporate out of the meda over night. When the cat-pee smell is gone, the ammonia is gone. Just don't wet clean your brass with a liquid polish containing ammonia and all will be well.
 
"...there will be some polish residue on the cases.
If this polish is Ammonia based then you want to remove any residue as Ammonia hardens brass!"

Ammonia is a liquid, it evaporates and dries. We will NEVER find any "ammonia residue" in dry cases any more than we could find "water residue" after it dries. By the time cases are tumbled, any tiny amount of ammonia has evaporated and it's GONE!

Ammonia IS harmful to brass. But the tiny amount in the small quanity of liquid polish we use in tumbling media is diluted so low as to make it pretty much irrelivant, and even that trace amount will evaporate out of the meda over night. When the cat-pee smell is gone, the ammonia is gone. Just don't wet clean your brass with a liquid polish containing ammonia and all will be well.

This is what the cartridge case manufacturers want you to believe.
Any contact with Ammonia even for short periods of time reacts with the brass to some degree causing some hardening. Thats why it cleans the brass it reacts with the copper and zinc of the case .

There will still be some residue from Ammonia reaction on the brass and this is what you want to remove before it gets in your dies and chamber.
Any polish will leave some residue of some kind.
If you want to use Ammonia based cleaners go right ahead but I don't.
Cartridge manufacturers don't either they use dilute acids to clean brass .
 
I use walnut shells, no polish. Walnut shells will last a lot longer than corn media. If you really need to get them real shiney, then use corn media and polish.

Guess I missed something here??? Is this virgin brass? Have cases already been sized?

My usual sequense is, tumble, decap/size, trim (if needed), size again (if needed), primer, charge, seat. Oh well....

-MR
 
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