How do you clean your Brass?

[kc]

Do you use a tumbeler/vibrator, or clean them by hand.
I lock all my brass on a Lee case unit that spins using a drill, one by one. But they are nice and shiny. Its enough to drive you mad. But I can do an inspection as I go.

HELP!

 

[mo]

When I do clean I use SS media in a Thumbler Tumbler. It cleans everything including primer pocket.

 

[Moman]

I use straight corn cob media in a Midway vibratory cleaner. I only use polish when I'm going to clean and store pistol brass.

 

[LRSickle]

I use walnut shell with polish in a Lyman vibrator. Then I wash them in soapy water, rinse them and dry them off.

 

[johnnyk]

I clean my brass quiet often, usually after every 2nd or 3rd firing. Just me though, and no big need to other than personal satisfaction.
I use a standard blue tumbler from Midway, model 1292. I've had it for years and it has quit on me twice due to wiring problems but I fixed it.
I add a tablespoon of Lyman's Turbo BRITE (item # 7631358) to the media every other time and the brass comes out completely shiney. I usually run it over night in the garage.

TIP: I buy LIzard bedding from the pet store instead of the walnut/corn cob media from the large Outdoor Retailers (Cabela's, Midway, Bass Pro Shop). It's the same thing but cheaper!
JohnnyK.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

"Clean" brass go in the tumbler for 2-3 hours both before and after resizing.

Dirty brass get a bath in a hot water, soap, and vinegar solution.

 

[woods]

I'm a nut like you kc, clean by spinning but I use a Zip Trim

Zip Trim mounted on a piece of 2x4 locked in vise where I trim

chamfer inside and out and then spread Flitz with one of those sponges that come in the top of a Barnes bullet box

hold a rag against it and spin

clean the inside of the necks with some steel wool or scotchbrite

mica the necks. I can do 50 in about an hour

doesn't do the case heads but that's OK since that is where I mark the number of firings.

 

[tnshooter111]

steel wool?? would that not eat some of the case mouth up cause some weak spots?

 

[woods]

steel wool?? would that not eat some of the case mouth up cause some weak spots?

No, you might get a little brass color on the steel wool or scotchbrite but the actual dimension change would be in the hundred thousands or million's of an inch. Put it this way, if you wanted to take that steel wool and steel wool the whole neck away it would take weeks. I would think that a tumbler with abrasive polishing compound would take off more brass

Scothbrite seems to be more agressive

and leaves no oily residue like steel wool so the mica does not stick as much

Many many reloaders use steel wool on brass with no ill effects

 

[tnshooter111]

"Many many reloaders use steel wool on brass with no ill effects"

sure didn't know that. Learn something new everyday..

 

[BigBlack]

Ultrasonic clean first with Birchwood Casey brass case cleaner per instructions then tumble to dry and polish, left is ultrasonic'd then tumbled brieflly.

 

[garfield]

only 1 month ago, with ultrasonic from hornady

I don't know if harden the brass..but, it's very clean

before that, lyman thumbler. 2 hours

 

[new shooter]

I yous to tumble but just order a 6L ULTRASONIC CLEANER. I just got a Bench-Source Annealing Machine so the fun start now.

 

[olds_442]

I use stainless tumbling media It works awesome and makes things a lot easier with amazing results. Check em out
<a href="http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com" title="stainless steel media">KEYWORD PHRASE</a>