[Arkie]

Hi there.

Well I got a bunch of Brass for my 45 and more coming and I'm wondering just how clean do I get the brass.

I've bought a Lyman 1200p and some corn cob and walnut media and when I get through cleaning them the inside is still a little black.

If they have to be spotless how the heck do I clean them?

Is there something else I have to put into the walnut media to help with the cleaning. I would hate to have to clean all of them by hand. LOL...

I know this has probably been discussed to death but I couldn't find it. :)

I could super glue them to my truck and go to the car wash! :D

[Bruce333]

hour/hour and a half in the tumbler. Depends on how many I toss in there, fewer cases take a little less time since the media moves around faster.

another thread on cleaning: http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=207952

[Car Knocker]

The inside doesn't have to be clean at all - just no debris or residue buildup heavy enough to reduce case capacity.

The outside doesn't have to be spotless, either - just clean enough not to damage your dies.

Nor do the primer pockets have to be spotless.

[Arkie]

ohhhhhhhhhhh... That's what I'm doing wrong...

I'm trying to make the inside just as shiney as the outside. :D

[bouis]

It doesn't have to be spotless, and the inside probably never will be -- but to get the outsides nice and shiny takes a couple hours.

A tip: you can get a timer that goes between the tumbler and the socket at Wal-Mart or a hardware store for about $5. Mine runs 2 hours on, 1 hour off, for a total of six hours of cleaning over eight hours. The down time lets the tumbler cool off, which will hopefully make the motor last longer.

[rchernandez]

I clean my brass on dillon cv500. I use walnut which is more abrasive than corn but puts out a lot more dust. When the walnut needs to be replaced, I will be using corn. Add brass polish to the media, Dillon or Rooster Bright works well.

The inside of the cases do not need to be as clean as the outside! If that's what you're after, it may take you 3-days of tumbling or some kind of a liquid cleaner/soaking.

Good luck.

[Sheldon]

I know a lot of guys like the brass to look new and polished, but for the most part I tumble for about an hour or so and am happy to have the stuff grit free as opposed to polished. But to each there own. There isn't any problems doing it longer if you like the shiny look!!

[ball3006]

all I want to do is clean my brass. Someone posted that they put a liquid car wax, the one in the orange bottle, in the media. It does make the brass look cleaner. Just takes a squirt. If you resize before tumbling, kinda defeats the reason for cleaning, be sure media is not stuck in your primer hole. I don't polish my brass because it makes it easier for the bad guys to follow your trail because it is easier to see.....chris3

[FJC]

I like shiny brass. :) I tend to tumble/vibrate mine for a good 6 hours or so, in some corn cob "small pet bedding" from the pet store. I add a squirt of brass polisher from MidwayUSA and it comes out looking nearly new. Yeah, the insides often still have a little sootiness to them, but usually only at the bottom.

As for the bad guys following your trail, I go for extra-shiny so that the brass empties flying through the air distract them. "OOooohh, sparkly!"

[Chief 101]

The truth is that you don't need to polish the brass, It's a matter of personal preference. I've never used a tumbler in nearly 40 years of reloading, I do however clean the lube off with acetone. I did hand polish a batch of ammo to be used in a competition once, being as I didn't win that particular shoot I didn't use shiny ammo again. My ammo isn't shiny, but it will certainly shoot as good or better than most handloaded bullets. Chief :neener:

[Car Knocker]

it will certainly shoot as good or better than most handloaded bullets.

Just curious as to how you determined that??

[callgood]

I just finished 300 .223 Remington cases. First I decapped it. 1-1.5 hours in walnut to which I added 1 tbl. of mineral spirits. Keeps the dust down, cuts any grease. At this point the brass is fairly shiny. But it's also very clean, so I can better see any problems and it won't screw up my dies. I then lube and size it. Check the length and trim. 1-1.5 hours in corn with Dillon polish. Any brass flakes from the trim are now gone and it's looking factory-new. Prime, drop powder, seat the bullet, put it in a box or bandoleer. Done. Repeat as necesary.

[langenc]

I do like callgood but polish AFTER the die lube.

[Werewolf]

I just chunk'm in the the ole tumble/vibration doohickey loaded up with walnut or peeeecan media the evening before I plan on a reload session and let 'em shake, rattle and roll their way to shiny purtyness all night. That cleans 'em good inside and out. They look real purty. :D

I don't resize 'em prior to cleaning either - that way I don't have to push media out of the primer hole.

I don't do it cuz it makes the brass purty - I do it cuz I don't want crud inside the brass and because I'm a lazy SOB and it's just easier to pop the brass in the old vibrator the night before and forget about it.

Seriously - I don't want crud on the inside of my brass and I've found that cleaning overnight with pecan or walnut media cleans out the inside of the casing almost perfectly where as just a couple of hours just doesn't cut it.

[BluesBear]

I tumble empty brass overnight in a Thumler's Model B using walnut shells treated with Thumler's reactivating cream or Flitz.

Walnut gets the insides relatively clean.

I only use corn cob for final polishing of loaded ammo.



Be advised that a rotary tumbler will clean better (and a damn bit quieter) than a vibratory unit just not as fast.

[Chief 101]

Quote:
it will certainly shoot as good or better than most handloaded bullets.


Just curious as to how you determined that??
__________________
Don

Don, I have been loading for almost 40 years and for 20 of that I competed and won my share of shooting contests. I know how many bugs I worked out on the reloading bench making good ammo that a lot of folks are still working out. A lot of you are using progressive reloaders and IMHO that method will never make ammo as fine as that made one at a time with inspections at every step of the process. Chief :cool: