cleaning sizing lube off brass

Either way works, if they were not pre-tumnled with the pins I would go that route.
Make sure the inside of the cases are completly dry begore loading them up.

If they don't look clean afterward, use a little more detergent on the next batch.

I do that with my Thumler B. Just use an appropriate amount of soap and lemonshine and you'll be fine. Use pins will help to make sure the lube inside the cases are removed. I only tumble for 30 to 45 minutes for lube removal.

Avoid petroleum based cleaning products if you have rubber linner tumbler like a Thumlers.

I wet tumble my brass and would not change that part of my process. However, depending on how much lube you use, the wet tumbler doesn't' always do a great job of removing it. Therefore, I dry tumble my brass in corncob media (with a capful or 2 of Nu-Finish car polish) after sizing it for about 15 minutes. It not only does a better job removing the lube, but the Nu-Finish add a thin layer of polish that keeps the brass looking like it just came out of the wet tumbler.

If you don't already have a dry tumbler, they can be picked up used for very cheap and since you are using clean brass, the media lasts more than a year

It would be much easier to quit using the sheep grease and get a can of;


(Cue the toxic tumbler water posts)

The lanolin seems to leave a film on the rubber liner of my Frankford Tumbler. I run cases w lube thru my old dry tumbler and it removes the lube in about 10-15 minutes. If you get the slime in the wet tumbler from lanolin the only thing that cleans it seems to be some woolite and water. I avoid using the wet tumber for lube removal and only use the dry tumber for that chore.

2011redrider said:

The lanolin seems to leave a film on the rubber liner of my Frankford Tumbler. I run cases w lube thru my old dry tumbler and it removes the lube in about 10-15 minutes. If you get the slime in the wet tumbler from lanolin the only thing that cleans it seems to be some woolite and water. I avoid using the wet tumber for lube removal and only use the dry tumber for that chore.

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I wipe it out with rubbing alcohol when I change the media. It comes right off.

Personally I wipe down cases with a paper towel , it's a great time to inspect them for split necks or potential case head separation or whatever.

Fine Figure of a Man said:

It would be much easier to quit using the sheep grease and get a can of

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Yep... OneShot and dry walnut. Works every time...

South Prairie Jim said:

Personally I wipe down cases with a paper towel , it's a great time to inspect them for split necks or potential case head separation or whatever.

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I do the same. A quick wipe is all the case needs. There's no need to get a tumbler, pins, and other random materials involved.

I too dry tumble in corn cob after sizing and length trimming my bottleneck cases. I'm still using the Cabela's polish that came with my vibrator. It also leaves a slight film on the brass and it doesn't tarnish as fast.

South Prairie Jim said:

Personally I wipe down cases with a paper towel , it's a great time to inspect them for split necks or potential case head separation or whatever.

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Same, but with old socks - the wife and boy ruin socks faster than I can buy them. Cleaned one last time, and then they give their last to keep my brass clean. I am a very small volume loader, (think 50 rounds at a time), it's no big deal If I was running a Dillon high speed/low drag progressice and doing 1000 at a time, yeah, I'd have to come up with a different method.

I used to work as a machinist in aerospace so I use a slightly more "industrial" expedient method... which is maybe a little toxic but very effective. Dump the brass into a bucket or jar - glass or metal, not plastic - with a lid that seals pretty good and fill halfway with MEK, shake vigorously - but not so vigorously that you break the glass - then pour into a fine strainer or fryolator basket, shake again (for effect, if you want), then dump into a large box so they can get some air and let sit in a warm open air space away from any plants, animals, or open flames for about five-to-ten minutes. The MEK will evaporate off QUICKLY leaving no residue behind - and as a bonus, they smell industrial chemical plant fresh.

I do the same with some acetone. It also dries real quick. When the rounds are finished I also timble with corn cob and NuFinish for 15 min to coat as not to tarnish. YMMV

FROGO207 said:

I do the same with some acetone. It also dries real quick. When the rounds are finished I also timble with corn cob and NuFinish for 15 min to coat as not to tarnish. YMMV

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Great. Now we’re both enviroterrorists. I am probably responsible for goober climbing chains, too.

Nothing wrong--wrong--wron--, with me there. No worse than cow exhaust IMO.

Ha! The dude asked a simple question about tumbling brass...let's not force him to commit enviroterrorism.

As for me relinquishing the sheep juice...you'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers! In retrospect, that might be easy to do with sheep juice being such an awesomely slick lube and all

peels said:

Ha! The dude asked a simple question about tumbling brass...let's not force him to commit enviroterrorism.

As for me relinquishing the sheep juice...you'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers! In retrospect, that might be easy to do with sheep juice being such an awesomely slick lube and all

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Somehow “sheep juice” puts me in mind of haggis.

GeoDudeFlorida said:

I used to work as a machinist in aerospace so I use a slightly more "industrial" expedient method.

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Always good to know the industrially-expedient method. It's just organic-contaminated brass, right? Last time I used MEK, I was in the National Guard.

Is anybody else using Redding carnauba wax for sizing? I don’t hear much about it but it’s never done me wrong. Dissolves easy in MEK or acetone and doesn’t get the dies all gummy.

Personally, I wet tumble with SS pins and a generous glug of laundry detergent. If it's not full-o-suds when I open it after 30 minutes, add more detergent. Personally, I use iso-heet and 80W gear lube for sizing 5.56, mixed 10:1. Cheapest case lube ever, if you can get it off the cases.

Having tried acetone, I can attest that it works. MEK should work, too. I'd burn the residue in a can on the grill. Better than letting it evaporate and letting the entire neighborhood smell that chemically-fresh scent.

GeoDudeFlorida said:

Somehow “sheep juice” puts me in mind of haggis.

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Oy, ye went full-clan. There are certain things at the Scottish Highland Festival that I don't care to try, and I wear a kilt.

Having strayed far-afield from cleaning the sizing lube off brass, I think we may be done here.

1-- ok, if ye can't stand the haggis, ye're just not hungry...enough...yet...

and
2-- brakleen. (tetrachloroethylene) Maybe carb cleaner. (acetone, methanol, toluene, heptane, xylene)
...enviro what?

In the summer I'll just bucket wash with generic dish soap and sun dry, but in the bad weather-- gallon plastic jug, chems, shake, dump on a towel. Sparkly clean and dry in ten minutes.
Who needs ventilation?

Why am i hearing leprechauns in my head?! ..."It's chemically delicious!"
...heh... must be the toluene fumes...


P.S. @geo: nice avatar. wth are "goober climbing chains"?

jonas66 said:

1-- ok, if ye can't stand the haggis, ye're just not hungry...enough...yet...

and
2-- brakleen. (tetrachloroethylene) Maybe carb cleaner. (acetone, methanol, toluene, heptane, xylene)
...enviro what?

In the summer I'll just bucket wash with generic dish soap and sun dry, but in the bad weather-- gallon plastic jug, chems, shake, dump on a towel. Sparkly clean and dry in ten minutes.
Who needs ventilation?

Why am i hearing leprechauns in my head?! ..."It's chemically delicious!"
...heh... must be the toluene fumes...


P.S. @geo: nice avatar. wth are "goober climbing chains"?

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Global climate change But if you type it out the envirowhackos and techtyrants will sniff out the thread and start invading the forum.

oops...