Brass polishing problems

how long in your eyes is to long?...

2 hours for me to get them usable. 3 or 4 hours will make em bling.

When the media is new, I usually let it go for an hour on relatively clean brass, 3 or 4 on tarnished or stained stuff.

When I let it run overnight and the brass still doesn't look as clean as I want, I change the media.

I leave primers in for cleaning. Digging media out of flash holes is not my idea of fun. If you're concerned about your primer pockets, get a pocket brush and a cordless drill.

This stuff here kicks ass and goes a LONG way. Half a teaspoon will keep working until your media is too dirty to use.

I'm still on my original tub of it, after thousands of rounds (including over a thousand 50 BMG I just finished).

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/2124198878/frankford-arsenal-brass-case-polish

Flitz Media Additive works wonders for that new look.

Pop on down to WalMart or any auto supplu store ie; Auto Zone, Advance ect., and get a bottle of Nu-Finish auto polish or any other auto liquid car polish and add a teaspoon to your media. Not only will it help to clean your brass cases but it will deposit a coating of polymer to the brass to prevent/retard tarnish and help keep them shiney. The polishes sold by Midway, Natchez, Grafs and the others have no polymers to protect the brass after the polishing.

Stay away from brasso because if you introduce the cases into the mix before the ammonia is completely evaporated it may very well degrade the brass and weaken it. Brasso is an excellent polish for military brass, believe me I know from first hand experience but is not to be used for cartridge brass.

You may get away with it for a short period of time or even longer, and maybe never have a problem, but why chance it with something having 50,000 psi 4 inches from your forehead.

Just a thought.

Add some Turtle Wax rubbing compound in with your media, about 2 teaspoonfuls, let it mix good, then throw your cases in, let it run about an hour, then check. Works for me.

Add some Turtle Wax rubbing compound in with your media, about 2 teaspoonfuls, let it mix good, then throw your cases in, let it run about an hour, then check. Works for me.

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Works excellant as a polish but again adds nothing to prevent or retard tarnish as the liquid auto polishes do.

When you add polish (while running) it does not take very much, 1 cap full of NuFinish. The tumbler needs to run for 15 min or so so you do not have any clumps before adding your brass. I add paper towels or drier sheets to the mix. They will collect the dirt and also improve the shine.

You did not mention what media your using, I'll assume corncob. If walnut shells it will not get the high lust shine. The pet stuff is not that good in my opinion. It's what left over and has no other use except to be thrown out. I prefer the 20/40 mesh corncob. It's fine enough so it does not stick in the primer holes.

Now the only way to get the primer pockets clean is with a liquid cleaner. Citric acid is what most liquid cleaners have as the main ingredient. If you really want to clean the brass inside and out then use a liquid cleaner. 1 tbs Citric Acid / qt of water and a little Dawn dish soap t help break oils down heated to >150F will clean the brass in about 2 min or less. Then into a 2tbs/qt backing soda to due a neutralize then to the sink for final rinse. Then dry, I use the oven set at 175 for 1 hr. After this you do not really need to use tumbler unless you want a mirror shine.

Or you can use the elbow cleaning method on the primer pockets. Which is a waste of time in most all cases.

Most tumblers have a sweet spot where they work the best. Too little brass or too much impedes the action.

i use flitz case polish, top notch stuff. cases are shiner than new ammo after a couple hours.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/816895/flitz-brass-case-polish-76-oz-liquid

you may also have too many cases in the tumbler at once. i learned that the hard way in the beginning

I get very good results with a 50/50 mix of corncob and Petsmart Lizard Litter. I also use the cut up used dryer sheets and a little liquid car polish mixed in.

My low cost tip is to use a cheapo lamp timer to control duration of tumbling. Set it and forget it.

Dang !!!!!

I put some on Sun evenin & forgot it !!!!!

Thanks for the thread !!! & I`ll wear sunglasses!

By the way I mix my media 50/50 walnut/corncob & a dash of mineral sprits.

Deprime when I size so I don`t have to pick media from the flash holes. Clean pockets on a nail head as I remove em from the press , just a qwik twist .

There are two kinds of media.

Walnut cleans dirt & stains.
Corncob polishes what the walnut did to the brass.

Flitz tumbler polish & corncob?
Better wear sunglasses to protect your eyes!

Cleaning primer pockets, and inside cases in a vibrator ranges from difficult to "not gonna happen".
Once the media packs them full, they don't do any more vibrating to speak of.

A rotary tumbler or liquid case cleaner works much better for getting inside things.

rc

I find loading more brass in the tumbler seems to help a lot. You need to get a good "turn over" in the brass. I use walnut with a little Nufinish in it every couple of loads. I have been saving up my brass and sort and tumble as needed. I have enough pistol brass to last me a long time before needing to tumble.

I pretty much quit cleaning pistol primer pockets. Primers seat just fine.

Revolver brass for the Winter months on the other hand may need to be redone at least once as I don't have a good stock pile yet. I hate digging brass out of the snow.

Corn cob, Nu-Finish and 4 hrs of operation = bright shiny cases.

One thing that definitely helps me is having two buckets of media.

One is used for cleaning brass from the range, and it gets and stays filthy. the media becomes and stays round quickly. All of my cases endure an hour of this slop before anything else.

The other is used after the first. Generally i dont finish tumble until rounds are completed, but having two grades of media....even if its the same stuff....will allow your "finish grade" media to do its job better, faster, and longer.

That's an awesome idea, Blarby. I'm going to set up 2 buckets from now on, and go out and get some brand new media to try it out with.

Does anyone remember someone saying they used corn meal and the RO shut the range down to compliment them on the shiny brass?

I get very good results with a 50/50 mix of corncob and Petsmart Lizard Litter.

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I do the same as Randy. I use 50% pet store walnut and 50% 14/20 blasting corn cob from Grainger. I add 1/2 cap full of Nu Finish car polish and a paper towel cut into 4 or 6 pieces. After 1.5 hours they come out looking like new. As jcwit said the Nu Finish will keep them shiny. I have some 9mm rounds that were loaded for one gun I have that is picky. They have been in a 100 round plastic box for at least two years and look as good as the day I loaded them.

Iosso liquid case cleaner is the best that I've used it cleans everything inside and out. If you buy surplus brass it will even clean the tarnish off of old WWII stuff.

When i clean my brass, I use two strips of scoth bright pad, i cut them in 2 in by the length they come in, I add the polish right on the pads. I also use the lizzard stuff, And in a pinch, Me being cheap. If I run out, and need more lizzard liter, I use my wifes old pantie hose, and put the litter in the hose, and in a bucket.with dawn dish soap. i wash the litter, then rinse, in clear water, untill it runs clear, then let drip,, then spread on news paper.. Hey it works for me,,,I know im cheap...lol.but it works in a pinch,,,

Blarby, you polish your rounds AFTER they are completely loaded? How does that effect the jacketing on the bullets? Any side effects?

Blarby, you polish your rounds AFTER they are completely loaded? How does that effect the jacketing on the bullets? Any side effects?

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None unless they're molly coated.