Cleaning brass without a tumbler?

[SuperMagnum]

I just got my first Lee loader kit for .44 Mag...I have a bunch of used brass but it's still dirty. I'm going to clean at least a few hundred by hand with some small brushes. Is there something in particular that I can soak them in to help the cleaning process?

I'll get a tumbler sometime in the next week/month/year/decade?

 

[bobotech]

Get the Lee drill mandrel for their trimmers. Get the 3 dollar 44mag trimmer and case holder for the mandrel. Should be about 6 bucks total.

Put the cases onto the mandrel and spin and while they are spinning, hit them with some steel wool. I have used some of the coarser grade just because it cuts quicker yet they still polish up really well.

 

[Afy]

Soap and water... but they wont be shiny.

 

[dave from mesa]

Soap and water... but they wont be shiny.

All they really need to be is clean. I know plenty of old time shooters that only use this method. Shiny looks better but really doesn't shoot better.
Just make sure they are really dry before using.

 

[243winxb]

This recipe for a liquid brass cleaner should be safe. I feel that this recipe containing 1 pint water, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tea spoon detergent(ALL brand, liquid, free&clean, no ammonia) will not hurt brass when washed for 10 minutes then rinsed for 10 minutes in mild ascorbic acid (juice from 1 lemon to 1qt water) and sun dried or preheated oven to 150 degrees for 30 minutes, keeping brass away for the heating element . http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=417310

 

[rdhood]

I don't have a tumbler, and I also use water, salt, white vinegar and detergent. I *sometimes* use a brush and quickly clean the insides of cases, but not every time (it usually only takes about 20 or 30 minutes per thousand).

 

[ambidextrous1]

Why not use a tumbler?

 

[Walkalong]

Before I had a tumbler, I just wiped them all down. Dirt free is all they really need to be.

Nevr-Dull will clean them up shiney like new, but is time consuming. That is why we almost all end up with a tumbler. Nevr-Dull is what I used at the range to clean match brass in between relays.

 

[Mark whiz]

I've "heard" that using salt in the cleaning solution can discolor the brass some - but have never tried it. I just use straight apple cidar vinegar - have enough in a bowl to completely cover the cases and let them soak for about 30 minutes, aggitating them every 5 or 10 minutes. Then rinse them well in a bucket of clean water and set out to dry. Depending on your weather and climate, you can just let them sit and dry on their own or place them in a oven on WARM only for as long as it takes, usually 30min or less...............you do NOT want to overheat the brass when drying it as annealing is not what you're wanting to do.

And if you really want the insides of the cases clean, you can run a Q-tip around their insides after you take them out of the vinegar and before you drop them in the clean water.

This actually cleans and shines the cases pretty well..................and you can use the vinegar over and over until it gets too discolored for your tastes.

 

[rdhood]

Why not use a tumbler?

Because I don't have one?

 

[1SOW]

For handgun brass:

Liquid laundry soap ( tablespoon ) in a half gallon of water. Submerge brass and shake every now and again for 15-20 mins.

Dump off soapy water & save for next range batch. Use garden hose w/ nozzle to rinse brass thoroughly. Let dry in the sun if available. One of those 6" plastic fans also works well. I do 200+ at a time.

They actually come out pretty good with this method.

I then size/deprime and use the Water, White distilled vinegar, salt and another teaspoon or two of laundry detergent for about 15 mins and rinse again with hose--I save this mix also to reuse--1 gallon wide-mouth containers with lids work well.

They end up pretty clean inside and out including the primer hole.

The first step followed by the tumbler instead of the second step would make your media last a looong time and give nice results.(when I get the spare $$)

 

[Otto]

Use your washing machine...less noise, no dust, no media to buy and they're done in 30 minutes. Makes your wife think that you're helping with the chores.

 

[1SOW]

Don't tell her about the toxic materials and lead in her washer!

 

[Otto]

I don't how you do things at your house but neither I or my wife drink from the washing machine so lead contamination is a moot point. Besides, if you're going to wash brass, you decap first.

 

[greyling22]

paint thinner and an old t-shirt.

 

[jcwit]

We're talking lead compounds that can be absorbed thru the skin here, as in being on your cloths from your washing mach. Also very fine lead dust particles can enter the body from small scratches or cuts, possibly ones you do not even realize you have.
I doubt there is anyone out there drinking from their cloths washing mach.

However it your one body and your one life, but think of your family first.

 

[spoonbender]

When mine get grubby, or when I find range brass, I soak 'em in a 50/50 mix of windshield washer fluid and white vinegar for an hour. Rinse in a pair of cheap plastic $1.99 colanders clamped or screwed together to form kind of a ball with holes in it(do not use with food products!!) and throw in the dryer for fifteen minutes on low heat. Shouldn't be any harmful lead or mercury residues to contaminate your dryer if you wash and rinse well. It's a good idea not to share this information with your significant other, will hint that you ARE capable of washing dishes and doing laundry.

 

[jcwit]

Might be a good to do a lead test on the inside of your dryer and the cloths coming out of it.

You say there (SHOULDN'T) be any harmful residue but you don't KNOW.
Not worth if you have youngsters.

Why not share this with your significant other if there is no worry?

 

[CPT Kirk]

Not claiming to be an expert, but do have 30+ years of public and occupational health/safety experience. Using a washing machine to clean brass, even with the primers removed, is not a good idea for the reasons mentioned above. And yes I know that plenty of 'things' go into the family laundry and that no normal person drinks from that source. But we do wear the clothes that come from that source. Feel the same for washing brass by hand.

In the past I didn't worry much about 'trace' amounts of hazardous/toxic materials in the home and environment. I do now . Especially when the little ones are around. Some reloaders are now using disposable protective gloves when reloading. They may be on to something.

 

[jim147]

When I started loading I just used laundry soap and hot water. Rinsed them in the hottest water I could get out of the tap. Then spread them out to dry over night.
I didn't deprime before washing so there were drops of water in the primer pockets when sized. But I spread them back out to finish drying before loading.

 

[spoonbender]

Good points about the possible hazards of lead in the dryer. We don't have young ones any longer, but it was probably bad advice to encourage others to do it. Most of the residue should be eliminated, but as others have pointed out, should is a relative term. I stand corrected and modify my comments about the drying, just set 'em in the sun or a dry place and roll the container to drain the casings. JCWIT, As for your concerns about sharing with the S.O., you're reading between the lines, just take the comment the way it was intended. Thanks for bringing the lead issue to light...

 

[bluetopper]

A tad of navel jelly and hot soapy water in a bucket.

 

[deacon8]

Just going to throw this out there for all the "lead freaks." Our population more than tripled during our use of lead paint in almost ALL homes. In addition to that, lead can't be absorbed through the skin. It has to be ingested or inhaled.

When did the "lead scare" start anyway. I mean, people can die from drinking too much water.

I know it's not PC, but come on...

 

[REDEYE]

Drying them in the oven, on a cookie sheet, at a low temp would do.

 

[22 lover]

am using a jewelery cleaning cloth less than 10 bucks slower than a tumbler something to do while watching tv