How can I avoid that ugly tarnish when case-cleaning with SS pins?

A few months ago I switched my case cleaning from 'vibrating' to 'tumbling'.
After tumbling my cases for 1/2 hour in a slow-turn barrel-type drum with water, a little Dawn and 'Lemi-Shine' detergents, I shake out the liquid and most of the pins. Then I rinse several times to rid the remaining detergents. Then I spread them out on a doubled-up towel and let them dry for a day or two. At this point, the cases are super clean and bright as are the clean empty primer pockets.
After they dry out, many start to tarnish to a dark blue color.
How can I prevent that tarnish?

 

Might be a touch heavy with the lemishine. I typically use a .3cc dipper of lemishine in the platinum size wet tumbler. After my cases are dry I still dry tumble to polish them. Extra step and unnecessary but I like shiny things.

 

Thanks.
I'll try reducing the Lemi-Shine. I hate to include another tumble, but may try.

 

I don't know about a "dark blue" tarnish, but ...

To prevent cases from "brown" tarnishing, replace the Dawn with ArmorAll Wash&Wax.

 

I use 1/4 teaspoon of Lemi Shine and 2 to 3 drops of Dawn in a full sized Frankford Arsenal tumbler with no tarnish. I live in a pretty dry environment, so that may help, but I've got an ammo box full of cases that I cleaned in 2018 that have no tarnish on them.

Dave

 

The best recipe I have found is 2 .3cc dippers of LemiShine and 2 capfuls of Armor All Wash and Wax car wash. I believe the wax keeps the brass from tarnish. I have brass tumbled from six months ago that looks as good as the brass from yesterday.

 

as stated above the amount of citric acid that you need is based on what your water hardness is where you live. When I lived in San Diego I needed a lot more citric acid to get the pH Down from the hard water that I did when I lived in the south. If you are getting tarnish after one would assume that you live in a high humidity environment. A wax may work but I have never tried it because I haven't found it necessary

 

Use a car wash and wax of your choice. The car wash and wax will leave a polymer finish behind to slow down the tarnishing.

I use ArmorAll W&W, I still have brass that is still shinny after 3 yrs.

 

I use only the recommended amount of Lyman Turbo Sonic Case Cleaning Solution or Frankford Arsenal Brass Cleaning Solution, rinse well, and have no significant tarnish issues. But I do have a water softener.

 

I like the Armor All Wash & Wax idea. Hope it doesn't mess with the powder or primer. Will try that one.
I live in the sunny south - mid Florida.

 

You have a county water report that will tell you what the pH of your water is if it's below 7.0 it's already soft

 

I believe PH and hardness are different attributes and aren't directly related.

 

TDs is total desolved solids. If calcium and salts are desolved it increases the ph to make the water alkaline. Generally soft water has lower TDs and lower calcium levels. There are always exceptions.

 

Switch from wet tumbling to dry tumbling. It was a game changer for me. Way less mess, nothing to dry, no tarnish or water spots and the brass comes out way shiny.

To the dry SS pins, add the same amount dry media into the drum. I use acorns infused with polish, Lyman red media.
Add cases and run the tumbler for an hour.
Stop tumbler and squirt in 5 seconds of Pledge furniture polish.
Run for another 15 min.
Separate the cases from the SS pins / dry media.
Cases are ready for primers immediately.

The pledge prevents your fingers from smudging or tarnishing the cases when you handle them, I think.

The SS pins knock the media from almost all the primer pockets. I hand prime, and my method is to have a bright background so that I can see thru the primer hole as I place the case into the shell holder of my hand primer. One case every couple hundred has dry media stuck in the primer hole or pocket that I tap out with a pick.

Cases that I wet tumbled were dull brass colored 6 months later. I started dry tumbling three years ago, and those dry tumbled loaded cases look like factory new ammo - still nice and shiny.

 

Is this mixed brass or Winchester?

 

All you're bringing me back the carbonate hardness those were the days

 

Use the tumbler and media (I use corn cob mostly) with a bit of car wax. AFTER pin washing and rinsing and shaking loose water off.
The media does a great job of taking off all the water and the wax leaves a protective layer. Cases look new, save a bit of scorching in the primer pocket, but all the loose debris and ash is gone. The interiors of the cases are pretty cleaned out as well.

 

Ditch the Dawn and use an auto detergent with wax

 

Water hardness is strongly related to ph depending on the mineral content creating the hardness. KH is carbonate hardness, which is the buffering capacity of the water. High kh, more acid needed to lower pH. General hardness/GH is calcium and magnesium ion concentration in the water. And if you add a detergent or soap that is basic, of course that will also impact the effect of added acid as well.

 

Brass, barter whiskey and reloading components may very well be the currency of the new world order.
Kidding. Not Kidding.