???? On cleaning brass.

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biga972

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I have been using corn cob media in a vibrating tumbler......Overnite give me a great shine and does a good job on pistol brass.....But I have noticed on my 300 wsm brass it leaves the neck with black stuff on the neck. Any way to fix this other than what I have been doing (by hand with a scotch brite pad).:banghead:


I would love to go to SS media wet but I am to cheap to get started and not sure I like the idea of having to dry the cases.
 
Corn cob is for final polishing.

After you have cleaned with ground walnut.

The walnut does not produce the knock your eyes out shine.
But it usually takes tarnish off real fast.
Like in two - three hours.

rc
 
+1 on using walnut media to clean the and corn cob to polish.

Adding NuFinish to walnut media will help remove the tarnish and black fouling faster. Make sure you let the tumbler run 10-15 minutes so there's no clumping left and the polish has evenly distributed.

Once the cases are clean, if I want even more shine, I will polish in corncob/NuFinish for 1+ hour.
 
I have seen this happen with my brass when tumbling. If your corn cob is getting dirty aka used up, and more polish "Nu-Finish" is added it will deposit dirty polish on the cases. If this is the case dump the media and start with clean media and polish.
 
Well, you ask why your brass was still dirty when you got done cleaning it!

So yes, I'd have to say you are missing out on something..

rc
 
Are you sure the neck is dirty with soot and not simply discolored from annealing?
No need to brighten that area up any more unless you are OCD, then go ahead with the Scotch Brite pad.
 
I've also have only ever used corn cob, but I would imagine walnut would work faster as far as cleaning. I just start mine in the evening and by morning it's clean and polished.
 
JC This is what I have done with the corn cob.....and only seems the 300 wsm has the soot.


rocket it is soot not annealing.
 
Are you using any polish in with the corn cob media?

Might try some lizzard liter from a pet store, I've never had to do this but it might solve your problem.
 
You also might consider the Lyman walnut media treated with a red rouge powder. I am not sure what this red rouge stuff is, but it cleans better than plain walnut; however, it leaves the red residue on your casings and requires another hour in corn cob or plain walnut to remove this red residue. I use it only on really dirty casings such as once fired LC brass in poor condition. Cleans them up nicely, and will probably remove the soot. I also have this soot, and it is normal as some of the escaped gas from the cartridge gets out around the neck of the casing, but should not move down the shoulder if the case is properly sized.
 
jc I do add polish every now and again.


Jasper you are right the soot is only on the neck does not move on the shoulder.
 
Zila brand lizard litter (Ground walnut) from the pet shop, and a squirt of liquid tumbler polish will clean any stains off any brass in 2 - 3 hours.

The only thing it won't clean off are those black tarnished cases you find on range pick-ups that have been laying on the ground in the rain for months or years.

But those cases are already physically damaged by zinc leaching out of the cartridge brass.
I wouldn't use them anyway.

rc
 
And then one could use the Stainless Steel Media. Only have to clean once and it gets not just the outside clean (including the neck) but the inside and primer pockets too.

For those that weigh their cases to match them up, you are also not weighing the accumulated carbon and crud.
 
IMO it's worth buying media that's made for brass cleaning and polishing.
It isn't THAT expensive.
I've never seen this Zilla brand of crushed walnut, but I've tried a few others and it wasn't properly sized and sifted.
Even had some that wanted to pack down inside cases, a real PIA.
 
IMO it's worth buying media that's made for brass cleaning and polishing.
Click to expand...
IMO: Not if Zilla Lizzard Litter works much better then Lyman tumbler media.

And I do mean MUCH better!

It even cleans primer pockets pretty darn good, with none ever getting stuck in the flash holes.

rc
 
The stainless pin media and Thumler's tumbler is the best solution. cleans inside and out, primer pockets and all. Filthy dirty range brass looks brand new in a few hours. Tried all the rest, this is THE one.
 
Is the neck dirty?
Or is the brass scorched?

If it's dirt it'll come off with clean media & polish.

If the brass is scorched, nothing will help.
 
Try adding a little mineral spirits to the polishing media. That will soften the soot and rejuvenate the polish so it works like new again. Throw in a cut-up used dryer sheet to trap most of the dirt and crud to keep the media working longer.
 
Throw in a cut-up used dryer sheet to trap most of the dirt and crud to keep the media working longer.
Click to expand...

Emphasis on the used part. Using a new dryer sheet will make a gummy mess of your media. Ask how I know this...:(
 
For years I have been using 60%walnut 40% corncob and adding just a cap full of mineral spirits. The brass comes out after about 90minutes of tumbling looking better than new brass.

Here is some brass I just tumbled this morning for 45 minutes. I put my nasty finger prints all over it though :)

45ARBrass.jpg
 
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