Cleaning Brass

[Alpha1]

Hi what is your preferred method of cleaning your Brass. I have all ways used a vibratory cleaner with media.
I have just acquired a rotary tumbler thingy that uses I assume a liquid with some sort of cleaning fluid and stainless pins.
How do these things work and what do you use to clean the brass and were do you buy the cleaning fluid the pins etc.

[shoppe]

Deprime the cases . put cases into the drum. A squirt of washing up liquid. Add a good lot of water. Start machine.
That's it.
When done ,after a few hours or whatever you decide is clean enough. Empty the drum into a seive and rinse the cases making sure ALL the pins are out of the cases. I flush the cases under a running tap via both ends of the case.
Dry off in the oven with a temperature of about 60 for about 10 minutes. This bit is optional but is does make a good job.
They will air dry but takes much longer and leaves water marks.
The flushing of the cases is the worst part.
The bit of pain is making sure ALL the pins are removed from inside the cases.
Some people add various things to the water mix but I have never found the necessary.
When in operation the tumbler is a bit noisy.

[Keithkilvo1]

+1 for above post the only thing I do extra is put them in a towel and roll them before putting in oven, you don’t need to add anything other than washing up liquid to the water…..

[Pete]

If you want them looking like new, add a teaspoon of citric acid to the above and do a final rinse with rainwater.......that won't leave any drying marks.
I got my pins from Spud on here.

Pete

[bradaz11]

chuck in deprimed brass and pins. fill almost to the top with water (i use hot out the tap, not out the kettle). squirt of washing up liquid, pinch of citric acid (i'll send you some with the tumbler so you can see with and without and decide if it's worth it or not) put lid on the drum, stick on base and turn on. I adjust speed for how much brass is in the drum. If you go too fast the cases are held to the wall and don't really move, too slow and they don't clean. basically turn it up until it goes quiet, then step down one. and leave it to run. when the timer runs out, look at the brass and decide if you want another go or if it's good to go. if water isn't bubbly at the end, you may need more fairy next time.

when done, empty drum into the separator. close it up and give it a few very gentle spins to clear the bulk of the pins, then go a bit faster and for a minute or so, then all the pins should be out.

depending on how soapy the brass is, I may rinse it now, or sometimes I just empty it in a bowl of water and then pull it back out to dry. some say this defeats the object of the acid, but nothing stopping you putting it in the dunk bowl too.

pull out the brass and dry. I use a food dehydrator sold for drying brass. some people throw them in the oven after dinner, some just leave them on a towel and drip dry.

then pour the dirty water out through a sieve(test first, some plastic mesh ones will let the pins through) or an old tea towel to get the pins out the bucket, chuck back in the drum to store. the pins are stainless and I've never seen any corrosion on them so you don't need to worry about them being damp. they are also magnetic, so you can pick up any dropped ones quick with a magnet tool
I use something like this, but not really sure on the search term, pretty sure I paid half that.
https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/hand-tools/ ... ZT1002225X

[dodgyrog]

It's simple.
I drive over to Phaedra and he puts the cases and whatever is needed into his rotary tumbler and we then go and have a chat and a cup of tea.
After about an hour the cases are ready to be decanted and dried.
I do the drying at home in my oven at 50 degrees.
A very nice arrangement that costs me a steak bake and Yum Yum from Greggs now and then.
Have a nice day.

[Airbrush]

[Mauserbill]

Hello
Seems like a bit of a faff, think I will stick to my vibratory cleaner with media, works well for me

[Sim G]

It's simple.
I drive over to Phaedra and he puts the cases and whatever is needed into his rotary tumbler and we then go and have a chat and a cup of tea.
After about an hour the cases are ready to be decanted and dried.
I do the drying at home in my oven at 50 degrees.
A very nice arrangement that costs me a steak bake and Yum Yum from Greggs now and then.
Have a nice day.

Steak bake and a yum-yum! Brilliant.

[Sim G]

Personally, I’d never introduce a liquid to cartridge cases again! Well before kids when I had money and time, I just used to chuck pistol cases in a pillow case, then give them a “whites wash” in the machine. Couple of days later in the airing cupboard and ready to reload.

Loaded 1000 9mm and drove to Dorset for a pistol comp. First round phutt. Clumps of powder, bullet in the leade. Second round, the same…

Later I actually bent a kinetics hammer, sat on the garage floor, smoking Benson & Hedges whilst pulling the 998 remaining rounds.

Been a tumbler and walnut media man ever since!!