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Stainless Media for Brass


Flat Water Bob

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Well, after many years of using corncob media for cleaning and polishing brass, I decided to make a change. I purchased a bag of the stainless media pins for around $50. Then I went to Harbour Freight and got a double container rock tumbler. It was on sale for a little under $50.00, plus I had a $25% off coupon. The website for the stainless media recommends a small bit of dish soap AND a product called Lemi-Shine to help polish the brass.

 

First, the brass was clean and polished in one hour .... inside and out. (The insides were as clean and polished as new brass.) I am a believer. As a matter of fact, I spent a part of the day yesterday, re-cleaning and polishing 500 rounds of brass that I had already done with my vibratory / corncob system. Dirty water after each batch! Again, the difference was day and night. The stainless pins process does take a bit of fussing as you have to rinse the brass and the pins in your brass separator after tumbling, but it is well worth the time. I'm done with my vibratory system.

 

AND as an added bonus, neither my wife nor I had ever heard of LEMI-SHINE. It is actually a dishwasher product for cleaning water stains, reducing streaks, etc. My wife used it in the dishwasher and it made our drinking glasses sparkle like new, and cleaned the inside of the dishwasher of calcium/lime build-up. We went to the grocery store last night and bought the last two containers of Lemi-Shine off the shelf.

 

 

 

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That mirrors my experience. Couple years ago I rescued several hundred original brass 12 gauge Winchester and Remington shells that had been military issue. Really cruddy condition and I thought about just scrapping them. But several hours in warm water, Dawn soap and Lemi-Shine (in the Thumlers Model B high speed tumbler) left them looking as new. Just beautiful, including primer pockets and inside.

 

No dust, no media in flash holes and clean, clean, clean. My procedure now is to tumble for one hour then change the water and soaps. That removes most of the crud and the outsides look pretty good. Another two hours gives me bright insides and clean primer pockets. Separate cases from the pins with a rotary separator, rinse the cases in a bucket and an hour in the oven at 200F.

 

Really ugly cases can be brought back overnight - some of the 12 gauge hulls needed that much time.

 

Mark

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I have had the same experience with my Thumblers Tumbler, it is great. I bought a 5 gal. mesh paint strainer and put it over a 5 gal. pail, put my brass separator over that and pour the brass, pins and water into it. Make sure you rinse the brass several times in very hot water. Don't put too much Lemishine in, it will cause the brass to tarnish. One final thing, I made a brass drying board by drilling holes, 180 of them and inserting wooden dowels in the holes, I tapped them in with a hammer, made the dowels long enough to accept my 45/70 brass, and there is enough to dry my 44 brass. I dry the brass with a towel, put them on the dowels, the next morning they are dry. I don't know the capacity of your tumbler is, but mine will take 2lb. of brass.

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I'm on Texas Hill Country aquifer water, hard as chalk, so the Lemi-Shine is peachy! I've noticed that it fizzes the water a bit when first poured in. If the tumbler is sealed right away, some pressure builds up during tumbling. When opened, all free space is occupied by meringue-like white foam that squirts out the first opening. Let it fizz a bit before sealing. I scoop out the foam before decanting the water.

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My results with Dawn Oxy and Lemi-Shine to clean BP brass was similar, except some staining always remained and never "like new".

 

Then I bought a gallon of Super Sunsheen Burnishing Compound from Rio Grande, mix 3 oz to one gallon of water.

 

Amazed with how bright, shiney and better than new the brass was after 2 hours in the Thumler's Tumbler.

 

Now the Dawn Oxy and Lemi-Shine are in the kitchen.

 

Just sayin,

 

AR

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Just a quick note: I have been doing this same thing for a year now due to lead exposure issues with the corn cobb media - BUT don't just pour the dirty water in your yard. Remember there is lead in that water so dispose of it properly. You might also want to wear gloves when you handle the old water and remember to wash your hands afterwards.

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My results with Dawn Oxy and Lemi-Shine to clean BP brass was similar, except some staining always remained and never "like new".

 

Then I bought a gallon of Super Sunsheen Burnishing Compound from Rio Grande, mix 3 oz to one gallon of water.

 

Amazed with how bright, shiney and better than new the brass was after 2 hours in the Thumler's Tumbler.

 

Now the Dawn Oxy and Lemi-Shine are in the kitchen.

 

Just sayin,

 

AR

 

Question, please, Sir. My cases do come out clean, but so clean that they gently tarnish awaiting loading. I had considered a final polish in ground media (but not enthusiastic about the dust and crud), perhaps to put an anti-oxide coating on the brass, but your experience with Sunsheen has my interest. How do your results with it compare to cases from a dry tumbler using metal polish? Does the clean finish last a while?

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Gents, if you like Rio Grande's Super Sunsheen - give their Strat-O-Sheen a try ...

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Strat-O-Sheen-Powder-Burnishing-Compounds/33901725?Pos=1

Use it with plastic ceramic polishing media and a squirt of Dawn Concentrate to clean my BP brass ...

IMGP1024.jpg

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Question, please, Sir. My cases do come out clean, but so clean that they gently tarnish awaiting loading. I had considered a final polish in ground media (but not enthusiastic about the dust and crud), perhaps to put an anti-oxide coating on the brass, but your experience with Sunsheen has my interest. How do your results with it compare to cases from a dry tumbler using metal polish? Does the clean finish last a while?

 

Try a half hour in tumbler with added car wax. Store in air tight containers. This also acts as case lube for resizing die.

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Question, please, Sir. My cases do come out clean, but so clean that they gently tarnish awaiting loading. I had considered a final polish in ground media (but not enthusiastic about the dust and crud), perhaps to put an anti-oxide coating on the brass, but your experience with Sunsheen has my interest. How do your results with it compare to cases from a dry tumbler using metal polish? Does the clean finish last a while?

Just looked at 300+ 38 SP, 200+ each of 44-40 and 45LC. They were cleaned 2 weeks ago and stored in plastic coffee cans with small dessicant packs in my shop with A/C on when I am there. Central Florida humidity runs 70-99% this time of the year.

 

To answer your question, they still look "better than new".

 

I sold my vibrating tumbler 2 years ago when I bought the Thumler's Tumbler. When I used the corn cob media with Dillon's Polishing Compound to clean BP brass, it removed the solids, but the stains were still there.

 

You might consider using a desiccant pack with your stored, cleaned brass to capture the moisture, instead of a second polishing with corn cob media.

 

Thanks for asking,

 

AR

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Thank you both, fellers, I appreciate the advice. I ordered some of that Rio Grande juice, so we'll see.

 

Mark

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