Can't Help the Sickness: My New Tumbling Criteria

[Shane Tuttle]

Yep, leave it to me, Mr. OCD. All these years I had my own little simple method on tumbling my brass. But NNNOOOO! I had to hop aboard the TFL train and start reading how everyone gets 6 by using half-dozen other methods...

My original method: MidwayUSA tumbler (they sell a Frankfort Arsenal now. Different bowl, same basic setup). Dry walnut media with cut up used dryer sheets. Tumble dirty brass for a couple of hours. Corn media next with just a bit of Midway's polish agent. Tumble for 4-8hrs. Wipe clean with towel briefly and off I go.

Samples of different methods I've read here since joining:

1. Walnut and/or corn media with polishing agent(s): NuFinish, Mineral Spirits, Brasso (wet or used in dry powder form), Midway's, Dillon's, Johnson's Paste Wax, etc.

2. Washing techniques: Mild detergent (ie Dawn) and warm water, Iosso, etc. Then, either air dry or bake in oven on low.

3. Do nothing but wipe down and size. Shiny doesn't matter, "clean" does.

So, what do I do? I take some extra meds and try something (shriek) different. I tried using about 1/8c. of mineral spirits in my walnut media. I was nervous in placing any type of flammable fluid in a tumbler that wasn't designed for a wet tumbling. But I thought it's just a small amount and left the lid off for adequate ventilation. When the spirits seemed to soak in the media, I added the cut up used dryer sheets and then the brass.

Lo, and behold, the media's dust was cut down even further than using the sheets and the media seemed to really attack the dirt from the brass. Also, they seemed a little shinier than usual. Hmmm...

So, I stuck them in the corn media and it's in the tumbler as I type. Now, here's where the plot thickens.

I already tumbled another batch with my usual method. But, when I got done, I wanted to use the mild soap and water method to rid of the layer of cob media left instead of wiping them down. I washed those bad-boys up in the kitchen sink and rinsed thoroughly. I slapped them on old cookie sheets to make a single layer. Into the preheated oven at 170 deg. they went for about 30min.

When I pulled them out, they made the kitchen look brighter (well, maybe not). These guys were cleaner than a baby's bottom. That's good AND bad.

Now, I think I made things even worse. Looks like I'll be tumbling with walnut/spirits, corn/polish, THEN wash and dry in the oven......AAAAAAHHHHH!! Dang, this OCD.

Maybe I'll just go back to my original method......

Well, maybe that plus a wash cycle....

Then again....

 

[Gewehr98]

You think that's bad?

Wait'll you get a laboratory/industrial ultrasonic cleaner, and buzz that brass prior to tumbling it.

(Or so I've heard...)

 

[Shane Tuttle]

DON'T tempt me....

 

[SavageMOA]

That's a shame you don't try the ultrasonic cleaner... I hear it makes them even BRIGHTER. Oh well. I understand that you'll settle for sub-par brass cleaning.

I'm just messing with you, friend. I just wanna see you try it so I can hear what it's like.

 

[PCJim]

Tuttle, you are wasting those (hopefully unscented) mineral spirits. Ya only need a tablespoon or two at the most splashed on the media to be effective. I've cleaned probably 10K of pistol brass with the same walnut media using spirits. It's black, but continues to do it's job.

With all the comments about using Nu-Finish car polish (not a wax!), I've broken down and purchased a bottle. Figured I'll either have to wear sunglasses when working with the tumbled brass, or when looking at the wife's Explorer. And yes, I now have four, yes four, Arizona Iced Tea one gallon jugs each with it's own media mixture. Extremely dirty walnut which I splash with spirits for the initial cleaning, very clean walnut with Nu-Finish which I use to clean the lube after initial sizing and trimming, and two with corn media for.... well, they're there but haven't been used in quite some time.

Hey, are those padded walls in these rooms........

 

[Shane Tuttle]

Hey, are those padded walls in these rooms........

4 inches thick my good man....and a complimentary straight, uh, white windbraker...

Yes, the mineral spirits I'm using are low odor from Lowe's. So, even an 1/8c is too much? Huh. I'll take it easy on the application next go-around....

I'm just messing with you, friend. I just wanna see you try it so I can hear what it's like.

Unfortunately, from the prices I've seen for a quality ultrasonic cleaner, it may be a while before I splurge for one of those. Then again, if I explain to the better half that we're spending more on my meds than we normally do because of this experiment, the ultrasonic cleaner would offset the costs....hmmmm....

 

[jckeffer]

I'm a little embarrassed to tell how I polish my brass - except that the lasting effect is unbelievable. I put the brass in my drill press, adjust it to a medium speed and use Nevr Dull wadding polish followed by a soft cloth. Yes I know it sound excessive but once polished to a mirror finish (20-30 seconds) the shines lasts for a long time (more than a year in a styrofoam shell holder). The best thing is the next cleanup - 30 minutes in my Thumler's Tumbler Ultra Vibe and they're just like I just polished them.

 

[Don H]

I tried using about 1/8c. of mineral spirits in my walnut media.

Tuttle, you are wasting those (hopefully unscented) mineral spirits. Ya only need a tablespoon or two at the most splashed on the media to be effective.

Ummm, 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons.

 

[PCJim]

Thanks, Don, for that clarification. I was imagining half of a quarter measuring cup which seems a lot more than what I normally use. I just measured it and agree that's about how much I use.

I'm getting tired of bouncing off these walls.......

 

[Shane Tuttle]

Ummm, 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons.

Good. I doubted myself because I'm no cook in the kitchen.

I see quite a few members just getting into tumbling ask how many is too many cases in the tumbler?

Well, I think it does matter what brand of tumbler is used. My "cheap" tumbler does well with media filled to the midway line in the bowl. The level sits just shy of overflowing the center mount section. Then, I add in brass until it's pretty packed. The motor loads down some, but not excessively. The actual tumbling action of the brass is pretty slow, but steady. If it's at a near stop, that's too much.

I believe packing in the brass makes the media work between them a bit more efficiently. Again, not overkill, but the brass doesn't exactly have personal space between each other.

 

[Alleykat]

I use the Frankford Arsenal tumbler with a 50/50 mix of pet store crushed walnut and non-pet store crushed corn cob. I use a couple of caps of NuFinish as a polishing agent. Brass always comes out clean and shiny. What's the problem?

 

[JAYBIRD78]

The real question Tuttle is ............Does your wife know you are putting dirty ammo in her oven?

I once thought of using the dishwasher and then decided that it was not worth the future drama.

Walnut, NuFinish and used dryer sheets for me.

Good luck

 

[Mike40-11]

Hmm. My current Franford tumbler came with a bag of corncob media about 2 years and maybe 8,000 rounds ago.

They're still looking clean when they come out.....

 

[Big Don]

clean/shiny, inside and out

What a great thread for the OCD types...
We always seem to focus on the outside shine but how many of you experience true inner "shine" on your brass with your various mixtures? Do you find the crud on the inside actually going away with your various media mixes?
I'm not about to put a polishing device into each of my .45 cases so I just accept the fact the brass looks nice (and is easier to find in the dirt), thanks to walnut shells/corn cobs and NuFinish but the black stuff will live on forever inside the case.

 

[PCJim]

Unscented mineral spirits.....

seem to do a pretty good job with walnut on cleaning the insides of the 45acp cases, much more than smaller cases like the 9mm.

How 'bout if y'all just accept my word that the inside of all my cases, prior to reloading, were just as shiney as the outsides still are!

 

[Shane Tuttle]

The real question Tuttle is ............Does your wife know you are putting dirty ammo in her oven?

SHE thinks they're clean....

What's the problem?

OCD. Need I say more?

What a great thread for the OCD types...

Helps me curb my sickness anyway. Glad you appreciate my attempt to make light of my problem(s)....

We always seem to focus on the outside shine but how many of you experience true inner "shine" on your brass with your various mixtures? Do you find the crud on the inside actually going away with your various media mixes?
I'm not about to put a polishing device into each of my .45 cases so I just accept the fact the brass looks nice (and is easier to find in the dirt), thanks to walnut shells/corn cobs and NuFinish but the black stuff will live on forever inside the case.

The crud gets cleaned out with my initial method. When I started washing with soap/water, it seemed to really clean it up. It isn't as shiny as the outside, though (Baby steps, baby steps...)

How 'bout if y'all just accept my word that the inside of all my cases, prior to reloading, were just as shiney as the outsides still are!

That's what I keep tellin' myself....

 

[Gewehr98]

If you buzz the stuff ultrasonically...

You WILL get a nice inner shine, too. Trust me - that's how I clean my blackpowder .45-70 brass. I don't want corrosive stuff remaining inside when the outside is nice and shiny.

 

[PDXGS]

Hey guys....you do know that there is dirt under the house don't you?!

I feel so.........dirty.....but so normal! Thanks for the reset!