Media polish
- Thread starter clayking
- Start date
Midway polish
I've been using the Midway/Frankfort Arsenal liquid polish for some time now and have been very pleased with the results. You add x amount for the first time to load the media and then follow up with a smaller amount as time passes. You have to add the polish and run the media for about 4 minutes to get it mixed. A little goes a long way. 8 oz for $6.00, 32 oz for $22.00. And, it smells good!
I've been using the Midway/Frankfort Arsenal liquid polish for some time now and have been very pleased with the results. You add x amount for the first time to load the media and then follow up with a smaller amount as time passes. You have to add the polish and run the media for about 4 minutes to get it mixed. A little goes a long way. 8 oz for $6.00, 32 oz for $22.00. And, it smells good!
I use the wallnut shell from the pet store which is intended as floor litter in bird cages. I add 1 tblspoon liquid turtle wax every thousand rounds.
The bird cage wallnut is really inexpensive, cleans and polishes the same as the expensive wallnut. As a result of using the car wax, I have never had to lube a single straight walled pistol case.
The bird cage wallnut is really inexpensive, cleans and polishes the same as the expensive wallnut. As a result of using the car wax, I have never had to lube a single straight walled pistol case.
Lycanthrope
New member
Corncob and Nu Finish (from your automotive section at Auto Zone...Wal Mart...)
Clean brass in half an hour that doesn't need lubed and repels water.
Why pay more?
Clean brass in half an hour that doesn't need lubed and repels water.
Why pay more?
ammonia????????????
Scouring powder is mostly calcium carbonate. BTW, I've never lubed pistol brass in 50 years, wax or no. If you watch for sales at Midway and Graf and Midsouth, sometimes you can beat the Petsmart prices on walnut shell.
A long time ago someone told me that cleaning media does not really wear out or go bad. Of course, mine got pretty nasty looking after a while, like normal so I figured the old guy was just full of gas. I threw it out by the incinerator in back of the barn. As it will here, it rained all over the pile of media for months. I now have a nice clean little pile of media next to the incinerator. Looks and feels like new. I was tempted to try using it again, but I bought 25 pounds of it when it was cheap.
I still have the same load of media in my tumbler that replaced the pile. It's now over 3 or 4 years old. It still works fine. I load and shoot a lot of rounds working up loads for match shooting. I tumble after every shooting. I do occasionally take the tumbler out on a day with a slight breeze and pour the media out into my collecting bucket, letting the breeze blow the dust away. I have to add a little media from time to time because of this, but that box of walnut shell is still pretty heavy.
Scouring powder is mostly calcium carbonate. BTW, I've never lubed pistol brass in 50 years, wax or no. If you watch for sales at Midway and Graf and Midsouth, sometimes you can beat the Petsmart prices on walnut shell.
A long time ago someone told me that cleaning media does not really wear out or go bad. Of course, mine got pretty nasty looking after a while, like normal so I figured the old guy was just full of gas. I threw it out by the incinerator in back of the barn. As it will here, it rained all over the pile of media for months. I now have a nice clean little pile of media next to the incinerator. Looks and feels like new. I was tempted to try using it again, but I bought 25 pounds of it when it was cheap.
I still have the same load of media in my tumbler that replaced the pile. It's now over 3 or 4 years old. It still works fine. I load and shoot a lot of rounds working up loads for match shooting. I tumble after every shooting. I do occasionally take the tumbler out on a day with a slight breeze and pour the media out into my collecting bucket, letting the breeze blow the dust away. I have to add a little media from time to time because of this, but that box of walnut shell is still pretty heavy.
Lycanthrope
New member
Oh, you really can't overdo it. I use about 2 tablespoons per tumbler because I hate to wait for brass. Just mix it well so you don't have ny wet clumps in your casings.
Brasso has ammonia.
sindiesel666
New member
Does anyone have any scientific proof (or studies) proving or disproving this notion that ammonia supposedly damages/weakens brass?? I have read this on TFL and other sources as well, but you kow what they say about Internet... if it's the it must be the truth, and nothing but the truth.
I'd like some proof though.
I'd like some proof though.
Good question. Far too much dis-information on the net. From what I see, it is not good for brass, but I'm willing to bet, unless there is alot on the brass, and let alone for a long time, that it likely won't hurt much. But, to be on the safe side.....................ck
http://www.hghouston.com/coppers/brass73.htm
http://www.rmtech.net/Anhydrous Ammonia.htm
Good question. Far too much dis-information on the net. From what I see, it is not good for brass, but I'm willing to bet, unless there is alot on the brass, and let alone for a long time, that it likely won't hurt much. But, to be on the safe side.....................ck
http://www.hghouston.com/coppers/brass73.htm
http://www.rmtech.net/Anhydrous Ammonia.htm
sindiesel666
New member
Thanks Clayking, that is more than sufficient proof of what ammonia does to brass. Finally someone with some backing to their statements....
Ausserordeutlich
Moderator
Pour a little Sweet's on a piece of brass and see for yourself. Since there are many great products that don't contain ammonia, what's the purpose of using a cleaner that contains ammonia?
sindiesel666
New member
Ausserordeutlich, I never advocated use of ammonia-based cleaners for brass prep. I merely wanted to see if anyone out there had firm proof of alleged damaging/weakening effect of ammonia on brass. I just hate it when armchair commandos propagate and perpetuate all kinds of myths on the Internet without a shred of proof or evidence. :barf:
I myself use Frankford Arsenal polish with walnut media. Works great for me.
I myself use Frankford Arsenal polish with walnut media. Works great for me.
Ammonia and brass
A standard lab experiment in freshman chemistry is to dissolve copper in ammonium hydroxide, an excellent source of free ammonia. The copper dissolves very well forming a deep blue-green solution of the copper-ammonia complex.
Brass contains copper. Leaching the copper out with ammonia will weaken the brass. Eventually it will become brittle, lose its tensile strength and the case will fail. The reason it is so susceptible is that brass is really not a chemical compound, it is a solution of the two metals, copper and zinc, in each other. So that metallic copper is very easily found and dissolved by the ammonia. Go here for a discussion of some of the properties of brass.
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03403.htm
DON'T use cleaners with ammonia. You may get away with it for awhile but it will eventually cause a problem.
A standard lab experiment in freshman chemistry is to dissolve copper in ammonium hydroxide, an excellent source of free ammonia. The copper dissolves very well forming a deep blue-green solution of the copper-ammonia complex.
Brass contains copper. Leaching the copper out with ammonia will weaken the brass. Eventually it will become brittle, lose its tensile strength and the case will fail. The reason it is so susceptible is that brass is really not a chemical compound, it is a solution of the two metals, copper and zinc, in each other. So that metallic copper is very easily found and dissolved by the ammonia. Go here for a discussion of some of the properties of brass.
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03403.htm
DON'T use cleaners with ammonia. You may get away with it for awhile but it will eventually cause a problem.