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Cleaned some brass, WOW! Login/Join 
Shit don't
mean shit
posted
I've been working on a 5.56 brass stash the past few years. Finally decided to start reloading some of it. Most of the brass is range pickup, and very dirty. I've been tumbling it in walnut media and wasn't overly impressed with the results. Most of it still remained pretty dirty and oxidized. I was looking around on Youtube for cleaning tips when I ran across some folks using Lemi-Shine.

I had to go to a few stores to find it, but WOW, does it clean the brass! After 2 hours in the tumbler it looks brand new. No SS pins. Just 1/2 teaspoon Lemi-Shine, a few drops of dish soap and water, then tumbled for 2 hours. I also put everything in a tupperware container and let it sit overnight. It came out 85% clean, but there was still corrosion in some places. Tumbling definitely gets everything cleaner.

I had to go to a few stores to find it, but eventually found it at Safeway, next to Jet Dry.

I did some googling and Lemi-Shine is basically citric acid.

I'm sure some folks here have been using it for years, but I also thought there would be some folks who had never heard of it.



Not my video, and embedding isn't an option for this video, but here's a quick video on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...fR5b9uC5zBlITIoXVwsF
 
Posts: 5734 | Location: 7400 feet in Conifer CO | Registered: November 14, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Avoiding
slam fires
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not the same product but years ago I found Ball CITRIC Acid in the canning island at wal mart.
Does a good job also.
 
Posts: 22407 | Location: Georgia | Registered: February 19, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Careful leaving it too long. Depending on the amount of citric acid & the brass composition, it can turn a funny shade of pink. 30m is all I let it sit in any acid solution.


IF YOU AREN'T HANDLOADING, YOU AREN'T SHOOTING ENOUGH!
NRA Instruc: Basic Pistol & Met Reloading
 
Posts: 7789 | Location: ca, usa | Registered: February 17, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shit don't
mean shit
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Will do Fred, thanks for the tip!

I have so much brass to process I decided to throw down on the Geraud trimmer as well. Quite a hit to the wallet, but it should be worth it.
 
Posts: 5734 | Location: 7400 feet in Conifer CO | Registered: November 14, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
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Yes, it’s great stuff. I originally used it with the stainless steel pins, but got tired of trying to separate them out and used the Lemi Shine by itself with a little Dawn dishwashing detergent. The results weren’t quite as good as with the pins, but almost and much less trouble.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I squirt a small dab of NuFinish car polish on a piece of paper towel and put that in the tumbler. Makes the brass look brand new. I don’t like wet tumbling, so the NuFinish with corncob works for me.



Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
 
Posts: 8202 | Location: Utah | Registered: December 18, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
I squirt a small dab of NuFinish car polish on a piece of paper towel and put that in the tumbler. Makes the brass look brand new. I don’t like wet tumbling, so the NuFinish with corncob works for me.


I also use NuFinish. If you want to take it to the next level, in addition to NuFinish add in some mineral spirits. I dump in around 1/4 cup or so, it REALLY brings the shine up.
 
Posts: 480 | Registered: February 01, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Spread the Disease
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I use it in my dishwasher. Works great there, too.


________________________________________

-- Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. --
 
Posts: 17248 | Location: New Mexico | Registered: October 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
Yes, it’s great stuff. I originally used it with the stainless steel pins, but got tired of trying to separate them out and used the Lemi Shine by itself with a little Dawn dishwashing detergent. The results weren’t quite as good as with the pins, but almost and much less trouble.


Mr. Sigfreund - I was having this same issue until I purchased a Dillon media seperator. Now I dump the brass and SS pins into the basket, give the handle about 5-6 turns in each direction, and the pins fall into the bottom collection tub...

Just wanted to share what has worked for me Sir....Mark
 
Posts: 3239 | Location: MS | Registered: December 16, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Like a party
in your pants
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Does anybody clean there handguns in a ultra-sonic cleaner?
What solution would be good for this (non-water based)
 
Posts: 4609 | Location: Chicago, IL, USA: | Registered: November 17, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of sigcrazy7
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quote:
Originally posted by Chuck Perry:
quote:
Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
I squirt a small dab of NuFinish car polish on a piece of paper towel and put that in the tumbler. Makes the brass look brand new. I don’t like wet tumbling, so the NuFinish with corncob works for me.


I also use NuFinish. If you want to take it to the next level, in addition to NuFinish add in some mineral spirits. I dump in around 1/4 cup or so, it REALLY brings the shine up.


Do you pour the mineral spirits right onto the media? If so, does it cause it to clump up?



Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
 
Posts: 8202 | Location: Utah | Registered: December 18, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of erj_pilot
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quote:
Originally posted by armored:
Does anybody clean there handguns in a ultra-sonic cleaner?
What solution would be good for this (non-water based)

RCBS has their own solution, but I have yet to gather the courage to put any part of my firearms into the Sonic Cleaner.....



https://www.midwayusa.com/prod...cleaner-32-oz-liquid



"If you’re a leader, you lead the way. Not just on the easy ones; you take the tough ones too…” – MAJ Richard D. Winters (1918-2011), E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil... Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 5:20,24
 
Posts: 11054 | Location: NW Houston | Registered: April 04, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Do you pour the mineral spirits right onto the media? If so, does it cause it to clump up?

Yep, same with the NuFinish. I just dump it right into the media with the tumbler running, but before I add the brass. Let it run like that for 5 minutes or so, that will sort out all the clumps. Then add your brass and let it get to work.
 
Posts: 480 | Registered: February 01, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Thanks for the tip!

I have found if you put the NuFinish on a paper towel, the towel gets dirty so your media lasts longer. You just keep replacing the towels. I like the blue shop towels, cut into small squares about 2”x2”.



Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
 
Posts: 8202 | Location: Utah | Registered: December 18, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
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quote:
Originally posted by sigarmsp226:
Mr. Sigfreund - I was having this same issue until I purchased a Dillon media seperator.


Thank you; that is good to know.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
7.62mm Crusader
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When Midway sold the large 2092 tumblers, I had 3 of them set up back in a closer where I didnt have to hear them run. Each came with a large bottle of citrus smelling brass polish. Add a small amount to the corn cob media and it worked good.
 
Posts: 17891 | Location: The Bluegrass State! | Registered: December 23, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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^^^^So you don’t have to hear them run? I wish my sleep machine had a “brass tumbler” setting. Smile



Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
 
Posts: 8202 | Location: Utah | Registered: December 18, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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