Case cleaning

[dsculley]

As a neophyte reloader, I have a question for all you pros. Do you clean your fired cases prior to reloading each time? A couple of my friends who helped me get started do not routinely clean their fired cases. I was reading an article on another site the other night that got me thinking that there may be residue in fired cases that I do not want going down my barrel. I know that the usual way to clean cases is in an vibratory type tumbler with some type of solid media. The guy who wrote the article i read was using a rock tumbler and using a liquid cleaner (water, lemon juice, a couple of drops of dish detergent). Since it appears that it is the weak acid in the lemon juice, I figured any weak acid would work and simply soaked some .45 ACP brass in a solution of tap water, vinegar and a couple of drops of dish detergent. I simply agitated the container several times during the soaking/cleaning process and the brass seems to sparkle inside and out. I will, of course, completely dry the cases before reloading, either in the oven or air dry. What do you guys think?

[dolomite_supafly]

Cleaning is not required but there are reasons I do it. First it keeps the abrasive crud out of my dies. Second is for looks, I personally clean all my brass for these two reasons.

What I use to clean is Lemishine and can be found at WM. I mix it with a little of dishwashing soap then allow the brass to soak about 24 hours. After this I dry the cases then tumble them for a few hours. At this point I know they are clean so I start processing them. Normally after processing I put then back in the tumbler if I used case lube to remove it.

In my tumbler I use very fine walnut media that I buy from pet stores for about $1 a pound. It is fine enough that it doesn't get stuck in the flash hole of the case. In the walnut media I add a few tsp's of NuFinish to give a nice shine also.

It may be a little overboard but it works for me.

[82boy]

Some people get excited about case cleaning. Some people don't like tumblers, because they claim that the process will "work harden" the brass. I know people that never clean there brass, and have done well. I clean my brass because I don't want the crud in my dies. I use never dull, to clean the necks of the cases, and I clean the primer pockets every reloading. It works well for me.

[MikeCTX]

Some people get excited about case cleaning. Some people don't like tumblers, because they claim that the process will "work harden" the brass. I know people that never clean there brass, and have done well. I clean my brass because I don't want the crud in my dies. I use never dull, to clean the necks of the cases, and I clean the primer pockets every reloading. It works well for me.

+1 on the primer pockets...it just makes the prime step easier for me - actually just like to clean my brass, tumble for a couple of hours just to kick the curde off, then 2nd tumble after I resize to be sure all the lube is off. Have some Lapua 223 that is on it's 12 reload, so must not be overworking to much.

[steveinwv]

Clean the primer pocket and the soot off of the neck and shoulder.

[JCalhoun]

I only tumble range pick ups. Usually because they can get dirt in them and sometimes will be tarnished.

For brass that I get new and fire myself I wipe off the outside with a clean cloth and clean the inside with a plastic bottle brush to get the powder/primer residue out. This happens after trimming and chamfering.

[GaCop]

I give my cases a swipe with 4/0 steel wool and clean the inside of the neck with it before loading.

[Dennis]

What I use to clean is Lemishine and can be found at WM

Forgive my ignorance . . . but what is Lemishine and what section is it found in WM?



ALSO, does anyone use an ultrasonic cleaner?

[RWO]

A good article on ultrasonic cleaning can be found here: http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

[dolomite_supafly]

What I use to clean is Lemishine and can be found at WM

Forgive my ignorance . . . but what is Lemishine and what section is it found in WM?



It is a cleaner that can be found in the dishsoap section of WM superstores. It is like $2 a bottle and will last a long time.

Dolomite

[Three44s]

I am also a big fan of Never Dull and use it to clean very tarnished cases .... usually spin the case on a cordless drill or my drill press and if the cases are properly cared for ...... they stay that way.

I don't clean between every loading .... it just depends on all the variables.

But I am not allergic to using my case shaker ..... but I do run it when I don't have to listen to ...........

As to acid baths, I would suggest short dips and long rinses ...... I have not resorted to that method but am considering it to see how it works.

The biggest bugaboo would be as to pickups to make REAL SURE that the interior of the case does not harbor some foreign object that reduces internal case volume as that would likely raise pressures and could even more down the barrel upon firing ......... not pretty.

Three 44s

[Dennis]

I recieved my ultrasonic cleaner and tried the vinegar and dishwashing soap solution. I wasn't to impressed. I worked but did not clean the primer holes like stated. It did not clean the inside of the case as good either.

The ISSO kit with a bucket and mesh bag worked better. Even the inside of the case were spotless.

I did order the ultrasonic cleaning solution Hornady makes and I am going to try it.

I might even try the Ammonia solution, or just wait for the Hornady stuff!

[Blue Avenger]

can you put the ISSO in the ultrasonic?

[Dennis]

It strickly "STATES" on the IOSSO (and other similiar product) container "NOT" to "USE" in or "STORE" this product in "ANY" metal container!

The ultrasonic cleaner pan is stainless steel!

IOSSO does not list any chemicals on the container, but Birchwood does and they state the same thing about storing and using in metal containers.

BIRCHWOOD: Contains Phosphoric and Glycolic ACIDS

I hope there is a rocket scientist (or chemicial expert) on this site who will state otherwise for using these products in a stainless steel 2 quart pan!

Maybe the ultrasonic and acids don't go together, I DON'T KNOW! But as with anything concerning our hobby, I am not going to take a chance!

I have also looked at several automotive wheel cleaners which I know are safe on all wheels, chrome, aluminium, etc., but I am scared to use these products in the ultrasonic cleaner!

That's why I just might wait for the Hornady cleaner which might be something we use everyday with their name on it!

[borg]

I am reviving this thread.

I am REALLY surprised that an ultrasonic cleaner failed to get the brass clean. That just doesn't sound right at all.

Dilute acid solutions are often used to clean (stainless) steel. Phosphoric acid will blacken surface rust on steel and then can be scrubbed off. Supposedly. I tried it once while repairing one of the vacuum pumps in the lab and it formed a fairly durable coating on the bearing surface. I just left it.

That doesn't mean that you should store aqueous acids in a metal container. It's analogous to cleaning glassware. One of the best ways to is to use a base bath. However, if you leave it in there too long and you'll etch the glass and ruin it. Similarly, acids can eat into a metal container over time. Also, after removing a piece of steel from an acidic solution it will often flash rust upon exposure to air. Like, shazam! Rust. I ran into that problem with the pump also. I tried dunking it into boiling distilled water but even that didn't work. That's when I switched to the phosphoric acid.

I tried washing my brass in an aqueous solution of Tide and vinegar and I was not pleased with the results. When left for a few hours the brass discolored to a pinkish hue and acquired a very "grippy" surface that did not go away with rinsing. I would monitor the brass very closely if you try this. With the potent combination of rough brass, Cabela's lube, and inexperience, I managed to get one .30-06 case lodged so firmly in my Lee full length sizing die that I had to buy a new one. The person on their end who tried unsucessfully to remove the case actually penned me a personal note telling me to switch lubes. I did, and I also individually polished the remaining cases with a shellholder, an electric drill, a cotton patch, and some Flitz. For the case mouths I wrapped fine steel wool over a .22 caliber wire brush.

[amadjuster]

I have used H380 in some .308 loads and it works well but it left a powder residue on the necks that was almost fuzzy. There were shot in a Ruger 77 years ago and the chamber was egg shaped and I think the neck was large enough to where it would not seal. Also, H380 is pretty dirty anyway.

My Lyman 1200 cleaned the case body but left what looked like black varnish on the necks. The only way I could get it off was to use some Simichrome and work on the necks, and this was time consuming. Well, I discovered Iossio, or however you spell it, and it is wonderful. I put the fuzzy cases in the little mesh bag and put it in the little bucket and then poured the cleaner over the brass and let it sit about 10 minutes. I rinsed them in water and let them dry a little, them popped them into the vibrator and ran it an hour,swished the necks with some OOOO steel wool, and the cases look new. If anyone else is having problems getting the necks of their cases clean, try some of this. It also cleans the residue from the inside of the cases as well.

I have sizing and loading dirty brass because it gets crud on your dies, and can't be good for your chamber. As far as tumbling or vibrating work hardening your brass, someone sat up late one night to come up with that one.

[max]

I recently purchased an ultrasonic cleaner and used the instructions outlined on the above website. The results were as stated and in fact didn't require nearly as much time in the 50% vinegar solution if the cases were anywhere near clean to begin with. The inside of the cases were very clean and the primer pockets while not spotless were far better than if I had used a primer pocket cleaner.