Lyman Ultrasonic Cleaner....Looking for that shine

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Lyman Ultrasonic Cleaner....Looking for that shine

Posted: 1/19/2013 4:26:50 PM EDT

Hello all,

I recently purchased the Lyman Ultrasonic Cleaner. I mixed tap water and Hornady brass cleaner solution. I mixed it just as the directions stated (I think it was like 40oz to 1oz) and started the process. Since it was a test try, I only loaded maybe (30) .223 brass casings, turned on the heat, and let it go for a total of 8 minutes. It appeared to clean it fairly well, but it did not shine them even a little bit. Does anyone have any suggestions to get that bright factory shine? I read possibly putting them through a tumbler after the ultra cleaner? Any suggestions would be appreciated... Thanks!!!

Posted: 1/19/2013 4:30:37 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Hello all,

I recently purchased the Lyman Ultrasonic Cleaner. I mixed tap water and Hornady brass cleaner solution. I mixed it just as the directions stated (I think it was like 40oz to 1oz) and started the process. Since it was a test try, I only loaded maybe (30) .223 brass casings, turned on the heat, and let it go for a total of 8 minutes. It appeared to clean it fairly well, but it did not shine them even a little bit. Does anyone have any suggestions to get that bright factory shine? I read possibly putting them through a tumbler after the ultra cleaner? Any suggestions would be appreciated... Thanks!!!

according to the website, it says clean in 10 minutes, but does not mention shine. I would venture to guess you need to let it run longer to get a shine.

Posted: 1/19/2013 4:39:29 PM EDT

[#2]

My process is to wash brass in water with Lemi-Shine, then transfer to sonic cleaner loaded with distilled water and double strength Hornady solution. Then run however many cycles it takes to clean my LaPua .308 brass completely clean. Afterwards dry and tumble in Lyman green cob.

I dry tumble everything else. Sonic cleaners were a blip on everyone's radar. Wet tumbling is how most achieve bling theses days.

dc.

Posted: 1/19/2013 4:41:47 PM EDT

[#3]

I haven't been able to get a shine using an ultrasonic. It will clean the primer pockets and give the brass a general cleaning, but no shine like wet tumbling or dry tumbling with corn cob.

When using an ultrasonic I deprime first, ultra sonic lean, process the brass, then dry tumble in corn cob to remove lubricant and shine it up.

Wet tumbling with stainless steel media accomplishes both of these things.

Posted: 1/19/2013 4:50:09 PM EDT

[#4]

Wet tumbling in stainless media leaves a dull finish. The road to bling requires brass be polished.

Posted: 1/19/2013 5:07:32 PM EDT

[#5]

Thanks for the replies. I may have to look into the Tumbler....Any suggestions on Tumblers? I know all the major companies have them.

Posted: 1/19/2013 5:18:32 PM EDT

[#6]

I use a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner and this is how mine come out.

Posted: 1/19/2013 5:28:25 PM EDT

[#7]

OCD, ooohh, that's purtee !

eta, Hornady is what I use. If you want little d, dryflash3 bling, tumble in cob after ultrasonic cleaner.

Posted: 1/19/2013 5:29:31 PM EDT

[#8]

They look great AR. Mine definitely do not look like that.

Posted: 1/19/2013 5:33:38 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
They look great AR. Mine definitely do not look like that.

Distilled water makes a big difference. I've used tap and distilled. Hornady directions say to use distilled water.

Posted: 1/19/2013 5:43:03 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
They look great AR. Mine definitely do not look like that.

Distilled water makes a big difference. I've used tap and distilled. Hornady directions say to use distilled water.

Thanks 1911.

Definitely gonna try the distilled sonic, followed up by the tumbler with some media, and maybe a little Nu-Finish. Time to spend more money on a Tumbler....

Posted: 1/19/2013 6:04:08 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Wet tumbling in stainless media leaves a dull finish. The road to bling requires brass be polished.

Your doing it wrong if you don't get the bling with wet tumbling.

Posted: 1/19/2013 6:22:14 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
They look great AR. Mine definitely do not look like that.

Thanks. Here's some .38s

It is true it takes a few cycles to get the cases looking good and I use distilled water and a little vinegar on the last one but running multiple cycles is just a matter of pushing a button.

Posted: 1/19/2013 6:53:55 PM EDT

[#13]

Didn't think about vinegar, rinsing with distilled water almost gets brass to bling. PH of vinegar gives that extra push. 20 minutes in green cob afterwards really does it.

Posted: 1/19/2013 6:54:18 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Wet tumbling in stainless media leaves a dull finish. The road to bling requires brass be polished.

This 40 S&W brass was wet tumbled with SS media and it doesn't look very dull to me.

Posted: 1/19/2013 7:41:44 PM EDT

[#15]

You're right it doesn't, until compared with same brass having been tumbled for 20-30 minutes in green cob. Ultrasonic with double strength Hornady solution run with distilled water produces same results. Brass darkens a bit after dry. Run with green cob I get a bright luster.

Posted: 1/19/2013 7:44:11 PM EDT

[#16]

Don't add vinegar, that removes the passivated surface produced by the citric acid from the Lemishine. Brass tumbled with vinegar in the solution turns brassy colored after rinsing and drying. Doesn't hurt anything, it's just not a brilliant as the brass above.

Posted: 1/21/2013 7:50:52 PM EDT

[#17]

I picked up my Frankford Arsenal Tumbler kit today. Just so I'm clear, I can ultrasonic with the Hornady solution first for about 8 minutes......Then follow it up by using the tumbler with some Lemishine and Walnut or Green Cob media?

Does it matter if the brass is still wet from the sonic cleaner before I tumble? How long does the Tumbling take? Sorry for all the questions. I just came upon a few thousand .223 rounds once fired right off the range and I'm not letting them go to waste. Thanks!

Posted: 1/21/2013 10:04:33 PM EDT

[#18]

..use this:

Ultrasonic Recipe

CLEAN and SHINY
24 minutes - 50% Vinegar + 1 Drop Dish Soap per 8 ounces water
380 seconds - Birchwood Casey (BC) Case Cleaner
380 seconds - Hot Water
380 seconds - Distilled Water
Total: 43 minutes
Cost: $2.00 per gallon for the Vinegar and $4.00 per gallon for BC Cleaner.

This "Clean and Shiny" procedure gave me the best combination of carbon removal, case luster, speed, and economy. The "Clean and Shiny" regimen also eliminates the neutralization step, as the BC cleaner acts as a neutralizer. Even though it contains a few acids, they must rinse off more readily than vinegar. Regular household vinegar is 5% acetic acid (2.5% when diluted) and the BC cleaner contains 3 different acids, one of which is phosphoric (the same found in pepsi). It starts at over 50% acid as a concentrate, and a little over 3% when diluted.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:04:04 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
..use this:

Ultrasonic Recipe

CLEAN and SHINY
24 minutes - 50% Vinegar + 1 Drop Dish Soap per 8 ounces water
380 seconds - Birchwood Casey (BC) Case Cleaner
380 seconds - Hot Water
380 seconds - Distilled Water
Total: 43 minutes
Cost: $2.00 per gallon for the Vinegar and $4.00 per gallon for BC Cleaner.

This "Clean and Shiny" procedure gave me the best combination of carbon removal, case luster, speed, and economy. The "Clean and Shiny" regimen also eliminates the neutralization step, as the BC cleaner acts as a neutralizer. Even though it contains a few acids, they must rinse off more readily than vinegar. Regular household vinegar is 5% acetic acid (2.5% when diluted) and the BC cleaner contains 3 different acids, one of which is phosphoric (the same found in pepsi). It starts at over 50% acid as a concentrate, and a little over 3% when diluted.

+1 for this except I don't use the BC I use the one with baking soda instead. I just switched to a wet tumbler as the US just didn't handle the quantity that I reload at . A thousand rounds would take all day.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:13:04 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
You're right it doesn't, until compared with same brass having been tumbled for 20-30 minutes in green cob. Ultrasonic with double strength Hornady solution run with distilled water produces same results. Brass darkens a bit after dry. Run with green cob I get a bright luster.

I wonder if perhaps wet tumble then get the media out and spin them as dry as you can in the media seperator. Then throw them into the walnut media for a luster plus to withdraw the moisture? You'd have to ensure a proper mix so that any liquid (water) absorbed would not soak the walnut, but shouldn't be too hard to do that would probably give the ultimate bling and quicken the drying time as well.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:45:25 AM EDT

[#21]

I'm a new guy here in the reloading section, and have both a tumbler and the ultra sonic cleaner.

When tumbling, does any of the media say in the case? Do you need to rinse or low it out?

I plan to use the ultrasonic cleaner to clean, and tumbler to remove lube.

Posted: 1/22/2013 1:32:09 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
I'm a new guy here in the reloading section, and have both a tumbler and the ultra sonic cleaner.

When tumbling, does any of the media say in the case? Do you need to rinse or low it out?

I plan to use the ultrasonic cleaner to clean, and tumbler to remove lube.

You will need to separate the media, no matter which kind, and check the interior of the cases and the flash holes.

I dumped walnut and corn cob with my hands for a long time, and I followed the walnut with a blast of compressed air. Now I use a Dillon separator, and it's great.

Stainless steel media mostly comes out in the rotary separator, but some pieces tend to cling to the brass since they are wet. The wires can jam into flash holes fairly tight; I haven't had any, that I've found anyway, but dryflash3 has a whole rogues gallery of cases with pins stuck.

Posted: 1/22/2013 5:34:00 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

I'm a new guy here in the reloading section, and have both a tumbler and the ultra sonic cleaner.

When tumbling, does any of the media say in the case? Do you need to rinse or low it out?

I plan to use the ultrasonic cleaner to clean, and tumbler to remove lube.

When you say you are tumbling, if you specify wet or dry tumbling, we will know what you are talking about.

Can't tell from your post.

Posted: 1/22/2013 5:45:30 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I'm a new guy here in the reloading section, and have both a tumbler and the ultra sonic cleaner.

When tumbling, does any of the media say in the case? Do you need to rinse or low it out?

I plan to use the ultrasonic cleaner to clean, and tumbler to remove lube.

When you say you are tumbling, if you specify wet or dry tumbling, we will know what you are talking about.

Can't tell from your post.

Hornady ultrasonic, and corn cob tumbler.

Posted: 1/22/2013 5:58:19 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I'm a new guy here in the reloading section, and have both a tumbler and the ultra sonic cleaner.

When tumbling, does any of the media say in the case? Do you need to rinse or low it out?

I plan to use the ultrasonic cleaner to clean, and tumbler to remove lube.

When you say you are tumbling, if you specify wet or dry tumbling, we will know what you are talking about.

Can't tell from your post.

Hornady ultrasonic, and corn cob tumbler.

Ok, that would be dry tumbling.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:59:00 PM EDT

[#26]

Cabelas 400 Vibratory Tumbler with corn cob and Nu Finish

Posted: 2/14/2013 9:30:26 AM EDT

[#27]

Search and u shall receive.....this is what I needed

Posted: 2/14/2013 10:46:14 AM EDT

[#28]

With regards to wet tumbling... I've been noticing lately that the pins are getting stuck in the .223 primer pockets, necks and flash holes. Just a few cases, mind you, but enough. Small needle nose pliers to get them out.

I wonder if my stainless steel pins are getting shorter somehow? This never happened before last week...

Posted: 2/14/2013 11:44:35 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
I picked up my Frankford Arsenal Tumbler kit today. Just so I'm clear, I can ultrasonic with the Hornady solution first for about 8 minutes......Then follow it up by using the tumbler with some Lemishine and Walnut or Green Cob media?

Does it matter if the brass is still wet from the sonic cleaner before I tumble? How long does the Tumbling take? Sorry for all the questions. I just came upon a few thousand .223 rounds once fired right off the range and I'm not letting them go to waste. Thanks!

I don't think the Lemishine will do you any good in the Walnut or Corn Cob. Lemishine is powdered Citric acid and needs to be dissolved in the wet tumbler solution to be effective. If I were you I would start with the US as you suggest to get the cases clean, then after drying and resizing I would use the dry tumbler with Corn Cob and a capful of Dillon Case Polish or NuFinish car polish to shine them up. Time for tumbling will depend on how shiny you want them. 20 minutes might be enough, or you may have to run them for a couple hours.

Posted: 2/14/2013 11:56:16 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

With regards to wet tumbling... I've been noticing lately that the pins are getting stuck in the .223 primer pockets, necks and flash holes. Just a few cases, mind you, but enough. Small needle nose pliers to get them out.

I wonder if my stainless steel pins are getting shorter somehow? This never happened before last week...

My theory is it's the flashole diameter of certain cases.

Next time I get a batch with more than a couple of stuck pins I will measure the FH diameters.

Posted: 3/3/2013 5:22:33 PM EDT

[#31]

Sweet looking brass!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Lyman Ultrasonic Cleaner....Looking for that shine

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