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Posted: 2/11/2020 12:52:15 AM EDT
Earlier today I received a box of range brass from another ARF member. The box contained about 250 dirty .40 cases and a small ziploc containing 35 pieces of wet-tumbled .380 Auto brass.
Not just any wet-tumbled pistol brass but the cleanest, shiniest, most gleaming brass I have ever seen. Amazing bling-ness 
His pistol brass routine is to do a basic cleaning in an ultrasonic unit using Lyman ultrasonic cleaner (alternative: dry tumble in walnut). Then after depriming/resizing the brass goes into a HFT tumbler with Dishwashing soap, Meguiar's "Deep Crystal" Car Wash, and a rather high ratio of pins to brass. He says he runs this for about six hours. He is not using Lemishine. The results are obviously spectacular. Off to the auto parts store to get some of this car wash soap. I want to try this. |
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Posted: 2/11/2020 2:37:17 AM EDT
[#1]
All I use is FA's brass cleaner, a touch of dawn and pins sometimes....I am pretty happy with the results after 1.5-2 hours in the tumbler...
Some done with pins...  Attached File Attached FileThe last ones I did without pins...  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/11/2020 3:09:29 AM EDT
[#2]
I hear the “wash and wax” products do a great job of cleaning and staying shiny.
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Posted: 2/11/2020 1:27:10 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I hear the “wash and wax” products do a great job of cleaning and staying shiny. Edit: Here is some once fired LC I just converted. ~1 hour wash in dawn with lemishine and pins. Processed to 300 BO. ~ 0.5 hour wash with lemishine and Armor All wash and wax to knock off the lube. (home built tumbler)  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/11/2020 8:05:32 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yes, they do for sure. Edit: Here is some once fired LC I just converted. ~1 hour wash in dawn with lemishine and pins. Processed to 300 BO. ~ 0.5 hour wash with lemishine and Armor All wash and wax to knock off the lube. (home built tumbler) https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/480138/20170331_193709_jpg-1272390.JPG Cool avatar photo! |
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Posted: 2/11/2020 8:20:59 PM EDT
[#5]
OP,
How’d the new method work out for you? |
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Posted: 2/12/2020 5:53:55 AM EDT
[#6]
I haven't done it yet as I have yet to go purchase any car wash product. Maybe later today.
Another issue we deal with is the quality of the local water. While not "hard" it's not exactly "soft", either, and has an elevated pH. |
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Posted: 2/12/2020 6:43:29 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Was that brass used in a suppressed gun? It doesn't seem like enough time. What tumbler? Cool avatar photo!  Attached FileThis is a view looking into the tumbler. I ripped 2" PVC into strips for agitators so the brass gets tossed pretty decent.  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/14/2020 1:54:24 PM EDT
[#8]
I settled on a 64 oz. bottle of "Auto Drive Car Wash" liquid from my unfavorite big box store for $2.74 because they didn't have the Meguire's Deep Crystal and I didn't feel like driving across town to "Auto Parts Store Row" and pay more.
We'll give it a test run. |
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Posted: 2/14/2020 2:37:54 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I settled on a 64 oz. bottle of "Auto Drive Car Wash" liquid from my unfavorite big box store for $2.74 because they didn't have the Meguire's Deep Crystal and I didn't feel like driving across town to "Auto Parts Store Row" and pay more. We'll give it a test run. |
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Posted: 2/14/2020 2:51:26 PM EDT
[#10]
It probably doesn't matter and that's why I bought the cheapo stuff this morning.
Last night I tumbled approx. 260 9mm/380 cases using the last of the guntap detergent (approx. 1.5 tsp) and a bunch of pins. That HFT drum was seriously overloaded but I ran it for 2 hours and the brass came out looking better than ever but still not as bling as yours. Getting better, though. |
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Posted: 2/14/2020 4:18:32 PM EDT
[#11]
I went shooting this morning. Zeroed two rifles and test fired my new G48.
Now I’m going to continue prepping 9mm for loading.  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/14/2020 10:51:31 PM EDT
[#12]
This evening's attempt is exactly 1 pound each of .40 brass and pins and 16 oz. of water in a HFT rubber drum. About 3-4 drops of Dawn and about a cap full of Auto Drive Ultimate Car Wash.
The brass was previously dry tumbled in corncob treated with NuFinish for maybe 3-4 hours so the outside is already pretty shiny we'll see what happens after 2 hours. ETA: The result - No better or worse than previous tumblings using Dawn/Lemishine or Guntap's Brass Detergent. I'll continue to use the car wash product as ounce for ounce it's cheaper than Dawn. I've got a 2nd batch of .40 brass running this time I added a pinch of Lemishine and will run the tumbler overnight just to see what happens. ETA: The result - same as before. Very clean inside and out and pretty shiny but still that slightly dull matte finish and no "gleam". IMO this is likely because the car wash product contains no wax. Again, I'm still going to use it because it still does a great job and was cheap. If someone else out there wants to try a "wash 'n' wax" product please feel free to tag this thread and report your results. |
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Posted: 2/16/2020 8:18:13 AM EDT
[#13]
I've been using Turtle wax Zip-wax...only because I use it on my truck. I see it's about 10 bucks for a half gallon on Amazon, (gotta order some more). Very pleased with the results, and it keeps the brass shiny for at least six months.
That's about how long I've used it, sometime w/ a bit of Lemishine sometimes not...no apparent difference, all nice and shiny. I like clean primer pockets for some reason. Here in Michigan we have pretty good tap water, I even drink it. |
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Posted: 2/27/2020 7:11:40 AM EDT
[#14]
(HFT tumbler) Did a batch of approx. 100 pcs of 9mm brass, a pound of pins, barely enough water to cover, 1/2 tsp. of Lemi, and a squirt of dawn. This means half the inside of the rubber drum was airspace.
I started it at 8:45 last night with the intention of pulling it after about 90 minutes. Fell asleep so the tumbler ran for 7.5 hours. Brass looks incredible  . The inside is damn near as mirror-like as the outside; the primer pockets spotless.
The variable that changed from previous batches was the run time. I typically run them for 30-60 minutes. |
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Posted: 2/27/2020 7:40:24 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I hear the “wash and wax” products do a great job of cleaning and staying shiny. |
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Posted: 2/27/2020 9:25:36 AM EDT
[#16]
Time is fine for pistol brass, but you will straight up ruin the accuracy potential of rifle brass if you leave it in a tumbler for 7 hours.
Try a test. Leave a few cases out of the tumbler, and put some in for 7 hours. You'll be able to feel the difference seating bullets between the two cases; that difference will be due to peening the heck out of the case mouth on the 7-hour brass. In my experience you're not removing that peening with a hand tool; I can only giruad it off too. Just a friendly PSA. 
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Posted: 2/27/2020 9:42:42 AM EDT
[#17]
What are pins
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Posted: 2/27/2020 10:17:29 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What are pins 
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Posted: 2/27/2020 11:08:11 AM EDT
[#19]
I wouldn't intentionally wet-tumble rifle brass overnight (pistol brass tends to be dirtier than rifle).
"What are pins" Stainless steel wet-tumbling media. Typical size is approx. 1/2" long (if that) by .047" in diameter (to prevent clogging flash holes). The media sometimes comes in the form of tiny chips (not as common). |
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Posted: 2/27/2020 11:27:36 AM EDT
[#20]
I find that 3-4 hours is plenty. Mine is very blingy. Using the og dawn and lemishine.
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Posted: 2/27/2020 2:25:13 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I wouldn't intentionally wet-tumble rifle brass overnight (pistol brass tends to be dirtier than rifle). "What are pins" Stainless steel wet-tumbling media. Typical size is approx. 1/2" long (if that) by .047" in diameter (to prevent clogging flash holes). The media sometimes comes in the form of tiny chips (not as common). Runs for 4 hours, then every 4 hours runs for 15 minutes. Next day, about 24 hours later, tumbler gets emptied. Cases look great. Cold water Lemishine and Dawn, is all I ever use. SS media is no where's close to 3/4 inch long. Unless that poster got something out of sped, not meant for wet tumbling brass. |
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Posted: 2/27/2020 3:40:21 PM EDT
[#22]
I think I have a lamp timer around here someplace so when I purchase that FART-LITE (has no integral timer) I'll have one.
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Posted: 2/28/2020 6:55:53 AM EDT
[#23]
Tumbled some more 9's this morning about 150 pieces for 2 hours. Results were just as good as running it overnight.
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Posted: 2/28/2020 8:47:42 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Tumbled some more 9's this morning about 150 pieces for 2 hours. Results were just as good as running it overnight. Few years ago tried tumbling rifle brass for 3+ hours and the necks were pretty beat up after, and still was not that clean. |
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Posted: 2/28/2020 10:47:14 AM EDT
[#25]
A lot of the bigger name brass companies that re-sell tumble wet with no media then "polish" using a 2nd round of tumbling in corn cob to bring out the shine.
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Posted: 2/28/2020 2:59:45 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
(HFT tumbler) Did a batch of approx. 100 pcs of 9mm brass, a pound of pins, barely enough water to cover, 1/2 tsp. of Lemi, and a squirt of dawn. This means half the inside of the rubber drum was airspace. I started it at 8:45 last night with the intention of pulling it after about 90 minutes. Fell asleep so the tumbler ran for 7.5 hours. Brass looks incredible . The inside is damn near as mirror-like as the outside; the primer pockets spotless.
The variable that changed from previous batches was the run time. I typically run them for 30-60 minutes. I'm changing the water 2-3x during a cleaning and that seems to help quite a bit to increase bling. |
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Posted: 2/28/2020 7:55:33 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I've left a substantial amount of air in the drum (full sized FART) to get more agitation and found the cases were very shiny, but the case mouths were getting peened on 223 brass. I now fill to the top and the peened case mouth issue went away... even if I run them a long time (4hrs). I'm changing the water 2-3x during a cleaning and that seems to help quite a bit to increase bling. |
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Posted: 3/3/2020 6:11:57 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm changing the water 2-3x during a cleaning and that seems to help quite a bit to increase bling. So I ran it again with same amount of water, Dawn, and Lemi. This second tumbling was overnight and brass looks excellent. |
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Posted: 3/9/2020 2:46:43 PM EDT
[#29]
Ive found that time really isnt a big factor for me. I would say 75% of the brass I clean was shot suppressed. It is filthy and will come out dull even if I was to run it for 6 hours.
What I do with just about all my brass is I fill my FART up about 3/4 with brass, add 1/4 tsp leminshine and some armor all washnwax. I will run it for about an hour. Dump the water, and then fill it back up with more hot water, lemin shine, washnwax. Then I will usually run it 1-2 hours. It will come out incredibly blingy no matter how nasty it was. When you get really filthy brass I don't care if you run it for 24 hours it's going to come out dull. You need to pour out all that water with all the soot dissolved in and add fresh water. Then you don't have to tumble all day. When I am cleaning brass from a milsurp I just run it once for a couple of hours. That brass is not that dirty. |
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Posted: 3/9/2020 3:10:30 PM EDT
[#30]
I have decided to relegate the Walmart car wash soap ("Auto Drive") to the car wash bucket and stick with Dawn (and Lemishine, of course).
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Posted: 3/9/2020 3:29:08 PM EDT
[#31]
I wet tumble with dawn dish soap for about 30 minutes then I empty the water as it’s already very dirty. Then I add clean water, dawn dish soap, and lemishine and tumble for 1-1:30 minutes. The brass comes out very clean and blingy. I find over wet tumbling doesn’t improve the shine and leaving it in too long will decrease the shine.
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Posted: 3/9/2020 6:31:25 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have decided to relegate the Walmart car wash soap ("Auto Drive") to the car wash bucket and stick with Dawn (and Lemishine, of course). |
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Posted: 3/10/2020 2:44:03 PM EDT
[#33]
Considering that ammonia (or it's salts, compounds, and complexes) is not an uncommon household and industrial cleaning agent - I tend not to just grab random whatever for my wet-tumbler.
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Posted: 3/10/2020 7:51:32 PM EDT
[#34]
I am going to take an educated guess that the larger tumbling units (ex. FART, Rebel17, Cyclone, etc.) yield more consistent results than does the little rubber drum of the Harbor Freight rock tumblers.
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