Pros and Cons To Brass Cleaning Methods

In this video we demonstrate the various ways to clean your brass; with some helpful tips, and a list of pros and cons for each cleaning technique.
For more information please visit www.lymanproducts.com

[@Prepare2Survive]

Wet tumbling with regular dawn dish soap and a tiny bit of lemishine is what I've been doing for several years. I gave up on dry tumbling because of the lead dust hazard and because it doesn't clean the inside of the cases as well as wet tumbling.

[@eugenelenarz5548]

I use two methods: wet tumbling with stainless steel and dry tumbling with corn cob and an additive. I prefer the latter. BTW: "media" is a plural word, the singular being "medium".

[@quigster8319]

I am only half-way through the video, but I had to stop and write this: turn down the music volume. Unless your intent is to make a MTV style music video, the loud music is somewhat distracting and does not improve the learning process. Edit: Finished the video. Good information and review of these cleaning methods. I am getting back into reloading after a 20-25 year break. This video helped me better understand the various cleaning processes.

[@ETC_Rohaly_USCG]

Another Pro for Ultrasonic, can clean the gun too

[@murrayandru7527]

IMHO the sonic cleaner is the BEST I have ever used. Less time and no fuss Dawn and Lemi -Shine do the trick . I was impressed after a few years of tumbling !!

[@kencurtis508]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@mtevilone]

I use only Dawn dish soap in my SS wet tumbler, and let them air dry. I have enough brass to reload I do not feel the need to use driers. No more primer pocket cleaning.

[@jungleno.]

Unless you are going to make jewelry out of the used brass, the vibratory Tumbler is more than sufficient. Make yourself a mixture of 50/50 new finish car polish/mineral spirits and add a few squirts to your dry tumbler media just before turning it on. Your brass will come out shiny. Tear three or four small squares from a USED dryer sheet. Throw them into the mix and they will pick up a lot of dust.

[@astronautdolphindetective6908]

ultra sonic solutions also breaks down the zinc in your brass making it look like copper

[@silvercoaststacker2247]

I dig that work bench in the background. Where did you get it?

[@Tony_Seed]

I just put my brass in a container with hot water a spoonful of dish soap and a spoonful, of Lemon juice, shake it for a minute then done. Works and looks great been working for years Brass only lasts so many firings anyway….

[@jeffreyhall838]

Good info...thanks

[@johnballantyne6853]

I deprime and size my cases, then clean them in my sonic cleaner, I dry them then put them in my tumbler to polish them off, they come out like Factory new inside and out ! It only takes me about an hour and a half for a batch of 50.

[@behavis]

@DrJibson It's not. That's why I use a universal decapping die. Sizing is done after cleaning and your dies stay clean.

[@johngalt6929]

Dry tumbling poses a significant lead dust and heavy metal contamination hazard.

[@djryan8944]

I wear a mask when I dry tumble. Is wetting tumbling any better? Now you are rinsing the lead and heavy metals down the drain which won’t be filtered out by treatment plants.

[@jackonsline8406]

@@djryan8944 Filtration works by allowing only the small particles to pass through. The “holes” in the filter should be smaller than the target contaminants. This way, heavy metals and other pollutants won’t be able to pass through. Also, they won’t end up in your glass of water.

[@ApexNick]

That ultrasonic machine looks like the one from Harbor freight. I use $70 Vevor 3L ultrasonic cleaner, water/dawn/dishwasher magic, and a free dehydrator from craigslist. Results are great (and cheap!). Plus I can clean large parts (carburetors, etc) and make jerky.

[@billrea66]

I tried the " dryer sheet " thing , made my brass look like doo-doo ! Having problems cleaning my .577 Enfield brass . Dry tumbling doesn't get the inside and leaves scuzz on outside ? May look into a wet system and use wifies food dehydrator to dry the brass ?

[@yuibot5998]

A USED dryer sheet torn into 3 pieces mixed in with your dry tumbling works wonders. Especially if you're using the red treated walnut. It will cut dust way way down.

[@x69WINNING69x]

I doubt vibratory tumbling is cheaper. Media may be $10 or $15 to fill the tumbler but the media is a consumable which needs replaced regularly. Add to that the recurrent cost of polish. Wet tumbling doesn’t have the recurrent cost of media and just requires soap and acid. Upfront costs may be less with vibratory tumbling but in the end the cost/case will be less with rotary tumbling.

[@jungleno.]

Tumbling media lasts a long long time.

[@craigsaunders7037]

2/3 water 1/3 vinegar and dish washing detergent. Spend your time elsewhere / with attention to reloading . My brass isn't shiny but I get half MOA with all my rifles.

[@DLN-ix6vf]

I have only Sonic cleaned since I have been reloading and not once has my rifle said it doesn't care how shiny the cases are.

[@Dressagevids]

You can get media lodging with steel pins

[@edwardjames1369]

forgot to mention dust with dry method.

[@jungleno.]

You can cut down on the dust considerably by tearing a few pieces of a used dryer sheet and adding them to your corn cob or walnut media.

[@jwg335]

When I use my Hornady ultra sonic cleaner the brass looks great right out of the tub but then after it dries for a few hours the cases have greenish tarnish and don't look shiny any more. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? I'm using a mixture of 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar, with a little dish soap and salt added too.

[@frankfields2411]

Jared Grant Just a thought, are you rinsing your cases real well, with clean water after removing them.

[@corkyandteresalight8258]

I use the Hornady one shot cartridge case solution, in ultra sonic cleaner. it only requires 1/2 oz solution to 20 oz of distilled water. My cases come out quite bright. Then I dry them in a food dehydrator.

[@amoose8439]

Which is the safest regarding lead dust?

[@billy-waynejeffcoat4828]

Both the rotary tumbler and the ultrasonic cleaner. The lead dust will be trapped within the water/ cleaning solution.

[@Jim-oo7dk]

Get 2 tumblers, 1 for walnut, 1 for corncob media. Dry tumbling is not 'either/or', its 'both'. I use them after a wet wash of the classic Dawn, vinegar, lemon juice recipe. Doing the wet wash first gets off 90% of the gunk and keeps your other media clean. For me I've found its not "this" method or "that" method, but using a couple of methods together. Also I would never dry tumble brass straight from the range, God knows what lead or mercury or other powders you'd be shaking into the room. A 5 minute wet wash first removes any possible harmful powders.

[@llewellyn56]

5:06. Easy. Love my sonic cleaner. Drying no problem. Solution no problem. EASY. Perfect.

[@MartianBuddy]

Neat now I know

[@nievesmares3179]

The problem with dry media tumblers too dusty and primer pockets are still dirty. Sometimes wont clean inside of brass casings as will. Now a wet rotary units are the future of tumbling brass. Frankford rotary tumbler top of the game and worth the investment.

[@marycox8248]

How about i live in Australia where walmart is not here

[@donovancordero551]

I thought you couldnt own guns in Australia

[@gregmontecalvo9251]

Walmart sucks, you are not missing anything. LOL

[@breal9435]

Go to Bunnings then

[@lowdog2121]

If the brass is "dirty", I will dry tumble before running it through my die to re-size, then I pin-tumble.

[@benjaminzweiban9993]

Has anyone ever played with chemical polishes for brass? Is that a feasible way?

[@jungleno.]

No. They contain ammonia.

[@banette36]

I use all three , then hand polish .

[@Physics072]

LOL you have to be OCD to do all that work.

[@905SONICking]

@@Physics072 I just started cleaning brass for the first time...what am I using...a dished washed glass jar that was once filled with spaghetti tomato sauce...fill it with evapo-rust, dish soap, salt, close the lid tight and start shaking it. leave it there for a day I would say. take the bullets out rinse them in hot water get the thick blue towels used for cars cover the pan then put every bullet in, let air dry then get the twinkle brass & copper polisher...then polish every bullet by hand. After that resize bullets especially the ones that been stepped on (dent to hell ones.) and reload them. Rinse & Repeat. I decided to use a tumbler again handmade, but instead of dirt or sand or product use....I thought why not just salt??? Haven't tried it yet but going to now actually.

[@skjalglandsem7440]

@@905SONICking I think you mean cases, and not bullets - right? ;-)

[@905SONICking]

@@skjalglandsem7440 oh no I mean the primers and gun powder you gotta make sure primers and powder are really cleaOF COURSE IM TALKING ABOUT SHELLS!!!

[@williamcummings2305]

@@905SONICking Snow flake

[@donnawells2442]

Tear up a used dryer sheet and put it in your tumbler. It will attract the dust and you can throw them away when you are through tumbling. Just put another one in there each time before use. SHOOT SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lonewolf286]

Why can't you just turn the case upside down and let them drip dry?

[@hopefloats7573]

I bought a salad spinner at a thriftstore for $5. My best tip for drying.

[@MrThidj901]

the video doesnt show the right scene when it says you can dry timble the cases prior to decapping and sizing. It fucked me up!

[@marycox8248]

Thanks but vibratory is a lot cheaper than the other 2 types

[@davesrandomstuff2279]

Only if you buy the overpriced cleaning solutions. Use a bit of dish soap and citric acid (cheap when purchased as a food additive) and the other two methods become cheap.

[@jungleno.]

The vibratory process can be made even cheaper by using lizard litter from Petsmart instead of the high priced stuff sold by reloading manufacturers.

[@barrygrant2907]

It won't plug a flash hole either, too fine.

[@treece1]

What if you never clean your brass

[@L.V-Rider]

I don't and have NO problems. Eric Cortina also stopped cleaning brass.

[@jackonsline8406]

Case dryer you have got to be kidding...

[@L.V-Rider]

Cleaning brass is a waste of time. Unless there is physical hard dirt on it, just reload like that. All this equipment is just to get into your wallet.