Dirty brass

NJRaised · Aug 28, 2025

I’ve gotten away from wet tumbling and back to dry media. I’ve recently started running a lot of TAC powder, and it’s worked out great, but boy is it dirty. My corncob media just isn’t cleaning the necks well unless I tumble for hours and hours.

Is there anything I can add to my corncob to help out? I’ve tried nufinish car polish.

I can’t use anything with tree nuts (allergies), so no walnut or similar.

Thanks!

jetjock07 · Aug 28, 2025

In the same boat with 6arc using LVR. I thought about trying some Iosso case cleaner and then adding some of their case polish to my dry media.

Rodney65 · Aug 28, 2025

Sorry a little off topic but do you find much improvement in SDs after getting the necks really clean or does it make sizing smoother or anything?

straightshooter1 · Aug 28, 2025

NJRaised said:
I’ve gotten away from wet tumbling and back to dry media. I’ve recently started running a lot of TAC powder, and it’s worked out great, but boy is it dirty. My corncob media just isn’t cleaning the necks well unless I tumble for hours and hours.

Is there anything I can add to my corncob to help out? I’ve tried nufinish car polish.

I can’t use anything with tree nuts (allergies), so no walnut or similar.

Thanks!

With pretty dirty brass, hot water and Dawn works really well without even tumbling. Try putting some of those dirty cases into a small bucket of really hot water with some Dawn and even add a little Lemi Shine and leave it sit for 15 minutes or so, then give it a little stir and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Then another quick stir with your fingers and rinse. You might be surprised how clean they turn out, leaving a little residual coating on the inside of the necks, which is beneficial. If you want to polish them up nicely, dry tumble with rice for ~1 hr. after sizing (medium size rice, not long grain).

mtrmn · Aug 30, 2025

Some mineral spirits paint thinner added to corn cob or walnut hull media will work very well. About 2 or 3 tablespoons in a tumbler full of media will soon distribute itself through the media and it will be very slightly damp. This will boost the cleaning power a lot. If your cases come out damp you added too much.

supercorndogs · Sunday at 4:28 AM

My dirty blackened 15x 6 arc brass runs just like the new stuff.

Doom · Sunday at 8:20 AM

NJRaised said:
I’ve gotten away from wet tumbling and back to dry media. I’ve recently started running a lot of TAC powder, and it’s worked out great, but boy is it dirty. My corncob media just isn’t cleaning the necks well unless I tumble for hours and hours.

Is there anything I can add to my corncob to help out? I’ve tried nufinish car polish.

I can’t use anything with tree nuts (allergies), so no walnut or similar.

Thanks!

Wet tumbling is an iffy method because you are never sure exactly what minerals are in the water which may affect the brass. Dry tumbling in rice is probably the best alternative for you. If your issue with the necks is external then you can wipe them with something like this:

Gun Metal Polish & Tumbler Media Additive – Lucas Oil Products, Inc. – Keep That Engine Alive!

www.lucasoil.com

If you are concerned about the inside then a quick brushing will probably do everything you need.

MK20 · Sunday at 8:26 AM

Go to harbor freight and get the bottle of extra heavy cut car polish. Add that to your walnut media as needed to get results.

It will do what you need.

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