brass polish source
- Thread starter Dusty
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Re: brass polish source
They still sell the BRASSO brass polish & cleaner in the half pint metal can. A spoon full or two mixed in the corn cob grit a while before putting the brass in should work fine.
They still sell the BRASSO brass polish & cleaner in the half pint metal can. A spoon full or two mixed in the corn cob grit a while before putting the brass in should work fine.
Re: brass polish source
Brasso has ammonia which will, over time, weaken the brass. I use the Dillon's blue polish.
Brasso has ammonia which will, over time, weaken the brass. I use the Dillon's blue polish.
Re: brass polish source
Polish is polish, there's no magic in any of it. Easiest is to go to the auto polish section in Walmart and buy a bottle of any cheap polish (NOT a liquid "wax"), "Nu-Finish" is popular. Liquid ammonia is a no-no for brass, makes it brittle.
Polish is polish, there's no magic in any of it. Easiest is to go to the auto polish section in Walmart and buy a bottle of any cheap polish (NOT a liquid "wax"), "Nu-Finish" is popular. Liquid ammonia is a no-no for brass, makes it brittle.
Re: brass polish source
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lindy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Brasso has ammonia which will, over time, weaken the brass. I use the Dillon's blue polish.
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Lindy, You are correct. The only time I had to use the Brasso in my big vibratory tumbler I let it run all night to mix everything up. I think the ammonia evaporated. But the media went out the door shortly after.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lindy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Brasso has ammonia which will, over time, weaken the brass. I use the Dillon's blue polish.
</div></div>
Lindy, You are correct. The only time I had to use the Brasso in my big vibratory tumbler I let it run all night to mix everything up. I think the ammonia evaporated. But the media went out the door shortly after.
Re: brass polish source
I had no idea brasso had ammonia in it...
It still does a good job at restoring a nice finish to some busted looking cases
I had no idea brasso had ammonia in it...
It still does a good job at restoring a nice finish to some busted looking cases
Re: brass polish source
"The only time I had to use the Brasso in my big vibratory tumbler I let it run all night to mix everything up. I think the ammonia evaporated."
That's true. Do as Victor suggests, mix and allow it to run overnight. The ammonia will evaporate and when it's gone, it's gone. All we need do is allow the "cat pee" smell to go away and then it's safe to use Brasso, etc., and there's no need to toss the media afterwards.
"The only time I had to use the Brasso in my big vibratory tumbler I let it run all night to mix everything up. I think the ammonia evaporated."
That's true. Do as Victor suggests, mix and allow it to run overnight. The ammonia will evaporate and when it's gone, it's gone. All we need do is allow the "cat pee" smell to go away and then it's safe to use Brasso, etc., and there's no need to toss the media afterwards.
Re: brass polish source
My approach is to use a mildly acidic additive. This will also enhance the polishing process.
I spray the media with ammonia-free window cleaner, preferably one which uses vinegar. Then I run the tumbler without any brass for about 5-10 minutes, so all the additive gets absorbed and any swelling that accompanies it is fully accomplished before add the brass. Otherwise it will still be expanding when it gets inside the cases, and will be a *&^%$%# to remove.
If you want to take fuller advantage of the acidic cleaning action, you can try CLR in various degrees of dilution.
The acidic properties do not leave the media when it dries, and after a few applications, all you really need to do for subsequent cleaning is use water.
I find that tumbling in clean media afterward seems to remove any residues.
I discovered something fairly interesting by accident when I simply turned off the tumbler with brass and a CLR additive, and left the brass in the tumbler overnight.
The brass acquired a dull olive green patina, which stood up fairly well to the reloading process. The same patina can be achieved with bullets by doing the same to them prior to loading.
I was never able to detect any bad consequences from firing them, and the patina could be removed fairly easily with steel wool.
I learned about using vinegar/acid from an old edition of the NRA fact book, which names it as the preferred method for cleaning brass.
Brasso and similar metal polishes (including Flitz) use ammonia. When the ammonia is gone, the remaining substrance is primarily Fuller's (diatomaceous) Earth, whose properties in this instance serve primarily as a mild abrasive. Others add some form of stronger abrasive, similar to jewelers' rouge. I don't especially favor any process which combines abrasives with the interiors of my dies.
Also, if you're not removing the inserts (sizer ball/bullet seater stem) from your dies after each use and cleaning them out thoroughly, you can get bad results. I use chamber mops, followed by a bronze chamber brush chucked into a hand drill. A temporary light coating of oil can help too, but that should be removed before using the dies again.
Greg
My approach is to use a mildly acidic additive. This will also enhance the polishing process.
I spray the media with ammonia-free window cleaner, preferably one which uses vinegar. Then I run the tumbler without any brass for about 5-10 minutes, so all the additive gets absorbed and any swelling that accompanies it is fully accomplished before add the brass. Otherwise it will still be expanding when it gets inside the cases, and will be a *&^%$%# to remove.
If you want to take fuller advantage of the acidic cleaning action, you can try CLR in various degrees of dilution.
The acidic properties do not leave the media when it dries, and after a few applications, all you really need to do for subsequent cleaning is use water.
I find that tumbling in clean media afterward seems to remove any residues.
I discovered something fairly interesting by accident when I simply turned off the tumbler with brass and a CLR additive, and left the brass in the tumbler overnight.
The brass acquired a dull olive green patina, which stood up fairly well to the reloading process. The same patina can be achieved with bullets by doing the same to them prior to loading.
I was never able to detect any bad consequences from firing them, and the patina could be removed fairly easily with steel wool.
I learned about using vinegar/acid from an old edition of the NRA fact book, which names it as the preferred method for cleaning brass.
Brasso and similar metal polishes (including Flitz) use ammonia. When the ammonia is gone, the remaining substrance is primarily Fuller's (diatomaceous) Earth, whose properties in this instance serve primarily as a mild abrasive. Others add some form of stronger abrasive, similar to jewelers' rouge. I don't especially favor any process which combines abrasives with the interiors of my dies.
Also, if you're not removing the inserts (sizer ball/bullet seater stem) from your dies after each use and cleaning them out thoroughly, you can get bad results. I use chamber mops, followed by a bronze chamber brush chucked into a hand drill. A temporary light coating of oil can help too, but that should be removed before using the dies again.
Greg
Re: brass polish source
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My approach is to use a mildly acidic additive. This will also enhance the polishing process.</div></div>
An old Homer Formby trick is using lemon juice.
I use a automotive pre-wax cleaner; doesn't contain wax. I think the brand I have is Meguiar's.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My approach is to use a mildly acidic additive. This will also enhance the polishing process.</div></div>
An old Homer Formby trick is using lemon juice.
I use a automotive pre-wax cleaner; doesn't contain wax. I think the brand I have is Meguiar's.
Re: brass polish source
Greg
The liquid Flitz has " NO AMMONIA "stamped on the back of the bottle. It's made in Germany and they would never tell a lie
Greg
The liquid Flitz has " NO AMMONIA "stamped on the back of the bottle. It's made in Germany and they would never tell a lie
