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Quick question about problem with stainless steel

AtownBcat

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 19, 2009
127
1
51
Aledo, Texas
Ok so I have cleaned a few batches of both 300WM and 308 using stainless steel media. I am having a problem on about half of what I have done, but I believe I have gone through the same procedure on all. The brass comes out of the black water very shinny but very quickly tarnishes very quickly. I first rince the brass with cool to cold water until the water is clear and no more suds. I then run warm (almost hot) water over them to make sure all the chemicals are gone and then fill the bucket back up with cold water and dump the media out of the brass. By the time I have the brass all cleaned out in the drying trey it has changed color and looks tarnished. What an i doing wrong?
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

How are you drying it?
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

Also what is your cleaning mix?
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

I use a yellow powder scoop that comes with lee reloading dies, and do one scoop of lemishine. And a healthy squirt of Dawn. I use my dryer rack to dry the brass....works awesome. But the tarnish shows up before it even makes it into the dryer.
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Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

Are you using hot or cold water to clean the cases in the tumbler? Try using less Lemishine and more Dawn soap - about 3 big squirts along with cold tap water. However at the end of the day the tarnishing is only cosmetic.
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

Too much lemishine. Use about a half teaspoon.
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

I agree too much Lemmishine, the water in TEXAS is soft compared to other parts of our Country, the discoloration is no biggie, load n shoot.
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

I've used LEE scoup marked 2.8cc since I started.
I believe it's drom a buildup of crap at the bottom of the drum/under/inn the media.
Run the media only with a good squirt of Dawn for about 30/45 min and let us know what happen's.
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Leaddog</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Too much lemishine. Use about a half teaspoon. </div></div>

Agreed. I saw the same thing happen to mine when I went too much.
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

Brass that's surgically clean has no protection from oxidation but so what, it's harmless and dull cases shoot fine.
 
Re: Quick question about problem with stainless steel

Someone mentioned a .40 S&W case of Lemishine. I just guess at that amount in my hand, with about a tablespoon of detergent (whatever you've got will work). I have dried mine in the dryer and it will tarnish if you get it too hot. Rinsing it in rubbing alcohol will get the water off. Putting it on a towel on the deck in the sun for an hour or two works just fine here. Good luck...