Soap for the stainless media

#4
Re: Soap for the stainless media

What is the exact name of the Zep red soap? I have used Zep for cleaning mouth lacquer off pulled bullets and it was great and they quit making it. I have never seen any "soap" and I need to know exactly what I am looking for because the folks at Home Depot don't know.
How much per gallon media drum are you using? Cost wise how does it compare to Ivory?
I am using two ounces of Ivory for 100 cases so I get 15 loads from a bottle. I run mine 10 to 12 hours (overnight) and it does good.
I have not had as good a luck with Joy. Going to try the Dawn blue. It is on sale at Walmart now two bottles for four bucks.
 
#6
Re: Soap for the stainless media

http://webfiles.acuitysp.com/psr/zeppsr/psr_0378.PDF

I found it, it is a car/truck wash and smallest container is 35 pounds. You getting any effects on handling the cases under water from it?

Keep us informed as to how it is doing.

I just tried Suasponte's thing with the Dawn Blue. I put in a load of 243s about 30 minutes ago. Will pull them about about 8:30 tonight giving them a 8 hour run.

Normally I use Ivory but wallyworld had a sale on it and I picked up two bottles for four bucks.

Did someone say they found something with carnauba wax? That might prove interesting. then again when you rinse them I guess you would have to have carnauba wax in the rinse water????
 
#8
Re: Soap for the stainless media

What about Lemishine? Some guys on another forum are singing it's praises and they aren't even using SS media in a rotary tumbler. They are just soaking their brass in it over night and claiming it removes all residue and after a quick tumble, the brass looks new. I'm think the combo of the rotary tumbler, SS media and LemiShine and the brass should come out looking better then new?

Here's the thread if you're interested... LemiShine thread
 
#9
Re: Soap for the stainless media

kombayatch,
Never has. I generally FL size trim for length and chamfer before tumbling but this time I just wanted to try out the Dawn so I deprimed them and dumped them in. I did another batch the other day with Ivory so I can comparing them.
Next batch I am going to try Tide Powder (original stuff) and see how that does.
 
#15
Re: Soap for the stainless media

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hummer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was meaning where do I find the Limishine? Was gonna try that too. </div></div>
Yes, you can get LemiShine at Walmart, by the other dishwashing stuff
 
#16
Re: Soap for the stainless media

I just pulled out about 100 243 cases once fired. Let them run 8 hours with <span style="font-weight: bold">one ounce</span>of Dawn Blue and they look outstanding. Absolutely no carbon residue in primer pockets. Bright and shiney all over.
Going to size all of them and the others I did before, trim chamfer and retumble them all to remove soap. Then I will store them away in big plastic coffee can until needed.
I have been using 2 ounces of Ivory. Don't take this to the bank yet, I need to tumble some really scuzzy cases to see how they look with one ounce.
 
#17
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Correction on previous. I just counted them and it was 135 cases.

I have another 135 cases same batch laying in tumbler with 1 ounce of Ivory on them. Tonight when I come in I will add the hot water and let it run 8 hours and check tomorrow morning.

That will be a good test, both same number of cases, same amount of soap, time time to run etc.

After that I will run 135 308 cases once fired with one ounce of Joy and see what it does.
 
#18
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Dawn, Palmolive, and Joy seems to give me really good results! However, I had a gallon of ZEP liquid carpet cleaner that was sitting down stairs taking up space! I tried it the other day and was very happy with the results! The only soap I was not happy with was some $.25 a bottle crap called PowerHouse Ultra Oxygen. The wife gave it to me because you could put a whole bottle of the shit in a sink and not get any soap action. I dumped it in the garbage! Any premium soap will get good results as far as I am concerned!

I have been using this media for quite a while and have not noticed the roll over and peening that everyone is talking about!

I will clean 100-200 cases for someone if you PM me your info! Send me the dirtiest brass you have and I will tumble it and send it back! I will do this for a couple people only.

Terry
 
#19
Re: Soap for the stainless media

This is the best cleaning method I have ever seen. 4 hours of tumbling with dawn, and they look damn near brand new...Now they are sitting on a drying rack in my dryer (much to my wife's chagrin). Thanks Terry for bringing this to light...I am genuinely impressed!
 
#20
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Good! Like I said before, I owe it to my buddy in SC. He introduced me to it and has educated me on many other things to!

Congrats and welcome to the club!

PS: The Ammo can drying box is the way to go! 67watt light bulb in my can keeps and nice constant temp of 125F. Along with the axial fan I picked up off Ebay they dry over night with no problem!

Terry
 
#21
Re: Soap for the stainless media

I just started another 135 243 cases with one ounce of Ivory about 11:30 so I will pull it off at 0730 in the morning and have a look see.
I got a deal on a huge bottle of Dawn at Wally World today. It was a penny cheaper per ounce than Ivory.

OK it is now next morning and I just pulled them out after exactly 8 hours in the Ivory. Looking at these cases side by side with the Dawn I would say the Ivory cases are about 2% brighter. The difference is so small that if you did not have them side by side under the same light you could not tell it. Then again the Dawn cases have been exposed to the air about sixteen hours and that may be the difference.

It is overcast and foggy here this morning so I will not be able to air dry these in the sun. I left the first batch in the black plastic dishpan out in the sun yesterday and all night. I will leave these in dishpan as well and if sun comes out take them out and let the sun dry them.

Ivory is about a penny per ounce more expensive at Wally World than Dawn.

I might deprime 135 LC Match 7.62 cases today and run them in Joy since I have half a bottle left. Also want to run a batch in Tide powdered detergent for a looksee.
 
#22
Re: Soap for the stainless media

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wil</div><div class="ubbcode-body">stainless media?

educate us please... I'm curious. </div></div>

Wil:

Check your PM's

Terry
 
#23
Re: Soap for the stainless media

What about adding some concentrated lemon juice???
It works good in Hacker-Pschorr
grin.gif
 
#24
Re: Soap for the stainless media

lemon juice? will probably make your op rod limp haha.
grin.gif


I just put on another 135 cases with an ounce of Joy at 2:30. Will pull them out at 10:30 tonight for a looksee.

Looked at Ivory cases again and I still think they are 2% brighter. Sun finally came out and it dried the cases laying in the black 12 qt dishpan.

Next thing I am going to try in Tide regular powdered detergent. Wife got some for another project and that did not work and she doesn't want it so I will give it a try. Gotta figure out how much though.

This is a larger amount of cases that I usually tumble. Normally 100 308 or 30.06 and 200 5.56.
 
#25
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Well the testing got a little off track but had great results.
I was going to pull cases out at 10:30 last night but got tied up on phone with WitchDoctor until midnight. By the time we hung up rain was coming down like a cow pissing on a flat rock so I left them to run all night with the 1 ounce of Joy.
Just went out and opened them up and they are beautiful and a scosh shinier than the others but then again they ran a full 18 hours instead of the intended 8 hours.

I deprimed another 135 M118 cases once fired in mid 70s time frame and just dumped them in with Tide Detergent. Just the regular powder for washing clothes. There is a little green plastic cup that comes with it and I filled it half way to the first line as a trial/error start point.

If this turns out good it will most likely be the most bang for the buck yet as that big box will probably be good for several hundred loads of brass. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is
IT.

Oh by the way the drum is just a hair under half full with the 135 cases and the media. I suspect 150 cases would be just about right. I read somewhere that on tumblers 60% of drum volume (media/material to be tumbled) is the ideal combo so some might experiment on filling to half or slightly over and letting us know your results.

Should know this afternoon how the Tide laundry powder is going to do. Stand by for news ! ! !

Interim update after four hours of tumbling. Opened it up and pulled one out. Water is milky black, carbon is gone from primer pocket. Cases are cleaning but look milky for lack of better description. Water still feels slick (from soap). Won't know for another four hours how they are going to come out. Might be getting a negative chemical reaction from the Tide on brass, maybe not. Will be interesting to see.

If I am still home in two hours I will open it and take a looksee and report.
 
#26
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Well THE TIDE SUCKS BIG TIME. Was going to pull it at 8 hours and on the way home we got a call to come eat steaks at my buddies place and just got home. Stuff tumbled 12 1/2 hours. Water came out milky and not near as black as it should have. Cases come out looking dark and frosted.
There was no visible carbon in primer pockets and the water was still plenty slippery from soap. Apparently there is a chemical reaction with the brass.
I dumped the water and refilled with hot water and an ounce of dawn and will let them run all night to see if they will clean up. Been using the stainless media for about two years and never saw this before so the Tide is definitely a no go.

Was at Walmart today and saw some car wash with carnauba wax in it and am wondering if that would work. If it leaves carnauba on it after rinsing it could keep it bright and shiney in storage.

Anybody got any of this? If so try and run with 1 ounce of it and let us know how it flies.

Anybody else got anything they can try?

Bottom line insofar as I am concerned I will use Ivory (got the most of it) Dawn Blue and Joy. 1 ounce per load 8 hours tumble.
 
#27
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Just went out and pulled the TIDE FAILURE reclean out after 8 hrs 15 min. Water was much blacker,(but still a little milky colored) no carbon in primer pockets but cases not as shiney as I would like. Actually they look like unfired LC cases which are not that shiney as compared to commercial cases right out of the box.

Apparently the TIDE powder wants to attack brass for lack of a better description so TIDE IS OFF THE LIST OF POSSIBLE CANDIDATES. It might be OK for your jock strap etc but insofar as a cleaner for brass it sucks.

I have them laid out to dry today and will FL size them, trim and chamfer and retumble again to get off the case lube . Maybe then they will come in with that new money shine.

I wish I had found this stainless stuff thirty years ago ! ! ! ! Most fantastic stuff I ever saw for cleaning brass easily.

Oh yeah one more thing when I dumped the brass from the TIDE wash cycle and rinsed the media off I tried to pour it back in the tumbler from the plastic tub. The media clinged all over the bottom of the pan. There was nothing visible holding it, it just clinged. I have never had that happen with Ivory, Dawn or Joy.
This morning when I put it back in drum it did as normal and all went to one corner and behaved nicely.

Lessons Learned: TIDE powdered detergent SUCKS for cleaning brass.



 
#29
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Well, I received the media and tried it. Pretty good results. I think adding a bit of Lemishine with the soad should help knock off the carbon a bit quicker.

However, there definitely is rolling/peening of the case mouth. I ran 100 cases for 2 hours and it was definitely there. Case mouths looked like they do on new brass, which is what has always happened. I'm running the high speed Model B, so that may be the difference. The sharp edge the Giraud trimmer leaves probably doesn't help things either...
 
#31
Re: Soap for the stainless media

I was all set to start doing this until today, I tried ultrasonic cleaning today, 5 minutes, clean inside and out, the chemical I used is call Glyco-San, we use it to descale the 3000 dollar coffee markers, of course I cannot steal this chemical, so I'm going to try Lemishine in the US cleaner, I'll let y'all know how that works
 
#32
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Watch the Zep red soap. I got a Lortone tumbler that is used. I ordered new bearings for it. I disassembled it and put the frame in a bucket of hot water and 2 cups of soap. The frame is now silver as all the paint was removed. I dont think I want to wash my vehicle with this shit.
 
#33
Re: Soap for the stainless media

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427Cobra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was all set to start doing this until today, I tried ultrasonic cleaning today, 5 minutes, clean inside and out, the chemical I used is call Glyco-San, we use it to descale the 3000 dollar coffee markers, of course I cannot steal this chemical, so I'm going to try Lemishine in the US cleaner, I'll let y'all know how that works </div></div>

If Ultrasonic is the route you choose then Citranox is the cleaner you want to use!

Terry
 
#35
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Made a raid on Sams today and found a gallon of industrial Dawn for about ten bucks. It has a squirt on the top and talks like a very small amount per gallon of water.
Also found some Limishine at Wally World. They are real proud of this stuff and may be out of the price range but I got a bottle. Based on the lable it is apparently for hard water applications.
No one has commented on whether their water is soft or hard. Water here in inland SC is soft so when you get in shower you can lather up. When I was in Brunswick, Ga. when the soap made you feel yucky you knew it was time to add salt to the water softener.

This may really affect how some tumblers clean and with how much soap. I will try a little Limishine and if it doesn't work any better than what I got wife will get to use it in dishwasher.
 
#36
Re: Soap for the stainless media

My water is a little hard.

If you let things soak for a couple hours, it helps a lot. I got great results letting the cases soak in water with soap and Lemishine for 3 hours and then only tumbling for an hour. There was hardly any peening of the case mouths.
 
#37
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Also regardless of detergent used don't tumble them too long. Apparently the surfactant breaks down and the carbon starts reapplying itself to the brass, media etc.
I just let some run for 14 hours and they came out gray. I was supposed to pull them out at 11:30 (8 hours) but went to sleep so I dumped black water, resoaped and refilled with clean water and have them going again for maybe four hours as I gotta go to town for a church yard sale. Some neat stuff in it I can use in loading room.....goose neck light, containers etc.
 
#38
Re: Soap for the stainless media

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kombayotch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well, I received the media and tried it. Pretty good results. I think adding a bit of Lemishine with the soad should help knock off the carbon a bit quicker.

However, there definitely is rolling/peening of the case mouth. I ran 100 cases for 2 hours and it was definitely there. Case mouths looked like they do on new brass, which is what has always happened. I'm running the high speed Model B, so that may be the difference. The sharp edge the Giraud trimmer leaves probably doesn't help things either... </div></div>

It just got my Thumbler B high speed, and stainless steel media together last night.
I tumbled overnight a pound of someone else's dirty and unchamfered .243 brass.
I ran for 15 hours and the cases are all clean inside the body [like ultra sonic or Walnut media vibrating could never do], but not the inside of the necks.
It took me a while to figure out that the burr on the inside of the case mouth is standing off the media.

What does it all mean?
I guess if the media is shaped like rods, the case mouth must be inside chamfered if the inside of the neck is to get clean.
 
#39
Re: Soap for the stainless media

I use Dawn and Lemishine, don't tumble for more than 4 hours, 5 max and have had really good results. You can see my posts in the SS media thread showing the brass comes out looking like gold.
 
#40
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Clark,
Try running them like four to six hours after chamfering. Is your tank almost full of water. Fill it to about 1/2" from rim.
Is your chamfer tool like a Wilson/RCBS or a long tapered one that gives a razor sharp edge?

Can you post a good close up pic of before and after and the reamer?
 
#42
Re: Soap for the stainless media

Was the drum full of water or just to top of brass? If the drum is not full of water the brass gets "too much action" for lack of a better term and can free fall though air pocket to impact others.

Next question did you anneal the cases to dead soft before tumbling? You don't want to anneal to dead soft, you just want to stress relieve the cases so they are workable about 450F.
 
#44
Re: Soap for the stainless media

What's everyone mix for this? I tried it on my 10x fired WSM brass and it comes out clean, but not so clean where the inside has no carbon residue. There is a thin carbon film left inside the case. I have tumbled it for 8 hours and then left it in for another 4 for 12 hours of runtime and it still doesn't take the case down to bare brass.

My mix is:
5lbs of media
a squirt of Dawn
100-125 WSM cases
Water is almost up to the top.
 
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