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Stains on the brass after dryed.

RTTY

Private
Minuteman
Sep 5, 2023
51
7
Italy
Hi everyone, I started cleaning my shells (Lapua) with a rotary tumbler I built at home.
I use stainless steel needles, citric acid and liquid dish soap.
The result is more than satisfactory, the cases are clean not only on the outside but also on the inside and in the primer seat.
I only have one problem, after a few hours of drying them in the oven at 100ºC some stains reappear, on some more, on others less, on others nothing.
Do you have any idea what could cause these stains?
Could it be that the cases are so affected by oxidation in those points that polishing is unable to remove them thoroughly and after they are dry they become visible again?
Can using shampoo with car wax fix it?
Does shampoo with wax affect charging?

Thank you
 
You should post a picture of your DIY rotary tumbler.
As to the spots / stains I have read that after you separate the cases from the SS pins give your cases a final rinse with distilled water. As I said the distilled water rinse is something I remember reading about in the early days of "wet tumbling"
Me, after sun drying my cases I throw them in the vibrator case cleaner with walnut media.
Good luck
 
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You should post a picture of your DIY rotary tumbler.
As to the spots / stains I have read that after you separate the cases from the SS pins give your cases a final rinse with distilled water. As I said the distilled water rinse is something I remember reading about in the early days of "wet tumbling"
Me, after sun drying my cases I throw them in the vibrator case cleaner with walnut media.
Good luck
Hi Old Corps, yes I post some photos soon as possibile!

I test the rinse with distilled water, although I would maintain the water consumption as low as possibile...

Thanks!
 
Lemi shine, dawn dish soap and distilled water. That should get rid of your water spots.
Hello Kddt, I ad to my recipe the distilled water, Lemi Shine it's almost the same thing that the citric acid.

Thanks!
 
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I shake the water out of my cases and roll them around on a towel to get the outside dry. No water spots.
Hello 918v, I can make also the towel test.

Thinking about it carefully, is very possible that the drops of the water dried on the electric oven, as they dry, they are printed on the case and with a minimum of humidity they reappear in the form of a stain.

Thanks!
 
Hello,
this are the home made tumbler.
Two can, the first is made only for connect to the drill shaft, the second is the like the very tumbler, no holes no drain.
The black agitators are made with one old distribution belt, glued to the can.
 

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Hello 308pyrate,
the eye also wants its part... otherwise why waste time for cleaning the cases, even minimally?

Thanks!
 
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Hello Threadcutter308,
Yes the stains go not affect the result but at this point I would understand where is the mistake.

Thanks
 
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I have never had an issue with spots on the brass after using the same mixture, although, I rinse with cold water immediately after the cycle finishes. I dry in a dehydrator
 
I set the oven about 150ºC, Is too hot?

Also rinse with cold water.

@wvfarrier, what mixutre you use?

Thanks
Thats 300f, probably hotter than the minimum oven temp that I would go with (mine goes down to 200) but if you dont leave them forever it shouldnt be too bad.
 
Hello 308pyrate,
the eye also wants its part... otherwise why waste time for cleaning the cases, even minimally?

Thanks!

I clean cases so I don't scratch the shit out of my expensive sizing dies.

But you do you
 
Only reason I tumble is to get the lube off after sizing. 20 mins in dry media and on we go.

Cool.

I'd rather not introduce an abrasive slurry of wax and carbon into a tool that is an interference fit to the part being worked on. But what do I know about taking care of precision tooling?
 
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Cool.

I'd rather not introduce an abrasive slurry of wax and carbon into a tool that is an interference fit to the part being worked on. But what do I know about taking care of precision tooling?
IMO even for a custom Whidden sizing die $250 ish if it wears out eventually and saved me hundreds of hours waiting for cases to get clean I'm way farther ahead. To each their own
 
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IMO even for a custom Whidden sizing die $250 ish if it wears out eventually and saved me hundreds of hours waiting for cases to get clean I'm way farther ahead. To each their own
Interestingly enough, I find that I can get a lot of shit done while cases are cleaning and drying.

Maybe you sit down to watch your cases tumble around......
 
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Interestingly enough, I find that I can get a lot of shit done while cases are cleaning and drying.

Maybe you sit down to watch your cases tumble around......
I mean I could go do something else but then loading would take more than one evening, also I'd probably end up doing yard work and I'd rather procrastinate that lol. The way I do it process 50 at a time and rotate them through the tumbler as needed. Basically I have zero down time while loading.
 
Thats 300f, probably hotter than the minimum oven temp that I would go with (mine goes down to 200) but if you dont leave them forever it shouldnt be too bad.
I take a look what Is the minimum temp of the oven....