I tried your mix in my Hornady Sonic cleaner on both brass casings and some extremely dirty copper fittings that had been sitting in my bilge for a number of decades; it worked fantastic. I did try a small sample batch of both copper and brass in the solution at the same time and the two metals started to react almost within a minute! Nothing beats your solution for getting the insides of the cases and the primer pockets clean.
It's already been mentioned in the comments but instead of vinegar and salt (which I tried a long time ago) I have been using Lemi-Shine dishwasher booster. It is citric acid crystals. This acid, unlike the acetic acid in vinegar, will not have a negative effect on the brass, in fact it actually passivates the brass and it will resist tarnishing. I use the Lemi-Shine, a bit of Dawn, and HOT water. Primer pockets are clean, brass is relatively shiny, and it wont discolor.
@@TaintedMojo Hey in COVID times need to save them pennies. But yea I'll try lemi shine when my vinegar is gone. The results I got are pretty good though the brass oxidation is removed looks good enough. Close to this video.
@@Physics072 I bought pure citric acid from a local middle eastern food market a few months ago. It may be cheaper to just buy the pure stuff from online or a local supplier like I did than to buy a manufactured product. hope that helps
@@mikem6468 I don't know the recipe for how much pure to put in. Don't feel like reinventing the wheel by experimenting to find out either. How much of the pure do you mix in with how much water how much dawn hand washing detergent. ?
I just finished 500 223 range brass using you vinegar formula' I've never had such clean brass especially the primer pockets. I have used most of the cleaning products on market and they can't hold a candle to you formula. Thanks fo posting it. Used a Sonic machine
I was going to say the same thing navion said...1 part water to 4 parts solution is 20%. But since he already said it, I'll get my video proofing credit by pointing out at 1:01 you have 24:1 or 4% concentration....should be 1:24...as in "one to 24" or 1/24 or about 4%. Now that I'm done being "that guy", thanks for the tip on the vinegar solution! I'm just getting set up reloading and already bought "real solution" but I'll use yours when that's done. Also, thanks for a very well produced video. Quick, concise, good audio and video quality. I wish more YTers would take a lesson in that!
Both the lemi shine and Lyman products use citric acid as the active ingredient. Citric acid (basically dried lemon juice) is readily available on the web as a powder It comes in food grade and usp grade ( cheaper). If there is any interest, I will calculate and post here approximately how much powder to use in a gallon of water to be equivelant to Lyman end user concentration. If desired it is ok to add dish soap to this mixture.
5% Citric Acid and water a little less than one ounce per quart ratio. Use hot, not boiling, remove after about 3 hours stirring occasionally (about every 45 minutes), turn of the heat and allow to stand overnight, inspect under warm running water and brush primer pockets and case interiors if necessary, it usually isn't, but you need to inspect the cases at some point anyway and doing so with a brush in hand while rinsing is easy, most all cases do not need the brush. Dry on a tray in the oven on it's lowest setting. Do not throw out the dirty solution, it is still good for at least two additional uses even if it looks nasty. You will get a long lasting shine that looks exactly like new commercial brass. If you need your cases to shine like jewels you will need to use a tumbler with corn cob media and a Red Rouge additive. Vinegar and water or vinegar, salt and water work very well, but the cases will re tarnish very quickly, as soon as overnight. Citric Acid is sold in grocery stores as Fruit Fresh and is used in keeping fruit and vegetables from turning brown while waiting for processing, and for raising the PH for canned goods to safe levels, it is quite expensive bought in this form. I buy mine in bulk, food grade from Duda Diesel/Duda Energy in Georgia, they have good prices and quick service with good shipping costs. I recently bought 5 lbs of Citric Acid powder and 5 lbs of Potassium Nitrate (Saltpeter) for $30 including shipping delivered to my door here in CA. I learned this method from an article in the American Rifleman in the '50's who reported that the method was the one used by the old Frankford Arsenal (a government arsenal) to prepare their brass for loading, it is cheap, easy and efficacious, try it you'll never use anything else unless you want a jewel like finish
I've been using a 2.5 percent solution of vinegar (1/2 regular white vinegar and 1/2 water) and dish soap solution for years in an ultrasonic cleaner to clean my brass with decent results. After watching this vid I tried adding a teaspoon of sea salt and the difference was amazing! The primer pockets came out much cleaner (15 minutes in U/S cleaner @ 40C) and the solution was basically black when I dumped it - normally I'd save the solution for multiple cleanings but this time it was way too dirty. And yes, if you don't immediately rinse your brass with hot water and a little bit of baking soda, the brass will be slightly discolored. Since this doesn't affect the brass' performance I usually skip this step because the gophers I dismantle with each 0.223 round haven't expressed a preference for shiny brass. Thanks for the tip!
Before I had an ultrasonic cleaner, I used the vinegar solution just like I did with the other video (Agitated the brass by hand a few times in a 30 min period) I've since bought an ultrasonic cleaner and use the same solution for it. If you're not familiar, an ultrasonic cleaner uses ultrasonic sound waves that propagate through a cleaning solution, in this case it's the Vinegar solution. I did that for 8 minutes. It's a set it and forget it kind of thing. It's nice.
Just found your channel. Quick question about the vinegar solution: Did it create foam in the ultrasonic cleaner/ If so, how'd you deal with that? Thanks.
As mentioned powdered automatic dish washing detergent works wonders. Rinses clean no damage or discoloration. Even tried liquid bar keepers friend. Did OK but not as good as the dish washer soap.
I put my brass in a bucket with hot soapy water and a spoonful of powdered citric acid mix them up for 10 minutes rinse them and they are already almost perfectly shiny then I tumble them for 30 minutes in walnut media to dry them and remove any haze they come out better than New! Highly polished!
Thank you for the info!! I dis not have soap like that and had heard that liquid laundry detergent worked well too. I used Cascade concentrate in hot water in my cleaner for .308, then the last 2 minutes, i added salt and vinegar. Excellent outcome! Might be something others want to try.
Thanks for sharing brother. I knew there was a inexpensive way to do this. I would never use Simple Green on cases! When I was in the Air Force, Simple Green was banned from being used on the air-frame or landing gear of aircraft because it compromised the integrity of the metal. Metal fatigue was increased significantly when it was exposed to Simple Green. I saw this first hand using a Non Destructive Inspection with ultraviolet light and ultrasonic testing. Just FYI and thanks again!
Lemi shine is basically citric Acid so needs to be neutralise, also dish wash/washing up liquid (dawn) contains caustic soda all of which corrode brass and copper, that’s why they work so well on cleaning brass. It must be neutralise straight away after Cleaning. Put clean brass into a solution of bi-carbonate (baking powder) 5% with clean water to neutralise the effects of citric acid, which all affect the brass. Then rinse in clean water and allow to dry. If you use vinegar that also needs to be neutralise with bi-carb
Vinegar really works wonders, HOWEVER: If you don't rinse and run the brass in a baking soda solution immediately afterwards you'll end up with red brass from the vinegar reacting with the brass and oxidizing it.
The argument in favor of not depriming is so that the cases are clean when you run them through the sizing die. I guess that makes sense if you are using dirty range brass.
What a great test. Thanks for showing the difference. I am new to reloading and have been hesitant to starting because I am so particular about making sure the brass is "perfect" before I get started. I have heard leave primer in, take it out, so many different ways and ideas, I am confuse as how I should start. I loved what you showed and the differences in types of cleaning solutions and how they work. That will help me get started. I would thing I was doing something wrong if I used a cleaner and it showed all the debris like you showed in the examples. Better to start with something that works. Thanks again for taking the time to show this. Peace, Reese
Very good receipt, I've just tested it now, cases looks fine. I've an ultrasonic cleaner, the cases was in a glass bowl with the solution inside the cleaner. 2x 20 mins @ 50°C. There is yet some scrap deep in the cases but negligible. Thank you !
It appears that you left the primers in the cases, when cleaning with any liquid you should remove the primers first, not only do they dry easier, if they aren't removed soon after cleaning you take the chance of the bottom punching out of the primer cup leaving the sides in place, which can be a huge problem.
I've tried this solution today, water, vinegar, soap and a touch of salt. After 6 or 7 period of 480 seconds, my brass are clean ! They are not shiny, but clean. There is a lot of carbon particules on the bottom of my bin, it's all black ! So right now, i have a bunch in the thumbler, been processed. I'll see if they will come out "like new" !
I started using this mix from your other video.. Now I use just vinegar and water in my ultrasonic cleaner. I deprime first. After I run it through the ultrasonic I run it through the tumbler using walnut media and a few drops of liquid car wax and the brass looks brand new. With clean primer pockets. And they run through my carbide sizing die beautifully with no lube
I just tried this with a small Ultrasonic cleaner cleaned 150 9mm and 88 30-06, I did 50 at a time of the 9mm and 20 at a time for the 30 cal. I ran them for 9 min. I looked closer and ran a few one more time just to see. It worked fantasic. Thanks for sharing this, it was very helpful. Your recipe if perfect. All the loads I did were in the same batch of water viniger deturgent mix, but it is time to change it. Never let it sit...
Fantastic Video. I am doing research to help me figure out how to start reloading and your video has helped me immensely for the cleaning portion of Reloading. Thank you again.
I have that Harbor Freight U-S cleaner, and it works very well. I clean maybe 200 .223Rem cases in it at a time; about 85 .30-06 cases fit nicely, too. My solution is water, lemon juice, a squirt of dishwashing liquid, a bit of Lemi-shine (buy it at Waltermart in the detergent section) and a pinch of the mystery powder that HF sells with the cleaner. I think the powder is some sort of surfactant that makes the water "more wet," which allows the U-S process to better work. The cleaner can only be run for eight minutes at a time, else the transducer overheats. So I set the cleaner for 480 seconds and a kitchen timer for 16 minutes. Start both at the same time. 16 minutes later, the timer goes off and the transducer is cool enough for another eight-minute run. Stir once or twice during the 480-second run. I usually let my cases run through ten or twelve 16-minute cycles so as to get the entire insides and primer pockets clean-clean. I don't stand there and wait for it; I'm doing other things like washing dishes, washing clothes or prepping brass to be reloaded. Lots of other things to do while your U-S cleaner works happily away gettin' that grungy carbon out. Once clean, rinse profusely and dry in a low oven (200 degrees) for 20-30 minutes. I resize before cleaning, so the cleaned cases are ready to go. No primer in the pocket allows for fast draining and drying. The lack of shininess doesn't bother me. They're clean, they'll function through the rifle as is, and that's all that matters...
So long a drying time is not necessary, Chris. Set them on a window sill and let the morning or afternoon sun do the job. Works well. I sometimes sun-dry my mildcat cases, of which I usually have to dry no more than a dozen or so. I'll set them there, then reload them the next day...
The best results for me were this solution plus 2 hours in the tumbler, I see this to be the best for the following reason, 1 hr in the Ultrasonic cleaner removes all the crud from inside and out of the case if the temperature is above 60 degrees, and then two hours in the tumbler not only drys the cases, but polishes them too, so i'm glad I bought both ultra sonic cleaner and tumbler, for the amount of time my brass is stood waiting to be shot and crapped up again, I hardly ever clean my brass, I certainly wouldn't waste my time then washing them off in Baking soda.... I bought some Carb solution for the ultrasonic cleaner, utter garbage, this solution is the best I have tried to date. Nice one PilotWithAGun
Found this in another site: 2 cups of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons salt, mix with water to make 1 gal. Soak for 15 -20 MINUTES. Then rinse 3 times in fresh water. You can save the solution to use again and again.
Just reading other peoples comments. where some people live, the water is "Hard" - lots of calcium. Hence the green dis-coloriation. Using distilled water will solve this. We are lucky here in Vancouver BC where the water is softer and doesn't leave any residue. Calgary for example has hard water. Some homes have a water softener plumbed in. And the other thing is: put the wet brass into a vented case holder to drip dry in the sun, or assist with a hair dryer too. Leaving them on a towel or bucket to dry takes forever.
It may take longer but - 1. clean with primers in, 2. resize and deprime. 3. clean again thereby cleaning primer pockets. 4. If you have tumbler, use it to get a real shine. 5. check primer pockets for corn cob particles stuck inside. Result, you will have cases looking unused.
Very well composed video; direct and to the point. I vibe-tumble in coarse corn cob, then size and deprime, then ultrasonic with the same recipe. then back into the vibe-tumble with fine corn cob media. The Andersons (google it) sells 50 lbs. of corn cob for $20. brass looks brand new. 1/3rd white vinegar, 2/3rds water, 1 tablespoon dish soap, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/4 of the HF secret sauce. (If you use balsamic vinegar with a little goat cheese, you really get a tangy treat, :)), then rinse with water and a little baking soda to neutralize the vinegar. I like short and fast videos like ours. Not that we have short attention spans, its just better to be succinct. Great job! Steve Reloading 223/556 easy
Nice video. Thanks Note: There are a lot of warnings on the internet about using vinegar for brass. Does anyone have input on the chemical reaction that could harm the brass? Here is something I found online: " Both metals used in brass cases (copper and zinc) are soluble in acetic acid (vinegar). The salts, copper acetate and zinc acetate, are also soluble. Zinc is more soluble than copper so it dissolves faster. In addition a galvanic action occurs that cause copper to be dissolved and then redeposited on the surface at the expense of the zinc. When you clean brass cases in a vinegar solution you change both the chemical and physical properties of the surface of the case. There have been comments about cases being too clean, primers hard to seat, deposits on mandrels, etc. When you change the surface by dissolving some of it and etching it these things will happen. Whether they happen to the point of being a problem becomes the issue."
I don't know much regarding the effect of acetic acid on brass cases, but from what I've read, it seems that citric acid is a preferable alternative to vinegar. Obviously, the concentration of the acid will also have an effect and it seems that not a very high concentration of vinegar or acetic acid is necessary. I've noticed that washing brass with a solution containing vinegar gives the brass a reddish colour.
It is better to clean with the primer out so you can clean the brass completely, however for me, since it adds another step to the process, I only deprime before cleaning after every other load or two. It hasn't made a difference for regular target shooting. For precision, I would deprime before cleaning every time.
A&P with a gun here. Great video, thanks. I was curious how the results with the ultrasonic cleaner compare to using the vinegar solution "hand agitated" like you did in the previous video.
Whilst Vinegar, salt and copper are not poisonous: Copper acetate is quite toxic so care must be taken to avoid exposure to the skin, eyes. Also using acid and salt to clean brass means that you will need to flush the sodium away and also neutralise the acid residue, both of which may case problems. I have used non-corrosive radiator cleaner from auto parts supplies. You may find it useful and not as corrosive. Avoid anything with ammonia as it will degrade the brass
Not bad I use to use ultrasonic cleaning but then I switched the to the stainless steel tumbling media, I still use the lyman solution with it though and get an outstanding result
Great Job!!! So from reading below I guess hand agitated is virtually just as good as the ultrasonic machine. Personally for handloading I want to avoid anything that requires electricity, since it probably won't be available in a doomsday scenario. But then I use an electric drill to trim my brass. ;-) Oh well...
I found a fix man. his vinegar solution cleans the brass well however like yours it turned mine pink. So a cheap fix that doesnt require a tumbler is to get a drill, got mine from harbor freight for 16 bucks. get a lee shell holder that attaches to a drill for trimming, then get the finest steal wool at walmart. wrap the steel wool around a piece of brass thats in the shell holder in the drill, squeeze the trigger for 3-5 seconds and it will leave your brass looking very shinny no pink.
Thanks for a great video. I currently use a vibratory tumbler with crushed walnut shells, I have been impressed and am considering buying a rock tumbling machine and using stainless steel pins with a soap solution, Ive seen some good results on youtube, have you ever tried this method?
Use bulk citric acid, little bit of dawn dish soap and your good to go . Frugal and save some cash I got my sonic cleaner on Amazon for 36.00 works very well with my homemade solution too !
Thank you for this. I bought a cheap $29 sonic cleaner at the harbor freight store, used your solution and it works great! My cleaner holds 10 cases at a time. It gets pretty clean inside but not as clean as yours. Do you think that if I were to put less in there it would make a difference?
My cleaner is equipped with heat but it's just on or off, no temp. I rinse the brass with plain water. I do not have a tumbler (apartment) which is why I purchased this cleaner.
I use some HE laundry soap and a little lemishine.... as good or better results as vinegar solution.... a table spoon a laundry detergent and a almost half a teaspoon of lemishine
I just tried pickling vinegar and I found it left a bit of a stain on the brass, so I guess I should stick with the normal stuff if I want a clean polished appearance..
I ended up buying a wet tumbler. Way better than teh sonic cleaner. The cases almost come out looking like gold. Primer pockets and the inside are perfect.
I have seen a video from midway where larry potterfield used a vinegar solution to clean some brass that was found , it was old and really dirty something you would look at and throw away cause it just looked really bad, but the vinegar solution made the brass look brand new , something to do with vinegar and carbon and brass on a chemical level. so this really makes sense. and hey its cheap and when is that not a good thing thanks for the vid.
so the vinegar solution was used as described in the other video or is this in conjunction with the ultrasonic cleaner. If used with the ultrasonic cleaner could you show us how that works? Thank you
Good video. Just one thing: 1 part simple green to four parts water is NOT 25%, but actually twenty percent - as in one fifth of a total of five parts.
I clean after decapping and after resizing. My dies stay clean and as new that way. I also brush the second time,that remove the oil better and the brass stay very bright even after 6 months no colorating,stains
@@robertbrandywine I now only use 1liter water from wadryer and add only 0.2liter vinaigre. After 6 minutes i stop my 180w ultrasone. I only use 1 layer of brass. I predry in blanket and put the brass in a airfryer at 80degcelsiun for 30 min. While ultrasonic cleaning i steare the brass with a paintingbrush. Never retract your bras while ultrasonic clean because youre ultrasonecleaner will brake. I now mainly only necksize. After ultrasonic cleaning i use 3 bads off washdryerwater to rinse the brass.In this case my brass keeps the good copper shine, no more use off other things
I built my first ak in an apt! lol they did not appreciate the head spacing process. which was basically me beating the thing on my kitchen table at 3am!! ahh, those were the days!
the 30 minute hand agitated batch came out almost or just as clean as an 8 minute cycle on the ultrasonic. In the end, I give it to the ultrasonic cleaner.
Checked out your videos really great info. Im getting into reloading for my 44 mag would removing the old primer before cleaning help thanks. O by the way I dont have much space so im getting the lee classic hand loader. When I move im getting a setup like yours pretty cool.
Also, I understand there is a lot of lead in the spent primers. So if you put the spent primers in the solution there could be a lot of lead suspended in the soltion, which may come in contact with your hand or go into the sewer. Just sayin'.
Dont really need to use baking soda, just take the basket full of brass set it in plastic tub full of fresh water it will dilute it to the point where it does not matter. Its not like this a strong acid it get neutralized but the reaction the oxidation layer and crud on the brass. Baking soda will neutralize but I've not seen any difference in outcome just a added step that did not seem to provide any more that a simple rinse.
I know this is an old video, but it was excellent. I wish I’d come across it years ago.
I tried your mix in my Hornady Sonic cleaner on both brass casings and some extremely dirty copper fittings that had been sitting in my bilge for a number of decades; it worked fantastic. I did try a small sample batch of both copper and brass in the solution at the same time and the two metals started to react almost within a minute! Nothing beats your solution for getting the insides of the cases and the primer pockets clean.
It's already been mentioned in the comments but instead of vinegar and salt (which I tried a long time ago) I have been using Lemi-Shine dishwasher booster. It is citric acid crystals. This acid, unlike the acetic acid in vinegar, will not have a negative effect on the brass, in fact it actually passivates the brass and it will resist tarnishing. I use the Lemi-Shine, a bit of Dawn, and HOT water. Primer pockets are clean, brass is relatively shiny, and it wont discolor.
why use lemi shine when its more expensive that Vinegar? The results cant get much better than in this video.
Bob it’s not that expensive, geez
@@TaintedMojo Hey in COVID times need to save them pennies. But yea I'll try lemi shine when my vinegar is gone. The results I got are pretty good though the brass oxidation is removed looks good enough. Close to this video.
@@Physics072 I bought pure citric acid from a local middle eastern food market a few months ago. It may be cheaper to just buy the pure stuff from online or a local supplier like I did than to buy a manufactured product. hope that helps
@@mikem6468 I don't know the recipe for how much pure to put in. Don't feel like reinventing the wheel by experimenting to find out either. How much of the pure do you mix in with how much water how much dawn hand washing detergent. ?
I just finished 500 223 range brass using you vinegar formula' I've never had such clean brass especially the primer pockets.
I have used most of the cleaning products on market and they can't hold a candle to you formula. Thanks fo posting it.
Used a Sonic machine
love the application of the scientific method. beats the hell out of all the anecdotal evidence people throw around online
I was going to say the same thing navion said...1 part water to 4 parts solution is 20%. But since he already said it, I'll get my video proofing credit by pointing out at 1:01 you have 24:1 or 4% concentration....should be 1:24...as in "one to 24" or 1/24 or about 4%. Now that I'm done being "that guy", thanks for the tip on the vinegar solution! I'm just getting set up reloading and already bought "real solution" but I'll use yours when that's done. Also, thanks for a very well produced video. Quick, concise, good audio and video quality. I wish more YTers would take a lesson in that!
Both the lemi shine and Lyman products use citric acid as the active ingredient. Citric acid (basically dried lemon juice) is readily available on the web as a powder
It comes in food grade and usp grade ( cheaper). If there is any interest, I will calculate and post here approximately how much powder to use in a gallon of water to be equivelant to Lyman end user concentration. If desired it is ok to add dish soap to this mixture.
5% Citric Acid and water a little less than one ounce per quart ratio. Use hot, not boiling, remove after about 3 hours stirring occasionally (about every 45 minutes), turn of the heat and allow to stand overnight, inspect under warm running water and brush primer pockets and case interiors if necessary, it usually isn't, but you need to inspect the cases at some point anyway and doing so with a brush in hand while rinsing is easy, most all cases do not need the brush. Dry on a tray in the oven on it's lowest setting. Do not throw out the dirty solution, it is still good for at least two additional uses even if it looks nasty. You will get a long lasting shine that looks exactly like new commercial brass. If you need your cases to shine like jewels you will need to use a tumbler with corn cob media and a Red Rouge additive. Vinegar and water or vinegar, salt and water work very well, but the cases will re tarnish very quickly, as soon as overnight. Citric Acid is sold in grocery stores as Fruit Fresh and is used in keeping fruit and vegetables from turning brown while waiting for processing, and for raising the PH for canned goods to safe levels, it is quite expensive bought in this form. I buy mine in bulk, food grade from Duda Diesel/Duda Energy in Georgia, they have good prices and quick service with good shipping costs. I recently bought 5 lbs of Citric Acid powder and 5 lbs of Potassium Nitrate (Saltpeter) for $30 including shipping delivered to my door here in CA. I learned this method from an article in the American Rifleman in the '50's who reported that the method was the one used by the old Frankford Arsenal (a government arsenal) to prepare their brass for loading, it is cheap, easy and efficacious, try it you'll never use anything else unless you want a jewel like finish
I've been using a 2.5 percent solution of vinegar (1/2 regular white vinegar and 1/2 water) and dish soap solution for years in an ultrasonic cleaner to clean my brass with decent results. After watching this vid I tried adding a teaspoon of sea salt and the difference was amazing! The primer pockets came out much cleaner (15 minutes in U/S cleaner @ 40C) and the solution was basically black when I dumped it - normally I'd save the solution for multiple cleanings but this time it was way too dirty. And yes, if you don't immediately rinse your brass with hot water and a little bit of baking soda, the brass will be slightly discolored. Since this doesn't affect the brass' performance I usually skip this step because the gophers I dismantle with each 0.223 round haven't expressed a preference for shiny brass.
Thanks for the tip!
Studies have shown that 9 out of 10 gophers surveyed prefer to be shot from discolored brass
Before I had an ultrasonic cleaner, I used the vinegar solution just like I did with the other video (Agitated the brass by hand a few times in a 30 min period) I've since bought an ultrasonic cleaner and use the same solution for it. If you're not familiar, an ultrasonic cleaner uses ultrasonic sound waves that propagate through a cleaning solution, in this case it's the Vinegar solution. I did that for 8 minutes. It's a set it and forget it kind of thing. It's nice.
Just found your channel. Quick question about the vinegar solution: Did it create foam in the ultrasonic cleaner/ If so, how'd you deal with that? Thanks.
As mentioned powdered automatic dish washing detergent works wonders. Rinses clean no damage or discoloration. Even tried liquid bar keepers friend. Did OK but not as good as the dish washer soap.
What concentration did you use ?
Also, for those experiencing the "pink brass issue" just rinse in a baking soda/water solution, then rinse in warm water. Works great for me.
djadmixtus1313 j
I put my brass in a bucket with hot soapy water and a spoonful of powdered citric acid mix them up for 10 minutes rinse them and they are already almost perfectly shiny then I tumble them for 30 minutes in walnut media to dry them and remove any haze they come out better than New! Highly polished!
Thank you for the info!! I dis not have soap like that and had heard that liquid laundry detergent worked well too. I used Cascade concentrate in hot water in my cleaner for .308, then the last 2 minutes, i added salt and vinegar. Excellent outcome! Might be something others want to try.
Thanks for sharing brother. I knew there was a inexpensive way to do this. I would never use Simple Green on cases! When I was in the Air Force, Simple Green was banned from being used on the air-frame or landing gear of aircraft because it compromised the integrity of the metal. Metal fatigue was increased significantly when it was exposed to Simple Green. I saw this first hand using a Non Destructive Inspection with ultraviolet light and ultrasonic testing. Just FYI and thanks again!
Lemi shine is basically citric Acid so needs to be neutralise, also dish wash/washing up liquid (dawn) contains caustic soda all of which corrode brass and copper, that’s why they work so well on cleaning brass. It must be neutralise straight away after Cleaning. Put clean brass into a solution of bi-carbonate (baking powder) 5% with clean water to neutralise the effects of citric acid, which all affect the brass. Then rinse in clean water and allow to dry. If you use vinegar that also needs to be neutralise with bi-carb
Vinegar really works wonders, HOWEVER: If you don't rinse and run the brass in a baking soda solution immediately afterwards you'll end up with red brass from the vinegar reacting with the brass and oxidizing it.
Thank you for the tip. Will oxidation damage structural integrity of brass or is damage purely cosmetic?
I still use this method. Works well.
Anyone have thoughts on depriving before tumbling or sonic cleaning? I like seeing a clean primer pocket... very satisfying. :)
The argument in favor of not depriming is so that the cases are clean when you run them through the sizing die. I guess that makes sense if you are using dirty range brass.
What happened to the vinegar solution recipe video? Your link says its unavailable.
What a great test. Thanks for showing the difference. I am new to reloading and have been hesitant to starting because I am so particular about making sure the brass is "perfect" before I get started. I have heard leave primer in, take it out, so many different ways and ideas, I am confuse as how I should start. I loved what you showed and the differences in types of cleaning solutions and how they work. That will help me get started. I would thing I was doing something wrong if I used a cleaner and it showed all the debris like you showed in the examples. Better to start with something that works. Thanks again for taking the time to show this. Peace, Reese
Very good receipt,
I've just tested it now, cases looks fine. I've an ultrasonic cleaner, the cases was in a glass bowl with the solution inside the cleaner. 2x 20 mins @ 50°C.
There is yet some scrap deep in the cases but negligible.
Thank you !
It appears that you left the primers in the cases, when cleaning with any liquid you should remove the primers first, not only do they dry easier, if they aren't removed soon after cleaning you take the chance of the bottom punching out of the primer cup leaving the sides in place, which can be a huge problem.
I've tried this solution today, water, vinegar, soap and a touch of salt.
After 6 or 7 period of 480 seconds, my brass are clean ! They are not shiny, but clean. There is a lot of carbon particules on the bottom of my bin, it's all black !
So right now, i have a bunch in the thumbler, been processed. I'll see if they will come out "like new" !
I don’t understand whet the salt does to help clean the cases. Have you tried the Vinegar/dish soap without the salt ?
Hi, I cant find you recipe for the ultrasonic cleaning solution you used.
Subscribed for the great info. Im just getting into hand loading and I'm trying to squeeze every penny without compromising any safety. Thank you.
I started using this mix from your other video.. Now I use just vinegar and water in my ultrasonic cleaner. I deprime first. After I run it through the ultrasonic I run it through the tumbler using walnut media and a few drops of liquid car wax and the brass looks brand new. With clean primer pockets. And they run through my carbide sizing die beautifully with no lube
I just tried this with a small Ultrasonic cleaner cleaned 150 9mm and 88 30-06, I did 50 at a time of the 9mm and 20 at a time for the 30 cal. I ran them for 9 min. I looked closer and ran a few one more time just to see. It worked fantasic. Thanks for sharing this, it was very helpful. Your recipe if perfect. All the loads I did were in the same batch of water viniger deturgent mix, but it is time to change it. Never let it sit...
Fantastic Video. I am doing research to help me figure out how to start reloading and your video has helped me immensely for the cleaning portion of Reloading. Thank you again.
I have that Harbor Freight U-S cleaner, and it works very well. I clean maybe 200 .223Rem cases in it at a time; about 85 .30-06 cases fit nicely, too. My solution is water, lemon juice, a squirt of dishwashing liquid, a bit of Lemi-shine (buy it at Waltermart in the detergent section) and a pinch of the mystery powder that HF sells with the cleaner. I think the powder is some sort of surfactant that makes the water "more wet," which allows the U-S process to better work. The cleaner can only be run for eight minutes at a time, else the transducer overheats. So I set the cleaner for 480 seconds and a kitchen timer for 16 minutes. Start both at the same time. 16 minutes later, the timer goes off and the transducer is cool enough for another eight-minute run. Stir once or twice during the 480-second run. I usually let my cases run through ten or twelve 16-minute cycles so as to get the entire insides and primer pockets clean-clean. I don't stand there and wait for it; I'm doing other things like washing dishes, washing clothes or prepping brass to be reloaded. Lots of other things to do while your U-S cleaner works happily away gettin' that grungy carbon out. Once clean, rinse profusely and dry in a low oven (200 degrees) for 20-30 minutes. I resize before cleaning, so the cleaned cases are ready to go. No primer in the pocket allows for fast draining and drying. The lack of shininess doesn't bother me. They're clean, they'll function through the rifle as is, and that's all that matters...
the rinse part is a very important step, I let my brass air dry for 2-3 days.
So long a drying time is not necessary, Chris. Set them on a window sill and let the morning or afternoon sun do the job. Works well. I sometimes sun-dry my mildcat cases, of which I usually have to dry no more than a dozen or so. I'll set them there, then reload them the next day...
It is one thing to state but another to show the comparison. Great job, I will have to try it.
The best results for me were this solution plus 2 hours in the tumbler, I see this to be the best for the following reason, 1 hr in the Ultrasonic cleaner removes all the crud from inside and out of the case if the temperature is above 60 degrees, and then two hours in the tumbler not only drys the cases, but polishes them too, so i'm glad I bought both ultra sonic cleaner and tumbler, for the amount of time my brass is stood waiting to be shot and crapped up again, I hardly ever clean my brass, I certainly wouldn't waste my time then washing them off in Baking soda....
I bought some Carb solution for the ultrasonic cleaner, utter garbage, this solution is the best I have tried to date. Nice one PilotWithAGun
yup just used this recipe in my sonic cleaner and I now have pink brass
@john Johnson I know but it makes the press run alot better and smoother with lube especially 9mm
The recipe video was taken down! I need this recipe!
Ya I’m looking for same thing
@@hectorgonzalez7416 Hi, have you managed to find the recipe ? Thx.
@@oasis6444 nothing yet how about you
Same...
Found this in another site:
2 cups of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons salt, mix with water to make 1 gal.
Soak for 15 -20 MINUTES. Then rinse 3 times in fresh water.
You can save the solution to use again and again.
Just reading other peoples comments. where some people live, the water is "Hard" - lots of calcium. Hence the green dis-coloriation. Using distilled water will solve this. We are lucky here in Vancouver BC where the water is softer and doesn't leave any residue. Calgary for example has hard water. Some homes have a water softener plumbed in. And the other thing is: put the wet brass into a vented case holder to drip dry in the sun, or assist with a hair dryer too. Leaving them on a towel or bucket to dry takes forever.
It may take longer but - 1. clean with primers in, 2. resize and deprime. 3. clean again thereby cleaning primer pockets. 4. If you have tumbler, use it to get a real shine. 5. check primer pockets for corn cob particles stuck inside.
Result, you will have cases looking unused.
I am not sure. I haven't tried and I'd really research it's effect on other metals like steel/aluminum before I tried it...
Very well composed video; direct and to the point. I vibe-tumble in coarse corn cob, then size and deprime, then ultrasonic with the same recipe. then back into the vibe-tumble with fine corn cob media. The Andersons (google it) sells 50 lbs. of corn cob for $20. brass looks brand new. 1/3rd white vinegar, 2/3rds water, 1 tablespoon dish soap, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/4 of the HF secret sauce. (If you use balsamic vinegar with a little goat cheese, you really get a tangy treat, :)), then rinse with water and a little baking soda to neutralize the vinegar. I like short and fast videos like ours. Not that we have short attention spans, its just better to be succinct. Great job! Steve Reloading 223/556 easy
Thank you for a complete test. It is really nice when the test is explained and then the results are shown...again Thank you.
Nice video. Thanks
Note: There are a lot of warnings on the internet about using vinegar for brass.
Does anyone have input on the chemical reaction that could harm the brass?
Here is something I found online:
" Both metals used in brass cases (copper and zinc) are soluble in acetic acid (vinegar). The salts, copper acetate and zinc acetate, are also soluble. Zinc is more soluble than copper so it dissolves faster. In addition a galvanic action occurs that cause copper to be dissolved and then redeposited on the surface at the expense of the zinc.
When you clean brass cases in a vinegar solution you change both the chemical and physical properties of the surface of the case. There have been comments about cases being too clean, primers hard to seat, deposits on mandrels, etc. When you change the surface by dissolving some of it and etching it these things will happen. Whether they happen to the point of being a problem becomes the issue."
I don't know much regarding the effect of acetic acid on brass cases, but from what I've read, it seems that citric acid is a preferable alternative to vinegar. Obviously, the concentration of the acid will also have an effect and it seems that not a very high concentration of vinegar or acetic acid is necessary. I've noticed that washing brass with a solution containing vinegar gives the brass a reddish colour.
very good video....just tried the vinegar formula and it worked perfectly
dr scholls foot spa vibrates like a sonic cleaner LOL
It is better to clean with the primer out so you can clean the brass completely, however for me, since it adds another step to the process, I only deprime before cleaning after every other load or two. It hasn't made a difference for regular target shooting. For precision, I would deprime before cleaning every time.
Love your RUclips name...I need to change mine to SurgeonWithAGun
Thank you, I can't wait to see the results with the Vinegar recipe
That's great! Make sure to check out my other video on this channel "Reloading for beginners on a budget"
A&P with a gun here. Great video, thanks. I was curious how the results with the ultrasonic cleaner compare to using the vinegar solution "hand agitated" like you did in the previous video.
Whilst Vinegar, salt and copper are not poisonous: Copper acetate is quite toxic so care must be taken to avoid exposure to the skin, eyes.
Also using acid and salt to clean brass means that you will need to flush the sodium away and also neutralise the acid residue, both of which may case problems.
I have used non-corrosive radiator cleaner from auto parts supplies.
You may find it useful and not as corrosive. Avoid anything with ammonia as it will degrade the brass
The heat, definitely speeds up the process and cleans the brass better.
Not bad I use to use ultrasonic cleaning but then I switched the to the stainless steel tumbling media, I still use the lyman solution with it though and get an outstanding result
Great Job!!! So from reading below I guess hand agitated is virtually just as good as the ultrasonic machine. Personally for handloading I want to avoid anything that requires electricity, since it probably won't be available in a doomsday scenario. But then I use an electric drill to trim my brass. ;-) Oh well...
I found a fix man. his vinegar solution cleans the brass well however like yours it turned mine pink. So a cheap fix that doesnt require a tumbler is to get a drill, got mine from harbor freight for 16 bucks. get a lee shell holder that attaches to a drill for trimming, then get the finest steal wool at walmart. wrap the steel wool around a piece of brass thats in the shell holder in the drill, squeeze the trigger for 3-5 seconds and it will leave your brass looking very shinny no pink.
Thanks for a great video. I currently use a vibratory tumbler with crushed walnut shells, I have been impressed and am considering buying a rock tumbling machine and using stainless steel pins with a soap solution, Ive seen some good results on youtube, have you ever tried this method?
Use bulk citric acid, little bit of dawn dish soap and your good to go .
Frugal and save some cash
I got my sonic cleaner on Amazon for 36.00 works very well with my homemade solution too !
Thank you for this. I bought a cheap $29 sonic cleaner at the harbor freight store, used your solution and it works great! My cleaner holds 10 cases at a time. It gets pretty clean inside but not as clean as yours. Do you think that if I were to put less in there it would make a difference?
What is the recipe for the vintages solution.?
Good catch navion! You are right, 1:3 is the correct ratio for 25%
My cleaner is equipped with heat but it's just on or off, no temp. I rinse the brass with plain water. I do not have a tumbler (apartment) which is why I purchased this cleaner.
I use some HE laundry soap and a little lemishine.... as good or better results as vinegar solution.... a table spoon a laundry detergent and a almost half a teaspoon of lemishine
I just tried pickling vinegar and I found it left a bit of a stain on the brass, so I guess I should stick with the normal stuff if I want a clean polished appearance..
using my whife's old foorbath - works like a charm!! -- you would be able to pici it up second hand for cheap..
I ended up buying a wet tumbler. Way better than teh sonic cleaner. The cases almost come out looking like gold. Primer pockets and the inside are perfect.
I have seen a video from midway where larry potterfield used a vinegar solution to clean some brass that was found , it was old and really dirty something you would look at and throw away cause it just looked really bad, but the vinegar solution made the brass look brand new , something to do with vinegar and carbon and brass on a chemical level. so this really makes sense. and hey its cheap and when is that not a good thing thanks for the vid.
so the vinegar solution was used as described in the other video or is this in conjunction with the ultrasonic cleaner. If used with the ultrasonic cleaner could you show us how that works? Thank you
Good video. Just one thing: 1 part simple green to four parts water is NOT 25%, but actually twenty percent - as in one fifth of a total of five parts.
I clean after decapping and after resizing. My dies stay clean and as new that way. I also brush the second time,that remove the
oil better and the brass stay very bright even after 6 months no colorating,stains
Do you mean before and after resizing and depriming?
@@robertbrandywine I now only use 1liter water from wadryer and add only 0.2liter vinaigre. After 6 minutes i stop my 180w ultrasone. I only use 1 layer of brass. I predry in blanket and put the brass in a airfryer at 80degcelsiun for 30 min. While ultrasonic cleaning i steare the brass with a paintingbrush. Never retract your bras while ultrasonic clean because youre ultrasonecleaner will brake. I now mainly only necksize. After ultrasonic cleaning i use 3 bads off washdryerwater to rinse the brass.In this case my brass keeps the good copper shine, no more use off other things
So, did you put them in the Ultrasonic Cleaner? or was that just soaking them in the liquids?
I haven't had any problems thus yet. But thanks for the tip, ill keep that in mind.
deleted that other comment. I missed the part where you used the Ultrasonic with all three. Great test vid THANKS!
For better effect put brass in vertical position.
I built my first ak in an apt! lol they did not appreciate the head spacing process. which was basically me beating the thing on my kitchen table at 3am!! ahh, those were the days!
Sounds like you have a good system going there. Keep us posted!
1/4 of preparation for 3/4 water, nice but wich proportion of soap Ang vinegar and how much gram of salt?
Can you use the vinegar solution for gun parts too?
Just tried the home made mix with sunlight dish soap in my rotary tumbler and it barely did anything at all. Suggestions?
the 30 minute hand agitated batch came out almost or just as clean as an 8 minute cycle on the ultrasonic. In the end, I give it to the ultrasonic cleaner.
Checked out your videos really great info. Im getting into reloading for my 44 mag would removing the old primer before cleaning help thanks. O by the way I dont have much space so im getting the lee classic hand loader. When I move im getting a setup like yours pretty cool.
Thanks your video was very informative for me and helped me a bit.
Thanks ALLThingsEastCoast. Glad you enjoyed it
Do you clean brass with primer in or out?
Thanks for this great video. well made and straight to the point.
Use lemmi shine instead of salt and vinegar and soap and dawn works best
That was a very well narrated and concise review. Thank you.
I initially used to agitate it by hand for 30 seconds every 5 minutes for 3 minutes. I've since started using the ultrasonic cleaner.
whats the recipe for the vinegar?
Yes it helps quite a bit. I usually do that every other load.
Hey, your recipe video got taken down. Post the recipe from the other video in your video description or in the comments.
Thanks Ducky, that's an excellent point.
Hello Fellows, can this solution be used in automotive parts? Say fuel injectors sensors and such?
Bitchen data , thank you for this content !
Thank you for watching!
your right vinegar is far better with my home made tumbler and stainless steel media.
Ill have to try that out.
Also, I understand there is a lot of lead in the spent primers. So if you put the spent primers in the solution there could be a lot of lead suspended in the soltion, which may come in contact with your hand or go into the sewer. Just sayin'.
keep us posted on your results!
After an hour with this recipe, my brass turns pink. Why?
Was the water hot/warm?
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
wash the brass in some 1 teaspoon baking soda mixed in 3 liters of water.
it neutralizes the acid in the brass surface...
Dont really need to use baking soda, just take the basket full of brass set it in plastic tub full of fresh water it will dilute it to the point where it does not matter. Its not like this a strong acid it get neutralized but the reaction the oxidation layer and crud on the brass. Baking soda will neutralize but I've not seen any difference in outcome just a added step that did not seem to provide any more that a simple rinse.