Pre-Washing Brass before Tumble

Mad_Machinist · Sep 23, 2013

Soninlaw picked up a large quantity of 40 cal brass. The stuff was filthy and would turn your hands black just handling it. I spoke to a friend of mine that produces abrasive media about it and he gave me a sample of prewash solution.

I ran 4,000 through the prewash and allowed it to dry overnight. I think it's clean enough to load just washing and drying! After only an our in the tumbler, this stuff looks new.

Anyone else do a prewash?

slugger6 · Sep 23, 2013

I often use canned air on particularly dirty brass, e.g. dried mud, grass, etc.

Jub · Sep 23, 2013

Only if it has mud or dirt on it

SWThomas · Sep 23, 2013

Nope. Just tumble it.

525xdm9 · Sep 23, 2013

Here is my brass cleaning process:

1 Get a bunch of used brass.
2 Add water and magic brass cleaning potion (dishsoap- whatever is on the counter, I am not picky).
3 run in RCBS sidewinder for 20 minutes to an hour.
4 remove the brass, spin in media separator (speeds up the drying process, there really isn't media to separate like crushed walnut).
5 let it dry over night.

Of course if I'm in a hurry instead of the overnight dry it gets put in the oven.

fredj338 · Sep 23, 2013

I only do it the brass has a lot of grit stuck to it. For just carbon, no, tumble straight away.

Knightslugger · Sep 23, 2013

Water
Dish Soap
Stainless steel media
tumbler (not vibratory)

washwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwash

*DING!*

fires are done.

Silver02ex · Sep 24, 2013

Knightslugger said:
Water
Dish Soap
Stainless steel media
tumbler (not vibratory)

washwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwashwash

*DING!*

fires are done.

Same here

Snaphook · Sep 25, 2013

I bought a sonic cleaner and used it maybe 4 times before tumbling. Now I just tumble clean as the brass comes out fine. The sonic cleaner just sits in my closet.

Pre-Washing Brass before Tumble

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