Tumbler media additive

[wild willy]

Bought a bag corn cob litter at the pet store saw somewhere about using turtlewax scratch & swirl remover added couple tablespons tumbled some cases couple hours. came out CLEAN better than RCBS treated media better than lyman better than adding Flitz. only problem smells like it has ammonia in it. what does ammonia do to brass and do you think the little bit in the tumbler will hurt and does anybody use something else that works as well
                          Thanks

[smokey66]

seems like this subject has been discussed a few times already..you might try doing a search on it....

[jhm]

It will turn the brass brittle depending on how much is in there. :oops:   JIM

[wild willy]

I did look at some of the old posts what I was wondering has any one actually has brass fail because they used brasso or something with ammonia in it. ammonia is a liquid won't it evaporate out of the media over time

[savageT]

wild willy,

The composition for cartridge brass is:
   copper, 68.5 - 71.5%
   lead, 0.07% maximum
   iron, 0.05% maximum
   zinc, remainder (100% minus the sum of the previous 3 metals)
Ammonium Hydroxide/ammonia vapors are well-known etchants for copper/copper alloys and leads to embrittlement of the grain boundries because it is there that the etchant attacks most readily.
Take my word for it.....keep cartridge brass and ammonia away from each other! You don't want a cartridge to blow up in your chamber!

Jim: retired metallographer

[Haywire Haywood]

I use Dillon's media additive and am very satisfied with the results.  I add a capful every so often and my brass comes out really nice.

Ian

[Glanceblamm]

Agreed with Mr Haywood.
The Dillons rapid polish boast No Ammonia and works great with the corn cob media.

[BCB]

wild willy,

Ain't gonna argue with a metallurgist, but I have used Brasso ever since I began reloading over 30 years ago.  I do add a tablespoon of it to my media from time to time.  I honestly have brass that has been cleaned in this media and others of course, that has been reloaded nearly 20 times.  Much of it has been reloaded in the low to middle teens number of times.  Not a single problem.  I do use Lyman media additive also.  I actually would be more concerned about the use of a wax product in that it might make the case "more slippery" and this might not allow the brass to "grab" the chamber walls very well.  This could cause more backward thrust and possibly problems.  Don't know, but it has been discussed and it sure sounds reasonable.  Good-luck...BCB