Author Topic: How do I get shiny brass?  (Read 1006 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Questor

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7075
How do I get shiny brass?
« on: March 26, 2007, 02:03:07 AM »
I currently tumble my brass in corn cob media and it polished to a satiny finish. How can I get my brass to be factory shiny? Thanks.
Safety first

Offline Castaway

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1105
  • Gender: Male
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2007, 02:10:26 AM »
After polishing, add it to a solution of Kool-Aid and let it soak overnight.  An old mess sergeants trick to polish the steam pipes on the serving line.  The citric acid will make it shine like a new penny.

Offline fastbike

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 174
  • Gender: Male
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2007, 02:28:45 AM »
You can also put a bit of polish in the media. There are many recommendations for Nu-Finish car wax (which smells just like a "gun brass specific" polish you can buy from several online retailers.

I currently tumble my brass in corn cob media and it polished to a satiny finish. How can I get my brass to be factory shiny? Thanks.

Offline Glanceblamm

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2814
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2007, 03:09:51 AM »
Corn cob media & Dillon rapid polish 290

I didnt think it was doing much at first but the media eventually got seasoned.
For a new start add just enough to where you see small clumps of media forming. Usually is around eight to 10 capfulls.(clumping will disappear) I will add two or three capfulls for additional brass tumbled.
You will get alot of mileage out of one bottle.

Offline Castaway

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1105
  • Gender: Male
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2007, 03:12:48 AM »
Stay away from anything with ammonia.  It will weaken brass.

Offline John R.

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 845
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2007, 04:52:10 AM »
If you order your media from Sinclair it aready has polishing compound in it. It will shine them super bright and doesn't leave a mess.

Offline Hairtrigger

  • Trade Count: (10)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2010
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2007, 05:21:06 AM »
Is shiney brass better than clean brass with a satin finish?
Not to me

Offline victorcharlie

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3573
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2007, 06:33:18 AM »
Brasso and a rag......
"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Tolerance in the face of tyranny is no virtue."
Barry Goldwater

Offline OLDHandgunner

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 696
  • Gender: Male
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2007, 11:39:34 AM »
Why shiny brass?  I just want mine clean.  ;D ;D ;D

Offline Lead pot

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 743
  • Gender: Male
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2007, 12:04:36 PM »
1/2 can of Brasso in the media and let it run for a couple minutes to mix then add your brass
Dont go were the path leads,go were there is no path and leave a trail.

Offline **oneshot**

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 69
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2007, 02:31:37 PM »
I just started tumbling my brass.  I used a 50/50 mix of corncob and tuffnut(walnut) media.  My cases came out like brand new except the inside which was cleaned but not polished clean.
Respect the animals we hunt.  Shoot with confidence.

Offline The Gamemaster

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 312
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2007, 11:22:54 AM »
Kaboom will clean the inside and the outside at the same time.  But it will not be shiny.

Brasso and a clean rag will clean it up after that.

I did 1000 Lake City 52' in about a day.

I couldn't even write my name for a week after that one.  My hands hurt pretty good from all the polishing.

Offline Silverfox_ND

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Posts: 1
Re: How do I get shiny brass?
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2007, 03:43:15 PM »
Questor--If you want your brass clean and shiny both on the outside and the inside try using an ultrasonic cleaner.  Here's a link to a very informative article about using an ultrasonic cleaner to clean your brass.

http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

I use the "Clean and Shiny" method to clean my brass.  I am very pleased with the results.  Here are a couple photos of my setup and some of the brass I cleaned two winters ago.  I FL resized 635 once-fired .17 Remington casings, cleaned them, and then used my K&M neck turner to turn the necks on them for my .1945" necked super match grade stainless steel Pac-Nor barreled .17 Remington.  It was a labor of love   :o :o



Some of the finished brass.  I used a hair dryer (don't tell my wife) to do the final drying after shaking most of the water out of them and rolling them around on the towels.  The hair dryer was used to blow warm air into the casings from both ends.