Author Topic: Cheap, Lazy Brass Cleaning..... (Read 1460 times)

quickdtoo · « **on:** November 19, 2004, 12:28:59 PM »

Don't know if this has been tried before, but I just cleaned a bunch of .45-70 brass in the dishwasher! Came out sparkling clean on the outside, and for the most part, on the inside too. I was reading different recipes for brass cleaning using dish detergent, lemon juice, vinegar and various concoxtions, thought it would be easy in the dishwasher with all the little pegs in there to slip brass over. Maybe a presoak in one of the mixes and then wash in the washer.....I think it's gonna work for me, no need to buy a tumber and cleaning media, already have what I need in the kitchen, just need to run it while the wife is at work, she'll never know..... :twisted:

Fred M · « **Reply #1 on:** November 19, 2004, 01:42:53 PM »

Quick.
Heck of a good idea. What do you use, Cascade? I use that stuff to clean bullets for Moly plating, with boiling water then rinse with water and let dry.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #2 on:** November 19, 2004, 02:14:37 PM »

I didn't presoak em, just put em in and used regular generic lemon dishwashing detergent. I think next time, I'll presoak in one of the home brewed solutions like vinegar and water, or salt, detergent and water. Then run em through for cleaning and rinse and dry. They came out dry and ready to trim and load if I chose to. :grin:

Major · « **Reply #3 on:** November 19, 2004, 02:19:08 PM »

Do you remove the old primer first or just leave it in. I know removing the old one first then washing would be extra work but it might aid in the dishwashing soap getting into the inside and also aid in the rinse cycle and the drying.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 19, 2004, 02:31:12 PM »

I deprimed first, figured it would clean the inside better. :wink:

MSP Ret · « **Reply #5 on:** November 19, 2004, 03:00:44 PM »

Great idea Quick, I want to try that tomorrow!!! Thanks....<><.... :grin:

handirifle · « **Reply #6 on:** November 19, 2004, 03:23:23 PM »

You guys are cracking me up :-D :-D :-D :-D

hellacatcher · « **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2004, 04:16:03 PM »

Now that is going to be fun getting by the wife.

Beekeeper · « **Reply #8 on:** November 19, 2004, 04:23:49 PM »

Lots of things can be run through the dishwasher. I knew you could run traps through them but never thought of brass. Dishwashers can sure be usefull when you're the only one home.
zach

Deadeye47 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 19, 2004, 05:08:30 PM »

:shock: You Married guys must be bored to do that in mommas dishwasher....must be like an adrenaline rush wondering if your going to get caught.....dang ...livin on the edge... :roll:

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** November 19, 2004, 05:13:39 PM »

Since I do 99% of the cookin and cleanin due to being retired, I think it's my perogative to do as I wish.................as long as the wifey says it's ok! :oops:

Bug · « **Reply #11 on:** November 20, 2004, 12:35:53 AM »

Just some alternative thinking, but...
Most primers use lead styphnate, don't they? this is bound to leave some lead deposits in the case & primer pocket. Wouldn't this constitute a risk of lead exposure?
The subject of lead-contaminated dust comes up every once in a while, when discussing tumblers/vibrators. I don't know if it is valid, just that the subject comes up. Wouldn't it be logical that this would expose eating utensils to lead-based contamination? I, for sure, don't know. But, it sounds like something I wouldn't want to try. Don't want to argue, just presenting another line of thought.

shaner · « **Reply #12 on:** November 20, 2004, 01:53:24 AM »

i seriously doubt there would be enough lead in there after the rinsing to bother anything, anyhow , if i run my brass thru the dishwasher?

afraid she might get bad at me ,,,,,,, since she is the dishwasher

Steelbanger · « **Reply #13 on:** November 20, 2004, 02:07:48 AM »

Since we're on household appliance tips this morning, here's mine.

When doing laundry, never mix whites & darks in the same load IF YOUR WIFE IS WATCHING!!

I can just hear all the thank you's so you're welcome.

Longcruise · « **Reply #14 on:** November 20, 2004, 05:35:09 AM »

Hi Quick, I use the diswasher for cases all the time. Mine don't come out all bright and shiney though. Maybe I need to get the wife to change detergents

I run mine through after sizing/depriming and trimming. Then they go into the Vibra Shine till nicely polished. The DW gets all the lube off and out of the inside.

Are you shooting BP in those cases? Take a look in the Dixie catalog for their recipe for cleaning cases in a milk jug. I forget the additive but it is expressly supposed to shine the case up. Never tried it cause I can never remember the name of the additive and gave away my catalog :grin:

quickdtoo · « **Reply #15 on:** November 20, 2004, 05:55:39 AM »

The lead residue is one of the reasons I want to presoak em in a solution that would remove the internal gunk. The outside came out clean but the inside left a residue that could be removed with a Q-tip, so it may disolve with a little help in the presoak stage. Not shooting black powder, but I do have a Dixie catalog, I'll check it out, thanks. Tim

Mattkc · « **Reply #16 on:** November 20, 2004, 09:35:33 AM »

I been thinking about using the dishwasher myself. I now a gal who put her Glock 23 in the dishwasher after qualifying on the range. Training Lt. about had a heart attack when he heard about it, but it didn't hurt the gun.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #17 on:** November 20, 2004, 09:49:25 AM »

I'd be a bit concerned about the dry cycle warping the polymer parts! :shock:

tallyho · « **Reply #18 on:** November 20, 2004, 12:17:14 PM »

Thanks for the diswasher tip quickdtoo :agree:... I remember hearing about this once before but never personally tried it.

I do much of the cookin' and cleanin' at my house too so I don't have a prob doing brass in the machine..(actually we share the chores, and though I think my cooking is better than hers, she's gets the prize for desserts hands down!)

Anyway, as an aside, she is a Shaklee distributor and any of you who know about Shaklee have probably heard of Basic-H on which the company was built. A bio-degradable and absolutely amazing (in my opinion) cleaning liquid.

I use it for things besides cleaning: dealing with squeaky hinges, keeping the mirror in the shower from fogging (I actually use it shaving as well, only stuff I've found that doesn't leave my neck all red and itchy) a friend uses it to keep the flies off her horse, I lube the shaft on my reloading press, etc. (even cleaned the greasy preservative gunk off a new in the box Chinese springer air-gun with it) so I'm gonna squirt some in with the dishwasher powder (also by Shaklee) and do some brass today.

I'm heading off to the range tomorrow to tinker with some handloads for my (new - to me) 30/30 NEF and was polishing brass last night with a bit of steel wool and one of those household sponges with the scrubby part on one side. I want to have some more loads than I have at the moment and don't feel much like resuming the polishing chores from last night so...

Coincidentally she's away for the weekend and I have the dishwasher to myself.

I'm gonna try putting the brass in with a small load of dishes actually... I believe it is referred to as "multi-tasking".

I'll let y'all know what happens...

Cheers
Kerry :agree:

87-19 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 20, 2004, 12:26:55 PM »

Just another tip along the same lines. When cleaning my 45-70 brass, after a BPCR match, I put them in an old sock- tie a knot in the end and put them in the washing machine. No damage to the cases and they come pretty clean.

P.S. don't wash the wifes' lingere at the same time!

Jim

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #20 on:** November 20, 2004, 05:33:09 PM »

I use an old nylon stocking for a bag....works very well. By the way, have you ever made "Dishwasher Salmon"? This sounds crazy, but it works like a champ:
Wrap the fish several times with foil, put it on the top rack, run full cycle without soap and it comes out done to a tee!
If my wife reads this I'm dead.

tallyho · « **Reply #21 on:** November 20, 2004, 06:18:24 PM »

First of all, let me say I wimped out on doing a "small load of dishes" with the brass... just didn't feel right - was afraid a case might come loose and get flung around busting up stuff... :shock: ... and as it turned out I did find 3 cases in the bottom of the washer when I opened it.

Don't think they got flung around or I would have heard them...

Now to the official report:

Yes they were cleaned nicely. Not sparkly but pretty much clean. Some of the cases were acquired from somebody else and had some black stains around the necks, these did not get removed (I'd a been mucho happy hombre if they had! :grin: ) The ones out of my NEF were once fired, and had no marks around the necks and they looked the best of the bunch.

They were not dry when they came out, so I put them all in the oven for a couple of minutes on a baking pan (I had the oven on anyway for some chicken cooking - still managed to get in some multi-tasking).

I didn't save any time, but I did save having to scrub each one by hand. I have no tumbler, and live in a small apartment, so I make do with what is at hand. Now the dishwasher is at hand... :-D

And smokinjoe, I have heard that about salmon (used to live up in salmon country) but never tried it myself.... how does the diswasher smell afterward? Last time I cooked salmon in the house (grilled) it smelled up the kitchen for some time - I always preferred cooking salmon outside.

And quickdtoo... would you mind filling us in on the formula from Dixie catalog when you find it.

Cheers
Kerry

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #22 on:** November 21, 2004, 04:58:22 AM »

Dishwasher smells like salmon afterward...just run the dishes thru with normal soap load.

Stan in SC · « **Reply #23 on:** November 21, 2004, 06:55:51 AM »

Oh,pardon me...I though this was a gun forum.Reads like a Martha Stewart special.LOL.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #24 on:** November 21, 2004, 07:32:37 AM »

Still can't find the Dixie catalog, my huntin partner may have it, been a while since I saw it. Here's an NRA recipe that I found.

Soak brass for 15 to 20 minutes in a solution of 2 tablespoons salt to a quart of vinegar, shaking or stirring occasionally, drain and rinse well in running water. Didn't say what kind of vinegar, white, cider or?

jrcanoe · « **Reply #25 on:** November 21, 2004, 08:00:43 AM »

I like the dishwashing Idea will have to try it as a first step. I drive over the road and noticed that my milk for my coffee would dehomogenize if I bought more than a couple days worth. This led me to put cases in a tupperware container with corncob media, after my usual 2 to 3 weeks out they are perfectly shiny. The only problem I have had was explaining this method to Texas cop near Lorado, he laughed and shook his head when he understood, Thank god it wasn't a Mass. or Conn. dotcop!

87-19 · « **Reply #26 on:** November 21, 2004, 09:30:05 AM »

I have a Dixie Gun works, Inc. 2004 catalog. I will post the paragraph, I have never used it, so I don't have any info on its actual use.

page 666

CARTRIDGE CASE CLEANER

"A good customer of ours sent the following formula for cleaning brass cases. This is known as Liebig's solution. It will produce a matte gold finish and a sparkling clean inside.
The following materials and chemicals are needed: flaked chromic anhydride ( chromium trioxide), which we have for sale and is listed elsewhere in our catalog, magnesium sulfate in the purified form known as epsom salt, an old stainless steel spoon, a graduated guart glass measuring container, and hot water.
First you fill the container with hot water, then put in one heaped teaspoon of chromic anhydride and one heaped tablespoon of epsom salt. This will disolve readily into a dark orange solution and it is best to be respectable of this solution since it is an acid .
Now put no more than ten cases in the container and stir them around for two to four minutes, remove the cases with steel tongs and place temporarily in another container of hot water. when all the cases are finished, clean them with luke warm water and then shake out the cases to get rid of as much moisture as you can. Lay them on paper towels to dry.
I should mention that if the cases are greasy or especially dirty, you should put them in a container with a teaspoon of detergent and let set for about five minutes. Then rinse with clean hot water.
It is important to remember taht the solution should be hot and fresh. Do not immerse too many cases at the same time. A pint of Liebig's solution will clean approximately 50 cases but not any more satisfactorily. The solution becomes dark almost immediately after the first cases have been immersed. If cases become splotchy, you know you have exhausted the solution; or the tempature is too low."

Jim

quickdtoo · « **Reply #27 on:** November 21, 2004, 09:38:20 AM »

Thanks 87-19, but I think I'll stick with a mild acid like vinegar, I think my brass will last longer. :wink: And, it doesn't require a special order for the chromic anhydride, not exactly something everyone has at home.