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  #11  
Old 08-09-2021, 02:37 PM
Wiserfool Wiserfool is offline
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I agree with Oso, don't get carried away with tumble times. For dirty range pickup, etc I do a half hour with just a bit of Dawn soap, change the water and this time use Dawn + LemiShine. Too long or too much LemiShine and the cases are clean but have a dull lustre, not bright and shiny. Using warm tap water seems to work better as well.
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  #12  
Old 08-09-2021, 04:48 PM
WyoBull WyoBull is offline
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One thing I do after separating pins and rinsing brass is to lay all my brass on a bath towel on my work bench and then using my heat gun on low, I will run that over the brass while moving the brass around on the towel with one hand. Doing that for about 10 15 minutes has my brass nice and dry.
Inevitably, there will still be SS pins that fall out of the brass so I then just run my magnet over the towel and brass to pick up the rest of them.
Wet tumbling definitely take a little longer than using a dry vibratory tumbler but the result is so much better it is well worth it.
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  #13  
Old 08-09-2021, 05:06 PM
moorepower moorepower is offline
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I have never wet tumbled brass, just 15-20000 exhaust headers after ceramic coating, but, soft water filtered to 1 micron makes it come out much much nicer. I would just buy distilled water for wet tumbling, honestly. The soap works many times better and it will clean, cleaner and faster. Personally I think I would also rinse with distilled water after tumbling, but that's just my thoughts.
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  #14  
Old 08-09-2021, 06:42 PM
B23 B23 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moorepower View Post
I have never wet tumbled brass, just 15-20000 exhaust headers after ceramic coating, but, soft water filtered to 1 micron makes it come out much much nicer. I would just buy distilled water for wet tumbling, honestly. The soap works many times better and it will clean, cleaner and faster. Personally I think I would also rinse with distilled water after tumbling, but that's just my thoughts.
Our water is a little on the hard side and has a certain amount of mineral content. When I first started using SS pins and wet tumbling the brass would be sparkling clean except I'd always have hard water spots after it dried. I quickly switched to using distilled water and that eliminated all water spots. Distilled water is cheap and available at just about any grocery store.

For anyone that is new to wet tumbling the use of Lemi Shine makes for sparkling pretty brass just as long as you don't use to much of it. With Lemi Shine less is better than more. If you use even a little to much Lemi Shine it'll have a reverse affect on you brass and it'll actually come out looking dull and not bright. Ask me how I know.
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  #15  
Old 08-09-2021, 07:09 PM
Oso Polaris Oso Polaris is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moorepower View Post
I have never wet tumbled brass, just 15-20000 exhaust headers after ceramic coating, but, soft water filtered to 1 micron makes it come out much much nicer. I would just buy distilled water for wet tumbling, honestly. The soap works many times better and it will clean, cleaner and faster. Personally I think I would also rinse with distilled water after tumbling, but that's just my thoughts.
You have my interest. What advantage do you think that the distilled water will have in the process? The tone of the following statements (below) sounds confrontational/smart ass, but it isn't intended that way. I tried to figure out how to redraft it so was more neutral sounding ... easier to just put this disclaimer upfront. I am real open-minded and interested in hearing your experience. Thanks
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Caveman logic - I can see where that would make sense if brass is clean. I can't imagine that the impurities in tap water are worse then the residue from combustion... No scientific basis, just gut feel based on how black the water is when done. In theory, the Lemi-Shine helps condition the tap water by binding with the minerals.... at least that's their marketing pitch.

For the curious mind: The common components found in US tap water include minerals (Na, K, Ca, Fe, Mg, Cu, P, Zn) and trace levels of prescription medication (aspirin, birth control, blood thinners, cholesterol meds, depression meds, opiates, etc).
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  #16  
Old 08-09-2021, 07:35 PM
jimreed1948 jimreed1948 is offline
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I've been wet tumbling for awhile now and find the chip media works the best. The chips do not get stuck in flash holes, ever.
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  #17  
Old 08-09-2021, 07:40 PM
Herb in Pa Herb in Pa is offline
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I would think that distilled water would be an advantage. I use the spotfree water filtration for the final rinse on my cars and I can attest to the fact that I just final rinse the cars and walk away. I'll have to give it try the next time I clean brass, The system is so effective that even the glass comes out spot free.
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  #18  
Old 08-09-2021, 08:52 PM
moorepower moorepower is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oso Polaris View Post
You have my interest. What advantage do you think that the distilled water will have in the process? The tone of the following statements (below) sounds confrontational/smart ass, but it isn't intended that way. I tried to figure out how to redraft it so was more neutral sounding ... easier to just put this disclaimer upfront. I am real open-minded and interested in hearing your experience. Thanks
__________________________________

Caveman logic - I can see where that would make sense if brass is clean. I can't imagine that the impurities in tap water are worse then the residue from combustion... No scientific basis, just gut feel based on how black the water is when done. In theory, the Lemi-Shine helps condition the tap water by binding with the minerals.... at least that's their marketing pitch.

For the curious mind: The common components found in US tap water include minerals (Na, K, Ca, Fe, Mg, Cu, P, Zn) and trace levels of prescription medication (aspirin, birth control, blood thinners, cholesterol meds, depression meds, opiates, etc).
The solids from cleaning will mostly fall to the bottom. I'm not a chemist, but soap works better with soft water, it is even more effective filtered after softened. I had a ton of residue come off of the headers and the residue coming off of the parts with soft/ filtered water was minute compared to without. You will find that tumbling that you will have to use less soap, if your using tap water that is not soft. I am sure the Lemi-Shine helps with the minerals, but the less you have to start with the better off you are. Again, I have not done brass yet, wet, but I guarantee that if you go buy a gallon of distilled water, you will see the improvement. I can't give you a chemical engineer answer, but from my first hand use of wet tumbling, I know what works and what does not. I would still do a quick rinse in a tub of distilled water to get soap residue off, then dry. i suppose that now I will have to buy a tumbler as the smallest one I have left, 30"x20", might be a bit overkill for case tumbling. For the cost of a gallon of distilled water at the grocery store it is well worth a try.
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  #19  
Old 08-09-2021, 09:15 PM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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I don't know why it would not be better, Moonshine is better distilled.

Could not help myself on that one.... no offense anyone.
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  #20  
Old 08-09-2021, 11:28 PM
Oso Polaris Oso Polaris is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill K View Post
I don't know why it would not be better, Moonshine is better distilled.

Could not help myself on that one.... no offense anyone.
Great answer. I am willing to give it a try... I'll have to save up some sooty suppressed brass and give it a whirl. Probably more like 3 gallons to fill and properly rinse.

Moorepower - that tumbler is perfect size!!! I have 5gal Buckets full of brass for tumbling!!!
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