So ya, I left some brass in a my truck bed after shooting. I dont currently reload, but save my brass for when I can get into it. The brass was in a sort of covered cubby hole just above the wheel well in the truck bed. Went thru a car wash, the works, soap and everything. Should I toss the brass or is it still worth saving?
Left some brass in my truck bed after shooting, went thru the carwash, still good?
- Thread starter hobgob
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shiftyer1
Member
I can't give you a for sure answer but i'm pretty sure that if your car still has paint on it your ok. Again this is just an assumption.
Jim Watson
Member
Gee, if a car wash hurts your brass, what does that say about my cases from the weekend's match that spent four hours in a rotary tumbler with ceramic media, water, and detergent? It didn't hurt them the last four or five cycles from new.
OldmanFCSA
Member
Your brass has been highly contaminated.
You must send it to me for proper disposal.
And also send any other brass you have, as it may become contaminated by close association.
Your prompt attention to this matter is highly recommended!!!
You must send it to me for proper disposal.
And also send any other brass you have, as it may become contaminated by close association.
Your prompt attention to this matter is highly recommended!!!
OldmanFCSA
Member
Rinse it in hot water.
Add some lemon juice to help with cleaning.
Then dry thoroughly before bagging.
Keep it for the day you do start reloading !!!
Add some lemon juice to help with cleaning.
Then dry thoroughly before bagging.
Keep it for the day you do start reloading !!!
GrayDog
Member
Well, this made me chuckle.
Here's the old brass cleaning formula from a 1957 NRA article:
1 pt water
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp dish detergent
Soak for ten minutes, rinse for ten minutes in water. I just use one of those small mesh laundry bags so I can swish them around easily. I forget to tell my wife about that part of it.
Let them dry for a day or two until you're sure there's no moisture left inside. Doesn't make the brass look quite like new, but pretty close.
I think you just got the car wash to do most of it for you. Rinse them, let 'em dry, good to go. In fact, I think I might just try this.
Here's the old brass cleaning formula from a 1957 NRA article:
1 pt water
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp dish detergent
Soak for ten minutes, rinse for ten minutes in water. I just use one of those small mesh laundry bags so I can swish them around easily. I forget to tell my wife about that part of it.
Let them dry for a day or two until you're sure there's no moisture left inside. Doesn't make the brass look quite like new, but pretty close.
I think you just got the car wash to do most of it for you. Rinse them, let 'em dry, good to go. In fact, I think I might just try this.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Hey!
I used to take all my skeet range pick-up 12 ga AA hulls to the Laundromat.
Dump them all in a mesh laundry bag and go for the delicate setting.
They come out looking like brand new.
rc
I used to take all my skeet range pick-up 12 ga AA hulls to the Laundromat.
Dump them all in a mesh laundry bag and go for the delicate setting.
They come out looking like brand new.
rc
Fishslayer
Member
Make sure the brass is rinsed thoroughly. Some chemicals can alter the chemistry of the brass & make it brittle.
I did a Lemi Shine soak once & left the brass too long. Came out with red spots on some of it. As I understand it acids can leach the zinc (or whatever) out of the brass.
Supposedly ammonia is also bad for brass but I have seen mixed reviews on this. There are guys who swear they've been using Brasso in their tumblers for years. There's plenty of other stuff available so I just avoid it.
I did a Lemi Shine soak once & left the brass too long. Came out with red spots on some of it. As I understand it acids can leach the zinc (or whatever) out of the brass.
Supposedly ammonia is also bad for brass but I have seen mixed reviews on this. There are guys who swear they've been using Brasso in their tumblers for years. There's plenty of other stuff available so I just avoid it.
Red Cent
Member
Jim, whats the life of the ceramic, what detergent, and why this rather than the dry stuff?
Red Cent
Member
Lost Sheep
Member
Ammonia damages brass
Ammonia, even the fumes from a kittly litter box can damage brass, chemically, and weaken it. (Actually, makes it harder and brittle, so maybe makes it stronger, but not in a good way.)
So, if you polish or wash your brass, read the ingredients on the container.
If the car wash did not use ammonia in their glass cleaner (which I kind of doubt they woud) or degreaser (which might be more likely, but not in the general spray booth, it would remove too much of your undercarriage lubrication), I would expect no problems.
Lost Sheep.
Ammonia, even the fumes from a kittly litter box can damage brass, chemically, and weaken it. (Actually, makes it harder and brittle, so maybe makes it stronger, but not in a good way.)
So, if you polish or wash your brass, read the ingredients on the container.
If the car wash did not use ammonia in their glass cleaner (which I kind of doubt they woud) or degreaser (which might be more likely, but not in the general spray booth, it would remove too much of your undercarriage lubrication), I would expect no problems.
Lost Sheep.
James2
Member
Just rinse it off good then dry it. It will be fine.
Jim Watson
Member
I don't know the life, I have never heard anybody to say his wore out, and there are people out there using for much higher volume than I do.
I use the detergent provided by the vendor of the ceramic bits. It is a bit acidic as well as detergent.
I wet tumble in ceramic only for black powder brass. It cleans and polishes it thoroughly and a lot easier than scrubbing each case with a test tube brush like I started out.
But it is more work than dry, so I stay with walnut hull for smokeless ammo.
Another heavy duty cleaner worth a look is steel pins, tumbled in water with detergent. One vendor for the pins says to use Lemi Shine and a little Dawn dish detergent.
I will probably get some of that when I get my .38-55 going again, even the small size ceramic is bad to bridge and stick in the smaller caliber brass.
amlevin
Member
Consider the extra cleaning it got as a bonus.
Brass is not as fragile as some might believe. If it was then we'd all still be using Black Powder.
Brass is not as fragile as some might believe. If it was then we'd all still be using Black Powder.
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