Simple Green as brass cleaner

[copenhagen269]

Last night I soaked my .40 brass in Simple green and when I went to check on it a few hours later I noticed that the brass had turned a brownish color. Should I worry about this or just load it up and not worry about it

[mattman]

Its probably the same corrosion that would have happened if you soaked it in tap water. I shouldn't have weakened the brass but now consider it protected from further corrosion by a layer oxidized brass.

[Southpaw45]

I have been soaking all my brass in Simple Green before it goes into the tumbler. I find it keeps my media from getting to deity by removing powder soot and dirt. I don't have that problem with discoloration. You might be mixing it to strong. One ounce for a gallon of water is all you need.

[copenhagen269]

I have been soaking all my brass in Simple Green before it goes into the tumbler. I find it keeps my media from getting to deity by removing powder soot and dirt. I don't have that problem with discoloration. You might be mixing it to strong. One ounce for a gallon of water is all you need.

I think your right about it being too strong, I really like how clean it gets the brass and I will try one ounce per gallon next time.

Thanks, Chris

[BD1]

Cleaning your brass in soap and water, (or simple green and water), is a good way to reduce your lead exposure while reloading. This is true whether you shine it up in the tumbler afterwards or not. The lead styphanate primer "dust" on your fired brass is the same lead styphanate dust that drives your blood lead level up if you spend a lot of time on indoor ranges. Opening the lid on your tumbler is a great way to give yourself a concentrated snort of this stuff if you've been tumbling un-washed brass.

BD

[Voo]

Cleaning your brass in soap and water, (or simple green and water), is a good way to reduce your lead exposure while reloading. This is true whether you shine it up in the tumbler afterwards or not. The lead styphanate primer "dust" on your fired brass is the same lead styphanate dust that drives your blood lead level up if you spend a lot of time on indoor ranges. Opening the lid on your tumbler is a great way to give yourself a concentrated snort of this stuff if you've been tumbling un-washed brass.

BD

so once you spray or soak your brass, what do you do with the leftover sludge ?? do you just pour it down the sink?

im not an environmentalist tree hugging hippy.. but I'm not the type of person to just pour radiator fluid down into the gutters either..

[rolo]

Whatever you do, don't pour it on the ground in an area someone might want to plant a garden in someday. Our house in town was owned by a prolific reloader according to neighbors. Between years of burning trash in a trash barrel and dumping his reloading waste just outside his shop in a planter box, our soil lead levels are outta sight.
We can't plant edibles in those areas for probably another sixteen years or so based on our remediation process.

[copenhagen269]

Whatever you do, don't pour it on the ground in an area someone might want to plant a garden in someday. Our house in town was owned by a prolific reloader according to neighbors. Between years of burning trash in a trash barrel and dumping his reloading waste just outside his shop in a planter box, our soil lead levels are outta sight.
We can't plant edibles in those areas for probably another sixteen years or so based on our remediation process.

Good point! I'll just dump it in the neighbors yard late at night

[Southpaw45]

Simple green is biodegradable.it's more Eco friendy than the laundy detergent that you discharge down the drain. As far as the lead issue, it ain't an issue at all.

[copenhagen269]

Simple green is biodegradable.it's more Eco friendy than the laundy detergent that you discharge down the drain. As far as the lead issue, it ain't an issue at all.

Ok but I still want to dump it in the neighbors yard

I do like the fact that it is biodegradable I just wish it didn't smell so nasty,
but like I was told earlier I was probably mixing it way too strong.

[gunboat]

+10 southpaw -- glad to see everyone isn't a henny-penny ---
Regarding simple green - I spray a few sprits onto the cleaning media when I load the hopper -- seems to help - at least keeps the dust down --

[Southpaw45]

That sounds like a good idea Gunboat. I was just adding a little water to my media so the dust is not flying around. I will have to try the Simple Green treatment to the media.

[BD1]

I pour the water from washing brass out in my drive way. I've been hoping it would keep the grass down there, but it hasn't. I also put a lot of very hazardous lead directly into the ground at the range and gravel pit. Of course once the velocity comes down after hitting the earth, it's not as hazardous as it was on while on the way there

BD