Any ideas?

[melliw]

Hope your collective mind can help. I am tumbling 223 brass in a Thumler's tumbler with stainless steel pins, dawn, and Lemi-shine. It does not matter how long i wash or the usage of hot or cold water. All of the brass from my past washes end up with this thick oily paste on them. I can use a towel and some force to wipe it off but no shine to the brass. Any tips would be helpful.

[Tommy Gun]

Just wondering, you change the water and retumble? No personal expierence wet tumbling but that would be my first thing to trouble shoot. Also how many cases you cleaning? Might be too full/heavy.

[longrange99]

[melliw]

Thank you both. I do use fresh water and rinse the pins after each use.

[divingin]

I had a similar experience after using a motor oil additive (MotorKote) as a neck turning lube. For some reason, the soap didn't want to wash it off. Did you use an odd non-water-soluble lube prior to tumbling?

Try tumbling again, but add more detergent and skip the acid (Lemi-shine), at least until you get rid of the contaminant. Use as hot water as you can get to aid in cutting the oil/grease/whatever the crap is.

Alternatively, wipe the stuff off with a rag and acetone or alcohol (assuming one or the other cuts it) then re-tumble.

[melliw]

I was using lanolin as a lubricant for the cases. It is similar to the Dillon lube. Maybe it has coated the SS or interior of the rubber tumbler drum.

[Squ1dward]

Maybe too much brass or dirty pins maybe. I wet tumble, no pins with a few shakes of lemishine and one drop of Dawn in my large wet tumbler. Comes out rocking everytime. I used Dillon case lube as well. No issues

You could buy some Brass Juice and try that. I bought a bottle to try and it works well.

If you are using well water, you may have some harder impurities in your water...Try distilling or filtering maybe and see if it makes a difference.

Here is my process and research if you are interested.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showpost.php?p=16929706&postcount=65

Hope that helps,
Squ1d

[the86d]

"Any ideas?" as the Subject/Topic?
THAT is not a Subj./Topic, unless you are on CRACK.
OMFG GDMFSOB

Do you work in Corp. America, and manage people?!

THAT is what THEY do...

[fnlrun]

I shoot my 223 with Pam cooking spray and run them through my Frankford water tumbler with some dawn soap and a cap full of lemon juice. If their really dirty I pour it out after 2 hours and run a clean mix for 30 min. They look brand new. I've never used my SS pins. Dump it all in my Walmart food dehydrator for 3 hours and done Sir!

[ironhorse1]

First I see scratches on the case neck. There is probably brass pieces or some debris stuck in the die neck that is causing the scratches by galling. Brush and polish the die to stop the scratching.

Are you resizing before cleaning? Important question right here.

It appears that lube left on the case is not being removed in the tumbling process. BTW lanolin is not water soluble

More info more help.Lanolin is not soluble in water or mineral oil but is miscible without phase separation with about twice its weight of water. It is sparingly soluble in cold alcohol and more so in hot alcohol. Lanolin is highly soluble in chloroform and ether.

irh

[melliw]

"Any ideas?" as the Subject/Topic?
THAT is not a Subj./Topic, unless you are on CRACK.
OMFG GDMFSOB

Do you work in Corp. America, and manage people?!


THAT is what THEY do...

Wow.....just wow.

[10ringshot]

I had the same problem. The lanolin based lube is what you are seeing. You can boil in hot water first then pour off the water and tumble with the pins, dawn and citric acid or tumble for 10-15 minutes with Simple Green or other neutral ph degreasers.

[sofbak]

If you're getting that much gunk buildup during tumbling, you're using too much lanoline(?).

Standard DIY lanoline lube is 10% lanoline and 90% of 95% IPA.

What was your mixture ratio?

[xfer42]

Use hot water.

[melliw]

If you're getting that much gunk buildup during tumbling, you're using too much lanoline(?).

Standard DIY lanoline lube is 10% lanoline and 90% of 95% IPA.

What was your mixture ratio?

I am using your ratios with the correct Iso. The results say otherwise though.