Brasso and Tumbling Media

bigoutside

I've heard this isn't a good idea.

Supposedly makes the brass "brittle" due to the ammonia.

Ok. I'll take that advice from those who know more than I do... and there are a lot who know far more than I do.[:D][:D][:D]

But I'm wondering metallurgically, what does ammonia do to the brass to make it brittle?? And how does that evidence itself?

11b6r

If you find a rock shop, for $1 you can buy enough finely powdered abrasive to spice up your tumbling media for a year or two.

Ammonia is a compound of hydrogen and nitrogen. Free hydrogen reacts with the metals of the brass, forming a hydride. Hydrides are brittle in nature. Evidenced by brass cracking instead of flowing when run thru yer dies.

Why can you use Brasso to shine your military insignia without bad effects? It is thicker, and rarely run thru a sizing die or subjected to exploding gunpowder.[:p]

retroxler58

quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
If you find a rock shop, for $1 you can buy enough finely powdered abrasive to spice up your tumbling media for a year or two.

Ammonia is a compound of hydrogen and nitrogen. Free hydrogen reacts with the metals of the brass, forming a hydride. Hydrides are brittle in nature. Evidenced by brass cracking instead of flowing when run thru yer dies.

Why can you use Brasso to shine your military insignia without bad effects? It is thicker, and rarely run thru a sizing die or subjected to exploding gunpowder.[:p]
Ding...

FrancF

quote:Originally posted by bigoutside
I've heard this isn't a good idea.


Yep Don't do it- BTDT. In short, the chemical mixture is to hot for that application.

dcs shooters

I use the finest auto polish out there [;)]
Much less expensive than the other stuff [^]

chiefr

I have tried Brasso and regretted it. I does break down the metal. You do not want ammonia around copper.

I agree with DCS Shooter, I use 3M polish too, no ammonia to worry about.

As of late, I jointed the SS pin tumbling crowd. You can use a Harbor Freight tumbler if you are on a budget. I use a Lortone rock tumbler, I have had for many years with the SS pins.

I shoot black powder carts regularity and with only 1 hour of tumbling these blackened cases are bright and shiny new inside and out.

SwanKong

I've use the Cabela's brass case polish for years, it works great and its ammonia free.

likemhot

Flitz here works great and so far no problems

Smitty500mag

It's an old wives tail! I've tested it with some 500 Mag brass and Brasso does not harm brass cartridges. I left some 500 Mag brass in a closed container with corn cob media mixed with Brasso for over a year and took them out and they were no worse than they were when I put them in the container.

I've tumbled with Brasso for years and it's never hurt any of my cartridges.

Dads3040

quote:Originally posted by chiefr
I have tried Brasso and regretted it. I does break down the metal. You do not want ammonia around copper.

I agree with DCS Shooter, I use 3M polish too, no ammonia to worry about.

As of late, I jointed the SS pin tumbling crowd. You can use a Harbor Freight tumbler if you are on a budget. I use a Lortone rock tumbler, I have had for many years with the SS pins.

I shoot black powder carts regularity and with only 1 hour of tumbling these blackened cases are bright and shiny new inside and out.

I have seen these pins listed for so-called 'wet' tumbling. What does that mean. Always been a walnut shell kinda guy so the SS pins thing is foreign.

Thanks.

yonson

This has been discussed here before. The issue is known as Season Cracking and can be researched on Wikipedia under that term. This was a significant problem in hot, humid countries (Africa, India) in years past, caused by residual stresses from cold forming brass cases during manufacture together with chemical attack from traces of ammonia in the (jungle) atmosphere. Annealing and proper storage were found to resolve the problem. Simply because someone has not experienced the problem with their cases does not mean it won't happen with someone else's entirely different cases. Introducing ammonia to the polishing process may or may not be a problem: Brasso does contain ammonia, as also does Flitz.

chiefr

quote:Originally posted by Dads3040
quote:Originally posted by chiefr
I have tried Brasso and regretted it. I does break down the metal. You do not want ammonia around copper.

I agree with DCS Shooter, I use 3M polish too, no ammonia to worry about.

As of late, I jointed the SS pin tumbling crowd. You can use a Harbor Freight tumbler if you are on a budget. I use a Lortone rock tumbler, I have had for many years with the SS pins.





I shoot black powder carts regularity and with only 1 hour of tumbling these blackened cases are bright and shiny new inside and out.

I have seen these pins listed for so-called 'wet' tumbling. What does that mean. Always been a walnut shell kinda guy so the SS pins thing is foreign.

Thanks.



I still have 2 tumblers for light duty, but once hooked on the SS pins, that is all I do. No comparison as far as speed and cleanliness. It takes 24hours plus to tumble black powder carts on a vibrator, one hour on the pins. Tumbling is done wet and carts left in the sun to dry or 10 minutes in the oven on a cookie sheet 170 degrees. You tube has plenty of videos. Search Stainless steel pin tumbling.