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Deciding to stop using lemi-shine....
kidthatsirish
Member Posts: 6,981 ✭✭✭
So after realizing that just a smidge to much of that stuff can really start to eat at your brass I have decided to stop using it.
Nobody cares what your brass looks like. At least not like they care what your groups look like...I worry also that if there is some residue from lemi-shine left in a case that is fired in the gun that stuff may end up in my bore and if I don't get to use it right away...well?
Experienced opinions welcomed.
Comments
I've been reloading for 47 years and went "wet" only a couple years ago with stainless pin media, Lemi-Shine and Simple Green. I love the way it cleans the primer pockets and the inside of the cases but it is considerably more complex and labor intensive than a vibratory cleaning with corn cob media. I would think that if you are rinsing the cleaned brass with fresh water after tumbling is completed the residue of Lemi-Shine in the cases would be minimal and likely of no consequence. Lemi-Shine functions largely as a water softener and surface tension reducing agent so it "should" rinse pretty clean leaving little to no residue. If in doubt perhaps a good double, or triple rinse, with clean water should do the trick. Agree there's something interesting about Lemi-Shine. If I run nickle-plated and regular brass together the nickle plated comes out with a blueish cast. Leave the Lemi-Shine out and that doesn't seem to happen.
I find myself using the vibratory tub with treated corn cob media more often these days as the wet methods are simply a pain by comparison. I know plenty swear by it and perhaps have a better procedural routine than I do. If you've some really filthy brass tumbling with stainless media makes sense but for most applications vibratory methods seem to work pretty well especially if you're patient, forgetful, or simply leave the thing on all night.
After many years of corn cob and walnut mix, I just switched to straight walnut and a big dose of Turtle Wax, car polish. Run this empty for several hours and let dry (somewhat). No problems with clogged primer holes, or worse, plugged rifle cases. I am prepping brass for sale and these cases are coming out amazingly bright, all night ( and day). The wet method started out poorly because of too much lemon and time. Green cases are a pain. Never could find Lemishine but have citric acid powder. Maybe try it again.
Well...for now I have decided to leave it out. All I am tumbling with is hot water with dawn soap.
No pins, just the brass tumbling against each other.
Seems to work well so.
About two years ago a fellow that sells indoor range sorted and cleaned brass (he cleans his brass in Kobalt rubber barrel cement mixers) he told me that he quit using the Lemi-Shine because it can cause some brass to turn a “pinkish” hue…He uses SS media, Simply Green, and Armor Car wash and wax (the one that is kind of an orange/yellow color)…..He said the car wash/wax puts that needed “slick” coating on the brass similar to what corn cob media does….I have not used the Lemi-Shine since….
Dawn has up to 5% Ethanol. Not good for brass. Use 1 or 2 drop i a quart of water, with http://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?query=citric&affiliate_pro_tracking_id=17:36: Citric acid 3 tablespoons.
Or Just measure 7 fluid ounces of the powder out (1 cup minus two level tablespoons), and add that to a gallon of water, with 1/8 tea spoon Dawn.
For 50 brass or less, i just wipe the brass clean with a towel. 223 or 45 acp & others. I dont need shinny.
Everyone is raving about “Brass Juice”. I have a small container on order to give it a try without the use of SS pins. Anxious to see how it works…
I dont know about anybody else but I use dawn and lemi shine in my wet tumbler but I'm only using a couple drops of dawn and less than a 1/4 tsp of lemi shine per batch. Each batch uses about 1 gal of water and I built my own sifter that works well with a water hose so I rinse very well. Instead of ss pins I use southern shine media. That stuff does an amazing job on cleaning brass and the finished brass looks brand new. Learned not to use much lemi shine after a batch came out pink. Threw it away and the next I reduced it down. Also cleaned some really nasty brass that found just to see how it would turn out and it actually pointed out why I dont mess with green brass. It was pitted pretty good and luckily it wasn't for any calibers I reload so it was getting tossed anyway.
Greetings,
I do not use LemiShine.
Rather, I buy pure, food grade, Citric Acid crystals on line.
NRA tested a 5% solution of Citric Acid and Water to find it did not cause any damage to brass.
"LemiShine" will not tell you the contents/composition of the product.
Cheers,
Dave
Unfortunately the brass on brass doesn't clean the inside much. I'd still use pins at least every 2 or 3 times.