Lemi-Shine for cleaning brass vs simple green

[sean48238]

Hey guys I normally use simple green and water to clean my brass but I decided to try something new to see if it worked better. I tried one scoop (45acp brass full) of Lemi-Shine in about 6 cups of water. Ran my ultrasonic cleaner for 8min and the brass came out much cleaner that with the simple green. My question is the lemi-shine damaging the brass? I also tried 1 to 8 vinegar solution but I found out that it was damaging the coating. Both the vinegar and lemi shine get the brass really clean and looking like new.

[panzermk2]

Lemi-Shine interesting you will need to test fire and make sure the coating has not been compromised.

[sean48238]

I am about will load up 50 and do a test ASAP. I'll report back.

[DoubleJ]

What's Lemi-Shine, a lemon based cleaner? I know citrus is good for cleaning, I use some sort of Orange stuff on my softwood floors, works great. Of course whatever they seal pine floors with is probably the exact same stuff FN puts on brass...

[grimmond]

Which version of Lemi-shine? A quick google showed a couple of different versions. liquid detergent, rinse agent?

[shopsmart]

ANother question is liquid or powder. I use powder and many others do due to wet tumbling.

[sean48238]

I used the powder with a few drops of dawn dish soap.

[grimmond]

Hey guys I normally use simple green and water to clean my brass but I decided to try something new to see if it worked better. I tried one scoop (45acp brass full) of Lemi-Shine in about 6 cups of water. Ran my ultrasonic cleaner for 8min and the brass came out much cleaner that with the simple green. My question is the lemi-shine damaging the brass? I also tried 1 to 8 vinegar solution but I found out that it was damaging the coating. Both the vinegar and lemi shine get the brass really clean and looking like new.

I'm curious as to how it was damaging the coating? After reading this I decided to try this to see if it would loosen up the remaining lacquer on some 5x cases I had because I am trying to find the easiest way to strip them. It did nothing to the coatings even after letting them soak for 15 minutes between 2 separate 8 minute cycles in my sonic cleaner. I'm not doubting what you said, but wondering if your solution might have been stronger or if the case coatings might have been already compromised.

[Budmccarroll]

I have wet tumbled 50 pieces of brass that the coating was almost gone. Ran it in my stainless media with lemi-shine powder and dawn soap. They came out bright and shiny with no coating left. Shot them today, they ran perfectly through my 5.7.

[grimmond]

I have not got a wet tumbler yet to try that. I did pick up some lemi shine to try in my sonic cleaner to see what it will do. The only way I have gotten all of it so far has been in a jar full of carb cleaner and nails and shaken.

[Budmccarroll]

I picked up the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Case Tumbler, this thing kicks but. I run all my brass through this thing. Everyone says my brass looks like jewelry.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/713881 ... se-tumbler" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[shopsmart]

Grimmond. Try out a harbor freight rock tumbler. About $50 when on special and snag 20% off from one their coupons in some magazine/flier. There is an arfcom thread on the reloading section regarding this very topic that turned me onto it.

[Rapier1772]

I have a harbor freight rock tumbler, do not trust that thing to hold in any kind of liquid media.

[acertainshade421]

has been extensive testing done on completely cleaned brass / stripped lacquer off entirely , will eventually cause premature neck failures from the extra stress during extraction just had this conversation with jay from Elite. basically you'll have a build up of lacquer from previously shot factory rounds but after x-amount your going to burn threw the residual lacquer in the chamber and when you start running it completely dry and void of lacquer that extra tug on the brass will increase wear on critical points of the brass. i have experienced Failure to extract / feed issues from my testing with brass that was completely stripped of lacquer. that lacquer acts as a lubricant during cycling to help reduce the friction on brass since its still under full pressure during the beginning of the extraction process . it keeps it from sticking under the extreme heat and pressure in the chamber also harder on the brass during the sizing process. theirs also a neat watch on youtube under reloading for 5.7x28 (posters name is Regular Guy or something of that nature , hes actually loading on a 550 dillon but expresses these same concerns and problems from trying to process his brass that hed cleaned lacquer completely off.