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Thread: Cleaning Maynard Cases

  1. #1
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    Cleaning Maynard Cases

    Anyone ever try soaking the brass ones in white vinegar?
    Anyone have a good idea as to how to clean the plastic ones?

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    Vinegar is a weak acid.

    For all of my brass cases, I use wet tumbling with water, a bit of dish detergent, and a bit of citric acid (Lemi Shine), with magnetic stainless steel pin media.

    Lemi Shine:
    https://www.amazon.com/Lemi-Shine-Di.../dp/B0071OUD82

    Tumbling Media:
    https://www.amazon.com/STM-Stainless.../dp/B00KO9DF9K

    I have a large commercial tumbler, but many people use the Harbor Freight rock tumbler:
    https://www.harborfreight.com/dual-d...ler-67632.html

    The pin media is nice because it cleans inside and outside the brass, plus it cleans in primer pockets for modern brass if you deprime prior to tumbling (which you should).

    After wet tumbling I then dry tumble in corncob media to dry and polish the brass. Some people have reported using rice to do this also, which is more readily available.

    I do the same thing with my plastic cases, minus the Lemi Shine. I have also used a mesh "ditty bag" and put them in the clothes washing machine.

    That said, brass does not have to be pretty to be functional. Though polished brass runs through my presses with noticeably less effort, and I would imagine extracting polished brass is easier than extracting unpolished brass.

    Steve

  3. #3
    ms3635v's Avatar
    ms3635v is offline
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    I put my Maynard brass in white vinegar for 20 minutes. Then I rinse the cases, let them dry and then I throw them in my Lyman Turbo tumbler with walnut hull polishing media. They come out clean as a whistle. I still am using cases that I bought back in 1984.
    Mike Santarelli 03635V, Adjutant
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    I second the wet tumbling with pins.

    I tried citric acid in the mix once, but got some really weird colored brass back out. It was almost silver. I tried to read on the internet about what caused it. Some said the citric acid. Some said too much citric acid. I had used hot water, and some said the heat caused it. I had also let it sit for a couple of hours after tumbling before I got it out and washed it off. Some said it was the extended "Soak" that caused it. Still others said it was because I did not do a quick rinse of the brass beforehand and ALL the black powder residue (This was 50-70 and 45-70 brass) was in suspension in the water and that's what caused it. I don't know. Seems if you read the internet long enough, you can find something you are doing wrong. So anyway, I still do not know what caused it. Last time I wet tumbled, it was 30-30 and 30-06 with smokeless powder. I rinsed prior to tumbling. I used cold tap water. I did not use any citric acid, and I got the brass out when it stopped. And it was shiny enough to suit me when I got it out. Next time I shoot my Burnside I'll rinse, and tumble in cold water without citric acid and see how it goes. I've done the Burnside brass with pins before and never got the silver color, but I never used the citric acid on it, either. May have just been the combination of things I did.

  5. #5
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    As many ways to clean a case as there are lube mixtures.........

    I take my cases and soak in hot water with whatever is on the back of the kitchen sink at the time for detergent.
    I let then sit/soak for 10 minutes then rinse with hot water twice and lay them out to dry. Dats all folks.

    I guess some like pretty cases while the rest don't care. Accuracy the same either way.
    Never squat with yer spurs on!!!

    Pat "PJ" Kelly #5795V
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    DITTO MAILLEMAKER/STEVE!!

    The stainless steel media is GREAT - lasts a lifetime, cleans INSIDE and OUT and requires zero maintenance or care. Just a shot of Dawn and the "Lemi Shine" does the trick!!

    I however do NOT polish/tumble my brass with corncob/walnut shell media.

    Just tumbling them for 1.5 - 2 hours makes my Maynard Brass bright and shinny - it doesn't have the polished/mirrored finish from corn cob, but I'm not standing inspection...

    ALSO the stainless steel media does GREAT in annual cleaning of all my plastic & soft rubber tubes too! Just an hour (minus the lemony bright) in the tumber and my musket, smooth bore and revolver tubes come out clean as a whistle - inside and out - esp. in removing any built up/caked up lube resin that can form around the mouth of tubes.

    My two cents!
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    Rob Freeman
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    Jim Brady Knap's Battery is offline
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    Simple Green. I never used it on Maynard brass since I don't have a Maynard but cleaned a lot of Henry and Spencer brass with a solution of Simple Green.
    Jim Brady
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    Any idea

    Quote Originally Posted by ms3635v View Post
    I put my Maynard brass in white vinegar for 20 minutes. Then I rinse the cases, let them dry and then I throw them in my Lyman Turbo tumbler with walnut hull polishing media. They come out clean as a whistle. I still am using cases that I bought back in 1984.
    how many times you have reloaded those cases?

  9. #9
    bobanderson is offline
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    Ceramic media

    I use ceramic tumbling media and Ajax lemon liquid dishwashing soap. The media is small diameter (1/8") and has angled cuts on the ends. I run it from 2-6 hours in a Thumler's Tumbler Model B.
    Cases come out bright and shiny. I use it for everything from 56-50 Spencer to modern .223 brass.

    I've used the ceramic for over 15 years with no issues.

    Anyone interested in buying ceramic (about $8 per pound last time I checked) can contact Dave Maurer at dkittydave@aol.com. Tell him I sent you.
    Bob Anderson
    Ordnance Sergeant
    Company C, 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry
    Small Arms Committee

    "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on.
    I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
    - John Wayne in "The Shootist", 1976

  10. #10
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    The nice thing about the magnetic stainless steel pins is that when you spill them (and you will) you can pick them up with a magnet-on-a-stick.

    Steve

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