Cleaning Maynard Cases

[Kenneth L. Walters]

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

[Maillemaker]

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-Dishwasher-Detergent-Powerfully/dp/B0071OUD82

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

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

[ms3635v]

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.

[Hal]

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.

[RaiderANV]

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.

[Rob FreemanWBR]

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!

[Jim Brady Knap's Battery]

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.

[Kenneth L. Walters]

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?

[bobanderson]

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.

[Maillemaker]

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

[Rob FreemanWBR]

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

Amen brother!!

[Hal]

I probably should have started a new thread, as this has nothing to do with Maynard cases, but since the thread has wandered anyway........How are you guys separating the brass from the pins? First time I used mine (Frankford Arsenal), I kinda semi sorta followed the instructions, with the big bucket and all that, but ever since, I have been just opening one end of the thing in the kitchen sink and reaching in and getting a few pieces of brass. Ideally they will all be turned the same direction and the pins just fall out. If they are not turned the same direction, sometimes I manage to do it one handed while still inside the tumbler barrel or sometimes it pull them out and turn the full ones over and dump them then. It sounds time consuming, but sure seems easier to me. I rinse them and put them out to dry or last time, put them in a shallow pan in the oven to dry. I pour the pins in bowl and rinse them then put them in a shallow pan and in the oven to dry. I use the lowest setting (170* F, I think it is on ours) for maybe 4 hours? or until the pins feel dry when stirring by hand.

[Rob FreemanWBR]

Hal,

I dump out the entire contents from my Tumblers Tumbler into a container, in the sink.

From there, with clean water running, I pour out as much of the "black" water as possible and continue to introduce clean water into my work container.

With water enough water in my container, I simply grab 3 - 4 at a time, swish them around under water - that separates the pins from/out of the brass. The now "de pinned" brass is quickly given a visual inspection to ensure it's free of pins, and if so, then placed into another container for drying.

I learned recently that if you use wooden loading trays to load tubes, they can also be used to help speed up the drying process for recently tumbled/rinsed brass. Before that I simply left the wet cases in a pan/cardboard tray - but that would take 1 - 3 days to completely dry out.

In the past, I read / related thread where someone goes so far as to put their wet/cleaned brass in their oven to allow the low heat from the pilot light to dry their brass.

MANY ways to skin this cat!!!

Once all my brass is rinsed/de pinned, I dump the stainless steel media back into the tumbler to await another future batch of dirty cases.

[ms3635v]

So, you see, there are many ways to clean your brass. Trial and error will lead you to the best method for you. I am not sure why walnut shell hulls requires a "NOT." I use this method and it works for me and usually one hour in the tumbler and the brass is clean. As I said in my prior post in this thread, I have been using this cleaning method for 30+ years with the same brass...just sayin'.>

[Maillemaker]

I use this rotary media separator:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/972948/frankford-arsenal-quick-n-ez-rotary-media-separator

But instead of using the little snap-on trunion holders I just cut holes into the edge of the bucket so that the trunions sit down in the bucket itself.

They also make manual ones like this:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/718797/lyman-turbo-super-sifter-media-separator

Steve

[Rob FreemanWBR]

Steve,

I've seen the separators. I'm just to cheap to buy any more "gadgets"...

I like the second separator though. My wife had one very similar that I found in the kitchen. So I though "what the heck" I'd give it a try.

Needless to say my blushing bride was NOT please to find me in the basement sifting thru stainless media and brass with her new spaghetti strainer... I think "lead balloon" summarizes the entire episode quite nicely.

Well, she has another NEW strainer. I was thoroughly reminded to "stay the h3ll out of the kitchen". Order and peace has once again been restored to our happy household.

The strainer that I would have kept was thrown away without my knowledge, being declared wholly unfit for food preparation after being "contaminated".

[Hal]

Rob,

Are you drying the pins or putting them away wet? I don't remember if it was in the instructions or if I read it on the internet somewhere, but supposedly, they will rust even though they are stainless, due to the them being magnetic. Low grade of stainless I understand.

[Rob FreemanWBR]

Hal,

Sorry for any misunderstanding: the pins ARE allowed to air dry; then, they're put back into the Tumbler's Tumbler to await future use.

[Hal]

Thanks Rob.

[bobanderson]

I use an earlier model of the Frankfort Arsenal rotary media separator that came with a "mount" that fits neatly over a 5 gallon bucket. Pulling a page from Rob's playbook, I liberated an aluminum colander from my wife's kitchen that happens to be the same diameter as the plastic bucket. The colander goes in the bucket under the separator so it catches the ceramic media and the brass stays in the rotary separator. To complete the system, I cut the bottom off the bucket so the rinse water goes down the drain and the brass sits high and hot from the water.
It usually dries in about a day.

[ChrisWBR]

Rob,

Are you drying the pins or putting them away wet? I don't remember if it was in the instructions or if I read it on the internet somewhere, but supposedly, they will rust even though they are stainless, due to the them being magnetic. Low grade of stainless I understand.


I don't bother drying mine. Been using them for years and have never seen any rust on them. I also use a fine grain colander to screen the water out then dump everything into a rotary separator. If the rinse water in the bottom of the separator looks dirty I generally do some rinsing of the pins and add some Simple Green to clean it all out.

[Maillemaker]

I don't dry my pins, either. I dump out most of the water, and then put them wet into an empty peanut butter jar.

Steve

[gjwarren]

Simplest: I put my brass maynard tubes in a plastic nut jar with screw top full of dawn, simple green & water. They soak & shake on the way home in the truck. I use the liquid to help clean musket flash holes & nipples. Then I pour what's left in the sink, keeping brass in, rinsing with hot water a few times. Then I pour them out on a flat towel & leave to dry. Not pretty, but clean & accurate for over 16 years now. Every few years I've tumbled in Walnut with dawn & flitz, but I believe it causes some inconsistency and inaccuracy compared to normal " soiled " cases. My recent problem was musket tubes. Used to wash in lingere bag til wife got new low water washer, which doesn't get the wax out. Thanks to this forum, I'll use steel pin media to clean all once a year.

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