Interesting marks on brass after SS tumbling.

[Fweedombypepe]

Wet tumbled 50 pieces of win headstamp 243 brass for about and hour and a half and these three looked like this. Camera doesn't show really well but it's circular patches ringed with black. I used bout a teaspoon Citric acid and a bit of dish soap. Just curious what it is?

 

[MTRecon]

I've had the pink coloring occur when using too much acid...

 

[Fweedombypepe]

I've used lots of acid and I've tried just a bit..some pieces turn pink all the way and some just the neck and some don't at all. i dunno it seems like acid concentration didn't change anything. read on other forums the pink is harmless..but the circular black
burnt looking marks is what I'm wondering about.

 

[Fweedombypepe]

These pics show it a bit better.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Looks like a residue stain where two parts were touching or a bottom piece sitting in the gunk. Did you let the brass sit at all after running or rinse it right away?

 

[Fweedombypepe]

I actually started the tumbler..but it stopped after half hour..it sat for two hours and then I ran it for another hour and took it out right away and rinsed them.

 

[Changed]

One, you're using too much cleaner. Two, don't let the brass sit in the water. You only need a tiny bit of cleaner. Typically, the Lemishine is what causes the discoloration.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Yeah ive found letting anything sit in a liquid cleaner for even 5 minutes can cause rings on the parts half submerged or the ones sitting in whatever crap came off at the bottom. The dirtier or stronger of a solution that you use the faster discoloration spots happen.

 

[260284]

Only use a pinch of Lemi-Shine. That or switch to Brass Juice. The brass below was wet tumbled without pins in it with RO water and then dried on a dehydrator.

 

[Changed]

Only use a pinch of Lemi-Shine. That or switch to Brass Juice. The brass below was wet tumbled without pins in it with RO water and then dried on a dehydrator.

I must admit, it moved when I saw that shiny brass.

I use about 1/8 Teaspoon for Lemishine, or the same of Cascade dish washer powder.

 

[918v]

Quarter teaspoon of lemishine per gallon of water

 

[Fweedombypepe]

im actually using citric acid crystals... Its probably not as concentrated as lemi shine...im guessing because the smell isn't strong at all when mixing it in water....ive used up to a teaspoon but didn't see any difference so I went back bout 1/4 teaspoon. Wondering if the brass juice has ammonia in it?

 

[Fweedombypepe]

Oh and I want to add...only these three had the marks. All fifty that were tumbled were from the same lot of factory ammunition. The rest had no discoloration. That's why I found it odd.

 

[260284]

im actually using citric acid crystals... Its probably not as concentrated as lemi shine...im guessing because the smell isn't strong at all when mixing it in water....ive used up to a teaspoon but didn't see any difference so I went back bout 1/4 teaspoon. Wondering if the brass juice has ammonia in it?

I can't smell any ammonia at all. It is re-usable, so I am going to see how many batches I can clean with it. I have the Lyman Cyclone full. It is a 64:1 mix/2oz to 128oz of water.

 

[Juma]

You can also avoid that by adding creme of tartar to your cleaning brew. Really sparkes them and the pins come out much easier.