Wet Brass

[FrugalFannie]

It started out as sandy since the range was wet and it picked up some sand. I decided to try rinsing and drying it. I rinsed it out in the collander, then decided to get really creative. I spun it in the salad spinner. Seemed to work well but I KNOW the inside is wet still. Should I let it air dry in the house or take more aggressive action? Would baking it in the oven be a viable alternative (I know you can clean brass with liquid and then bake it)? What temperature and for how long would I want to bake it?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Patriot]

It started out as sandy since the range was wet and it picked up some sand. I decided to try rinsing and drying it. I rinsed it out in the collander, then decided to get really creative. I spun it in the salad spinner. Seemed to work well but I KNOW the inside is wet still. Should I let it air dry in the house or take more aggressive action? Would baking it in the oven be a viable alternative (I know you can clean brass with liquid and then bake it)? What temperature and for how long would I want to bake it?

Thanks for the help.

Put it in your (wifes) dryer in a soft bag so it doesn't rattle the hell out of it and your nerves.
It will be dry in one dryer cycle. (Or, you could take it to a commercial dryer and spend a
couple of bucks if the wifey thinks you've gone mad.

 

[Scrivener]

And what crushing time constraints preclude simple evaporation as a means of drying the brass?

 

[Patriot]

And what crushing time constraints preclude simple evaporation as a means of drying the brass?

Will it be done before Obama gets in?

 

[FrugalFannie]

Put it in your (wifes) dryer in a soft bag so it doesn't rattle the hell out of it and your nerves.
It will be dry in one dryer cycle. (Or, you could take it to a commercial dryer and spend a
couple of bucks if the wifey thinks you've gone mad.

I am the wife (My husband looked at me like I have a few screws loose but what the hell it's MY salad spinner).

No crushing time constraint. I just figured if it sits wet too long then it might start corroding/rusting.

 

[ochmude]

I bake my brass for 1 hour at 150*. No need to preheat or anything. If your oven can be set lower, I'm sure anything around 100 would work just fine.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Don't worry about corrosion on brass - air drying is fine.

You should not put brass in the oven because of the possibility that you could accidentally anneal it. Even if the oven's set point temp is low, hot spots can occur that will anneal the brass.

 

[TY43215]

I am the wife (My husband looked at me like I have a few screws loose but what the hell it's MY salad spinner).

No crushing time constraint. I just figured if it sits wet too long then it might start corroding/rusting.

Well "the Wife", do you have an oven and a cookie sheet? 150 for about 20 minutes should solve your problem

edit to add: I saw the post about annealing the brass. It has to get red to do that so a mild temp should be fine and has been fine for me for a lot of years.

 

[TonyDedo]

just toss it in the microwave; :30 on 'high' should do the trick!

 

[TY43215]

just toss it in the microwave; :30 on 'high' should do the trick!

Better put a few on that post

 

[Twigg]

My $.02

I'd just leave it out overnight on some newspapers or an old towel.

 

[bpm990d]

I would get a new salad spinner. Wouldn't want to ingest lead.

B

 

[BIG GUN]

just toss it in the microwave; :30 on 'high' should do the trick!

And watch the lightning storm through the glass!

 

[ochmude]

Don't worry about annealing your brass. Depending on the extent of the anneal you're talking about, the minimum temperature range is around 600*F. Honest, if you can trust ammo that's sitting in a metal box on a cement pad in direct sunlight on a warm July afternoon in Iraq, and has been sitting there for an entire deployment, you can trust brass in your oven on a low temp for awhile.

 

[Lugnut]

I'd try to keep the lead out of the dryer and/or the oven. Cases have lead in them....

 

[Supermoto]

I'd try to keep the lead out of the dryer and/or the oven. Cases have lead in them....

exactly. throw the brass in the tumbler where they belong. you don't want lead when you toss your salad

 

[Rockrivr1]

I am the wife (My husband looked at me like I have a few screws loose but what the hell it's MY salad spinner).

No crushing time constraint. I just figured if it sits wet too long then it might start corroding/rusting.

Any chance you would mind talking to my wife? I used one of her cooking bowls and the turkey baster to help me clean my Black Powder Brown Bess. She was less then thrilled to say the least.

 

[FrugalFannie]

Any chance you would mind talking to my wife? I used one of her cooking bowls and the turkey baster to help me clean my Black Powder Brown Bess. She was less then thrilled to say the least.

Happy to. She may think I'm as nuts as you though.

 

[1903Collector]

I clean my brass with Iosso all the time If I am in a hurry after rinsing them I put them in the plastic holders that the ammo comes in (yes I save those) and hit em with the hair drier, Bam.....done in a couple of minutes. Otherwise I just let them sit overnight or I will sit them on the exhaust port of the dehumidifier I have in my room.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Wow, I just looked it up. It's not that easy to anneal brass.

If you're going to be reloading in any quantity at all, get a tumbler. They're not that expensive, do a better job on the cases, and you won't be exposing kitchen gadgets to lead contamination.

 

[WILDCATT]

drying

when the sun is out I just put them on an old cookie sheet and set in the sun.after afew minutes you cant touch them and they are dry.
old cookie sheets you can get good ones in yard sale .

 

[JGG]

How about cleaning in lemon juice and water 10% and then drop them in rubbing alcohol if you want to load asap. Any alcohol will displace the water and neutralize the lemon juice. Don't waste good booze though!