case prep and sealant

[nukehayes]

Hey guys, new here, but I have been shooting for as long as I can remember and started reloading about a year ago.  Anywho, the only cases that I have reloaded so far have been the stuff that I shot and pick up after myself, the majority of those cases were store bought so that I could get a decent brass inventory up.  I recently obtained a metric butt ton of DoD once fired 9mm from a friend, most of which was shot and swept up that day.  However, I have run across a few really old and tarnished pieces of brass whose headstamp is about 4-5 years older than the rest of them.  My question to you is, how do you get these really old cases polished up and new looking.  I have a Frankford Arsenal tumbler that has been really good to me.  I use walnut media and works amazingly well on all the new, once fired stuff, but after even a few loads, I keep throwing the really old stuff in there to see if they will get better, but to no avail.  Any tips on how to pretty them up? 

Ok, next question, say I wanted to seal my primers to make them more weather resistant.  Does anyone sell primer sealant or can I use nail polish or something similar?  Thanks for your help.

[Dale]

How do you your cases look after coming out of the tumbler?  Any cleaner at all?  For a high polish I use corn cob media and leave it in for an hour or two and most come out sparkling.

As far as a sealant you could try this http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=IRCGCBNES32ALLAQBBJCCNVMCAEFGIWE?id=0003180210621a&type=product&cmCat=froogle&cm_ven=data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=1230111&cm_ite=0003180210621a&_requestid=10615

I have heard of people using clear nail polish, but only after they thin it out with acetone or something like that.

[50BMG]

How do you your cases look after coming out of the tumbler?  Any cleaner at all?  For a high polish I use corn cob media and leave it in for an hour or two and most come out sparkling.

As far as a sealant you could try this http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=IRCGCBNES32ALLAQBBJCCNVMCAEFGIWE?id=0003180210621a&type=product&cmCat=froogle&cm_ven=data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=1230111&cm_ite=0003180210621a&_requestid=10615

I have heard of people using clear nail polish, but only after they thin it out with acetone or something like that.

i agree with everything he said.

but is you walnut treated or untreated. and is it new media or old media.
and also you can try some liquid polishing compound in your media to get a better shine.   

oh and nail polish stuff i have no idea dont wear or keep it around
and why are you wanted to seal you primers up for?

[Dale]

I forgot to mention, that I do treat my media with a liquid treatment.

[nukehayes]

So what do yall use for a liquid treatment?  I tried some Birchwood Casey liquid cleaner in this last batch and they came out awesome.  the destructions on the bottle say to just bathe the casings in it, not to put them together in a tumbler with media.  Seems to have worked OK.  But the older brass still wont shine.

[Dale]

I am using something like this...http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=516387.  It is a thick liquid that I add to the media.  If the media is old you might think about changing it out.  Whenever I change to a new batch of media it really shines and does so much faster as well.

[Jim Fleming]

You've gotten exactly the right idea, but you don't want to use nail polish 'uncut' on the primers, if you were to get the uncut polish on the actual surface area the firing pin would strike, it has a potential to 'soften' or somewhat absorb the blow of the firing pin due to the actual thickness of the coating of nail polish. You want the primer to take as much of an impact as possible from your firing pin, etc.

If you were to cut the nail polish, 50/50 polish/acetone, (or nail polish remover) it'd go a long way, because only a wee dab would suffice. You'd also get the benefit of the mixture being almost as thin as water. Insofar as appearance goes, I suggest either a clear coat, or at the most a transparent color base/tint. If you look at ball ammo, on the primer end you're going to see the colored lacquer sealant the ammo factory uses on Military Spec Ammo. If you go this route, you're going to want a very tiny artist's paint brush, with perhaps 3 or 4 fibers in it, just enough to carry a droplet about 1/4th to 1/3rd the size of a head on a straight pin to start, and then you'll develop a feel for how much sealant to use.

Ok, next question, say I wanted to seal my primers to make them more weather resistant.  Does anyone sell primer sealant or can I use nail polish or something similar?  Thanks for your help.

[r1kk1]

Not to be cheap or anything but a liquid car wax ( a couple of capfuls) and I run the vibrating tumbler for a few minutes to distribute it before I add brass. I ran across this tip from another forum a few years ago and in a pinch it works great. It's cheaper to boot!

Jim mentioned using acetone to thin nail polish and I use it to get rid of the stubborn plastic wad fouling in my shotguns. I clean my shotguns after a few rounds of sporting clays and use acetone on a patch and jag to get rid of the stubborn stuff and then oil the barrels.

just my .02 cents,

r1kk1