Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

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waterdawg2004
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Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Mon Apr 17, 2017 5:50 pm

I tried to use a Frankford arsenal rotary tumblr(see pic) with stainless steel pins to clean the green stuff inside my cases. My advice is don't do it, it only took some of it off but it scartched the brass a bunch after only 1/2 hour of cleaning. For cleaning the outside I use the red metal pads, it works the best so far. Anybody have a good method for cleaning the inside of the cases and the primer holes. A google search says to use acid like vinegar but I have read this weakens the brass? Maybe this brass is big enough that it would not hurt it, has anybody tried this? Thanks for any info.
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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:21 am

Ok FYI, I tried different methods to clean.
Vinegar Bath=Not much help, maybe took off a little of the green stuff
Brass Wire Brush= works for the really corroded stuff but not really useful for general cleaning of the case
Scotch Brite Red pad for metal=works best for the outside, just polishing by hand works the best for outside case cleaning.
Tumbler with corn cob or walnut shell= left in for 3 hours and took off a lot of the green stuff inside the case but not all.
Do not use the tumbler with Stainless Steel pins, the pins embed into the rubber liner and scratch the cases.

I have settled on using the Red pad for the outside and the tumbler for the inside.
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red metal scoth brite pad small.jpg
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Last edited by waterdawg2004 on Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:24 am

Cleaning the primers was a pain, but very important to prevent hangfires, the primer assembly seemed to be covered in wax(maybe for waterproofing?) but I scrapped off the wax with a knife, polished with the red pad, and tested them to make sure the gas check slides in the ring. They are a miniture mechanical device that has to work right so I took extra care to make sure that they were working.
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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by Starvingboy » Mon Apr 24, 2017 4:45 am

... when you tumbled the brass in stainless pins, did you add water and soap as well?

I'm curious, as I use stainless tumbling for my reloading. I only go up to .50 right now, but I do dream of moving up to the big stuff some day. That sizing die looks intimidating.

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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by W. Winget » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:14 am

I placed a 1918 Tool box in some Evaporust equivalent a few years back, it stripped off all the rust, left the original black paint on the carrying handles and the bronze data plate on the top ended up looking like new after just scrubbing with a toothbrush.
Perhaps some Evaporust (sold in Walmart) would work on the brass as well.
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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by boremax » Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:15 am

I have only been able to successfully tumble clean smaller cases with stainless
steel pins. The larger case such as the M16 and larger tend to be
damaged.
I use a commercial rock tumbler using 15 pounds of pins
with water, Dawn dish soap and a couple of table spoons of
powdered acidic acid . The acidic acid is the active component of vinegar.
Cartridge brass is made up of about 68.5% copper and 28.5% zinc plus
smaller amounts of other. If you get to aggressive with the acidic acid
(conc. and time) you start to leach out the zinc and the brass will take
on a reddish copper tone. You have to pretty much do this by trial
and error. Smaller cases such the 20 x 138b Lahti case , the 37mm long,
2 pounder and 50 cal. all come out bright and shiny like new.

I have had some success with cleaning inner and outer corrosion from larger
brass ( up to 75mm pack) by just
soaking in a water,dish soap and acidic solution . Followed by cleaning with fine steel
wool. Here again you have to take care and not leach out the zinc.

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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by boremax » Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:20 am

Aberdeen spaces this year B 4 and 5

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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Mon Apr 24, 2017 4:44 pm

Yes I used distilled water and an additive the tumbler came with. Tumbling with Stainless Steel pins works on smaller ammo, .50BMG and down, but for the 37mm the shells where too heavy. It drove the steel pins into the rubber liner, the steel pins where driven into the rubber liner and the ends where still sticking out so that the 37mm shell was scraping against them. I tried with just one brass case at a time and with 3 brass cases at a time. I just use regular walnut and concorb media in the tumbler now and set for 3 hours. It takes some of the crude but not all. I still have to polish the outside with a red Scotch Brite pad made for metal, takes just about five minutes of rubbing by hand and they are shiny again. I only use the tumbler now just to try and knock some stuff off of the inside. Hopefully when I go to shoot these it will take more of the crude off of the inside. Happy Trails.
Starvingboy wrote:... when you tumbled the brass in stainless pins, did you add water and soap as well?

I'm curious, as I use stainless tumbling for my reloading. I only go up to .50 right now, but I do dream of moving up to the big stuff some day. That sizing die looks intimidating.
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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by Starvingboy » Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:19 am

Wow, good info there. Have you ever tried waxing your cases afterwards to keep them shiny? I found my cases would lose their luster pretty quick after wet-tumbling.

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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:08 am

I have not used any oil or wax on my cases, I do not know if that would hurt or help when I fired them? I do like to clean them up and then grease with red high temp axle grease before I resize them. I have had a .50 BMG case stuck in a die and had to send it back to Lee to get it out, not fun. The die set I have recommends the red grease and not the case lube used in regular hand presses, they said the case would get stuck if case lube was used instead of axle grease. May be something machinist do?? I wish I had more experience in machine work, it would help a lot with these big guns. Happy Trails.
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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Fri May 05, 2017 6:04 pm

After trying everthing I could think of and much trial, experimentation and tribulations. I have found just plain old hot water, dawn soap and a cap of lemishine works as good as anything. I soak for 15 to 30 minutes, rinse with water with a splash of bleach to conteract the citric acid in the lemishine then rinse again with regular water. Then rub vigorously with a red scoth brite red pad made for metal. Gets the outside really clean so I can resize them without sticking my dies.
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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by brian in denver » Wed May 24, 2017 7:19 am

I think we use some kind of nut shell ? that re loaders use. works really good on the outside. we dont worry about the inside to much cuz we shoot.

thusley

http://brasstumblers.com/articles/walnut-shell-media/

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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by brian in denver » Wed May 24, 2017 7:25 am

your from wy. so your going to the casper shoot ?
you need to ask russ morgan, with the stuart. next weekend.

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Re: Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Wed May 24, 2017 5:01 pm

Will Do.
brian in denver wrote:your from wy. so your going to the casper shoot ?
you need to ask russ morgan, with the stuart. next weekend.

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Cleaning inside 37mm cases-Verdigris(green stuff) on 37mm brass for M3 Antitank gun

Post by waterdawg2004 » Sat May 23, 2020 10:10 am

After much trial and error I found the best way to clean and shine up my brass on the outside is just use scorchbrite 3M maroon(red) hand pads and just rub them clean, time consuming but works good, they can be bought at Menards or Home Depot.
The inside was still a problem. Some of my cases had a build up of powder and the green stuff was growing inside.
I found this stuff on eBay,

2pc SPADE DRILL BIT EXTENSION SET 6" AND 12" LONG
1-1/2" 38mm Abrasive Non Woven Scotch Type Polish Sanding Abrasive Ball 320 Grit

I soak the cases in 150F water and soap then run the buff ball back forth inside the cases, then rinse with just hot water. Does not get shiny bright but gets rid of a lot of the built up crud. The water softens the crud and keeps the dust down. 2 inch are easier to find but will not fit thru the neck, but the can be taken apart and cut to size to fit thru the neck. The maroon buff balls are about 320 grit, I am still looking for 1-1/2" buff balls that are about 60 or 80 grit? See pics, d@@@ pics are all upside down??
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