A mixture of media isn't all bad for brass cleaning. I use 3 hours with SS pins and then do 3 hours with Ceramic Porcelain. Same soap/surfactant mix fresh with both. Fresh fluid with each change. My brass shines and sparkles inside and out.
DD-MDA
Dick, I'm sure and have no doubt that all the special solutions, SS pins, and ceramic get brass super shiny, but I've seen the cost of all the needed items, tumblers, etc needed for getting brass mint clean and shiny and IMO doesn't justify the purchase. Regular washing with 'what-ever' and tumbling with corn cob or walnut media is WAY cheaper and just as effective. I don't reload my cases all stained as Coffinmaker penned, but do wash and tumble. It gets somewhere 90% plus somewhere of the stains and what is left is of no problem to me (IMO). Those who like how you do it may say I can do it however I or anybody wants-very-true, but as I penned, IMO the pins and ceramic is an expense not needed. I could go out and buy the whole setup with no need to cut back on grocery's for the month, but over kill as far as I'm concerned. As far as using the Oxi-Clean, may continue with it, has worked twice, cleaning the sooty stained brass 3-4 times as fast as anything else I've used, so thee ol time will tell.
Well ...... I just guess I'm an opposite. Or is it apostle ?? Anyway, I don't mind stained brass at all. Makes it look like I been playin this game for a while (honest ... I have) and my beat-up stained old brass just looks like me. Beat-up, stained and Old. But and however, we (both the Brass and Me) are quite functional. Stuff primer, powder and ball in my brass it it goes BOOM!! Just like, you stuff a good Steak, some Grilled Onions and a bottle of Ale in me and I can break wind with the best of em. Gimmie deviled eggs wid that Ale and ya better get outta da ROOM!!
The sky broke today. Blue stuff showing through. May actually be able to warm up the shop and get some work done. HORRAY!! First two days of Spring around here SUCKED!!
Coffinmaker, yer a 'hoot'! Spring here in North Iowa has been on and off all winter. Nice sunny days with 35-45* F temps. Cold, windy, moisture laden air that sucks the warm otta ya. Snow, sun, cold, wind, sun, nice days, cold days, 0-15* F (we didn't have to many -20 to -10* weather this year). Sick of it. I think my snow cover has melted 3-4 times this year. This coming Fri/Sat calling for wet heavy snow 6-8". Not contusive to fun or any shooting.
Speaking of volatile foods, back in the days of my youth, we'd attend feeds where smoked carp, rocky mountain oysters (nuts), baked beans, and pickled eggs were in abundance, not to mention the beer. WOW--Talk about Boomers! The guys I ran with then, well we couldn't stand being around each other the next day if we were out hunting (close quarters in a vehicle) or such. I ate 9-10 pickled eggs once in one of our local 'gin mills' as the owner said I couldn't have any of the pickled onions that were in the jar until the eggs were gone, so I ate the eggs and got the onions. All washed down with some of the nasty tap beer they had on tap. Some of my shootin/huntin friends stayed away from me for a spell.
Remember those days Jubal Starbuck