Tumbling Media

[JohnH]

Has anyone ever tried this media for tumbling brass?

http://www.eastwood.com/green-rust-cutting-media-2-5-lb.html

[John Allen]

I use it for cleaning bolts and such on our old cars. The pyramids are pretty big they will not fit inside a case. I have not however tried it on brass it does work great on removing rust from bulk bolts.

[mdi]

I have a few pounds of something that looks the same as your link. For really tarnished (black, hard tarnish) it's pretty good, but it will leave a matt finish on the cases, sort of a satin sheen. It will clean very well, and quicker than organic media, but does not leave the high polish so many reloaders want. I reload for my guns and I'm the only one to see my ammo, so the finish is OK with me.;) I have a mix of 25% pyramids and 75% corn cob blast media for fast cleaning, shiny finish I often use. BTW; I expect the life of the media to be quite long for tumbling brass...

[Bonz]

think I tried just about everything before I tried wet tumbling with stainless steel pins. once I did that, I'd never go back to dry vibratory tumbling. especially now that Frankford Arsenal came out with that small tumbler (i wash 7 pounds of brass at a time) for $170

[RED333]

I used egg shells for a bit, works well just not shinny.
I too use wet pins now.

[prs]

I wet tumble without pins. I have pins, but separation of pins from brass is no fun and the end result seems to be the same without them. I use Thumbler's B about 3/4 full of dirty cases with primer in, hot tap water to cover brass, a small squirt (quarter teaspoon or so) of Ultra Dawn and about a tablespoon of powdered citric acid. Let it run for several hours or over night. Dump into sink with strainer to rinse with cold tap water until rinse water is clear, while wet add a tiny dib of Lee Case lube and mix well, let air dry or use food dehydrator to quick dry. Clean inside and out, only tiny bit of carbon in primer pockets when deprimed, not enough to ever matter.

prs

[Beesdad]

I have not tried this media, but for the price advertised you can purchase SS media that will never need replacing..

[mdi]

Only three replies before the subject was changed to SS pins! Is that a record?

[montana_charlie]

Has anyone ever tried this media for tumbling brass?

http://www.eastwood.com/green-rust-cutting-media-2-5-lb.html
Under 'Details' it says ... The abrasive is blended throughout so that fresh abrasive is constantly exposed to the substrate that is being cleaned.

You don't really want to use abrasives to clean cartridge brass ... ever.
Liquid stuff to dissolve / loosen 'fouling' and a polishing material to sweep it away - is what 'cleans' cases.

Abrasives 'cut' away metal, and that's not a good idea.

CM

[Bonz]

Only three replies before the subject was changed to SS pins! Is that a record?

and its just members trying to help other members; some will try the wet tumbling and others will keep cleaning brass with vibratory tumblers (for 11 hours per batch) with corn cob, crushed walnut shells and NuFinish car wax (my shooting buddy)

[RustyMusket]

I too have switched to ss pins......I deprime then tumble in a commercial wet tumbler. The KEY to removing pins from cases...especially small (223 etc) is to do it underwater. I rinse in a strainer first but then I submerse the strainer basket underwater in a bucket.... and reach in grab brass neck down and all pins will fall out with exception of occasional pin in the flash hole. Then, if I want brass to look good or if it something I plan to load and then store for a while, I will run dry cases through walnut with NuFinish.

[cajun shooter]

The only problem I see with the green material is that it would not clean primer pockets at all. The cleaning of the primer pockets is a big step in cleaning your brass so I think I would pass on it.
For those who use the pins as I have for the past 4 years, you can solve the problem of fooling with all those small pins falling everywhere and staying in your cases.
Go to the Unique site and look for the magnet they sell for about $14. It is a round can with a handle and release lever on it. You pick up the pins from your brass and then pull on the release lever when you are over the container you want them in. The first time I used this tool, I busted out laughing at how simple and easy this was going to make my life. My wife and I played with it for several minutes when it was first received. Later David

[dondiego]

and its just members trying to help other members; some will try the wet tumbling and others will keep cleaning brass with vibratory tumblers (for 11 hours per batch) with corn cob, crushed walnut shells and NuFinish car wax (my shooting buddy)

Why would anyone tumble brass for more than an hour? My Dillon vibratory and some crushed walnut hulls with a dab of Flitz and 30 minutes works wonders!

[Bonz]

Why would anyone tumble brass for more than an hour? My Dillon vibratory and some crushed walnut hulls with a dab of Flitz and 30 minutes works wonders!

He wants really cleaned & polished brass cases I guess. I have to admit that the outside of his brass looks pretty good. Of course, dry tumbling doesn't really clean inside the case or primer pocket.

[dondiego]

I just want to clean the debris off of my brass so any grit doesn't end up in m dies or firearms. I have many tarnished pieces but they seem to shoot just fine.

[Bonz]

And I have friends that sweep up the brass from the shooting range floor and run it directly thru their Dillon presses without any cleaning.

[dondiego]

I have a Lyman .45 ACP tungsten carbide die (very expensive back in the 70's) that leaves scratches on each piece of brass because I somehow let it get scratched before I owned a brass cleaner!

[mold maker]

I tried the ceramic triangles and everything else over the years. Clean brass (in and out) is a mater of pride. If your satisfied with grungy primer pockets and black interiors, it's Ok with me.
The SS pins with dawn and citric acid make my brass exactly as new. Their easier to inspect, and produce a more appealing (to me) product.
Yep, you can load dirty brass and shoot till the cows come home, but I don't. I even polish my clean brass with cob and a little NuFinish to insure they stay that way for years.

[jonp]

and its just members trying to help other members; some will try the wet tumbling and others will keep cleaning brass with vibratory tumblers (for 11 hours per batch) with corn cob, crushed walnut shells and NuFinish car wax (my shooting buddy)

2-3 hours is usually enough with walnut/corn cob, NuFinish and Mineral Spirits. I can't say I've ever run brass for 11hours.

[dragon813gt]

2-3 hours is usually enough with walnut/corn cob, NuFinish and Mineral Spirits. I can't say I've ever run brass for 11hours.

I have, on really dirty brass that was left out in the rain and was showing signs of leeching. After a twelve hour run you could barely see the leeching. Makes me very leary of SS cleaning. If there is no citric acid used the cases won't turn pink. So you can hide a world of hurt. I don't need everything looking like new. An hour in crushed walnut cleans them up so they don't damage the dies. Shoot the same as sparkling brass as well.