tumbler polish

[jballs918]

well i just got me a nice tumbler. works well but i was wondering is there any stuff theat i can use to really shine up my cases. i know they sell media polish but i was wondering if anyone has found something that is cheaper and that i dont have to order off the internet. any ideas

[David R]

I buy the corncob and use automotive buffing compound that has no amonia.

David

[jballs918]

ok sorry about that im using walut right now. and what brand name of stuff do you use

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Nu Finish car polish works great for me. I get it for four bucks a bottle at the dolar store. Cleans the cases nicely and has the added benefit of slicking the pistol brass up a little bit so it runs through the carbide dies and progressives more smoothly.

Regards,

Dave

[imashooter2]

12/20 walnut blast media and either Nu Finish or Mequiar's Cleaner Car Wax. A 50 pound bag of blast media lasts a long, long time. Don't much care for cob. It gets stuck in the flash holes.

[ANeat]

I use Nu Finish as well ,with Pet Bedding corncob. It a little big so I wouldnt recommend the Pet bedding stuff for small caliber brass as anything under 9mm will get plugged up. On everything else it works great.

Adam

[waksupi]

some one on the Aimoo board, came up with Lizard beding, available at pet stores. it is crushed walnut shell, for lots less than you pay from a reloading supplier. works good.

I have a question.

When you use the car polishes, how much do you use? I believe I was a bit overexhuberent in my only venture with it, and ended up with a bit of a mess.:roll:

[Texasflyboy]

I use Crushed English Walnut, 12/20 sieve. It's available in most large metropolitan cities that have heavy industry, such as metal fabs and sandblasting. I found mine in the Yellow Pages under "Abrasive Suppliers". A 50lb bag cost $15 last time I went. And 50lbs goes a LONG way.

I also use Meguiar's Car Cleaner Wax in the red bottle. The cleaner wax has a mild abrasive added.

I have a Midway Brass cleaner (with the big blue bowl). I fill it 2/3's with cases and walnut media and give it two or three healthy squirts with the Meguiar's wax.

New batches of cases get more squirts of wax. I often add a small amount of water to the mix (about a shot glass full, no more) which often results in a brillant shine to the cases.

You have to be really careful with the water, too much and the mix will clog up and bog down the vibratory cleaner.

But, this is the method I have been using for 10 years and it works great. Meguiar's can be bought at Wally World or Target or any of the discound stores. A bottle lasts a long time.

[mag_01]

:coffee: ---I use walnut media also and Brasso from the supermarket---also add a small amount of water-walnut media was bought in a pet supply store very inexpensive-:castmine: --------------------Mag

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

waksupi,

With the Nu Finish car polish, you just add a capful, no more and let it run a few minutes. I pour the capful slowly to give it time to spread and mix into the media.

Regards,

Dave

[jballs918]

while im on this topic, how long should one use the media for. just wondering. how many cases is a good rule of thumb, if there is one

[buck1]

I use 3M car polish, on cleaned old corncob media. I wash it in soap and water when it gets looking kinda dirty. I use a 5 gal bucket and pour out in a old towel, let it dry a week? and re treat .
I hear Brasso has amonia in it????...FWIW .....Buck

I "hear" FLITZ works great!! But kinda $$$$$$

[waksupi]

Don't you guys ever have problemswith the media filling up bottle neck cases, with water, and/or waxes? I have, and it was a pain in the ass to get the stuff out of them

[mingol]

I use Bon Ami cleanser - available at Ace Hardware - with crushed walnut pet bedding. It gives a bit coarser polish than the Midway stuff but it is also a lot faster. The Midway stuff gives cases that look like jewelry and the Bon Ami gives cases that look like slightly dusty jewelry. Bon Ami is the only cleanser that is safe for this use.

[imashooter2]

Don't you guys ever have problemswith the media filling up bottle neck cases, with water, and/or waxes? I have, and it was a pain in the ass to get the stuff out of them

That is a problem when folks use too large a grit. 12/20 walnut won't ever plug and it's smaller than the flash holes so it won't get stuck in them either.

If you use so much wax/polish/water that you turn the media into mud, all bets are off.

[imashooter2]

while im on this topic, how long should one use the media for. just wondering. how many cases is a good rule of thumb, if there is one

I run it till it starts to take longer to clean. 2 or 3 thousand cases, you'll be able to tell... When that happens, I tumble half a dozen used dryer sheets for a couple of hours. They really load up with dirt from the media. Pull them out and add some fresh car wax and you are good to go for a few thousand more. Repeat as necessary.

[Blueknight2520]

Use Plain Crushed wallnut hulls Or plain curushed corn cob. DO NOT use any abrasive or polish!! I have seen polishes and adrazives use to polish brass distroy the dies in a cupple prgresice loading machines. in short order.
Abrasives left on the brass and imbedeaded in the brass act like a brass lap and ware the dies quickly.
Ddepending on witch abrasive is used. It can also act to abbrasive blast the inside of your barrel. This warning i have seen from some well known barrel makers.
BK

[Dale53]

Brasso is bad news in brass "tumblers". The ammonia in it will attack the brass and can cause catastrophic case failure.

Dale53

[jballs918]

so now is the nu finish bad news for the tumbler. or is it ok to run. seems alike alot of guys use it here

[imashooter2]

so now is the nu finish bad news for the tumbler. or is it ok to run. seems alike alot of guys use it here

It's fine. No abrasives to hurt your dies, no ammonia to attack your brass.

[13Echo]

I use walnut with three to four caps of mineral spirits and a tablespoon or so of Bon Ami. Start the tumbler and add the Bon Ami then mineral spirits. When it is well distributed add the cases. Works up a nice polish on the cases and removes any grease or oil better than dry media. Bon Ami is about the finest abrasive you can use. It is used for cleaning glass without scratching or dulling the glass.

Jerry Liles

[Dr.Doug]

I've scratched bottle-neck dies on 2 occasions. I'm worried about grit and polish in my media, so I've gone almost exclusively to untreated corn cob. I may give Bon Ami a try.

[slughammer]

Don't you guys ever have problemswith the media filling up bottle neck cases, with water, and/or waxes? I have, and it was a pain in the ass to get the stuff out of them

I mix my NuFinish 50/50 with alcohol or mineral spirits. I have the big Dillon tumbler and squirt 4oz in with the tumbler running (outside). Then I let it run with the top off for about 10-15 minutes to let everything unclump and dry out again.