tumble media

[semtav]

Bought an RCBS Case tumbler recently. First time I ever used one. put Lyman corncob green in it and some 40-65 cases. Forgot to remove the primers first.
Next time, I removed the primers, and when I took the cases out, I had to remove media from the flash hole on every one of them. And most of them had the whole primer cavity filled with media and didn't clean anyway.is this common, or is there a better media that won't do this. I'm gonna leave the primers in til I find a better media.
Thanks

[Mk42gunner]

I deprime then tumble in walnut media, (lizard litter from the pet store), it cleans the brass; but doesn't shine as much as corncob. I resize the cases after cleaning, this way the decapping pin clears the flashhole.

I don't have a universal decapping die yet so I use a larger body/ smaller caliber die for that.

Robert

[mike in co]

do a search

[ebg3]

I always polish before I size to avoid having media getting stuck in flash holes.
EG

[462]

semtav,

I polish with treated corn cob media, deprime and resize, and clean the primer pocket.

[MtGun44]

I clean with corncob prior to size/deprime.

Bill

[badgeredd]

I've used walnut mixed with corncob for years. It seems to get the cases quite clean and shiny, but not quite as shiny as corncob alone. I also tumble before I deprime and let the decapper pin clean the media out of the hole. One problem with doing it that was is the primer pockets don't get cleaned at all, but I've always had to clean them separately no matter if the case were deprimed or not.

Edd

[RobS]

Walnut media on this end and decap after cleaning.

[smoked turkey]

I believe there is no exactly right way of doing any of this reloading stuff. Most of us have developed our way of doing it and it is right for us. I use a universal depriming tool to knock the primers out without any sizing the case in any way. If the cases are not range pick up stuff (read real dirty and grimey), I lube, resize, trim if needed, flare neck, then clean prior to priming, powder and loading. If the cases are in bad shape I will end up cleaning them after the depriming operation. I had a bad experience doing the cleaning prior to depriming so I never clean with primers still in the cases. I had media in the primer pockets and that in turn got on the ram of my press. It called for a total disassembly of the press, cleaning, etc. I also clean the primer pockets with a small RCBS tool made for that purpose.

[Big Country]

I have been depriming with a universal depriming die and then cleaning with ground corncob bought from graingers.

[Squint]

Yes semtav, there is a better media. It is 24 grit walnut shell blast media from Harbor freight...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92155

I deprime first using the decapper from an old Lee hand tool and then throw them into a vibratory tumbler with the 24 grit media. I don't use any polishing additives but do add just enough mineral spirits to keep the dust down. It seems to help cleaning a little too.

The key is that the 24 grit is small enough to get into the pockets and still fall back out. Of course how clean the pockets come depends largely on how long you tumble them. Most of the "caked crud" will come out pretty quickly but the black staining takes a very long time. I am satisfied just getting the "cake" out.

After cleaning, I resize the cases as usual and the decapping pin will push out the grain or so of media that is sometimes left in the flash hole (but it is not "packed in").

This media is more expensive than what some folks use but it lasts a long time and saves a LOT of aggravation.

By the way, opinions on the need for primer pocket cleaning varies from those that think NO cleaning is needed to those that think they should be clean as new. I don't know what is "right" but like to get the crud out and not worry about the black film or stain. Make your own call on that.

[Down South]

I tumble then resize and deprime. I don't like to punch corncob media out of just about every flash hole with a pic.

[montana_charlie]

Bought an RCBS Case tumbler recently.
You didn't say if that is a shaker or a roller.

put Lyman corncob green in it and some 40-65 cases.
Were those fired with black powder?

And most of them had the whole primer cavity filled with media and didn't clean anyway.is this common, or is there a better media that won't do this. Ceramic angle-cut cylinders with a liquid cleaner is what many BPCR shooters are using. But, only a small percentage of those use a shaker.

CM

[jcwit]

To all those who still have the problem of corn cob media sticking in the flash hole and pluging the primer pocket the solution is very simple. Contact Graingers Industrial Supply and get a bag of 20/40 grit corn cob media. Cost is 40 lb. bag for approx $24.00, no shipping and Graingers is located all over the U.S.A.

This stuff shines much better than walnut media.

[semtav]

Thanks for all the replies. My RCBS is a shaker. I got it for Black Powder, but haven't started shooting it yet. Thought I'd just polish up some brass to see how it worked.

I think I'll leave the primers in for now until I get to Billings and get some of that smaller media.
Don't have a collander, so sitting on the cold floor of my hangar poking out grit wasn't much fun.

[RP]

wont help with sticking in flashholes but I get walnut meadia from the pet store catch it on sale buy one get one free. On another note being a tight wad I have washed the media by dumping it in a 5 gal bucket with some cleaner and water stir it up and pour off the crud and brown water then air dry.

[jcwit]

wont help with sticking in flashholes but I get walnut meadia from the pet store catch it on sale buy one get one free. On another note being a tight wad I have washed the media by dumping it in a 5 gal bucket with some cleaner and water stir it up and pour off the crud and brown water then air dry.


At $ .60 a pound dry weight I fail to see the gain. And I consider myself cheap.

[pmeisel]

Buy a colander cheap at Dollar General or Walmart, you'll be glad you did. Or do what I did, steal your wife's and catch hell for a week or two.... she'll buy a new one.

I have cleaned with primers still in, and after depriming. Now I always leave them in.......

[Wayne Smith]

I have a Lyman vibatory with an extra small bowl. The big bowl has a ventilated top - in that I use walnut media, pour the media out the ventilation slots, dump shells. No need for a collandar. I use the small, heavy bowl with the solid top for ceramic media and soapy water with BPCR shells. There I use a collandar to dump the media, rinse it, and extract the shells. Then I dump them in the walnut media and run for a while to dry them.

[Big Boomer]

I've been using crushed walnut in my old RCBS vibratory cleaner for years, changing the media when it gets sufficiently dirty. I clean my brass after every use but process it a little differently than mentioned above. Since all my revolver and semi-auto loads are cast (as well as most of my rifle loads), first I deprime the brass with a Lee deprimer and small brass hammer, then soak the brass in a carbon-based degreaser to remove all the lube (small container of gasoline is handy - outside for safety) and allow the brass to dry.

Then I run the brass through the tumbler and as I take the brass out and before I begin the reloading process, I clean the primer pocket and make sure the flash hole is clear with a very small slot screwdriver. Tedious, but it gets the job done. 'Tuck

[jimkim]

I ordered this the other day. http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media

[mike in co]

I ordered this the other day. http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media

wow......good price and free shipping ????

you guys should jump on this..its cheaper than grainger......

mike in co

[alamogunr]

wow......good price and free shipping ????

you guys should jump on this..its cheaper than grainger......

mike in co

The web page looks just like the Grainger page. They also have the 20/40 grit for about $.80 more. I'm ordering since I don't have a Grainger nearby.
John
W.TN

[alamogunr]

Just an update. I ordered the corn cob media from the link that was posted. As I said in my previous post, the web page that came up looked just like the Grainger web page. I got notification by email that the order had shipped and a tracking number. It shipped from Memphis, TN. I think that this company is a mail order subsidiary of Grainger. I don't know how they get around sales tax if it is being shipped from a Tennessee location to a Tennessee location. I have to pay sales tax on anything I buy from a company that has a physical presence in Tennessee even though it comes from out of state. We shall see.

John
W.TN

[DLCTEX]

I searched up this thread and ordered. Still beats Grainger by a little and I don't have to call and order a few days in advance to pick it up in Amarillo as they don't stock it there, has to come from Dallas. Free delivery by the 29th.

[Down South]

Yeah, I ordered some too way back when this thread began. I haven’t used any of it yet because I’m still waiting on my corn cob media to wear out with the old bounce fabric softener strips in it. Man, Bounce sure picks up some dirt!!!!

[bullet maker]

Yeah, I ordered some too way back when this thread began. I haven’t used any of it yet because I’m still waiting on my corn cob media to wear out with the old bounce fabric softener strips in it. Man, Bounce sure picks up some dirt!!!!

I haven't heard about the (bounce fabric strips) , thanks for the heads up, I'm going to try that.

[bullet maker]

Also, I forgot to ask...."when the corn cob wears out,(black and dirty), how does one renew the corncob media, with out throwing it out?" Or does one just throw it out and start with a new batch of corncob media?....I thought I had read where somebody said you could renew the media, and get a few more miles out of it, but I could be wrong.
just trying to a save few bucks.

[mike in co]

Also, I forgot to ask...."when the corn cob wears out,(black and dirty), how does one renew the corncob media, with out throwing it out?" Or does one just throw it out and start with a new batch of corncob media?....I thought I had read where somebody said you could renew the media, and get a few more miles out of it, but I could be wrong.
just trying to a save few bucks.

throw it out...you can clean it and reduce the dust.BUT YOU CANNOT RESTORE the shape of the ground corn cob.....

it silly to spend time and money on such a cheap product...buy more throw the old out.

mike in co

[bullet maker]

OK, thanks for the reply, I will throw it out, I got plenty of new corncob that just came in yesterday.

[gray wolf]

Is this the correct size for our brass ? 14-20. ?
Or should I say how close in size is the 14-20 as compared to what we by from shooting supply folks. The corn cob I have is over a year old --- can we say it's tired.


Sam

[frankge]

thanx guys, just ordered

[woodyubet]

I have tried the corn cob media and it worked ok. For the last year now I have been useing long grain rice from the Dollar Store mixed with some crunched up pecan shells from last years Christmas cookies. It has been a good mix for me. The cases come out clean and very slippery so I don't use any case lube on pistol cases. the tumbler I use is home brew....a gallon jug powered by a tread mill, and I tumble first, decap, and some times I citric acid dip before reloading

[David2011]

Either 14-20 or 20-40 is good by me. I ordered my last bag from Drillspot.com and it arrived in 2 or 3 days. Price range: $21-$22 for 40 pounds depending on grit, delivered to my doorstep.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/521055/econoline_526040g-40_40_lbs_blast_media
http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media

The website gives dimensional specs for both sizes.

When I need walnut I use the Petsmart stuff. It's reasonably priced and a good size. Wal-Mart used to carry lizard corn cob that was perfect but they went to Hartz which is huge and has to be picked out of .223 cases. Fun!

I prefer to clean the cases before sizing because it's easier on the dies, especially steel bottlenecked rifle dies. The soil where I shoot has a lot of sand in it that will scratch steel dies. It's not much of a problem with carbide pistol dies but I still like to start with clean brass. I keep some fairly well used media to give a quick polish after sizing and decapping to get the sizing lube off of rifle cartridges.

David

[Echo]

+1 for D2011. I like to run clean stuff through my dies, so tumble (corn cob w/1 tsp rouge & sprinkle of mineral spirits), then process.

My bottleneck cases get lubed before sizing/de-capping, so another trip through the tumbler is needed. And I have never been able to understand how a tiny bit of corncob in the primer hole can have ANY effect on the combustion, given the vigor of even the coolest primers - so I don't bother with trying to clean the primer holes. YMMV...

[lwknight]

Check with industrial sandblast suppliers.
You should be able to get a 50 pound bag for $19.95.
They have a lot of choices of sieve size as well as media choice.

[cajun shooter]

Semtav, I hate to bring bad news but your approach for BP is not a good one. I don't know if any of the posters that talked about how clean the brass is after being cleaned with Corn Cob media and Walnut hulls is brass that has been fired with BP. The only way to really clean brass that has been used with BP is in a rotary type tumbler. I have tried the other way and the outside will be shiney but the interior of the case will be very dirty with a slick type of oily film. The first step is to be deprimed and put in a bucket of water that has some Dawn W/OXY and some Lemon Juice concentrate. About 2oz of each in a gal is about correct. Look at Buffalo Arms for the Thumblers Tumblers. They have the best price for this machine. You want the 110 volt High Speed model. Make sure it is the HS one. I bought my first one in 1972 and used it for over 20 years with only belt changes. I sold it and bought a newer one about two years ago. The ceramic material they sell is what you need to buy. It will never need replacing!! Put your brass in the tumbler and cover it with the ceramic and just enough water to be visable above the material. Squeeze in about a good sguirt of that Dawn stuff again. All the vendors will tell you that you need this special cleaner to work and that is a snake oil speech. Tumble for 2-4 hours and when you open it up it will be soapy. Rinse your cases and look inside and it will be the same as the outside including primer pocket. A piece of ceramic will get stuck at times inside which I remove with a metal dental pic. There is a company that sells 3 MM ceramic balls. I mixed them into the angle cut and they clean the PP's like new and don't get stuck.

[JanZ]

I've been using the corn cob walnut shell and the standard recharging liquid and it works pretty well, however I get some pretty grungy pistol brass in 9MM and 45ACP now and then and it needs a special treatment.

That stuff gets a mix of 1 cup vinegar to 3/4 cup Hydrogen Peroxide and that goes into a gallon milk jug and that gets topped off with hot tap water I put a 100-150 hulls into the tumbler toss in two to three pounds or so of HDPE plastic pellets and add the liquid, and a little shot of simple green sure helps cut the oil.

I only need to let this shake for 15 minutes or so to clean the crud. For a polish I pretty much stay with a dry treated corn cob, walnut shell, sawdust mix and let it run until I'm happy with the polish.

I guess if you relay wanted to complicate the tumbling of brass you could use a Jewelers burnishing mix http://www.ottofrei.com/store/product.php?productid=5769&cat=0&page=2 which used in a tumbler will sure clean things like primer pockets but then again as you can see it's 23 rasbucknicks a pound.