Corn Cob Media

[nighthunter]

Has anyone ever tried grinding their own tumbling media. A person can get cobs for nothing and it should be feasable to do. How did you grind it to get a uniform size?
Nighthunter

[C1PNR]

My shooting buddy worked where there was a grinder and we tried it with walnut hulls. Almost impossible to get any kind of consistent size. We had everything from dust sized to 3/16" chunks.:-?

Gave up and went back to a HUGE supply of computer punch card chads from the "old days" computer department. I had a couple of 33 gallon garbage bags full. Those sharp corners and edges cleaned stuff real nice.:-D

All out of that now.

[cropcirclewalker]

I guess everybody should know this by now, but I just figgered out that a trip to Petsmart or Pet Warehouse or whatever pet store and ask for the "Lizard Bedding".

I just looked at my last bag. It's called Walnut Litter for Birds and it was $4.49 for a 5 lb. bag.

Its ground walnut shells. Cool. To me it is identical in all regards to the real stuff and it works good too.

Then there is the bag of "CORN COB for bedding and litter" $2.59

There is a picture of a Parrot, Hamster, Parakeet, Rat looking thingy and a Guiney Pig on the bag. No weight but feels like a little less than 5 lbs and they call it 235 cu. in.

I haven't tried the cobs yet, since I sorta preferr the walnut shells.

[Johnch]

I got a 50 lb bag of corn cob bedding years back from the local Andersons General store .
Found 2 sizes , get the larger if you don't load for 22 cal stuff
Big size gets stuck in 223 brass[smilie=b: [smilie=b: .
But will not lodge in small primer pockets


Johnch

[HTRN]

I believe it's "Petco" that has the lizard bedding, it's been a while since I bought it.


HTRN

[carpetman]

I have used corn cobb and dont like it in that it always sticks in the primer pocket. Walnut on the other hand pours out like sand and lasts a lot longer. Yes it is cheaper at pet stores than buying it as tumbling media.

[BruceB]

Corncob ground down to the 1/8"-inch size is my choice. I get it from a local feed store, FORTY pounds for $13.00, last time around. 1/4"-grind stuff sticks even in .30-caliber cases, so DO NOT get that size unless you're using only such calibers as .45-70, etc.

In use, I only run about four or five batches of brass in my Midway tumbler before throwing the used cob out and reloading with fresh stuff. I add an ounce or so of Turtle Wax "Scratch and Swirl Remover" for each batch, and the brass shines far brighter than new cases right from the store. They also have a microscopic wax coating which keeps them brilliant for many months, not allowing them to tarnish.

Most flash-holes will have a bit of cob stuck therein, but this is no detraction since I size and deprime AFTER cleaning/polishing, and the decapping pin positively removes such clogs. I no longer bother with cleaning primer pockets, having proven to myself that it's un-necessary for my purposes.

I have used both treated and untreated walnut on occasion, and much prefer my present method with 1/8" corncob. I don't mind running the tumbler for as long as it takes, even running it overnight if need be. This has brought back a better-than-new shine to cases which were completely tarnished to dark brown, with no brass coloration visible at all.

[StarMetal]

What Ray Carpetman said about corn cob media sticking in the primier hole is the exact reason I don't use it either.

Joe

[georgeld]

Several years ago two of us split a 50# box of treated walnut from PowderValleyInc.com

Believe it cost about $20, I ad about 1/4 a refill of this with untreated that cost less. There's still about four gallons in my bucket after at least three, maybe four years.

Since the price from them is so much cheaper than anywhere else, there's only one place and one media product I'll consider.

Might be worth your time to look them up and request a once a year flyer. They have some of the best powder price's too. At one time they paid the hazmat with a case order of 4 or more jugs. One time I got several of us together and ordered 18 jugs at once and they paid both the shipping and the hazmat on the whole order. They don't offer that this year. But, their price's are still a lot cheaper than anywhere else I've found.

[John Boy]

Then there is the bag of "CORN COB for bedding and litter" $2.59

I haven't tried the cobs yet, since I sorta preferr the walnut shells.
Walker ... Don't. I tried it and the the stuff turns to dust, packs the inside of the cases like concrete and just plain ... plays hell trying to clean the cases