Tumbler leaving dust on brass.

[T_McD]

Yep, you will have dust. Inside the case, it doesn’t matter. For the outside, I wiped the brass in a towel to get most the dust off so it wouldn’t hurt the dies. It never really bothered me, but when my tumbler broke I just started wet tumbling which has its own set of downsides.

[15meter]

Just started using Harbor Freight walnut media last month. Started by loading the media with 1/4 bottle of nufinish polish. I run a dryer sheet and add a capful of nufinish every time I run it. I've polished 2000+ case so far with no complaint. At $20.00 for enough media to refill my tumbler 6 times as opposed to once for Lyman media, I'll try the cheap stuff.

I'm pretty well convinced that Lyman has changed the formula of their polishing additive. My media never got as dusty 20 years ago as the last two batches of Lyman media that was nasty dusty almost from the first brass that I put in it.

[Chainsaw.]

Healthy squirt of cheap liquid car polish and a splash of mineral spirits. Run the cases till desired shine is attained. I will occasionally use a paper towel and wipe the fines that mix with the MS into a paste just above the highest point the media rides. Check that and off to another batch.
I went to this after wet SS pin tumbling and prefer it.

[sghart3578]

I take a regular paper towel and tear it up into 3-4" squares and put that in the tumbler every batch. I replace the paper towel with a new one every time.

I have used my media for quite some time now and no dust ever.

[David2011]

I’m another of the corn cob/mineral spirits/Nu Finish guys. The corn cob is 14/20 grit and unlikely to get stuck in flash holes. I haven’t used walnut media for years. The mineral spirits really helps keep dust down and the corn cob media is cleaner to begin with anyway.

[Bazoo]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to do some experimenting. The cob I have doesn't leave any or no dust, but I don't think it cleans as well.

[Blindshooter]

I've had to run the tumblers outside when the wind blows to keep the dust down. Tried all the cheap media with MS and car polish. I think I'm done with walnut, I have developed a mild allergy to it and its not worth the extra precaution I have to take. This thread has helped me decide to go all cob, I don't need perfect brass just clean and I'm lazy, way to lazy to go the wet tumble route.

[Bazoo]

I run my tumbler on the porch. I wonder if running it with the lid off would let the finer dust come out, out in the yard instead of the porch however.

Glad it's helped you make a decision blindshooter.

I'm in the thinking and gathering process of making a wet tumbler.

[725]

I use the Nu-Finish to polish the brass, but I also put in a couple USED drier sheets from the laundry. The drier sheet is a web of some kind of fiber and the dust gets stuck in it. I use a couple every load of brass. Throw 'em out each load and the dust goes with it.

[David2011]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to do some experimenting. The cob I have doesn't leave any or no dust, but I don't think it cleans as well.

The Nu-Finish and mineral spirits make the corn cob polish much better. If you've ever rubbed out an automotive paint job with rubbing compound, it's like adding water to the rubbing compound; it just cuts better. Are you using pet bedding or blasting media corn cob? I had very poor results with pet bedding corn cob. To get a like-new polish you can add a teaspoon of Thumbler's liquid jeweler's rouge. (Just let the tumbler run 15-30 minutes without brass after adding any wet additives.)

[Bazoo]

I bought a cabelas tumbler kit, made by berrys. I'm still using the cob that came with it.

[Wag]

Add a teaspoon or so of this to your media along with your brass.



--Wag--

[Taterhead]

I splurge and use the pre-treated Lyman Turbo media. 3/4 corn, 1/4 walnut. Pretty nice results and no fuss. The walnut does have some rouge dust, so I might not use that last little bit that settles in the jug.

[Wag]

I splurge and use the pre-treated Lyman Turbo media. 3/4 corn, 1/4 walnut. Pretty nice results and no fuss. The walnut does have some rouge dust, so I might not use that last little bit that settles in the jug.

That rouge colored dust gets all over everything too. Drove me crazy so now I use the lizard litter and just put a rag over the tumbler while it's running to keep it contained.

--Wag--

[trapper9260]

Years ago I had got Lyman walnut and been use it still. I have wash some that was too dirty . will use some of the what was stated.I run my brass first with that and dryer sheet cut in 3 . and then size and deprime and then run in ground up corn cobs that I had a farmer ground up for me on his feed mill. Do have to clean the inside of the case . But that dose not matter to me. I do not add anything to the corn cobs. Also if the brass is too dirty I will run them in citric acid mix. I get it from the Armish store for less then the regular store.

[waco]

Toss a USED dryer sheet in when you are tumbling. Problem solved.

[RogerDat]

I add a shot of mineral spirits, and a drizzle of NuFinish. Then run media for 15 minutes to mix. Not dusty when damp. I did that and started wearing nitrile gloves when doing brass to avoid the dust from the lead compounds left by the primer. Did drop my lead levels, which while not high enough to worry about did indicate I was getting some exposure that was being absorbed.

I also do soak in plastic bucket with citric acid and water. Drain, rinse, drain, and allow to dry before tumbling in dry media. I do more wet tumbling than dry these days but sometimes still like to hit brass with the dry media and NuFinish to provide a protective polish, especially for storage. Also sometimes the brass doesn't need the whole wet tumble treatment. A quick trip through the dry media is sufficient to "freshen" the brass for reloading.

My walnut media is reptile bedding from Pet store. I think I bought my last batch of corncob at a gun show.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I bought a jug of walnut media from Walmart it looks to have a red dye in it and it leaves a horrid red dust on all the cases I too want to get into stainless wet tumbling but the initial cost is pretty lame.

[Winger Ed.]

Being such a tightwad, I wash my media once in awhile.

I put it in a 5 gal. bucket with dish soap and stir it around.

Then scoop it out with a wire mesh tea strainer, and rinse under slow flowing water.

Throw it out on newspaper or a piece of old bedsheet and let it dry for a day or two.

I also run dryer sheets, or even torn up paper towels, but it still makes some dust and gets sort of a greasy feeling.

[JBinMN]

Being such a tightwad, I wash my media once in awhile.

I put it in a 5 gal. bucket with dish soap and stir it around.

Then scoop it out with a wire mesh tea strainer, and rinse under slow flowing water.

Throw it out on newspaper or a piece of old bedsheet and let it dry for a day or two.

I also run dryer sheets, or even torn up paper towels, but it still makes some dust and gets sort of a greasy feeling.

Whoah! & I thought I was a bit "frugal" about a lot of things, but you topped me there!


No complaints from here though, so don't take it badly.... Ya made me laff! Not just at you & the media thing, but myself as well!! I think it is from being in the Corps & making do with what ya got, as well as, at least for me, having parents who grew up during the Great Depression/Hoover times, & taught me to "make do" & "get it done", as well.