Clean your media in you tumbler.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Old dogs can learn new tricks. I will be 80 my next birth day. I came up with this idea a few years ago. I am sure most of your wives use static cling sheets in the dryer. We use to just trough them away after they were used. The idea came to me, why not put a couple of them in the shell tumbler and see if they will take some of that black dust out. Well it does, it won't get it all out but it will extend the life of your media. I just put a couple of them in the tumbler (no shells) for about 15 minutes, and I do that a couple of times with clean static cling sheets after each shell cleaning sessions. It does work and has extended the life of my media.

[Wally]

I use used dryer sheets dampened with charcoal starting fluid...and use whenever cleaning brass. When the sheet sheep gets black, I replace it. It works well to keep the media clean and dust free; it seems the brass is cleaner as well.

[poppy42]

Well 45-70 been doing that for a few years now! It definitely works!

[Dusty Bannister]

Used drier sheets, quarter sheets of paper towel or even rags with a little mineral spirits go in the media with every load of brass. Picks up carbon, brass chips, sand or dirt from range pick up. Very good to maintain the media and extend the run time between a wash and dry cycle. New drier sheets will leave a residue on the brass.

[Wheelguns 1961]

Been using used dryer sheets for a long time also. Never heard of the charcoal starting fluid though. What does that do?

[Sam Sackett]

I have been using used drier sheets for a while. I was also adding a few strips of paper towel. Then I got to thinking that some guys add a capful of car polish to the media. I put 2 and 2 together and started soaking the paper towel strips with NuFinish car polish. This seems to leave a nice finish on the brass casings, and the paper towel strips come out black with media dust, etc.. I think this gets more dust out of the media than either drier sheets or dry paper towel sheets.

YMMV, but works for me

Sam

[Wally]

https://www.kingsford.com/products/c...lighter-fluid/

Been using used dryer sheets for a long time also. Never heard of the charcoal starting fluid though. What does that do?

[abunaitoo]

Been doing that for a while.
If you eat oranges, throw the fresh peels in it.
Seems to help the sheets take out more grime.

[Winger Ed.]

Never heard of the charcoal starting fluid though. What does that do?

It works the same way as getting a kitchen towel wet to better wipe up dust & dirt on other surfaces.
the solvent catches the dust faster, and gets it into the paper towel or dryer sheet that will trap/hold it.

I save up old dryer sheets, or tear up paper towels and just run them in with the brass.
The media stays clean longer, and since I run mine in the garage without the lid,
that keeps the big dust ring from being deposited on the floor around it.

[Cattleman406]

I only learned about the dryer sheets trick about 4 months ago...and a month after that my tumbler stopped working and i haven't been to town to buy a new one. I dont even know what brand to buy, bang for buck wise.

[Doubles Shooter]

I used the dryer sheets for several years. They helped a lot. However I went out and bought a 40 # bag of ground cobs from Grainger and and haven't looked back. I just dump and replace it when it gets dirty. It's not that expensive.

[Loudy13]

I used the dryer sheets for several years. They helped a lot. However I went out and bought a 40 # bag of ground cobs from Grainger and and haven't looked back. I just dump and replace it when it gets dirty. It's not that expensive.

If you don't mind which media did you buy? I see 2 options at Grainger.

[Dimner]

If you don't mind which media did you buy? I see 2 options at Grainger.

another option is buying from ebay. I didnt have a Grainger account, so ebay is where I ended up. Bought this a little over a year ago, and I think I have used maybe 10-15% of it?

Zoro Select Crn3-40 Blast Media,Corn Cob,20 To 40 Grit

Product Details
Blast Media, Corn Cob, Media Grit 40, Nominal Dia. Micron Range 425 to 1000, 40 lb, Bag, Nominal Dia. Range 0.0167 in to 0.0393 in, US Sieve 30


I still drop in a couple used dryer sheets with the media as well as some nu-finish or turtle wax type stuff ever 4th load or so.

[hc18flyer]

Well 45-70 been doing that for a few years now! It definitely works!

Me too! hc18flyer

[prs]

I used to use dryer sheets too and it did keep the dust down, but I eventually repurposed my dry media tumblers to be powder paint applicaters and changed to wet rotary tumbling which eliminates all of the nasty dust and contaminants from the loading room, my cloths, and the house. Plus, no more barrel leading. I thought I would not like wet tumbling and I thought powder paint coating would never work; but this old dog was wrong, again ...

[derek45]

I’ve been using used dryer sheets for several years

.

[mdi]

I have used "used" dryer sheets before but they would have to be salvaged out of the trash od I had to get to them before SWMBO tosses it. So I just started using dryer sheets as "new"! I also used pieces of paper towels small pieces of cloth, etc., dampened with a solvent. I always wondered why everybody wanted "used", new works better...

But it all don't mean nuttin' to me 'cause if my media gets gunky, from too much auto polish or case lube, I'll just toss it and the amount of dust ain't enuf to think about...

[downzero]

I've found the same result from putting the solvent in my tumbler directly rather than using dryer sheets or paper towels to carry it.

[Doubles Shooter]

If you don't mind which media did you buy? I see 2 options at Grainger.

I got the 20-40 size.

[jaysouth]

I process dirty brass in citric acid then wet tumble for a couple of hours. Now that I use walnut shells to polish brass rather than clean it, a bowl full lasts decades. I throw in a dryer sheet and a cap full of chrome polish with each bath.

To get case lube off loaded rounds, I toss in the tumbler with a teaspoon of mineral spirits/charcoal lighter for 15 minutes.