media dust

[Jim]

What's the best thing to put in walnut media to keep down the dust?
I keep my tumbler in a closet in the gun room. I currently have a paper plate over the cover to keep the dust from floating out and settling on the floor around it.
Is there a better way? I don't want to use mineral spirits or the like as I don't want flammable solvents evaporating in the house.

[thegreatdane]

I use about a shot-glass amount of water (added and tumbled) before the brass is added.

Also you can try dryer sheets. They help keep the static down.

[Wayne Smith]

Used dryer softener sheets. I tear them in strips, about half of one is enough for a use or two. With laundry for just the two of us I still throw away sheets. Of course, I'm using Citric acid for most of my cleaning and the vibatory tumbler for drying.

[Walt]

I'll put an ounce or so of mineral spirits in the tumbler with my walnut and polish and let it run for a while to mix it in. I'll do this maybe every third use. It seems to clean up range brass a bit better and it helps reduce the dust quite a bit.

Sorry Jim. I just now took note of the last line in your post. Walt

[jcwit]

Jim, is that Lyman Turbo shown in the pix of Dolly's hurt the one you're talking about? If so I'd go to a glass shop and have a plexi glass top made for it with no holes. Then as others stated dampen the media lightly and/or add cut up dryer sheets, used ones. With the kero heater I understand not wanting to use mineral spirets tho.

[300winmag]

I use the frankford Arsenal brass polish and a couple of cut up used dryer sheet about 3"sq. works good. I do not use fine walnut for small bottle neck. calibers like the 222,223,220swift you will be digging it out with a:drinks: toothpick.
300winmag

[August]

A little bit of mineral spriits (i.e. paint thinner). Half a cap full, or so. Don't use too much or your brass will be covered with it.

I also use dryer sheets to get the dust out of the mix. Works great. I find that used dryer sheets seem to work better than new ones. So, I get recycling credit.

Oops, just re-read the OP and see that mineral spirits are not welcome.

Frankly, I can't imagine running a tumbler inside the house. Too messy, too noisy, too toxic.

[RP]

Well this might be out of left field but when I got alot of dust coming out of my tumblers I have taken a vaccum cleaner while the tumbler is running and suck the dust up. I also cut me a plastic cover on one so I can see it working passing phase. But after the dust is gone with the new media I dont get alot of dust after that.

[buck1]

I rip up two paper towels and toss the pices (cleaning patch sized pices) in and tumble with the brass /media. It all but eleminates the dust. I change them with each batch. It keeps the media clean too....Buck

[1hole]

Seems most "media" dust is actually dried polish dust from an excessive amount being used. ??

A small amount of mineral spirits ("oderless paint thinner) will soften died metal polish and "rejuvanate" it, it will dampen the media so dust won't fly and it will help the media cut the smoke/bullet lube crud from the cases.

Being careful with volitile liquids is good but the volitility and flammibility of mineral spirts is quite low. One ounce amounts in a tumbler is safe even if you held a lit match over the top of the running tumbler. In fact, you can hold a match an inch over the top of the liquid without ignition.

[Jim]

Jim, is that Lyman Turbo shown in the pix of Dolly's hurt the one you're talking about? If so I'd go to a glass shop and have a plexi glass top made for it with no holes. Then as others stated dampen the media lightly and/or add cut up dryer sheets, used ones. With the kero heater I understand not wanting to use mineral spirets tho.

That get's the door prize. I have some 1/4" plexiglass. I'll make a cover soon. Thanks, JC!

[noylj]

Switch to corn. Add a little naphtha/mineral spirits.
Walnut powder can pack in the case and requires hand scrapping to remove (I know).
Dryer sheets and such help, but not when the media really starts to break down.
I once considered simply leaving the top off and setting the vibrator outside so the dust just blows away.
Also, I get a LOT less powder with my Thumler Tumbler than a vibrator.

[Jim]

You ever tumbled .223s in corn? Try that sometime. In the OP, I mentioned NO FLAMMABLES IN THE HOUSE!

[1hole]

"In the OP, I mentioned NO FLAMMABLES IN THE HOUSE! "

Ignore the suggestions. Toss out any hair spray, cooking oil, rubbing alcohol, glue, etc., too.

[noylj]

There was still the "take it outside and let it blow away" suggestion.
20/40 corn works fine for me and my .223 brass.
Half a cap of mineral spirits isn't much, but I could see with no cover and stuck in a small closet with an electric motor running...

[zomby woof]

Tight cover as mentioned, no paper plate.
I use mineral spirits in my media, in my house. I use way more than a cap full.
I have two tumblers, one with walnut, one with corn. I use MS in the walnut. One hour in each tumbler on a timer.

[Jim]

I owe an apology to all that have been involved in this thread. Yesterday, I was having difficulty with the dog and I let that follow me in here and into my posting.
I wrote some things in a manner I should not have. There's no excuse for that kind of behavior.
I apologize for being rude.

[Jim]

I owe an apology to all that have been involved in this thread. Yesterday, I was having difficulty with the dog and I let that follow me in here and into my posting.
I wrote some things in a manner I should not have. There's no excuse for that kind of behavior.
I apologize for being rude.

[BD]

I've been cleaning my .223s, (and all the rest of my brass), in 20/40 corn for years. I use a shot of "cleaner" wax like McGuire's Quick Slick every time. A bottle lasts about 10 years.

The most important difference is that I wash all of my brass in simple green and water, then let it dry, before I tumble it. No more dust. As a result my blood lead levels have come down and I've come to the conclusion that a lot of that fine dust coming out of the tumbler was primer residue; primarily lead styphanate. The corn cob media itself doesn't seem to generate any noticeable dust at all.

BD

[jcwit]

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[a.squibload]

Pieces of blue shop towels (paper towels from the auto parts store) collect a lot of that dust.