Stainless Media...

[DODGEM250]

I have to ask if the stainless media is "all that" for the price people are asking for it. The reason I being this up is from a recent website I visited that is selling stainless media for $49.00 for a 5 pound bag.

I also noticed the website uses two comparative images for a Before and After example, however, the issue what brings up my questions about stainless media is the fact that the website uses its Before photo with a grayed out image with certain brass shown and then a nice clear photo with shiny brass not similar to the Before photo. The photo ares are two different images of brass.

I'd prefer to see the actual After photo of the same brass as what is displayed in the Before photo, but, in this case, they are two completely different photos... what's the point ?

The point is, those photos do not show me what I want to know, since they are two completely different images, that could have come from two completely different cleaning / polishing products. I mean, how do I know that this stainless steel media is worth the hype or the price ? The example images prove nothing to me as to what the product is actually capable of.

So, does the stainless media really what is claimed. Corn Cob is a real pain to get out of slim neck brass.

[Circuit Rider]

DODGEM250, Looking into getting a set up for my bench. From what I've read it works great. Talked to one of the guys at Buffalo Arms, he said you only needed 3 pounds of media to do the job using a Thumlers tumbler. I'm sure others will chime in with many and varied opinions. CR

[45nut]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=141413

They just signed up here as a sponsor,,and it truly does work!

[aarolar]

Looks like a royal pain in the **** to me, if I was trying to shoot long range targets with rifles then maybe but I just can't see it for typical handgun ranges which is what I load for.

[DODGEM250]

I have been using corn cob animal bedding from walmart for $3.98 in a 10 pound bag with a drizzle of Gel Gloss, after a quick straight vinegar soaking, and my results have been excellent, I can not imagine brass getting any cleaner, or shinier, than mine comes out. Dirty old brass comes out almost like white gold.

The reason I am questioning stainless media is the PITA work required to remove the cob out of the brass when the tumbling is done. I am going to solve this issue however. I ordered a 50 bag of 1/4" vacuum caps to slip just over the top of the mouths on the brass cases, to keep the cob out of the brass.

I have to assume, from an educated guess, that the only big advantage is the stainless media lasts longer ?

[aarolar]

I have been using corn cob animal bedding from walmart for $3.98 in a 10 pound bag with a drizzle of Gel Gloss, after a quick straight vinegar soaking, and my results have been excellent, I can not imagine brass getting any cleaner, or shinier, than mine comes out. Dirty old brass comes out almost like white gold.

The reason I am questioning stainless media is the PITA work required to remove the cob out of the brass when the tumbling is done. I am going to solve this issue however. I ordered a 50 bag of 1/4" vacuum caps to slip just over the top of the mouths on the brass cases, to keep the cob out of the brass.

I have to assume, from an educated guess, that the only big advantage is the stainless media lasts longer ?

By capping your brass off your not allowing the insides to get cleaned any I think the biggest advantage to stainless media is it cleans your primer pockets and insides of cases way better than corncob or walnut.

[felix]

What's wrong with spent primers? Why do the cases need to be new looking? ... felix

[DODGEM250]

What's wrong with spent primers? Why do the cases need to be new looking? ... felix

I personally don't care how clean the brass is, or how shiny it is, but, I figure If I can throw it in the tumbler and walk away from it and it's better looking than when I left, what can it hurt to clean it up a little.

[longranger10]

I have to ask if the stainless media is "all that" for the price people are asking for it. The reason I being this up is from a recent website I visited that is selling stainless media for $49.00 for a 5 pound bag.

I'm a sales rep for STM.

We are happy to be a sponsor here on the forum. I'm not sure how active I'll be on here since I'm on a few others that take some time but I'll do my best to help answer any questions.

You do bring up a good point on the photos on our homepage. The photos haven't been doctored one bit, but unfortunately our website designer put the wrong photos and I'm working on getting it changed. There are a lot of other photos on the website that you can take a look at and we get emails all the time stating how customers really didn't think they could get the brass as clean as the pictures were showing. You'll be amazed to say the least.

I'll try to change the photo so others (and yourself) don't feel like we are trying to mislead in anyway.

Money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the results send it back.

Here is a $10 discount code for our most recent forum. castboolits10
It will be good until the end of Feb.

Check out our Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/NiceBrass?ref=ts&v=page_getting_started) page or YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/Stainlesstumblingmed) and read the reviews too!


Thanks

[DODGEM250]

By capping your brass off your not allowing the insides to get cleaned any I think the biggest advantage to stainless media is it cleans your primer pockets and insides of cases way better than corncob or walnut.

This may be true, but, it accomplishes nothing if the brass is packed tight with media in there it doesn't move, so, technically its not getting cleaned inside anyway.

[waksupi]

Separating cases from most medias is easy with a simple collendar. Dump them in, shake over a container to catch the media, dump back in the tumbler.

A buck at the Buck Store.

I would personally like to thank our new sponsors. I wish more companies that have support from this forum would be such stand up guys.

[DODGEM250]

Separating cases from most medias is easy with a simple collendar. Dump them in, shake over a container to catch the media, dump back in the tumbler.

A buck at the Buck Store.

I would personally like to thank our new sponsors. I wish more companies that have support from this forum would be such stand up guys.

The issue is not removing the brass from the media. The issue is removing the media from the brass. I use a modified collandar for separating brass from media. I cut the bottom out and installed a small section of 1/4" hardware cloth (rat wire) and now separation is easy. It's the getting the cob out of the brass this is a real pain in the brass, we'll call it LMAO

I wonder if the stainless media does not pack itself into the brass ?

[Circuit Rider]

I was going to purchase a set up elsewhere, but since they are now a sponsor, they will get my business. CR

[waksupi]

The issue is not removing the brass from the media. The issue is removing the media from the brass. I use a modified collandar for separating brass from media. I cut the bottom out and installed a small section of 1/4" hardware cloth (rat wire) and now separation is easy. It's the getting the cob out of the brass this is a real pain in the brass, we'll call it LMAO

I wonder if the stainless media does not pack itself into the brass ?

THAT, is why I quit using corn cob! :veryconfu

The stainless steel will not jam up in the cases. If you happen to get one piece of it that hangs up in the flash hole, toss that one, you still have a zillion left.

[oneokie]

This may be true, but, it accomplishes nothing if the brass is packed tight with media in there it doesn't move, so, technically its not getting cleaned inside anyway.

Try this: Sift as much of your lizzard litter out of the tumbler bowl as possible, put the brass only back in the tumbler and run for a while. You might be surprised how much media works itself out of the brass.

[DODGEM250]

THAT, is why I quit using corn cob! :veryconfu

The stainless steel will not jam up in the cases. If you happen to get one piece of it that hangs up in the flash hole, toss that one, you still have a zillion left.

Good to know... now. LOL

You didn't say anything about you no longer using corn cob, how do I know. I want some thing I can clean with, without a bunch of hassle, as the corn cob has been. However, I understand you can not use SSM in a vibratory tumbler now and I don't care for the additional steps of having to use water, which leads to drying the brass immediately or it turns black again.

I have gained enough information to realize I'll stick to my old school method of cob and just cap the mouths on the brass.

Thanks for the replies and feedback.

[DODGEM250]

Try this: Sift as much of your lizzard litter out of the tumbler bowl as possible, put the brass only back in the tumbler and run for a while. You might be surprised how much media works itself out of the brass.


I did try that and I ended up still having 90% of the brass packed with cob. I figured the SS media might be a good way to avoid the picking cob out of the brass, but, it's pretty obvious that one method is no simpler than the other. It's a 50/50 toss up and it depends on personal choice of which media one chooses to use, this is rather obvious.

[garandsrus]

I have tumbled boatloads of brass with corn cob and crushed walnut. The only time I ever got media stuck in the case was when I added too much polish to the media, causing it to be wet and clump together.

I use a media separator from Midway, which can be found here: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/972948/frankford-arsenal-quick-n-ez-rotary-media-separator. It works great...

I am building a rotary tumbler and planning on trying the stainless media.

John

[Recluse]

Separating cases from most medias is easy with a simple collendar. Dump them in, shake over a container to catch the media, dump back in the tumbler.

A buck at the Buck Store.

But somehow, Ric, putting little caps on the ends of each piece of brass, then tumbling, then removing is easier than dumping your brass, whether you use SS media or walnut or corncob, into a cheap collander and shaking. . . :rolleyes:

When I deprime before tumbling, any media stuck in the primer holes gets a shot of compressed air from the compressor. Out it flies.


I would personally like to thank our new sponsors. I wish more companies that have support from this forum would be such stand up guys.


I was going to purchase a set up elsewhere, but since they are now a sponsor, they will get my business. CR

AGREED!

Will be ordering direct from them, via this site.

:coffee:

[cajun shooter]

DodgeM250, First thing is that RCBS sells a very nice set up that you put your brass in after it has been removed from the tumbler. It rotates and lets the media inside the cases go into a pan underneath the hand crank tumbler. Works Great.
If you never shoot black powder then you will never understand the reason for other types of cleaning media.
It requires you clean the brass inside and out and I've been using the ceramic media in angle and ball for years with great results. Cleaning in a rotary tumbler such as the Thumblers model B allows the use of a wet cleaning method that works and leaves your brass looking brand new.
Even while firing smokeless powder your build up in the primer pockets and inside of the cases will need attention. I have never used a corn cob or walnut type media that does as good a job.
I have seen the steel media and it seems to do the same bright job.
Every one has different needs and uses and I thank the steel media persons for coming on board . They should also be commended for giving the Cast Boolits Forum members a discount coupon.
Zuke, your entry was not in keeping with the forum bylaws whether written or unwritten. It is not too polite to enter another persons business while posting on the same thread with a new sponsor who is helping our site. If you want to post the info then start a separate posting.

[Jailer]

The issue is not removing the brass from the media. The issue is removing the media from the brass. I use a modified collandar for separating brass from media. I cut the bottom out and installed a small section of 1/4" hardware cloth (rat wire) and now separation is easy. It's the getting the cob out of the brass this is a real pain in the brass, we'll call it LMAO

I wonder if the stainless media does not pack itself into the brass ?

I think the problem you are having is with your media selection. I've tried some of the corn cob bedding that you are using. The problem with it is it's size. It's larger than corn cob tumbling media available for re loading. The larger size lends itself to "packing" in the brass and is a complete pain to get out. I've been using the Frankfort Arsenal brand of plain corncob and it doesn't have this issue. It's much smaller in size and doesn't pack into the case. You will still get the occasional piece stuck in the flash hole but that's pretty much unavoidable regardless of what media you use.


I have tumbled boatloads of brass with corn cob and crushed walnut. The only time I ever got media stuck in the case was when I added too much polish to the media, causing it to be wet and clump together.

I use a media separator from Midway, which can be found here: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/972948/frankford-arsenal-quick-n-ez-rotary-media-separator. It works great...

I am building a rotary tumbler and planning on trying the stainless media.

John

I'm waiting on the last few parts to arrive and I'm getting started on mine. I'll still keep the corncob and tumbler for lube removal though.

A couple people have questioned the need for perfectly clean brass. My need is for volume loading and sizing of 223 brass. I've already scratched one sizing die from brass that wasn't clean enough and wet tumbling with SS media will solve that problem. Nothing but perfectly clean, shiny, lubed brass will be going through my sizing die's from now on.

[Doc Highwall]

I just purchased the media from STM and will give it a try later on. I have read enough to know that it works well and does as it claims. I do use the Lizzard litter also in my vibratory tumbler and I have two Thumlers tumblers for the stainless media.

[DODGEM250]

I think the problem you are having is with your media selection. I've tried some of the corn cob bedding that you are using. The problem with it is it's size. It's larger than corn cob tumbling media available for re loading. The larger size lends itself to "packing" in the brass and is a complete pain to get out. I've been using the Frankfort Arsenal brand of plain corncob and it doesn't have this issue. It's much smaller in size and doesn't pack into the case. You will still get the occasional piece stuck in the flash hole but that's pretty much unavoidable regardless of what media you use.



I'm waiting on the last few parts to arrive and I'm getting started on mine. I'll still keep the corncob and tumbler for lube removal though.

A couple people have questioned the need for perfectly clean brass. My need is for volume loading and sizing of 223 brass. I've already scratched one sizing die from brass that wasn't clean enough and wet tumbling with SS media will solve that problem. Nothing but perfectly clean, shiny, lubed brass will be going through my sizing die's from now on.

I am so glad someone finally understands the issue and the reason I'm asking about the SS media. I have no problems seperating the majority of the corn cob from the brass, I know all about the rotational separaters, this is not the issue, I have that resolved, the issue is the cob getting jammed up inside the brass and not easily removed from the neck section of the brass, (about the 4th time I've had to say this to the general public)

Also, in general, I'm not trying to clean the brass to make it first place blue ribbon winning examples, I clean the brass because the stuff I collect is caked with garbage and really needs a good cleaning. The SS media question(s) are resulting from does it clean any better than corn cob and Does it come out of the brass easier than the jammed up cob.

It would be simple to put the brass in the tumbler and when it's done shake it out and be done, but, If I have to forego the hassle of putting caps on 50 pieces of brass to keep the cob out, then in reality, it's not more hassle than having to dry the brass after it comes out of the SS media which requires water. Like I said, it's become a 50/50 venture with either process. You just pick what you like and go with it.

[scb]

THAT, is why I quit using corn cob! :veryconfu

The stainless steel will not jam up in the cases. If you happen to get one piece of it that hangs up in the flash hole, toss that one, you still have a zillion left.

You gota be careful about making blanket statements like that. I use and really like SS media. I've stopped using everything else, at least for the time being, but. I have a bunch of 5.7 x 28 brass that was very dirty. The plan was to use them as jacket material for .338 bullets. So I tumbled them. The inside dimensions of that case are just right for the pins to get jammed cross ways. I spent hours picking pins out of those cases. This is maybe the only case this would happen with but I think I'll tumble a handful of hornet and bee brass first before I throw in a couple of hundred.
As far as cleaning goes I don't think it cleans the outside of the case any better than any of the old standbys. Where it excels in my opinion is the primer pockets and the inside of the cases. They will look like new unfired cases. The other thing I like is I don't have to spend a lot of time poking those 1 or 2 granules of media out of the flash holes. I've never had SS media get stuck in the flash hole. Now if those things are of no consequence to you I wouldn't bother. The only "down" side for some is that it is a wet method and the cases have to be dried. Personally I don't have a problem with it

[oneokie]

It would be simple to put the brass in the tumbler and when it's done shake it out and be done, but, If I have to forego the hassle of putting caps on 50 pieces of brass to keep the cob out, then in reality, it's not more hassle than having to dry the brass after it comes out of the SS media which requires water. Like I said, it's become a 50/50 venture with either process. You just pick what you like and go with it.

If you want to stay with a dry media, check with industrial supply places that sell blasting media. Ask for 20/40 grit cob. You will find it is nearly the same price per pound and the lizzard media you are currently using.

[DODGEM250]

If you want to stay with a dry media, check with industrial supply places that sell blasting media. Ask for 20/40 grit cob. You will find it is nearly the same price per pound and the lizzard media you are currently using.

I agree. The lizard bedding works extremely well, the price is right, but, the size is just too big. I'm not going complain about $4.00 per 10 pound bag, but, I'm going to try the vac caps first before I trash the other 8 pound I have left.

[Baja_Traveler]

The search button is your friend...

Lots of threads about stainless media here, including a big one I started earlier last year with pictures.

Stainless Media thread (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=114916&highlight=stainless+media)

[DGV]

I bought a thumlers tumbler kit 4 weeks ago. It cleans your brass like new. The capacity is a little low, but cleaning action is second to none. You will not be sorry you bought one

[max range]

I have been using SS media for about a year and half. I recently traded my vibratory tumbler for lead ingots. Here is an unbiased, honest opinon.

Nothing cleans the brass better that the SS pins. Nothing that I have found. The insides of the cases and the primer pockets look like virgin brass. Understand that the pins CLEAN the brass. They do not polish it in the way that corn cob/lizard litter with a mild abrasive can shine it.

When you open the lid after using the pins (with dish washing liquid and a tablespoon of citric acid or briteshine) they look bright and shiny. Well they have nothing on to protect the brass from turning a little dark. When you use corn cob with abrasive there is a film that resists tarnish. They stay bright for a long time. With SS pins in about a week they lose a little brightness.

They are still perfectly clean, its just they are not mirror bright. For me, I want clean with no grit inside the case. I dont care that much about a little lack of mirror bright shine.

Finally, you will not believe how black the water turns. Black as ink. No dust is a big plus too. It all ends up in the water.

[waksupi]

I thought I would give the stainless media a real test today. So, I found some of the toughest brass there is to get clean, which is from an HK G3. I have tried cleaning it in lizard bedding and corn cob before, and they always had the carbon chamber streaks left on the brass.

Here is a before and after with the stainless media, run time around four hours.
Still wet, but clean!

By the way, the reason I like shiny brass is, when you shoot semi autos that throw your brass two townships away, they are a bit easier to find!

[Doc Highwall]

The main reason I bought some is when I anneal the brass I will better be able to see the color change.

The last thing I want to do is over anneal my brass.

[wiljen]

Tried the stuff for the first time today and it does work as advertised. I ran a batch of 45 ACP cases that looked like they had been buried during WWII and left for dead. They all look new now. This after 6 hours with Dish soap and lemi-shine.

Inside, outside, primer pockets - all new looking. This stuff is good enough that one could pass off range brass as new unfired stuff if you sorted by headstamp.

[HardColt]

Hi! I ordered 5 lbs from Buffalo Arms last year but didn't have time to make my 5 gal. bucket rotary tumbler. Can't remember the price. From what I have seen it works pretty good on really dirty brass. As of now, my son is just using the old vibratory tumbler and some lizard bedding media to clean his 45 acp brass. I'm looking forward to using it one of these days to see if it really does clean that good as it is advertised.

[DLCTEX]

The corn cob media from Drillspot in the 40'20 grit will not clog the flash holes IME. I use a media separator from Midway and have no problems getting the media out from 22 Hornet to 45-70. The Drillspot deal is a bargain at about $23 for 40 # with free shipping. I Also use Nu Finish car polish as an additive. If the brass is really tarnished or caked inside with powder residue I use the Lemishine method to clean first. Just my two cents.

[357maximum]

I just emptied my first batch of .308 cases using STM and a mild citric acid solution.


WOW:mrgreen:


This brass was all the same lot of LC 64 match brass and was severely ugly but sound. It came out of my ball mill looking like the day it was made in 1964. It even did the innards and the primer pockets........it looks new.

:drinks: To those at STM....color me impressed. While I won't say I will abandon my normal vibratory dry media regimine, I will know exactly what to do with ugly brass lots from now on to resurrect it. :drinks:

Thanks for another tool in the box,
Michael

[blikseme300]

I am another very satisfied customer of STM. I mainly do pistol cases but recently found another use that saves my company bundles.

We have a number of corrugated paper case erector machines which use hot melt glue to tie the panels together. These machines have a number of small nozzles which are brass-based with tiny stainless inserts. Over time the hot-melt carbonizes and clogs the nozzle. Mechanical cleaning only damages the nozzle and annual replacement is required. At over $100 each this quickly adds up to a major expense.

I experimented with a number of chemicals to try clean these but none worked. I finally found a way that works. First I heat the nozzles with a propane torch to a dull red until it stops smoking. After cooling these go into the Thumler with 5lbs of STM. About 2 table spoons of Lemishine was added to the water. 3 hours later the nozzles were as good as new.

The reason for so much Lemishine is that the pins are way larger than the channel in the nozzle and the aperture itself. The acidic action together with the agitation of the Thumler cleans to a mirror finish inside and out.

My experiences with pistol brass has been that the time needed to tumble is reduced by increasing the amount of Lemishine. Not as much as the example above, but a heaped t-spoon is what I use. I know that water quality plays a role so your mileage may vary.

There is a down side to all this. STM cleans so well that I need to lightly lube the cases before reloading. A quick shot of Hornady case lube works wonders.

Bliksem

[Ickisrulz]

The corn cob media from Drillspot in the 40'20 grit will not clog the flash holes IME. I use a media separator from Midway and have no problems getting the media out from 22 Hornet to 45-70. The Drillspot deal is a bargain at about $23 for 40 # with free shipping. I Also use Nu Finish car polish as an additive. If the brass is really tarnished or caked inside with powder residue I use the Lemishine method to clean first. Just my two cents.

This is the stuff right here:

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

It will not clog primer holes.

[Char-Gar]

I am not as concerned about cleaning brass as most folks. Before tumblers and vibrators became readily available, we just clean our clases with a cloth and a little rubbing alchol. This was to remove any bad stuff that might scratch to dies. After a time the brass became very dark, but nobody seemed to care.

The only real reason I can see to polish brass to a high gloss is to help located them in the weeds when ejected from an autoloader of some sort. For that reason only I polish 45 ACP cases and 30-06 cases to be fired in my Garand. All other cases only get enough to clean them, which isn't much at all.

[omgb]

Here's my $.02....I hate picking cob media out of primer pockets. I hate cleaning primer pockets. I hate picking packed cob media out of vibrated cases. I like my brass to be shiny clean to better facilitate chambering and extraction.

With those prejudices stainless media was the cat's meow for me. Since switching over I have solved every one of those above challenges.

Drawbacks....Well, wet case tumbling is more labor intensive. Not a lot but it does require rinsing and drying cases. You also have to use a soap and a mild acid if you want the super shine. I use Lemeshine, available at my local super market as a dishwasher additive. It does the trick nicely.

Black powder still requires pre-rinsing of the cases unless you don't mind blackend tarnished cases. Something is the residue reacts with the soap and leaves things blackish. Prerinsing eliminates this.

Nickle cases will loose their luster and their nickle plating over time. They end up looking like brushed stainless or worse.

You will have to buy a different tumbler. I bought the large capacity (15 lb) Thumbler. Wanna buy my nolonger needed Lyman vibratory cleaner?

To separate the media from the cases I use a Dillon rotating barrel separater...works like a charm with almost 99.999999% separation.

In short, I'm glad I made the change. Cases are clean inside and out; no rocks, cob dust or anything. Just clean shiny brass.

[Ickisrulz]

Cases are clean inside and out; no rocks, cob dust or anything. Just clean shiny brass.

Well...there is all that water now you have to get out of the cases. Instead of removing tumble media you are drying cases. If you used small tumbling media you wouldnn't have had any problems.

[GRUMPA]

Since I made the switch I'm thoroughly happy with it, the SS media I never have to replace. For me it's all about being able to do what I want when I want without having to keep buying something that gets used up like the media.

Living as rural as I do the delivery man wont come to the house being so far back sometimes it will take a week or longer till they feel like making the delivery. So long as your careful with the pins I figure this stuff should in all probability last me a lifetime.

Getting the brass this clean is worth the extra effort it takes to dry them as well as the small capacity brass cleaning runs that I do. Also for me since I live on solar this thing uses the same amount of power as my old vibratory cleaner.

This was hard on the pocket book for me but the fact I don't need corn cob or any other media on a constant basis was the deciding factor.
http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa341/grumpaboo/Picture0101440x1080.jpg

[Moonman]

You Can use an ALCOHOL BATH to remove the water. Use 90% Plus alcohol, NOT THE 70% stuff, if you're in a hurry to reload the cases.

I just shake em out on a bath towel, then hit em with a hair dryer. I do Pistol, Rifle is a little more work.

[Ickisrulz]

This was hard on the pocket book for me but the fact I don't need corn cob or any other media on a constant basis was the deciding factor.

Now you will have to by chemical cleaners (and alcohol?) on a recurring basis. How will that compare to traditional media purchases?

A 40 pound bag of blast media is $27 delivered. I figure I can refill my tumbler ten times (at a minium) with a single bag. I only change media about 1x/year (I clean three batches of brass each week). That means my cost is $2.70 for the tumbling media each year. That's pretty cheap and I can't see how SSM would be cheaper.

I think the results of SSM are awesome. But I seriously doubt it's economical or a time saver.

[GRUMPA]

Now you will have to by chemical cleaners (and alcohol?) on a recurring basis. How will that compare to traditional media purchases?

A 40 pound bag of blast media is $27 delivered. I figure I can refill my tumbler ten times (at a minium) with a single bag. I only change media about 1x/year (I clean three batches of brass each week). That means my cost is $2.70 for the tumbling media each year. That's pretty cheap and I can't see how SSM would be cheaper.

I think the results of SSM are awesome. But I seriously doubt it's economical or a time saver.
Cleaners meaning the soap and lemi-shine or what ever you choose to use, the alcohol is optional (which I don't do by the way).

So far I'm still on my first container of lemi-shine and soap and so far last week I did 3k 45acp and just over 1.5k 223 and still have over half a container of each.

Unlike a lot of folk I don't have a credit card that allows to me the convenience at my disposal of ordering online, for reasons of my own.

Sure when it comes down to nickels and dimes there's surely going to be been counters in a crowd, but in time it will balance out and I'll still have the media. Kinda like hand loading, the materials cost up front but it pays off the more you use them in time.

[HollowPoint]

I think there are enough folk here that may be interested in trying out some of this Stainless Medium so I thought I'd ask;

What are the chances of a Group-Buy? If the savings is substantial enough, those savings could be used to put together a DIY tumbling setup.

Just curious.

HollowPoint

[waksupi]

Having used both, I have no doubts whatsoever that the stainless is more economical in the long run. Dish soap is always here, and a container of Lemishine at 1/4 teaspoon per batch is going to last a loooooong time.

Drying cases? I dump them on a towel, and let them dry overnight. I'm exhausted. Maybe this stuff is better for hand loaders, than reloaders.

[Ickisrulz]

Having used both, I have no doubts whatsoever that the stainless is more economical in the long run. Dish soap is always here, and a container of Lemishine at 1/4 teaspoon per batch is going to last a loooooong time.

Drying cases? I dump them on a towel, and let them dry overnight. I'm exhausted. Maybe this stuff is better for hand loaders, than reloaders.

There's always dish soap at my house too. But it's not free. I'm sure the Lemishine lasts a long time, but again it does cost something. From what I understand you have to run the tumbler twice as long as a vibe tumbler when dealing with SSM and your batches are smaller. That means you're using more electricity (Twice as much?).

So when people say using that SSM saves them money because they don't have to buy disposable media, I question if everything has been considered.

I think SSM has a lot going for it. If I were starting out I might consider getting a set up. If I were selling small amounts of used brass at gun shows I might use it. That being said I don't think cost savings are a legitmate claim.

Like I said above, I'm paying about $3/year to clean cases for my reloads. How much does it cost to clean for your handloads?

[edsmith]

the best reason for using ss media is because I want to,that is the only reason any one needs. if you don't like using ssm, fine, don't use it, I will use it. your reasons for not using it, is your own, not mine.[smilie=s:

[Ickisrulz]

the best reason for using ss media is because I want to,that is the only reason any one needs. if you don't like using ssm, fine, don't use it, I will use it. your reasons for not using it, is your own, not mine.[smilie=s:

There is no doubt that is true. You'll notice I never said anyone should not do what they want to. But I question the claim that SSM will save money.

[waksupi]

There's always dish soap at my house too. But it's not free. I'm sure the Lemishine lasts a long time, but again it does cost something. From what I understand you have to run the tumbler twice as long as a vibe tumbler when dealing with SSM and your batches are smaller. That means you're using more electricity (Twice as much?).

So when people say using that SSM saves them money because they don't have to buy disposable media, I question if everything has been considered.

I think SSM has a lot going for it. If I were starting out I might consider getting a set up. If I were selling small amounts of used brass at gun shows I might use it. That being said I don't think cost savings are a legitmate claim.

Like I said above, I'm paying about $3/year to clean cases for my reloads. How much does it cost to clean for your handloads?

Well, my dish soap costs a buck a bottle. I imagine I could get several years use from one bottle. Lemishine, around $2.50 here. Bet that is good for at least five years.
If anything, I run the tumbler less time than with a vibrator type. Smaller amount? I run pretty much the same amount in the tumbler as a vibrator. Some of the guys have them made with 5 gallon buckets.
I don't think your argument for expense holds up .

[Ickisrulz]

Well, my dish soap costs a buck a bottle. I imagine I could get several years use from one bottle. Lemishine, around $2.50 here. Bet that is good for at least five years.
If anything, I run the tumbler less time than with a vibrator type. Smaller amount? I run pretty much the same amount in the tumbler as a vibrator. Some of the guys have them made with 5 gallon buckets.
I don't think your argument for expense holds up .

According to the STM website:

1. Use 1.5 ml of Lemishine. Each 12 oz bottle of Lemishine contains 237 1.5 ml portions. Say you do two loads per week...your Lemishine will last 2.3 years.

2. Use 15-30 ml of dish soap. A 25 oz bottle contains 25-50 portions. Two loads per week using 15 mil of soap means your bottle will last about six months.

3. The STM website says tumble 3-4 hours.

If my math is close and your estimates for the cleaners are correct, it costs you around $3.00/year to clean 2 loads of brass per week. I spend $2.70 per year in blasting media and do three loads on average each week. Every 5 or so loads I add 1/2 cap of Nufinish into the media. I've had the same container for 2 years and it's still pretty full. I'm not sure how much the stuff costs, but that is certainly an expense.

I stand by my claim that there is no cost savings to SSM, despite the stunning results.

[Recluse]

To hell with the economics. I like the way it CLEANS the brass.

Whether one way costs me three cents more every six cleanings during a leap year versus saving me seven cents every third blue moon. . . don't care.

No lead styphenate dust in my face when I take the clean brass out, primer pockets and inside of brass shines like new, the media lasts forever.

AND. . . this will really blow the anal-retentive folks' mind. . . I'll still use a vibratory tumbler.

Yep, that's right. I'll still use my corncob and NuFinish to put a protective coat on the brass for long-term storage.

Sometimes, you just LIKE the way something works.

:coffee:

[Ickisrulz]

To hell with the economics. I like the way it CLEANS the brass.
:coffee:

That's a good (the only) reason to use it. Not because it costs less or doesn't clog flash holes like other media--those arguments aren't correct.

[40Super]

I use the SS pins in my Lyman vibratory unit and it usually takes about 20 min per batch(10 to 25 min average).They are smaller batches and I don't concider it a money saver.I like how perfectly clean inside and out the brass gets,so I will not be going back to any other method again.
I found the best solution uses way more soap(both Dawn and laundry detergent at $3.50/gal cheap stuff)and just a couple pinches of Lemonshine(it will last me 3-4yrs),but its still not "more economical" than any other method.
I can clean 1000 ACP brass in a couple hrs,more or less electricity used?Don't know ,don't care. My brass is soooooo shiny:bigsmyl2:

[Moonman]

My brass is clean and I only tumble them 1-2 hours (Pistol).

[waksupi]

I really don't know how long I need to run a cleaner. I plug it in, and go do something else.

[45nut]

There is no reason to think that any one method will be everyone's choice, this is not being forced upon everyone as a one size fits all solution. It is just part of the ever increasing options available to us all.
I have been testing the ss media the last few days without the lemi-shine and I obviously need to pick some up, however for me the path is clearly going with the ss. Even without the citric the nasty old brass looks so much better and I am thankful this new to me method is possible.
YMMV.

[No_1]

I do the same. I like the protection (real or perceived) which NuFinish gives my absolutely clean brass.:2_high5:




AND. . . this will really blow the anal-retentive folks' mind. . . I'll still use a vibratory tumbler.

Yep, that's right. I'll still use my corncob and NuFinish to put a protective coat on the brass for long-term storage.

Sometimes, you just LIKE the way something works.

:coffee:

[zuke]

Here's 4000 word's worth of pic's.
I got my media from Mark

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1256.jpg



http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1257.jpg



http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1258.jpg



http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1259.jpg



http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1265.jpg

[Moonman]

I actually also got my media from "MARK". The MAN who started/refined this process.

The one thing that is absolutely nice is that with S.S. MEDIA

YOU DO NOT HAVE THE DUST PROBLEM.

Congratulations to STM also for helping promote the process.

Congratulations also to all who have even continued to IMPROVED the PROCESS FROM PAINTING THE DRUM UNDER THE RUBBER LINER (for rust protection as the area is unpainted from the factory) to the use of ANTI-VIBRATION KNOBS to replace the easily lost factory wingnuts/washers along with push-button timers so you don't forget to turn it off. My timer is 1hr-2hr-4hr-8hr with one push-button.[smilie=w:

[Clark]

I have the corn cob, the Walnut, the ultra sound, and the stainless steel wet tumble.

The corn cob or Walnut get the outside of the brass clean in 5 minutes, but will not get the inside of rifle necks clean in two days.

The ultra sound will get the inside of a couple necks clean in seconds, if I hold them over the transducer in the tank. The ultra sound is great for cleaning bronze brushes with Copper solvent in them.

The stainless steel media makes the brass look like new, complete with needing to be chamfered again.

[DODGEM250]

Here's 4000 word's worth of pic's.
I got my media from Mark

Are the little dings all over the brass a result of the SS media ? All of the cleaned brass looks like it has chicken pox.

[2571]

I think there are enough folk here that may be interested in trying out some of this Stainless Medium so I thought I'd ask;

What are the chances of a Group-Buy? If the savings is substantial enough, those savings could be used to put together a DIY tumbling setup.

Just curious.

HollowPoint
I'd be intersted.

I wonder though if there's not a cheaper source for the stainless from somebody who supplies the stuff to another industry. All sorts of manufacturers use abrasives.

[captaint]

My brass doesn't get scratched or dented up. The stuff works as advertised. I can't believe the primer pockets... enjoy Mike

[evan price]

MEh.

I use the extra-fine Zilla ground walnut and NuFinish and a bit of mineral spirits from time to time.
Sure it's not shiny new looking. But it's very shiny and good enough for me. I run three tumblers. I tumble a lot of brass. A big sack of walnut lasts me a year and I go through a couple bottle of NuFinish and mineral spirits.

Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.

[blikseme300]

MEh.

I use the extra-fine Zilla ground walnut and NuFinish and a bit of mineral spirits from time to time.
Sure it's not shiny new looking. But it's very shiny and good enough for me. I run three tumblers. I tumble a lot of brass. A big sack of walnut lasts me a year and I go through a couple bottle of NuFinish and mineral spirits.

Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.

+1!

Whatever tickles your fancy.

I use STM but there are down sides as well. I cleans too well and the "dry" brass needs to be lubed or press breakage is very likely.

Bliksem

[terni38]

I have to ask if the stainless media is "all that" for the price people are asking for it. The reason I being this up is from a recent website I visited that is selling stainless media for $49.00 for a 5 pound bag.

I also noticed the website uses two comparative images for a Before and After example, however, the issue what brings up my questions about stainless media is the fact that the website uses its Before photo with a grayed out image with certain brass shown and then a nice clear photo with shiny brass not similar to the Before photo. The photo ares are two different images of brass.

I'd prefer to see the actual After photo of the same brass as what is displayed in the Before photo, but, in this case, they are two completely different photos... what's the point ?

The point is, those photos do not show me what I want to know, since they are two completely different images, that could have come from two completely different cleaning / polishing products. I mean, how do I know that this stainless steel media is worth the hype or the price ? The example images prove nothing to me as to what the product is actually capable of.

So, does the stainless media really what is claimed. Corn Cob is a real pain to get out of slim neck brass.

Gentlemen, I just joined so I could add a little to this... I went ahead and signed up, purchased 5 lbs, and will give it a try. But I'm trying to figure out how I can do "before and after" photos, without it looking like two different pictures. I think it will be difficult to get all the cases lined up the same way, but I'll give it a try... Sorry, couldn't resist...

I'm looking forward to some really clean IMI 8mm cases, before I try annealing...

Thanks...

[GRUMPA]

OH you'll be amazed at what you'll get after 3-4hrs of tumbling those 8mm case, I sure do love the heck out of mine.

[DCM]

I tried the rest and won't look back. I gives me that "new brass clean" I have been searching for and gets rid of the build up in the primer pockets.

My ultrasonic is used to clean gun parts now.
I keep the vibratory around for other hobby cleaning.

[terni38]

Thanks Guys... I've learned a lot just lurking... I'll be doing 7.35 Carcano, 1916 Enfield, and a K.Kale 43... but I just hate the dirly looking brass... especially the rust tarnished IMI...

[Revolver]

I skimmed through all this, sorry if I missed it, but what's the capacity on this? I'm primarily dealing with 38 special, 357 mag, and 44 mag right now.

[captaint]

You get 5 lbs of stainless pins and I think they say you can add 2 lbs of brass. I have done 500 .45 cases at a time and could have done more. Should have tried the whole 1000. They look exactly like new brass you just bought, especially when still wet. enjoy Mike

[Mike_60]

I've been using stainless media for a while now and really like it so far.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o124/oktec60/Private/015.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o124/oktec60/Private/014.jpg

[hunter64]

Here is a test I did in Feb. I was skeptical of the claims myself so I built my own tumbler (detailed plans in another article) and bought 10 lbs of pins to give it a try.


I went to the range on Saturday and shot off 250 rounds thru my M1 Garand and found some range 30-06 laying in some dirt and ice and brought them home to try and clean up with my recently made stainless steel tumbler.
For the drum I made one out of 8" PVC and one out of 10" PE pipe that is available at work. With the 10" PE stuff I made two ends out of Plexiglas that I had and some gaskets and it works great. Wrapped the PE with some hockey tape for extra gripe on the rollers.

10 Lbs. of stainless steel pins.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0367.jpg

270 rounds of 30-06
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0368.jpg

2 gallons of water, 4 tablespoons of dish soap, 1/2 tablespoon of Lemi Shine
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0369.jpg


Here are some before pictures of the range pickups. Really nasty, scaled on dirt and green rust (not sure what it is), and I thought were basically just throw aways.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0361.jpg

Look at how nasty the insides are.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0366.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0359.jpg

Now 3 hours in the tumbler later.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0375.jpg

You can still see the soap in the primer hole on this one. Still need to dry.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0373.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0370.jpg

Now look at the insides. Much cleaner. They are the same brass as before and you can see that they are by the mouth of the brass was squished by people walking on them in the dirt.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/1964bigfoot/IMG_0377.jpg


This stuff really works and I wish I had made my own tumbler earlier. Hope this dispels once and for all people not believing that it works. As they say Pictures are worth a thousand words.

[zxcvbob]

Are there any current STM coupon codes? I've just started shooting .223's and some of the brass I pick up is awfully nasty. If I have to wash the stuff, it's already wet so might as well wet tumble it. I have a rock tumbler (sometimes use it for a blackpowder ball mill)

I wonder how this would work for reloadable *steel* .223 cases, to clean the rust and dirt out? I've been tumbling those first in dry sand blasting media, then corncob. It does a great job on the outsides of the cases but not the insides.

(probably need a different acid solution for steel -- I have some dairy equipment detergent with phosphoric acid in it, that might work if I water it down enough so it barely suds) http://www.stearnspkg.com/all_tek/11tek.pdf

If there are no castboolit discounts anymore, I may just order the 2# bag to experiment with.

[Lonely Raven]

I'd love to see plans for making my own tumbler.

I have a motor a friend gave to me, I just don't know where to get the bearings, shafts, and pulleys. I've already got SS media on the way...I wish I had known about the STM discount before I ordered...

[zxcvbob]

I've just ordered 5 pounds from STM; that's probably way more than I'll ever use, but I'd rather have too much than too little. And the postage was the same for 2# as for 5.

[Springfield]

I just got the SS media a week ago, and it works OK. My experience is that it only comes out REAL shiny if you use the Lemi-shine. The media itself gets all the tarnish/dirt off but not much shine. My plan is to use the Thumlers with the SS for my Blackpowder brass but all my wifes smokeless is still going into the vibratory tumbler. And I may use the vibratory on the BP brass sometimes just to shine it up and coat it with Nu finish to keep the shine. My BP brass is already wet when I get home anyway as I toss it into a jar full of soapy water at the shoot. .

[1hole]

"I did try that and I ended up still having 90% of the brass packed with cob. "

I can't imagine dry cob or nut media clogging up inside a case. Are you pouring liquid polish in immediately with the cases?

[Baja_Traveler]

I just got the SS media a week ago, and it works OK. My experience is that it only comes out REAL shiny if you use the Lemi-shine. The media itself gets all the tarnish/dirt off but not much shine. My plan is to use the Thumlers with the SS for my Blackpowder brass but all my wifes smokeless is still going into the vibratory tumbler. And I may use the vibratory on the BP brass sometimes just to shine it up and coat it with Nu finish to keep the shine. My BP brass is already wet when I get home anyway as I toss it into a jar full of soapy water at the shoot. .

You will find that when you tumble your black powder cases normally they will turn out a rich brown color - not shiny at all, but perfectly clean. To combat this, tumble in water and soap for 30 minutes to an hour, then dump the black water. Add fresh water, soap and Lemishine and tumble another 2 hours or so. They will come out shiny that way...

[Crash_Corrigan]

I had been using an ancient Lyman 1200 Vibratory unit with corn cob media and nu finish car wax for years. My major issue with this setup was the dust and dirt.

I have COPD from smoking and spending 37 years in the nasty air of NYC and this lead laden dust was not something I liked.

I resorted to doing the cleaning outdoors and the media seperation also outdoors and I always made it a point to place myself upwind when handling the media and brass.

It cleaned well enough but did not touch the primer pockets. I still had to clean them by hand prior to priming. A mindles activity best done seated while watching TV.

I had no problems with media stuck in the cases as I used small media and minimal nu finish. I usually added nu finish to media and let it run 30 minutes before I would add dirty brass.

Secondly the noise of a vibratory cleaner is loud and persistent and nasty. I did not like it.

A fellow shooter and forum member turned me on the STM and showed me his set up. I threw my hat over the fence and tried it out.

Initial expense was painful but the results are wonderful. I shoot a lot of blackpowder in my beloved 50-90 Sharps and 38-55 Winchester. These cases get an immediate dunking and swim in a milk jug with water and Dawn at the range whilst still hot.

When I get home they go into a plastic bucket for a fast rinse in hot water to remove most of the really nasty black gunk. Thence into the tumbler with Dawn and Lemi Shine for a few hours.

Then the entire contents of the tumbling can is deposited into a Dillon Barrel Media Separator and I churn the handle for a minute or so. 99.999% of the tiny SS pins end up in the container below. I run some clean water through the tray to remove the majority of the dirt and back into the Thumbler Tumber can it goes.

The brass is in the basket and I dump it out onto a large turkish towel. I mash them out onto a single layer and with another towel on top I mash them around for 15 seconds. Then I remove the top towel and allow the brass and bottom towel to dry overnight.

If I am going to reload the shoot the brass within a week then I just put the brass away. If it is going to be a mite longer then I run them thru a vibratory tumbler with clean media and nu finish for an hour to give them that long lasting shine and polish.

No dust and I breath a lot better. The cost is something I am not concerned about. Many years ago I got involved in casting and reloading and over the years I have spent tens of thousands of dollars to save money and shoot more. I gave up golf and guitar picking to spend more time reloading, smelting, casting and scrounging WW's to feed my 24 firearms.

Overall did I save any money? Probably not but I certainly had a lot of fun trying to and got a lot more trigger time that if I had kept on buying factory fodder.

[clodhopper]

I'm useing the thumbler's tumbler and stainless steel media. I love the clean interiors and primer pockets.
Thanks for being a sponser.

[zxcvbob]

I ordered 5 pounds of SS media Monday afternoon and it got here today. (boy, that was fast!) I've been playing with it this evening. It's been raining this week. I went to the shooting range today and shot some .45 Colts and .223's, and picked up all the nasty muddy brass I could find. (my .45 Colts were pretty bad, even though they never hit the ground) I also picked up a bunch of Wolf and Tula steel .223 cases, some of them pretty rusted.

I started with the .45 Colt brass. I decapped it (25 pieces) and put it in the HF rock tumbler and filled it about half full of water. I added a shotglass full of the SS media and a splash of an acid dairy equipment rinse. It has phosphoric acid and nonsudsing surfactants. I started it up and let it run for an hour and then checked on it.

The outside of the brass looked good. The insides were just starting to get clean, and the primer pockets still looked untouched. I thought maybe I didn't have enough media so I added another shotglass full.

An hour later I checked it and the belt was broken I took the brass out and wiped it off with a towel. The outsides looked new but not polished. The insides were almost clean, and the primer pockets still had black stains -- but they were tumbled for less than 2 hours.

I put them in the Thumbler's vibratory tumbler, along with some nickel .45 ACP that I picked up (decapped and rinsed) to finish. Next I was going to run a bunch of mixed 9mm and .380 brass with a little .38 Special mixed in, but that will have to wait until I get a new belt.

The one thing that concerns me is the SS media looks long enough to get caught inside a .223 case -- and .223 is the main thing I bought the stuff (then .30-06, and lastly pistol brass) I should be able to kind of tell how it will do in .223 brass by how they fit in the .380's, and hopefully I'm worried about nothing.

Somewhere around here I have an ancient Lortone model 45C rock tumbler. It might need a new motor, but those don't cost all that much. It has a significantly larger drum than the HF 2-drum knockoff of a Lortone 33B.

[7of7]

I have a Lortone, QT12... so, I run 5lbs of media, and then just dump in brass until it is about half full, and cover with water.. 1/4 tsp citric acid (from a brewers store) and a little dawn dishsoap..... and just let it go for a few hours....
I have noted that a couple pins will get stuck in the flash holes every now and then.. (in any cases). I havent had any get stuck sideways in any of the 223 that I have run through it.. (yes, I did knock on some wood)

I picked up my Lortone used.. and noted that sometimes the tumbler wouldn't go,.. I figured it out, the little hook for the nut on the top, was holding it off the drive rollers.. deepened the slot on that, and haven't had any problems since..
Stainless steel is the only way to go..

[Lonely Raven]

I just did my first batch of dirty .40 a friend gave me in my Harbor Freight 3# tumbler with Lemishine and SS media. The brass came out super clean, but badly tarnished. I think I need to change up my mix of water to Lemishine.

[Moonie]

I ordered my pins and tumbler over the weekend, also ordered a Lee hand press to do my depriming on. Pins showed up yesterday, tumbler will be here today, deprimed about 10lbs of brass before I broke the decaping pin in my lee decapper (unbreakable I know, second one, silly 5.56 primer crimps) and ordered 4 replacements. Can't wait to use it this evening.

[zxcvbob]

I bought a new drive belt for the tumbler today from the HF store. $3. Looks like a *** like the original belt, but it'll get me going again. (I wonder if Lortone belts will fit. Or if I can find the right size o-ring)