Tumbler media

[Jal5]

After reading several posts here about using crushed walnut, reptile bedding I tried some recently. WOW what a difference compared to the corncob media I had been using. I think the brass comes out looking almost new.

Now I will save the old corncob media for really filthy brass and just use the reptile bedding from the pet store for everything else.

Thanks.
:drinks:

[Swamprat1052]

Have you tried it with NuFinish Car Wax? Really makes a difference.

Swamprat

[smokeywolf]

Why do people complain about dust from tumbling media? Don't all tumblers come with lids?

I've read that the liquid waxes and polishes can build up on the inside of your cases.
I've developed a dry additive for my walnut shell that results in increased dust, but speeds the cleaning process by about 300%.

I keep the lid on my tumbler; no dust problem.

smokeywolf

[doubledown]

I also add a used dryer sheet, (bounce) to the media to pic up crud in the bowl.

[mdi]

Why do people complain about dust from tumbling media? Don't all tumblers come with lids?

I've read that the liquid waxes and polishes can build up on the inside of your cases.
I've developed a dry additive for my walnut shell that results in increased dust, but speeds the cleaning process by about 300%.

I keep the lid on my tumbler; no dust problem.

smokeywolf
My wobbler, Lyman 1200, has slots in the lid. But I don't stand over the wobbler while it's running, deep breathing any dust, so I ain't concerned...

[MtGun44]

Fine grind corncob with a capful of NuFinish car finish is extremely fast and very high
polish, and retards tarnishing. Be aware that all walnut products have substantial potential
for toxic/allergic effects in many people.

Bill

[Beagler]

Agree thats the reason you cant use walnut shavings for livestock. The urine reacts with the walnut shavings and can lead to hoof and skin problems etc.
Fine grind corncob with a capful of NuFinish car finish is extremely fast and very high
polish, and retards tarnishing. Be aware that all walnut products have substantial potential
for toxic/allergic effects in many people.

Bill

[UNIQUEDOT]

Now I will save the old corncob media for really filthy brass and just use the reptile bedding from the pet store for everything else.

Walnut cleans better than corn, but most agree that corn polishes better. The best polish i can achieve with a vibratory tumbler is with crushed walnut and jewelers rouge and an eighth of a cup of mineral spirits. It works better than the nu finish (or anything else) and the cases come out looking better than new.

[Jal5]

Thanks for those additional tips! That is why this forum is so good!!
The small particles of walnut media does make a fair amount of dust even with the cover on my Lyman. I have to run it in another room or just turn it on in the reloading area and leave for awhile. I use the dryer sheet cut up too.

The corncob does have Nufinish added to it. But I think the walnut cleans them up even better.

Joe

[sprinkintime]

I have used corn cobs and walnut husks, takes to long. I purchased 1/8 ceramic balls with water and a tablespoon of citric acid and a little dawn and in 20 mins they are ready.

[Chamfered]

Where did you get the ceramic balls? I had been trying to come up with a different cleaning method and was trying to copy the process we use at work for refuring old electrical breakers We us a large 100 gallon vibe tube and fill it with a mild detergent and stainless steel, irregularly shaped looking rivets. It does a nice job on the breaker parts with out damaging any of the contactor surfaces. The ceramics seem like they might do the trick for brass.

[UNIQUEDOT]

I have used corn cobs and walnut husks, takes to long.

A half teaspoon of jewelers rouge added to fine crushed walnut hulls and an eighth cup of mineral spirits will clean and polish cases in a half hour. My brother bought me a packet of jewelers rouge that came with those instructions for cleaning brass (think he got it from ebay if i recall correctly) and if you leave the cases running for an hour they come out with the primer pockets clean too.

[Mike Kerr]

When I got a vibratory tumbler years ago I got started with corn media and a "spalsh" of brass polish (refresher). Worked fine. I have since tried many media types including white rice, kitty litter, and walnut hulls. I still prefer the corn media but I will try the mineral spirit & jewlers rouge additive to some walnut hulls as Uniquedot advocates, when my current supply of corn media runs low.

Couple of things I have become convinced of is that almost any brand of car polish works as an additive (cheaper the better) and that increasing your tumble time with fresh media and polish for a like new look can be acheived with several different mixtures. Oh - white rice works in an emergency but it absorbs grime very quickly and did not provide a really bright look.

regards,

:smile::smile::smile:

[Longwood]

Where did you get the ceramic balls?


I got some from a guy that does powder coating.

I also add BB's to walnut hulls but do not recommend them for 223 brass.

[500MAG]

Walnut cleans better than corn, but most agree that corn polishes better. The best polish i can achieve with a vibratory tumbler is with crushed walnut and jewelers rouge and an eighth of a cup of mineral spirits. It works better than the nu finish (or anything else) and the cases come out looking better than new.

Is the rouge a liquid, powder or the paste stick? Do you put it in with the mineral spirits and let it run a while before adding the brass?

[smokeywolf]

Jeweler's rouge is a mild abrasive that is typically in the form of a block or stick. The consistency or viscosity of which is a little thicker or harder than grease pencil. It is usually applied to a spinning buffing wheel which is then used to buff or polish soft metals. There are several colors of rouge, each representing a different abrasive grit.
I'm betting that the mineral spirits acts as a suspension agent to disperse the rouge throughout the walnut media.

smokeywolf

[Longwood]

Rotten stone (Jeweler rouge) is often available in powder form.
Woodworkers sometimes use it.

[1hole]

Nu-Finish is a mild polish carried in a light oily type liquid, it's not a wax.

It matters not if we use red or white rouge for brass, both work about the same, both are the working ingredient in any tumbling additive. We can buy cakes of both red and white metal polishing rouge in Lowe's/H'depot for not much and scrape a half teaspoon full into our tumber when ever we want to, without the gooey liquid that's in most of the common commercial stuff.

It seems many people use far too much polish during tumbling. Most of the dust in tumbling media is simply excess liquid polish that's dried, caked over and broken off the grayed kernels of media. Mineral spirits will both soften the caked polish to rejuvinate it and, as a liquid, it will also help hold dusting down.

[UNIQUEDOT]

Is the rouge a liquid, powder or the paste stick? Do you put it in with the mineral spirits and let it run a while before adding the brass?

The rouge was a very fine powder and yes the first time you use it you have to let it run for a few minutes before adding the brass. The mineral spirits not only helps to clean dirty brass (including the primer pockets) but it also keeps the dust down from the media and the rouge. I left some in for about 2.5 hours once and they looked like bright gold! cleaner and shiner than i have ever seen brass before... including those done with the stainless pins, but it doesn't clean the inside of the cases as good as the stainless.

[mustanggt]

I've stolen some clean walnut media from my wifes stash she uses for the macaws. I did this out of necessity of course but I recently started to use the stainless tumbling media and Thumlers tumbler that came in a kit from Sinclair. It is a bit spendy but my lord does it clean cases like new. Clean through out and not the nasty residue I'd get from walnut media. I'll never go back. I kid you not it is like opening a bag of new cases when it's done. Add dawn and some lemi-shine and tumble for a couple of hours. I love a great tool!!!

[David2011]

Why do people complain about dust from tumbling media? Don't all tumblers come with lids?

I've read that the liquid waxes and polishes can build up on the inside of your cases.
I've developed a dry additive for my walnut shell that results in increased dust, but speeds the cleaning process by about 300%.

I keep the lid on my tumbler; no dust problem.

smokeywolf

The dust contains really nasty stuff including the lead styphanate residue from the primers. It's hazardous to inhale and becomes airborne when the tumbler is dumped. After polishing a load of brass once with the lid off I don't think I would buy a polisher with openings in the lid.

Waxes would probably accumulate but probably would be incenerated when the powder burns. NuFinish is a polish but not a wax and I haven't seen any hint that it accumulates in 3 years of use. I put a little mineral spirits plus NuFinish in my media when my nose and the results tell me it's not working any more. The dust is insignificant with mineral spirits in the corn cob.

Drillspot.com, a Grainger company, sells finely ground corncob at a bargain price. The 20/40 size is sp small it won't get stuck in flash holes. The 14/20 is much finer; probably unnecessarily fine for brass polishing. It runs $32.90 for 40 pounds delivered. They claim 3 day delivery but it's often faster.

David

[r1kk1]

The dust contains really nasty stuff including the lead styphanate residue from the primers. It's hazardous to inhale and becomes airborne when the tumbler is dumped. After polishing a load of brass once with the lid off I don't think I would buy a polisher with openings in the lid.

Waxes would probably accumulate but probably would be incenerated when the powder burns. NuFinish is a polish but not a wax and I haven't seen any hint that it accumulates in 3 years of use. I put a little mineral spirits plus NuFinish in my media when my nose and the results tell me it's not working any more. The dust is insignificant with mineral spirits in the corn cob.

Drillspot.com, a Grainger company, sells finely ground corncob at a bargain price. The 20/40 size is sp small it won't get stuck in flash holes. The 14/20 is much finer; probably unnecessarily fine for brass polishing. It runs $32.90 for 40 pounds delivered. They claim 3 day delivery but it's often faster.

David

+1

I wear a mask and separate the media from brass outdoors. Fine particles of lead are easily inhaled and easily absorbed. Very well stated David. I have lead levels checked once every 2-3years.

Take care

r1kk1

[Sonnypie]

A shooting/reloading friend of mine said that the media doesn't really do the work.
The brass rubbing against the brass does the work. The media acts more as separator. :rolleyes:

That said...
Nothing I have ever seen or tried has done what Stainless Tumbling Media (http://s1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa382/Sonnypie/Stainless%20Tumbling%20Media/) does.
And all the nastiness gets washed away. Nothing to worry about inhaling.
I got mine from STM (http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/stm-complete-package.html).

But the Lizard Litter (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752164) is the best deal going for tumbling walnut media.

[Longwood]

Years ago, the very expensive rouge for brass polishing, I got was nothing more than rotten stone in a bit of mineral spirits.
One of you entra peenuers should make some and sell it to members.
Someone could sell way bigger bottles for less and still make money.

[Longwood]

[QUOTE=Sonnypie;1749310]A shooting/reloading friend of mine said that the media doesn't really do the work.
The brass rubbing against the brass does the work. The media acts more as separator. :rolleyes:


Are hogs being washed here?

I have seen a lot of tumblers in places that I worked and ALL of them used media of one type or another.
I got my ceramic media from a friend that has a shop that only does deburring now that they put a stop to him powder coating.
His tumblers use media.
He has no stainless pins but maybe he thinks like me, that they cost way too much.
I cleaned some brass yesterday.
20 minutes in a sonic cleaner then 45 in a vibrator cleaner with walnut shells, three sizes of ceramic balls and plain old steel BB's.
Brass will not get any cleaner.
The BB's seem to have added some weight which I am guessing causes a little bit of force which helps the light weight media to work much faster.
Don't tuse BB's with very small mouthed cases (223).

[jcwit]

I've read that the liquid waxes and polishes can build up on the inside of your cases.


If using a product such as Nu=Finish or other polish from any of the major auto care companies the product in the polish is polymers, you will never get a measureable build up either inside or outside of your cases.

[thebigmac]

I've been using crushed corn cob for as long as I can remember, (early 60's) and I always put in some used dryer sheets, If I can get them before wife or daughter throws them in the trash. These seem to collect the cleaning dust, keeps the corn cob some-what clean. I put in @ 1/2 ounce of Lyman polish for every pound of corn. I have a timer on the Dillon Large Shaker and set it to go on during the night. I reload in the basement near the washer & dryer. Two to three hours and the brass is VERY clean & shiny. Ready for loadiing when I decide I'm ready. At times, while I'm in the shop, I'll turn on the shaker and place 5-6 pcs. of dryer sheets in, 2 hrs. later the sheets are black and need replacing.

[mold maker]

I have brass polished with Nu Finish, that is still bright after 3 years. What ever it adds to the polish, retards tarnish (oxidation) for a long long time. even finger prints don't show.

[RoGrrr]

How about using aluminum oxide (sandblast grit) for tumbling media ?

I got 50 Lbs of it for my blast cabinet since the white sand I was using got shattered into dust. The aluminum oxide seems to last a lot longer. Granted, I'm pushing it with too much pressure (150 - 180 PSI) and it does eventually turn to dust, but it sure cleans well.

[Sonnypie]

[QUOTE=Sonnypie;1749310]A shooting/reloading friend of mine said that the media doesn't really do the work.
The brass rubbing against the brass does the work. The media acts more as separator. :rolleyes:


Are hogs being washed here?

I have seen a lot of tumblers in places that I worked and ALL of them used media of one type or another.
I got my ceramic media from a friend that has a shop that only does deburring now that they put a stop to him powder coating.
His tumblers use media.
He has no stainless pins but maybe he thinks like me, that they cost way too much.
I cleaned some brass yesterday.
20 minutes in a sonic cleaner then 45 in a vibrator cleaner with walnut shells, three sizes of ceramic balls and plain old steel BB's.
Brass will not get any cleaner.
The BB's seem to have added some weight which I am guessing causes a little bit of force which helps the light weight media to work much faster.
Don't tuse BB's with very small mouthed cases (223).

I clarified it with "A friend of mine said..."
Everywhere I've been, there is a media in the machine, too.

Now, I'm gonna show you mine.
I expect you to back up your claim and show yours as well.

Mine:
http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa382/Sonnypie/45%20ACP%20Brass/P3010308.jpg

Mine, too:
http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa382/Sonnypie/45%20ACP%20Brass/P3020311.jpg

More about that. (http://s1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa382/Sonnypie/45%20ACP%20Brass/)

Show us youren. :lol:
(You asked for this pissin contest.):takinWiz:

[Longwood]

Those brass are certainly clean.
I would take a photo of mine except I only have the new Nikon and the lights are really bright in my loading room and I don't want to risk the camera's sensor.

[Echo]

How about using aluminum oxide (sandblast grit) for tumbling media ?

I got 50 Lbs of it for my blast cabinet since the white sand I was using got shattered into dust. The aluminum oxide seems to last a lot longer. Granted, I'm pushing it with too much pressure (150 - 180 PSI) and it does eventually turn to dust, but it sure cleans well.

Right. Aluminum oxide is corundum - the only thing harder than corundum is diamond. In crystaline form, it is called ruby, or sapphire, depending on the impurities, and women like gifts containing this form of corundum (some men, too). Jeweled bearings in watches are made from synthesized (man-made) corundum, for wear-ability. It's hard...

[Longwood]

If it gets dull looking,,,, quit.
I tried cleaning some badly corroded plated brass and it not only made it dull, it wore off the hard nickle finish.
Imagine what it would do to softer brass.

[sprinkintime]

[QUOTE=Chamfered;1738356]Where did you get the ceramic balls? I had been trying to come up with a different cleaning method and was trying to copy the process we use at work for refuring old electrical breakers We us a large 100 gallon vibe tube and fill it with a mild detergent and stainless steel, irregularly shaped looking rivets. It does a nice job on the breaker parts with out damaging any of the contactor surfaces. The ceramics seem like they might do the trick for brass.[/}



I purchased them from ZORO in IL. the price for 5# was 46.00, a little expensive but the time it saved was worth it. I have been using the balls on swaged 22lr to .223 and the finish is comparable to factory. I was looking on e-bay and they had 5#s for 30 bucks variable sizes, out of china, they are used for polishing jewelry.

[Danderdude]

Now that I have built a large tumbler (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=1745758&postcount=142), I'm looking at filling it up with media. The 4lbs or so of treated walnut I have isn't enough for this bucket, and I'm looking at corn cob from DrillSpot (http://www.drillspot.com/products/521055/econoline_526040g-40_40_lbs_blast_media).

Has anyone had success mixing corn cob and walnut to get the best of both worlds?

[dragon813gt]

You can get 25#s of walnut blasting media at Harbor Freight for $25. Just make sure you buy the fine size. I've been using it with some NuFinish added at it comes out nice and shiny. I don't see why you'd want it any shinier than that combination. If it's that bad a bath in citric acid and then a tumble in treated walnut is perfect.


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[Model29-2]

For those of you guys using the stainless polishing media, would it be OK to run it in a "regular" tumbler?? Or would it eat a hole through the side of my Dillon's plastic bowl?

[Longwood]

For those of you guys using the stainless polishing media, would it be OK to run it in a "regular" tumbler?? Or would it eat a hole through the side of my Dillon's plastic bowl?

Soft material abrades less than hard metal.

[smokinthelast1]

Fine grind corncob with a capful of NuFinish car finish is extremely fast and very high
polish, and retards tarnishing. Be aware that all walnut products have substantial potential
for toxic/allergic effects in many people.

Bill

When you say fine ground we talking like flour or like BB"s? This is a must try for me I live on a farm.

[oneokie]

When you say fine ground we talking like flour or like BB"s? This is a must try for me I live on a farm.

My opinion on fine is 20-40 grit. Will pass through a 20 mesh screen, and ride over a 40 mesh screen. It does not plug flash holes like the larger sizes.

[smokinthelast1]

Thanks wish they had a like button!