Walnut media & Pumice Stone ??

[tmc-okc]

I have read a lot of posts regarding additives to polishing media. Brasso is harmful to brass. Nu-Finish will clump like concrete. All these additives are chemicals and each has positive & negatives for cleaning brass. BUT what about Pumice Stone or Rotten Stone. These are actually pulverized rock and are very fine in size. This is the stuff used by fine furniture makers and is an extremely fast working but is even finer than 1000 wet or dry sandpaper. I have not tried it but thought I would throw the thought out to all you guys and see what you have to say about it. Maybe add a couple teaspoons to the vibrator walnut media ?

Thanks
Ron

[Calamity Jake]

Never tried the pumice Stone I use the red jewel's rouge added to new walnut media while the vibrater is running, then add about 1/2-3/4 oz minural spirtis sprinkled around and stur to break up the clumps. The MS helps the rouge stick to the walnut and controls dust.
The MS needs to be replaced every so often as it does evaperate.

The Pumice Stone may be to abravisive for cleaning brass, you'll jsut have to try it an see.

[jcwit]

Brasso is harmful to brass.

Only in the liquid state. Once the ammonia evaporate there is no danger and only the polishing media left. Don't believe it? Pour some out on a newspaper, let it dry overnight. then smell.


Nu-Finish will clump like concrete.

Never had this problem. Add a capful to a tumbler of new media and let it dry, then use it, do not add more for a number of tumblings. How to know when? When it stops polishing as it did when new.

Personally I'd stay with something tried and true.

[Longwood]

Rotten stone is also jewelers rouge in a wax base. Or Vice Versa
I use the bars of rotten stone and use a cheap food grater to grate it into a mix of walnut shells and BB's as the vibrator is running A little mineral oil, seems to help keep the dust down.
If you have a large bag of rotten stone or plan on purchasing one, I would gladly buy a small amount from you.
There is an offer for a blue rouge on ebay for a good price but I have no idea how course it is. The seller says it is OK for gold so it should work for brass. I would buy it,,, but it is way more than I will ever need.

[Huntducks]

I use Brasso all the time and have for years and my brass is just fine.

Brasso + Nu car and corn cob= great looking brass.

[MtGun44]

"NuFinish will clump like concrete" LOL! Nope.

Not in my corncob, ever, in the last 2-3 yrs. The pumice I have seen is quite coarse
and will give a dull finish.

Really - buy some corncob from the Grainger's subsidiary, cheap for a BUNCH, put in a capful of
NuFinish while it is running and you are done. Brass is super shiny, clean and done in 2-3 hrs.
Corncob lasts a long time, brass is lightly waxed and stays shiny for as long as I have been using
it.

I can't believe the amount of fiddling that gets done when the answer has been well known
for years. Have fun experimenting.

Bill

[milprileb]

MtGun44 : Dead on the money there. Works just fine with fine walnut hull media as well.

[kokomokid]

I use about a half teaspoon of Bonami in my corn cob mix.

[joec]

I use walnut shells, Franklin Arsenal brass cleaner and lint cloths like used in a dryer cut into strips. Clean new looking brass and little to no dust.

[mdi]

I don use nuttin' but corn cob. When I started using a wobbler I too went through a lot of the additives/tricks just to see how my brass would look when done. Nu-Finish, Turtle Wax liquid, mineral spirits (which I will do occationally), a couple other polished I don't remember, dryer sheets both new and used, pieces of Nevr-Dull polishing "wad", wood chunks, coffee grounds, strips of cloth dampened in mineral spirits, ad infinitum. It was fun and interesting but today my curoisty isn't as strong so I just use plain corn cob blast media http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media
I think the main reason I like shiny brass now is because it's easier to spot on the ground amongst the rocks, 22 brass, and grass...

But, I think your idea of pumice will work. Just like adding rouge or abrisive powder.

[1hole]

"I use about a half teaspoon of Bonami in my corn cob mix. "

I THINK that's diatomacous earth, the same stuff used in most toothpastes and Remington and JB bore cleaner/polish. Anyway, it's a polish, too fine to be called an abrasive.

[gray wolf]

"NuFinish will clump like concrete" LOL! Nope.

Not in my corncob, ever, in the last 2-3 yrs. The pumice I have seen is quite coarse
and will give a dull finish.

Really - buy some corncob from the Grainger's subsidiary, cheap for a BUNCH, put in a capful of
NuFinish while it is running and you are done. Brass is super shiny, clean and done in 2-3 hrs.
Corncob lasts a long time, brass is lightly waxed and stays shiny for as long as I have been using
it.

I can't believe the amount of fiddling that gets done when the answer has been well known
for years. Have fun experimenting.

I couldn't agree more, simple, easy to do and a bottle of new finish is very inexpensive.
35/40 pounds of corn cob for less than 22$$ to your door.
I thought the Gov. were the only folks that took something simple and complicated it.

[500MAG]

I use Zilla ground walnut reptile bedding, a capful of Nu-Finish and a tad bit of mineral spirits. I start the tumbler with media in it, add the mineral spirits and stir with wood paint stick, add nu-finish and stir until uniform. I add my brass and they come out sparkling.