walnut media

[shooter575]

I had to make a trip to my local Harbor Freight.As I do not go there much I do look around a bit.Anyway they had walnut shells for sandblasting on sale for 20.00 bucks regular price @24.99 for 25 lb.So just for you fellas I bought a box to check it out.Looks just like what you pay big bucks for.This stuff is listed as 24 grit and looks to be just a bit biger than COW,BTW 25 lb just fills a 5 gal bucket.
The item # is 92155 for them that want to look at their web site.
I know a lot of you buy walnut media at the pet supply but everything I have found there is way too large of grit for my likeing

[mooman76]

I get mine from the pet store for about the same price! Still a good buy none the less!

[Netherwolf]

I get mine from the pet store for about the same price! Still a good buy none the less!

Okay, this has been driving me nuts since I first heard Mel Gibson say "aim small, miss small" in The Prtriot & now I see the same phrase at the bottom of this post. What does "aim small, miss small" mean?

Netherwolf

[shooter575]

How I take it is to focus at a smaller target within the target,ie just the X instead of the black.A brass belt buckle on a uniform did work well also.
I heard this many years agoin shooting N-SSA targets.We many times had a smaller target after a larger one.I have missed the biger ones and had to "aim small" and cleaned up on the small ones.

[waksupi]

Yep, it is common to see people on trail walks miss the big, easy targets. Why? Because they look like big, easy targets. You still have to aim at some part of that target, to hit it. I see the same problem with people shooting bench rest. They are aiming for the X ring, but not at where the X crosses.
So, if you are aiming for a small distinct (to you) aiming point, it is more likely you will strike near that point, rather than at some random area on the target.

[montana_charlie]

Same thing holds true when shooting quail. If you aim at the flock, you go home with an empty bag. Shoot at a bird's head and you get dinner.
CM

[tom barthel]

Okay, this has been driving me nuts since I first heard Mel Gibson say "aim small, miss small" in The Prtriot & now I see the same phrase at the bottom of this post. What does "aim small, miss small" mean?

Netherwolf

I take it to mean shooting at a part of the target rather than the whole target. Pick where the heart is, not the whole side. If you shoot a possum in a tree, don't shoot at the whole tree. Today we hear terms like, spray and pray. In the movie, the British had red uniforms with a white belt across their chest. Aim for the white belt cross and not for the red uniform. That's what I got out of the phrase.:-D

[JudgeBAC]

Now back to walnut media. What do folks use as a polishing compound using walnut media? Flitz or some other liquid?

[45nut]

Nu-Finish Car Polish for me, comes in a Orange squeeze bottle. I add about 3 tablespoons to untreated media and occasionally refresh the media with an extra tblsp.

[monadnock#5]

No additive of any sort is safest. Abrasive additives will fire lap your barrel over time, quickly or slowly depending upon your own unique set of variables.

Ken

[montana_charlie]

Now back to walnut media. What do folks use as a polishing compound using walnut media?
I use a roller...not a shaker...but two/three ounces of mineral spirits (the low odor kind) in a 'half gallon of walnut' cleans well. If I want 'shine', I also throw in a couple of tablespoons of Bon Ami. It's abrasive (feldspar) is the softest there is.
CM

[Jon K]

I don't add anything to the walnut media. I have tried more than I care to admit, and I don't like leaving the residue on the brass, it reduces the life of the media, and I think plain walnut cleans best with no additive.

Jon
:coffee:

[Newtire]

I follow the instructions given by Midway, a capful of laquer thinner in the bowl with the walnut media. I get the media at Petco. It's lizard bedding I think. they had corncob too but big chunky stuff plugs up a .243 case right quick.

[Charlie Horse]

I also use a few tablespoonsful of mineral spirits. Do you think there is any danger in doing this? It works very well but just to be safe I run an extension cord out on the driveway and run the tumbler there. Mineral spirits are flammable, you know.

[montana_charlie]

It works very well but just to be safe I run an extension cord out on the driveway and run the tumbler there. Mineral spirits are flammable, you know.
So is bacon grease, but I don't ask my wife to cook breakfast out in the driveway.

Speaking seriously, I can't answer to your concern. Since I use a rotary type tumbler, I can't think of any way for a fire to start in the sealed barrel.

If you use a vibrator, you might wonder if a spark in the motor could ignite drifting mineral spirit fumes. Well, I don't actually know if it's likely, but I doubt it.

I've worked in woodshops where the mineral spirit fumes could get pretty thick, but nobody ever worried about starting up a lathe, or tablesaw.
CM

[BluesBear]

No additive of any sort is safest. Abrasive additives will fire lap your barrel over time, quickly or slowly depending upon your own unique set of variables.
How will using an abrasive on my cases prior to reloading them fire lap my barrel? :roll:


Be careful using mineral spirits if you're using the rubber lined drum standard with a Thumler's Model B.
The vapors often cause the rubber lining to expand slightly.

[monadnock#5]

How will using an abrasive on my cases prior to reloading them fire lap my barrel?

On page 110 in the book "Handloading For Competition" by Glen Zediker, he states that "A well known barrel maker..." found reddish deposits in cross sectioned barrels that had been returned by dissatisfied customers, who claimed the barrels had shot out too quickly. The worst damage, and the heaviest residue was found in the throat area. The residue had the appearance of jeweler's rouge, and the customers had used rouge additives in their media. The advise from the book was to use straight walnut and/or corncob media only.

Ken

[shooter575]

Rouge is a pretty strong abrasive,You would not use it on your auto paint.A wax/pollishing compound OK for that truck of yours should be a lot softer.
If you are still worried you could wash the cases in a solvent afrer tumbling

[BluesBear]

I used the rouge impregnated media from Thumler's for over a dozen years. I still use it on occasion when I buy some new media from them. (I'm a distributor)

But I've always used some sort of squirrel cage to remove the media afterwards.
Nowadays I use the recently discontinued blue polygonal handcrank model from Midway.

The insides of my brass is mirror bright after 20-30 turns.


Now I suspect if someone used too much rouge (a little goes a long way) just plucked their cases out of their vibrator bowl there would be a good chance of some media pieces (not just the rouge) being blown down the bore with the powder gasses.
I know that I have bought polished brass fromt the gun show brass guys that had clumps of dried media inside. That's just plain dumb laziness.
Besides playing holy hell with chamber pressures it probably wouldn't be good for the bore.

I'd worry as much about the soot and dirt that comes out of the dirty brass.
That would wear the bore just as badly. Thankfully that stuff sticks to the side of my plastic bucket. The static from the plastic bucket pulls it right out of the media.

Most people just aren't patient enough. They want their dirty brass clean in eight minutes instead of 8 hours.
Personally, I feel that properly used, rouge media will have no effect on your bore.

But then I was run through the gauntlet on this board for using non abrasive ceramic media to smooth round balls. :roll:



The main reason I seldom use the rouge media these days is cost.
For my personal use, on the extra fine untreated walnut I get from Midway and all of my corncob I use Mequiars Cleaner-Wax in the red bottle. And that IS stuff you can use on car paint. ;)

[buck1]

3M auto polish.
Yes it abrasive but its 5000 grit. Even as mush as we shoot ,it should be fine.
Just try to take a very light scratch out of a pice of steel with it. Even with power tools and gops of polish, the best it will do is enhance the shine the steel has on the origanal finish
But brass is soft and about two hours is all that is needed except for the darkest cases.
IMHO...............Buck

[50 Caliber]

I was taught to aim at a hair on the critter I was shooting at. That way you are less likely to miss the whole thing.

[ChrisK]

I've found 50# sacks of Walnut media at a local abrasives company (found in phone book) for $17 a sack. Great Deal. I'm also using Mequiars (spelling?) clean and wax.

[zardoz]

Amazing the things I have learned from this forum, already.

Found the 25# sack of walnut media, as "bird bedding" for $20, at the local pet center.

I checked 2 local Wally Worlds first, but no such luck.

Still, substantial savings over a smaller one gallon jug size at the gun shows. I will try this in my tumbler over my long Christmas break ...(supplier to automotive industry, so I have a little free time to do "ammo-nition", boolits, and "getting the lead out" of wheelweights.)

Thanks.

zardoz

[mold maker]

+1 for the Nu Finish Cleaner/Wax. It's solvent based (mineral spirits) to remove road grime and bug splats. The extremely fine compound is soft enough for paint. What is left on your brass is shine with just enough protectant wax to delay oxides from forming where you handled it.

By the way, did you know that you can wash your dirty media (cob and walnut) in a nylon pantie hose, in the washing machines gentle cycle??? After all it's not worn out, just dirty.
Dry on a sheet of plastic. DO NOT use a fan, cause when dry, it will blow everywhere.

[No_1]

I use the pet store media, nu-finish car polish and also I add 2 dryer fabric softener sheets in there. It helps keep the media clean / dust down.

Robert

[DLCTEX]

Nu-finish car polish and mineral spirits. Tried the fabric softener strips, but they affect my allergies and get in the way of tumbling brass in the Midway sifter.

[jcwit]

Wash your media in the washer, man that stuff is saturated with lead from the primers, Not A Good Idea. Media is so cheap, just use new. Bags weighing 20 lbs for $15/$20. Not worth the danger.

[jim4065]

Wish I could stand to be in the same room with the Lyman vibrator when it's cleaning - the noise drives me nutty (er). Do the rolling drums sound as bad? I've thought about shooting the vibrator, but the neighbors might complain.

[jcwit]

I used a small rock tumbler when I first started polishing brass & mine was much louder than my tumbler. I have a Cabales vibrator sitting on a sq. cement step stone, it just hums along. I've heard others complain about the noise with their vib. tumblers but mine doesn't. Might it be that I don't but too much brass in it

[badgeredd]

Wish I could stand to be in the same room with the Lyman vibrator when it's cleaning - the noise drives me nutty (er). Do the rolling drums sound as bad? I've thought about shooting the vibrator, but the neighbors might complain.

I have a tumbler and a vibrator. The vibrator makes the weird buzzing sound and the tumbler makes the rattle, clank, clink, thud, thump sound. I guess it depends on the person which is worse. Generally I don't care for either so I turn the darn things on and leave the area for a couple hours.

Edd

[jhrosier]

... I've thought about shooting the vibrator, but the neighbors might complain.

Not if you hit it.:-D

I took mine off the bench and sat it on the concrete floor. It is much quieter that way. It also seems to help if it is nearly full of media.

Jack

[RP]

What the tumbler is sitting on makes a big diff on a table it works like a drum on a concrete floor its like a muffler. Another thing that may help is a timer. I run 4 at one time plug into a plug strip and the strip is plugged into a light timer set it to run for a few hours and it cuts off by its self.

[shotman]

I have 2 and both run when I am reloading. Sound like you are not running enough media.Mine humm and sometimes hear the brass hit the plastic but its not loud

[GSM]

+1 on the NU Finish (Turtle Wax liquid is good too, especially if the dollar store has it on close-out).

Mineral spirits are good as well - if you get some milsurp brass with the tar seal, soak the brass in mineral spirits for a while. The tar will be soft enough to brush out easily.

A little squirt of Hoppes #9 in the media also does a nice job on the brass.

NU Finish in corncob media gives the brass a super shine and, as was mentioned, gives bit of protection - good if you do big batches and load them over a year or more.

[Jim]

I've tried all kinds of stuff for polishing additives and I've found that what works the best is turn the tumbler on and forget about it 'till tomorrow. The brass comes out looking BETTER than new factory brass.

[mike in co]

nu finish is a good deal both in cost and performance.

but for the record....

walnut is for cleaning (dirty brass)
and
corn cob is for polishing.

i only use corn cob..as most of my brass is once fired, from indoor ranges , or moved indoor quickly.

i just picked up another client at about 2000lbs a month...the issue is wet dirty brass. gotta work on him and his staff....its frozen and near worthless....
mike in co

[DanM]

+1 on the drier sheets. They soak up most of the fine dirt so it doesn't clog up the media as fast. I rip one sheet into quarter segments and put them in. Works great!

[9.3X62AL]

I'll pile on with Mike in CO here. I used untreated corn cob media, and get 10-12 "tumbles" before I change out the media due to dust/crud accumulation.

I had a tough time finding media of the correct size at local pet stores. Do a web search on "Kramer Industries" in NJ, they have every polishing and cleaning agent on earth I do believe, and grit size choices that woud satisfy anyone's range of need. They shipped me 50# of the 14/20 corncob for $104 this spring, and my grandkids might finish it off when they get to be my age. The UPS guy was none too appreciative, but it's not like he was drafted.

[clodhopper]

About the tumbler noise, I have both midway and lyman vibrator types, the midway is quieter but the lyman is faster.
To me the extra noise means more results.

[jcwit]

Fifty lbs for $104, whoa. Grainger sells this for "40 lb bag for a little over $22.72". I've also switched to the 20/40 size, does just as good and no more pluged flash holes.

[Winger Ed.]

How will using an abrasive on my cases prior to reloading them fire lap my barrel?

As your brass goes through the vibrator/tumbler the media that fills the case will leave a residue of the abrasive additive on the inside of the case.
The media inside the case just sits in there, and shakes off small amounts of abrasive additive from each little speck.
It doesn't just rub against one case and go on to the next, like the little specks of media do on the outside of each case as the tumbeler does its job.
When you take a case out of the tumbeler & empty out the media, you won't get every molecule of the abrasive out of it either.

However; when you reload, and fire that round in your polished/reloaded case-
As the powder burns, it will 'wash/remove' some, or most of that last little bit of abrasive,
and carry it down, and into the barrel.

The next bullet that comes along will act like a fire lapping one as it's nose scrapes, or 'squeegies' this little residuel amount of abrasive off as it goes on down the barrel.

It isn't like putting a large amount of firelapping abrasive compund on a bullet-
but over time, it gets you to the same place as the barrel 'shoots in'.
Then after a few more hundred rounds, excessive wear can begin to happen.


What I do to avoid this, and the same effect of this residule abrasive effect chewing away at my dies & expander ball is:

Wash the cases in soap & water to remove the dirt & grud. (Protect your dies from dirt)
Size & deprime. Expand/flare pistol cases.
Polish/tumble.
WASH AGAIN. (This protects your barrel, and lets your media last longer from not getting clogged with case lubricant)
Finish loading.

Yeah, the 2nd washing darkens the brass a little.
But I'm more concerned with loading good, safe, accurate, and sane ammunition--
as well as not wearing out my firearms and reloading dies more than I am with winning some sort of beauty contest.

[jcwit]

I use Nu-Finish or whatever auto polish I happen to have. They all have polish/abrasive powder in them. These polishes are safe to use on clear coats from a Yugo to a Corvette and on up with no harm. I realize my car is not a gun barrel but really if it's OK to use on clear coat it sure won't hurt barrel steel, at least in a normal lifetime.
I have a 45 with an Ed Brown barrel that has literally thousands and thousands of rounds thru it with no drop in accuracy.
I have a M1 Carbine with Good Lord only knows how many 10's of thousands of rounds are thru it also, again with no visable drop in accuracy.

I'm much more worried about my eyes going than my barrel going. Probably going to get much more wear from common dirt, burnt powder, primer residue, dirt in the lead, ect., ect., than polishing comp. in the tumbler.

Then again my rifles & pistols my all take a cr@p tomarrow but I doubt it.

BTW Regarding dies if the dies are carbide you sure won't wear them out with polishing comp., or jewlers rouge. The mfg. uses diamond dust to polish the carbide, gonna be somewhat hard to wear them out with softer material.

[Winger Ed.]

I'm much more worried about my eyes going than my barrel going. ..

That is starting to bother me more than some other things as time goes on too.
For Example:
Like going to the Doctor's office for a routine check up,
and comeing out- knowing how Kermit the Frog, or a sock puppet feels every day.
[smilie=1:


On the media thing-
Depending on how fresh/sharp, or how hard the media's (added) abrasive particles are;
they've just got to have a least a small amount of abrasive effect on things they are forced into contact with.
Being softer- a cast bullet will absord an abrasive better, faster/sooner, and easier- causing less barrel wear
compared to a harder and usually faster jacketed round under more pressure.

Then again,,,
I'd think that the common media abrasives will actually help polish a barrel.
Sure, it might take a 500- 1,000 rounds to do what five 'fire lapping' ones do;
but its some degree of an abrasive effect none-the less. And over time, it just has to work more and more and more.


Certainly Carbide sizer dies would be most resistant to this effect, but other tools might not be...
I'm a diamond dust freak-
I fire lapped my Colt Gold Cup with 5 rounds of diamond dust rubbing compound, mixed with a little grease back in the '80s.
I normally shoot it 2-300 rounds of cast .45ACP 190's with the junk crayon/candle & motor oil or grease lube I use on them-
run a dry patch through it, look to see how clean & shiney the tube is,,,
then spray some motorcycle chain lube in it- and on it, wipe it off with a towel,
drop it in a Glad Freezer bag... put it back in the safe & I'm done with cleaning till I take it out the next time.

For the manufacture of Carbide sizer dies:
I wonder if regular abrasives wouldn't work to polish them too,
if only the manufacturer was willing to wait a week or so, instead of a few hours for them to be processed at that phase.


I don't know if its normal wear & tear, or what---
Back when I used to wash, tumble- with plenty of 'additive', then size & load....
I've had the expander ball 'shrink' to the point of being ruined on a set of Hornady .223 and .270Win dies,
after only a couple thousand cases.
And back when a Carbide sizer cost more by itself than a regular set of dies- so I didn't have one...
I've seen .38Spec. cases slowly lose that 'bulge' you'd see where it looked like a big bullet went into a small/under size case,
presumedly (is that a real word?) from my old style sizer wearing out over the years.

Didn't mean to ramble.
I've just been sort of rolling this around in my head the last day or so.

.