Tumbling Media, Is PETCO wising up or is demand high??

[azrednek]

I went into PETCO yesterday to buy some tumbling media and was shocked by the increase in price. My favorite was the ground walnut I have been buying for years. I can't recall how much it was apx 2 years ago, me best guess was about 10 and change for a 20 or 25lb bag and a bit higher for the fine ground dust proof.

Yesterday all they had in walnut was a 10 lb bag of the good stuff. Finely ground and supposedly 99% dust proof for 17.99!!. The only other alternative that I did buy was 25lb bag of coarse ground corn cob that got me out the door for 17 and change.

Possibly it was just the particular store I was at but there were no other choices that could be used for tumbling media. The only exception possibly are the pressed wood pellets. It appears as though PETCO is pushing saw dust in various forms and pressed paper as animal bedding. I made a trip down the road to check Pet Smart but they were closed for the holiday so it was back to PETCO.

I can only speculate that demand must be high for the walnut. Two years ago they had walnut in various forms, snake, reptile, lizard, rabbit, guinea pig, bird etc. I was finding ground walnut in various isles with different labels. The lowest priced, best I recall was labeled reptile bedding and cost less than a buck per pound. It was not labeled dust proof that was easily fixed by placing a fan next to my tumbler.

If the demand is high for what ever reason and the prices continue to climb. I'll be back to treating tumbling media as some of us did back in the early 70's or earlier. Back before carbide dies became affordable. Media did not last very long as it cleaned sizing lube off brass, became soft and oily. It will probably cost less treating and de-greasing the media with anything from gasoline to window washer solvent. Hopefully the demand for corn cob is not as much as it appears to be for walnut. No way am I going to pay after including sales tax, nearly 2 bucks per pound.

[Love Life]

Get a 40lb sack from econoline.

[azrednek]

Get a 40lb sack from econoline.

Not familiar with econoline, do they have a website?

[David2011]

http://www.zoro.com/g/Blast%20Media/...?category=9129

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

Watch shipping costs closely!

David

[ReloaderFred]

I only buy tumbling media from Zoro, and in 40 pound bags for what you're paying for 10 to 15 pounds. I'll repeat the link for you: http://www.zoro.com/g/Blast%20Media/00054305/?category=9129

Mine is usually delivered within two days, and orders over $50 have free shipping.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[mdi]

I think, but not really sure there is a difference between lizard litter and blast media. Perhaps the material is close or the same, but all I've used the blast media is more consistent, and cleans a bit better than pet bedding (of course both will work). I've also tried "Zilla Desert blend" and it's no better than my ground corn cob blast media. Ground corn cob bedding is way different than blast media (I use Econoline media) as bedding is usually softer and inconsistent in size. So, I'd recommend Econoline corn cob blast media as a general all around tumbling media...

[Love Life]

I used the econoline blast media to clean 6,000 lbs of brass. works like a champ!!

[W.R.Buchanan]

There is no difference. Crushed Walnut Hull blast media is used to blast things that are greasy. I once had a friend who rebuilt Waffle Irons for a local Restaurant Chain called Carrow's.

He used a blast cabinet with Walnut hulls to blast the Cast Aluminum "Irons" in the machines so they wouldn't get a "surface profile" and become impossible to clean. The finish was mostly polished after the blasting but completely clean. I helped him out many times as I kind of liked doing it.

I also got to use his other bead blast cabinet to blast my Jeep Parts.

Randy

[NavyVet1959]

I've wondered about using the glass bead media from Harbor Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-80-grit-glass-bead-media-60619.html

I don't have much experience with sand/media blasting, so I have no idea how well it might work in a vibratory tumbler on brass and whether it can be easily washed as it collects gunk from the brass.

[dragon813gt]

Just buy the Fine Walnut Blasting Media from Harbor Freight. It's $1 a pound and comes in 25# boxes. I've received close to five 20% off coupons in the past week alone. I know everyone likes to save a buck. But w/ how long the media lasts I don't see a reason to try and find a deal. The HF media does not stick in flash holes and is the perfect size.

[Gunor]

Dragon813gt,

"The HF media does not stick in flash holes and is the perfect size. " - Sorry, not to bust on you - my HF media does stick very well in the flash holes. But it is a nice deal.

Geoff in oregon

[dragon813gt]

Dragon813gt,

"The HF media does not stick in flash holes and is the perfect size. " - Sorry, not to bust on you - my HF media does stick very well in the flash holes. But it is a nice deal.

Geoff in oregon

I don't know why. It's all I've been using for a few years now and I use a lot of it. I use a Kobalt cement mixer as the tumbler. What size did you buy and are you adding anything to the media?

[rondog]

I've wondered about using the glass bead media from Harbor Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-80-grit-glass-bead-media-60619.html

I don't have much experience with sand/media blasting, so I have no idea how well it might work in a vibratory tumbler on brass and whether it can be easily washed as it collects gunk from the brass.

No! Don't use glass bead media for tumbling brass!

[daniel lawecki]

Isn't that silica sand not good for your health. I live in Toledo and our Anderson's stores sell Corn Cob Media cheap. Do you have a Tractor Supply Store you could try them.

[NavyVet1959]

Just buy the Fine Walnut Blasting Media from Harbor Freight. It's $1 a pound and comes in 25# boxes. I've received close to five 20% off coupons in the past week alone. I know everyone likes to save a buck. But w/ how long the media lasts I don't see a reason to try and find a deal. The HF media does not stick in flash holes and is the perfect size.

I was just curious if there might be another alternative to the stainless steel pins for a media that was washable and would last a really long time.

[dbosman]

Crushed walnut in several grits and finely crushed corncob are available from "sand blasting" supply shops. Ask at any welding supply shop. They'll point you in the right direction.

[MtGun44]

walnut products can cause allergic reactions in some folks. Watch out breathing
the dust.
I have used walnut hulls and corncob for decades, finally settled on corncob - cleaner
and no "funny tasting" dust that seems a bit irritating to me.

Bill

[azrednek]

walnut products can cause allergic reactions in some folks. Watch out breathing
the dust.
I have used walnut hulls and corncob for decades, finally settled on corncob - cleaner
and no "funny tasting" dust that seems a bit irritating to me.

Bill

I know exactly how you feel. That dust sticks in my nose for the entire day. Most the time I use a dust mask when handling the media but unfortunately to often I forget to put it on. I do cut down on the dust by sticking a fan next to my tumbler and run it in my back yard.

[imashooter2]

The price increase doesn't come from demand, it comes from the government printing new dollars 24 hours a day for 2 years.

[runfiverun]

a little mineral spirits or a dryer sheet torn into strips will catch that dust.

[Wishbone]

Just a thought. My wife is from the Philippines so we eat a LOT of rice. I just had her buy me a 25lb. bag of jasmine rice for about 8.00. Works great as long as you don't deprime the brass first. If you do the rice will stick in the flashhole.. Took me over a year to use it all. On my second bag.. If I can just keep her from borrowing some back for supper it lasts a long time...

[NavyVet1959]

Just a thought. My wife is from the Philippines so we eat a LOT of rice. I just had her buy me a 25lb. bag of jasmine rice for about 8.00. Works great as long as you don't deprime the brass first. If you do the rice will stick in the flashhole.. Took me over a year to use it all. On my second bag.. If I can just keep her from borrowing some back for supper it lasts a long time...

Hadn't thought of using that... I usually buy the 50 lb bags of ride at the oriental restaurant supply stores for around $15 and then transfer the rice into cleaned and dried 2 liter plastic soda bottles. That ensures that there is no way that bugs or anything might get in them and as such, the rice lasts for a very long time. Being from Louisiana originally, I guess rice tends to be my starch of choice.

Hmmm... Makes me think of gumbo... Wonder if I have any andouille sausage and tasso left in the freezer...

[dragon813gt]

a little mineral spirits or a dryer sheet torn into strips will catch that dust.

Yep. I always apply a liberal amount of mineral spirits to the media when I run a batch. Better to smell the mineral spirits then have dust all over.