Pet store find

[ddeaton]

We just stopped by pets are us tonight after eating out at Chiles and I scored a very large bag of crushed walnut. I have been on the lookout for lizard litter in the Walmarts and pet stores to no avail. I found this in the bird dept. It is bird litter and is the fine stuff. $19 for a 20 or 30 lb bag, sitting in the garage and too lazy to look to be exact. They also have a lot of crushed corn products, now being marketed as eco friendly cat litter. This is crushed corn kernels, not corn cob. This was a little coarse though, but didnt look bad. Package looked like it also had some deodorizers and sanitizers added. I will try the bag of bird litter and let you all know how it works if you like. If it dont work I better buy a bird.:p

[captain-03]

I tried the "crushed corn kernels". Do not waste your money on it!!

[Recluse]

Dittos on the crushed corn kernels. Junk.

I posted something a while back about the $20/20lb crushed walnut bird cage litter at Petsmart. Previously, I'd been getting the Zilla brand stuff used for lizard/reptile cages. Heckuva deal, and the stuff is good quality to boot.

But I'm still going to have to try some of that water/lemon/soap and Cream of Tartar mix. That sounds just too interesting.

:coffee:

[Jon K]

Ditto on the walnut media........Kaytee products. $18.95/20 lb @Petsmart. Sure beats paying $8/5 lb.

Jon

[jcwit]

Never tried crushed corn kernels but ground corn cob works great for a tumbler media along with a capful of Nu-Finish.

[ddeaton]

Ditto on the walnut media........Kaytee products. $18.95/20 lb @Petsmart. Sure beats paying $8/5 lb.

Jon


Jon, thats exactly what I got. Looks like it might have a little more dust than the gun show stuff. I will try it this weekend.

[cheese1566]

I haven't had luck here in western SD at the pet shops. You could say we are few years behind on some things (which is OK!!)

I did find the same alternative at the local sandblasting supplier for about the same price. The cob I get is #40 for $30. When you walk into his shop, he has samples of all of his products hanging on the wall in small jars. He has about 3-5 different selections of grit of walnut and corn cob.

:-D

[timkelley]

ddeaton, throw a couple used dryer sheets in when you put in your brass. Change them each time you change brass, they will lift out the dust and crud.

[OBXPilgrim]

The crushed walnut id the cats meow - it works great, with nothing else added. The last two refills in my tumbler have been bird cage litter crushed walnut from Petsmart.

[Calamity Jake]

Try a sand blasting/bead blasting supply store, most carry cushed walnut in 50# bags.
The one in my location get $22.50 a bag and carries 3 grit sizes.

Take a reloading buddy with you, split the cost and bag.

[malpaismike]

Hello the camp! I'm a casting newbie, but a soot lord fairly long in the tooth. Lizard litter is super at cleaning bp residue, even when I leave in the Simple Green soak too long. In bootiful downtown AZ cas matches, shiny brass helps you get it back; amazing how dirt can absorb brass!!! I do add a dash of Midway polish now and then, but get on avg 5-6 tumbles before changing. Hope this is of interest. thxnregards mm

[Maximilian225]

The crushed walnut id the cats meow - it works great, with nothing else added. The last two refills in my tumbler have been bird cage litter crushed walnut from Petsmart.

I throw about an ounce of mineral spirits in with mine. Super Shiny Cases!
Crushed walnut gets the cases much cleaner
( Lyman 3200 Auto-Flo)

:mrgreen:

[1Shirt]

Used the Lyman walnut for quite a while, w/little bit of brasso. Expensive, of a size that plugs a lot of flash holes, and in general a pain. Finally got a large bag of the fine ground Lizard bedding. Best stuff since dry toilet paper. About 13.00 for a 20 lb bag, and almost no flash hole problem. The couple I did have with bits in the flashhole I just blew out.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Flash]

We just stopped by pets are us tonight after eating out at Chiles and I scored a very large bag of crushed walnut. I have been on the lookout for lizard litter in the Walmarts and pet stores to no avail. I found this in the bird dept. It is bird litter and is the fine stuff. $19 for a 20 or 30 lb bag, sitting in the garage and too lazy to look to be exact. They also have a lot of crushed corn products, now being marketed as eco friendly cat litter. This is crushed corn kernels, not corn cob. This was a little coarse though, but didnt look bad. Package looked like it also had some deodorizers and sanitizers added. I will try the bag of bird litter and let you all know how it works if you like. If it dont work I better buy a bird.:p

I've been considering this walnut media too but I personally have more interest in the Cajun Ribeye at Chili's. :drinks:

[ddeaton]

I've been considering this walnut media too but I personally have more interest in the Cajun Ribeye at Chili's. :drinks:

I had the boneless buffalo wings.:-D

This stuff works pretty good, I am on my 4th load with the same batch of walnut, still going good. I dumped a couple teaspoons of Nufinish car wax from Wally world. Seems to working fine.

[ph4570]

A while back I snagged up a 20# box of walnut grit from someone on one of the on-line auction sites. It came with a baggie of red powder to mix in. I have never seen brighter brass. 20#s will last me a good long time as the media is effective for several loads of brass.

I cycle the media, i.e. when a load starts to get tired I put it in a big baggie and use it for a first cleaning of grungy range pick-up brass so as to not defile my cleaner media.

I put strips of paper towel in with the mix as it collects dirt and dust and probably extends the media life. I have not tried the dryer sheets. Maybe they work better.

[mtnman31]

I have been using the same walnut media for at least 6 or 7 years and cleaned thousands of cases. I don't see why someone has the need to change the media often. It does not really wear out. It does get filled with the junk it cleans off the cases but, as has been mentioned, there are methods to clean the media. I use a dryer sheet cut up into 2" squares every few cycles. I also use some Dillon polish every now and then as an additive to the media. In my opinion, to change out media every few cycles is a complete waste of money.

You guys are making me feel self-concious, maybe I'll spring for some new walnut media this weekend.

[1hole]

"In my opinion, to change out media every few cycles is a complete waste of money."

Ditto. Adding polish every batch is too, or for every tenth batch for that matter.

[jcwit]

I think in fact I know it depends how much brass you polish. Polish up 4/5 5 gal. buckets of 9mm/45 acp cases and your media will be shot. And whats the big deal, a 40 lb. bag for $25, and the tumbler refill is one and a half pounds. If you change the media twice a year that works out to 13 years, at a cost of approx. $2.00 per year.

Somehow I think I can fit that into my budget.

Good grief guys.

[Tom Herman]

We just stopped by pets are us tonight after eating out at Chiles and I scored a very large bag of crushed walnut. I have been on the lookout for lizard litter in the Walmarts and pet stores to no avail. I found this in the bird dept. It is bird litter and is the fine stuff. $19 for a 20 or 30 lb bag, sitting in the garage and too lazy to look to be exact. They also have a lot of crushed corn products, now being marketed as eco friendly cat litter. This is crushed corn kernels, not corn cob. This was a little coarse though, but didnt look bad. Package looked like it also had some deodorizers and sanitizers added. I will try the bag of bird litter and let you all know how it works if you like. If it dont work I better buy a bird.:p

Thanks for the walnut tip! I'll look for it... One of my buddies told me the walnut is more aggressive than the corn cob is, so I'll try it.
On to the Wally World corn cob: My local Wal-Mart carries corn cob by Hartz: It's in a pinkish-purple bag, marked as 615 cu-un, or 10.1 liters.
Ithink it runs about $5 a bag, and I found mine in the pet bedding section.
The cob is quite irregular, with some humungous chunks. I thought for sure this would be a waste and plug up the .38/.357 cases I was cleaning, but doggone!, with the Dillon rotary separator, all the cob came out, and by the second and third load of brass, I was quite impressed. No more buying expensive media!
I use a capful of the Dillon Rapid Polish with each load to good effect.
I was able to stretch the last load of corn cob for over a year, maybe 20 tumblings. Yes, I am FRUGAL!
YMMV...

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[Tom Herman]

I have been using the same walnut media for at least 6 or 7 years and cleaned thousands of cases. I don't see why someone has the need to change the media often. It does not really wear out. It does get filled with the junk it cleans off the cases but, as has been mentioned, there are methods to clean the media. I use a dryer sheet cut up into 2" squares every few cycles. I also use some Dillon polish every now and then as an additive to the media. In my opinion, to change out media every few cycles is a complete waste of money.

You guys are making me feel self-concious, maybe I'll spring for some new walnut media this weekend.

I agree with not changing the media too often... I usually hit any plated out crap in the Dillon with 409 and a toothbrush. I'll try the dryer sheet trick!
Many Thanks and Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[jcwit]

Might get by with WW corn cob with straight walled pistol cases but not in bottle necked rifle brass. B1txx to get out not worth the trouble.

Probably good for the hamster tho.

[jimkim]

Down here a kernel is the edible part. I know they aren't using food as kitty litter. First ethanol and now this. Please tell me what they mean by kernel.

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04yx2mt4G55EP/610x.jpgDown here this is a kernel.

[Char-Gar]

I have been using "Avian" (Bird) crushed walnut little from Pet's Mart for six or seven year with total satisfaction. I add a table spoon of Mother's Mag Polish from the auto store and das it dat.