Originally Posted by
Vettepilot
When you factor in the cost of the mold, the lead, the work, etc., etc., Almar's ceramic media cost starts looking pretty good.
I made a buttload of media that's lead cast into 1/2" copper tubing, cut 1/2" long. I have a theory that the sharp, square edges of this type of media mills better, which seems to be proven out by people using it being able to sharply reduce milling time.
I think a nearly "perfect" media would be the copper tubing sections with Zinc cast into them. Very good milling efficiency, and no lead concerns.
Making the media this way is a bit labor intense, but I'm glad I made mine. If you make some, I recommend cutting the pieces with a tubing cutter, and bearing down hard on the cutter blade. This curls the cut edges in a bit, and helps trap the lead in. Cutting the tubing this way is not as easy as whacking them with a chop saw, but maybe worth it. I cut mine while watching TV in the evening.
Vettepilot