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Not sure exactly where to post this question.. But , has any one ever used cracked corn , as in chicken feed, to tumble or vibrate their brass? Since it is readily available here for $7.63 per 50 lb bag. Are there any negatives about using this for case cleaning?
Just because nobody has tried it doesn’t mean it won’t work… if you already have chickens, you might try it, but whether it works well or not, I wouldn’t feed it to the chickens after using it on brass. [smilie=l:
Froggie
A lot of supply stores have ground corn cob for blasting around the same price. I believe you want the 20-20 grit. 50 lbs of ground corn cob lasts a long time.
Dom:
1. Interesting question using cracked corn. I quit using it for feeding the horses, chickens and game birds because of large wastage. Using whole corn for all except the 0 to 12 week old game birds that get a game bird feed. Bottom line is I no longer have any cracked corn to give it a try.
2. Where are you getting grain at $7.50 to $8.00 per 50 lb bag? Around Kalispell it's $14.00 to $19.00 per 50 lb bag - even at some of the farms that sell to the public.
grain dust is explosive, not sure how explosive corn dust is but wheat dust is extremely explosive.
I have been getting mine from the Walmart in Missoula.Quote:
Originally Posted by MUSTANG
It has been a common effort to use inexpensive grains as case cleaning material. Sometimes you will find crushed stone in your media which does no harm to fowl, but not what you want rattling around in your brass cases. Some like to use rice, but with high humidity, it can leave a buildup on the cases. Of course any starches in the grain (think sugar) can leave a nasty residue on cases if left in the media.
Depending on what you were tumbling with this cracked corn, I would think you would end up with a lot of mid size pieces inside your case that won’t come out without picking it out. Corn cob media is small enough to just pour out.
As slow as I use up media I'll stick with the stuff I know that works. I would be worried that you may end up with a lot of brass to pick stuck corn from and any "savings" will be consumed by time spent.
I usually buy the walnut shells at the pet store for lizard bedding, lasts a long time at my usage rate.
What we tumble cases with sure isn't critical, I'm sure cracked corn would work on the brass. But, between getting packed kernels inside the cases and the attraction insects and mice have for animal feeds, the modest cost of ground cob or nut media looks like a much better path to me.
I found, tried and immediately came to love the ground cob that's sold to "sandblast" log homes clean. It's a fine grit (20/40) that doesn't get clogged and works as well as any coarser stuff.
I'm cheap. By the pound, my fine grit cob blasting media was quite a bit less expensive and works better than the stuff labeled and sold for our purposes. I've been using the same 20# bag I bought from a log home maintenance company for so long I don't remember how much it actually cost me.
A few years ago as recommended ,I tried the lizard bedding material from pet smart , and have been very happy with it . I have even stopped checking the flash holes for stuck bits .
Cracked corn contains finely powdered "flour" which will fill cases and compact into a solid mass. You won't get it out. Go to the pet store and get crushed walnut hulls and save the cracked corn for the hogs.
The fine and sticky powder from cracked corn may coat or gum up the cases, high humidity, any dirt or moisture, case lube could/would all cause the corn dust to turn into glue.
This would be my concern, that the starch in corn would gum up the cases.Quote:
Originally Posted by MostlyLeverGuns
I notice that the cracked corn cleans out the chickens & turkeys quite well. Was hoping to do as well with brass ..
Walnut shells from pet store with tablespoon of Nu finish car polish added.
Crushed cob and nut shells do a very good job for not much. There is no benefit to adding any polish except for a little eye candy and I grew out of that a few decades ago.
Walmart's lizard litter straight out of the bag is the right tumbling media for me.
I'm wet washing but still have some dry.
I agree with sticky compacting. What about rice?
Sticks in the flash holes and primer pockets.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dom
That's what I use and it works great. My brass comes out looking like jewelry. (It's easier to find later when it's nice and shiny like that)Quote:
Originally Posted by scratcherky
Scotty
Straight walled brass with the primer still in might do OK.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dom
I figure it'll do like the one and only time I used rice on a batch of .223s.
It more nearly constipated them.
But I did get to spend some quality time picking it all out with a flash hole de-burring tool that would reach up into them.
I will stick with a teaspoon of lemeshine and ss pins with a teaspoon of dawn dish soap, in water and tumble,
cleans and polishes, wash and dry >
If you do decide to try or use cracked corn do NOT let it get wet. it will swell up and cause problems. I know this sound crazy but soybeans are 10 times more abrasive than corn in any form. I have replaced soybean pipe and elbow liners 5 times more than corn pipes and elbows. Have worked in grain elevators for the last 26 years.
Cracked corn is several magnitudes of size larger than corn dust. Depending on the device used, it will be 1/2 kernel size and smaller.Quote:
Originally Posted by rancher1913
I use ground up walnuts for clean the brass at first before I do anything to the brass and then after sized and deprimed I use ground up corn cobs that I had a farmer do for me some years ago from the cobs that when my brother had grew some pop corn , and run the brass in that and takes the case lube off and shine up the brass , the thing is with for how the cobs was ground up in the feed mill , need to clean out the cases of bottlenecks. but works for me and yes I am cheap also. I got the ground up walnut hulls many years ago and lasting me all this time .
I also use the ground walnut shells from the pet store with a bit of new finish car polish. Lots cheaper than buying the commercial tumbling media and likely the same stuff.
Sounds good... I've used rice. Works great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dom
I bought a double rock timber from harbor freight for around $40 a few years back and bought some stainless tumbling pins. Don’t ever have to buy pins again unless you loose them. They even clean inside the cases and primer pockets. Picked up another double tumbler NIB from a thrift store for $12 so I have 2 running at the same time if needed. I use to use a vibratory tumbler. Also made a big mess and dust everywhere. I also had media packed in all my primer pockets! What a pain.
old dry coffee grounds work also. they take awhile, and the caes are dusty, but it does work
Howdy Pards
Hmmm … I prefer to use cracked corn to feed wild birds. They must like it. Never had a complaint.
I too find that ground corn cobs (i.e. hamster bedding) is both cheap and very effective at polishing brass.
To be more exact, I use it as the first step in brass polishing, especially for really tarnished brass. A buddy once gave me some rescued 1X-fired 45 brass that had lain in desert sand long enough to tarnish to a distinct tobacco brown. Looked like “H” but was otherwise in excellent shape. I wore out a batch of corn-cob media to bring those to a decent appearance. Worth it!
Then, a session in commercial tumbling media with polish additive put a beautiful shine on them. Not as pretty as new, unfired brass but great looking nonetheless. Often, particularly with just-fired brass, the hamster bedding gives a very sufficient treatment all by itself.
Keep on the sunny side
Adios
Fort Reno Kid
Wet wash with SS pins, dry, then into the corncobs, I still check all flash holes.
They tend to mold [emoji1785]Quote:
Originally Posted by ascast
You can use dryer sheet to help with the dust. Just use the cheap ones out there. I use it on when I use ground walnut shells . You can also use it on the corn cobs too. Yes about the to check the primer pockets when use corn cobs , as check the inside of the cases for corn cobs.Quote:
Originally Posted by ascast
I didn’t see anyone say that they tried it. I accidentally picked up a bag of cracked corn that was stacked up with the rabbit feed at the mill which means I way overpaid for corn. My quail won’t eat it so it’s been sitting around. I’m going to have to put a batch in a vibrating tumbler tonight and let it run.
Silly rabbit! Cracked corn is for makin' corn licker. Corn cob (not from the outbuilding, mind you!) is for cleanin' brass! :)