Lee PrecisionInline FabricationReloading EverythingRotoMetals2
RepackboxLoad DataTitan ReloadingMidSouth Shooters Supply
Wideners
Page 9 of 10 FirstFirst 12345678910 LastLast
Results 161 to 180 of 183

Thread: Tumbler Media?

  1. #161
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Great State of Texas
    Posts
    66
    Never, Ever clean brass with SS pins, unless the brass has been de-capped. A friend, (ex-friend now), gave me a few thousand 9mm brass that he had cleaned. I bent and broke a few decapping pins. I was puzzled as to why that was happening. ??? I then found a SS pin stuck inside a case, inside the primer hole. DUH!

  2. #162
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Great State of Texas
    Posts
    66
    I use a Harbor Freight LARGE Vibratory Polisher for cleaning brass. (Not a fan of wet cleaning, because I load 50,000+ rounds a year)

    *** Bee careful of the "cleaners' you mix with the walnut or corn cob if using this polisher. Some solvents will "eat" the plastic.

  3. #163
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Great State of Texas
    Posts
    66
    I bought a Dillon brass separator in ~1990 and I still use it to this day.

  4. #164
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    36
    walnut bedding from Petco. local and cheap and same as what reloading supply places sell.

  5. #165
    Boolit Master 44magLeo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Lebanon, NY
    Posts
    1,019
    I use ceramic beads for tire balancing. Can these be used to tumble cases?
    Leo

  6. #166
    Boolit Man trapper44shooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    VA
    Posts
    84
    I used those walnut hull tumbling media & it did a excellent job

  7. #167
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Indy
    Posts
    537
    Anyone use T&B Bullets ammo brass Stainless Steel cleaning Media chips for wet tumblers? Dose the unique shape of this media prevent clogging up primer pockets, flash holes or necks as they say?

  8. #168
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    NorthEast NY State
    Posts
    39
    I bought a 50lb. bag of corn cob media from "Best Cob" about 6 years ago. When dirty I wash it in a 5 gallon bucket with a good splash of simple green and very hot water agitated with a paint mixer propeller thingie in a drill. I rinse it twice and lay in out in the hot sun on old window screens to dry. Even nasty black media returns to a tan color with this method. At this rate it will take me 10 years to go thru a bag!

  9. #169
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Boysee
    Posts
    748
    Quote Originally Posted by pan957 View Post
    I bought a 50lb. bag of corn cob media from "Best Cob" about 6 years ago. When dirty I wash it in a 5 gallon bucket with a good splash of simple green and very hot water agitated with a paint mixer propeller thingie in a drill. I rinse it twice and lay in out in the hot sun on old window screens to dry. Even nasty black media returns to a tan color with this method. At this rate it will take me 10 years to go thru a bag!
    Wow, that's a lot of effort to clean and reuse something most would throw away, especially with having a 50lb. bag of new media.
    Have you considered your exposure to lead during that cleaning routine?
    jmo,
    Size/Prime a few cases when starting off with a progressive and put them aside. You can plug them back into the process when a bad/odd case screws up in the priming station and continue loading.

  10. #170
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    NorthEast NY State
    Posts
    39
    I tumble a lot of brass and was going thru a 50 lb. bag every 2 months. I wear rubber gloves to avoid heavy metals and use a Walmart big strainer during the rinsing process. This thread is about using alternative methods to enhance our hobby. My wife says I'm cheap, I prefer to call myself frugal!

  11. #171
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Boysee
    Posts
    748
    Quote Originally Posted by pan957 View Post
    I tumble a lot of brass and was going thru a 50 lb. bag every 2 months. I wear rubber gloves to avoid heavy metals and use a Walmart big strainer during the rinsing process. This thread is about using alternative methods to enhance our hobby. My wife says I'm cheap, I prefer to call myself frugal!
    Good to know
    I use these strainer bags, give them a try:
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-5-ga...36WF/202061360
    Size/Prime a few cases when starting off with a progressive and put them aside. You can plug them back into the process when a bad/odd case screws up in the priming station and continue loading.

  12. #172
    Boolit Master
    JSnover's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sicklerville NJ
    Posts
    4,380
    I just picked up a bucket of ceramic beads from a cosmetic plant. They measure .045" and look like they'd work pretty well.
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  13. #173
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    45
    Bird bedding from petco. Walnut.

  14. #174
    Boolit Buddy varmintpopper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    cental calif
    Posts
    237
    This may have been mentioned earlier, the need to sort the cases by size before tumbling to avoid smaller cases getting stuck inside larger cases.
    Also, If had barrels of cases to tumble I would use a portable cement mixer to do the job.

    Good Shooting

    Lindy

  15. #175
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Oklahoma
    Posts
    22
    Walnut media from Harbor Freight is what I have been using lately.
    I really just want my brass clean and don't worry too much about shine.

  16. #176
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Near that little town in Eygpt or SW Wyoming, whichever
    Posts
    167
    I have used walnut ( the last I got was acquired from a drilling rig before I retired from oilfield supply ) I have used corn cob that I bought years ago from Gil Hebard Supply. I tried wet with ss pins ( what a pain in the rear). Sold the pins to someone I didn't like. Mostly now I just use the water, soap and citrus. Works almost as well as the same process with pins but is way less work. All worked. Some better than others. I guess what ever you use, that makes you happy, is the right way for you.

  17. #177
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    22
    You can get every kind of media in every size imaginable here......

    https://www.kramerindustriesonline.com/

  18. #178
    Boolit Bub D.Bullets's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2023
    Posts
    71
    Quote Originally Posted by possom813 View Post
    What would y'all recommend for tumbling media?

    I have about 20k rounds of brass that was just found at a friends house(and given to me) that I need to polish up to trade off for stuff I can actually use

    I've looked through it, and it's not terrible bad, but needs to be cleaned up a bit.

    I was thinking a walnut media, but it's going to cost more for shipping than the bag of media from Midway, and I don't have anything local(except Gander Mtn, and Midway would still be cheaper with the shipping).

    A few folks recommends some type of animal bedding or litter, but I've never messed with that.

    Also, someone mentioned some kind of car polish, but again, I've never messed with it.


    The tumbler I'm going to be using is a 5 gallon bucket mounted on a slow rpm direct drive motor(I built it the first time about 10 years ago for rocks).

    Any recommendations?

    Also, I'm not doing any liquid cleaners, I want something I put in the bucket, turn it on and walk away, come back the next day and pull the brass out.
    I use steel pins and Grocery store Barley here are some pics.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Dry tumble w.barley.jpg 
Views:	16 
Size:	169.7 KB 
ID:	314191
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Clean Brass.jpg 
Views:	11 
Size:	165.9 KB 
ID:	314192

  19. #179
    Boolit Buddy 45fan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Jackson, MS.
    Posts
    173
    Quote Originally Posted by pa.frank View Post
    You can get every kind of media in every size imaginable here......

    https://www.kramerindustriesonline.com/
    Wow, just checked out this site for some SS pins……5lbs for the super low price of $399! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
    A citizen who shirks his duty to contribute to the security of his community is little better than the criminal who threatens it.

  20. #180
    Boolit Buddy gnappi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    South east Florida
    Posts
    446
    My media lasts a L-O-N-G time because I just want clean brass not shiny but most often seek out walnut media.

    I'll try the dryer sheet method to keep down the dust!
    Regards,

    Gary

Page 9 of 10 FirstFirst 12345678910 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check