Brass tumbling media

[rkfulgor1]

I have started cleaning depriming and getting ready to tumble. I have read that rice is a good/inexpensive media,what else should I put in with it? I've read dryer sheets. What are they used for?

thanks in advance for input

[XC700116]

You can get proper media cheap from Harbor freight (Crushed Walnut shells), it works well and is cheap. I tumble a LOT of brass and a box of it lasts me over a year. I've never tried rice, and can't imagine it'd work all that great since it's a fairly smooth media.

Dryer sheets are to keep dust down, I throw one in (cut into 4 pieces) when the dust gets noticeably thick and it takes a good bit of it out.

I use Dillon polish, which works really good as an additive, have used nu-finish car polish and that works fairly well too. Some guys throw a cap full of mineral spirits in it too, I haven't tried that but hear it works well.

[cstone]

Lizard bedding in the big bag from Petco or Petsmart. It is crushed walnut and is reasonably priced. I add a cap of NuFinish car polish and run the tumbler all day in the garage.

[sportbikeco]

I use corncob only, add some mineral spirits (about 1oz) every few uses. A dash of polishing compound if you have it. Run tumbler before adding brass.

My brass comes out looking great.

Dont change the media untill its dann neer black lol.

[Hound]

Just go stainless and be done. It works so much better.

[Slapps74]

Just go stainless and be done. It works so much better.

Just went this route. If you do you need to tumble with media first if your case lube on the brass. I made the mistake of not doing this and my brass was a bronze color. Had to let it all dry and then re run it thru the media. After that you have to check all of the primer pockets.

i have to agree that stainless is the way to go. It is expensive to start and it's a longer process than the media. I love the final product my STM Rebel 17 turns out.

[20X11]

Just go stainless and be done. It works so much better.
^^^^^THIS

[MAP]

You can get bulk corn cob media in Denver

http://www.unitedwesterndenver.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=27&virtuemart_category_id=15

[DenverGP]

Corn cob media in smaller quantities from walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hartz-Corn-Cob-Bedding-Litter-10-L-Birds-Hamsters-Rodents-Small-Animals-Birds/11994300

[Great-Kazoo]

You can get bulk corn cob media in Denver

http://www.unitedwesterndenver.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=27&virtuemart_category_id=15



It's the place to patronize, AND some of them are Blatantly Pro Gun.

[Delfuego]

"Zilla" ground walnuts for lizards. Works great, and cheap from the pet store. Add Nu-finish for shine, mineral spirits & dryer sheets for dust.

[Irving]

Is Nu-finish a car polish? Is this one of those things that will be cheaper pretty much everywhere but the gun store?

[cstone]

Orange bottle in the car polish section at Walmart.

[Irving]

Thank you.

[buffalobo]

Corn cob ranks slightly higher than walnut on Mohs scale. [emoji102]

[Hound]

My bet it you either used too much Lemi-Shine or left it too long. I did the same thing. I can run mine for 1hr for a good clean or 2hrs for a great clean. After that it does not help. When I forgot it over night..... It turned bronze.


Just went this route. If you do you need to tumble with media first if your case lube on the brass. I made the mistake of not doing this and my brass was a bronze color. Had to let it all dry and then re run it thru the media. After that you have to check all of the primer pockets.

i have to agree that stainless is the way to go. It is expensive to start and it's a longer process than the media. I love the final product my STM Rebel 17 turns out.

[Slapps74]

My bet it you either used too much Lemi-Shine or left it too long. I did the same thing. I can run mine for 1hr for a good clean or 2hrs for a great clean. After that it does not help. When I forgot it over night..... It turned bronze.

Not sure. You could wipe the lube off and it looked pretty good.

[Zombie Steve]

Jeez. My wife thinks I'm a reloading nerd. I'm going to show her this thread. [Slap]

[buffalobo]

Jeez. My wife thinks I'm a reloading nerd. I'm going to show her this thread. [Slap]

You mean the thread where you have the most posts.

https://www.ar-15.co/threads/87717-What-did-you-do-in-the-reloading-room-today

No way, it will just make it worse.

If she gets a glimpse of the truth...

[ray1970]

I've always wanted to experiment with some sort of alternative media for my vibratory tumbler. Maybe some sort of tiny plastic pellets or something. Just haven't gotten around to trying anything.

[Zombie Steve]

How shiny you guys need to get 'em so they shoot straight? I mean, I understand if a woman of loose moral virtue walks by the garage, she won't come in and say "Awesome! AM radio!", or "Wow, tell me about that spittoon and those antlers!!!".... "OoooOOOOooOooOOoooOOO, SHINY!!!" is about my best shot, but damn.

[ray1970]

Mine don't get shiney. I just knock the big chunks off and it's good to go. Could be my fifteen year old media.

[buffalobo]

Shiny, is that when you forget and leave the tumbler running all nite? [facepalm][fail]


I always blame the wife for distracting me.

[cstone]

Cheap dry media and let the tumbler run.

I like the way brass looks after wet tumbling, but can't be bothered to rinse and dry. Clean is good enough for me.

[Zombie Steve]

Well, I've certainly done the overnight tumble on accident... now that you mention it, they did shoot a lot better shiny! [Muaha]

[Irving]

Cheap dry media and let the tumbler run.

I like the way brass looks after wet tumbling, but can't be bothered to rinse and dry. Clean is good enough for me.

This is the same reason why I'm reluctant to delve into wet tumbling.

[Ah Pook]

Jeez. My wife thinks I'm a reloading nerd. I'm going to show her this thread. [Slap]
https://nerdsofmassdistraction.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/nerdalert.gif

I just use corn cob media and dryer sheets.

[TheBelly]

crushed walnut. run it with nu finish for about ten minutes. toss in a quartered up fryer sheet. throw the brass in there. let it work.

[Irving]

What happens if you don't let it tumble for 10 minutes before you add the brass?

[brutal]

What happens if you don't let it tumble for 10 minutes before you add the brass?

You can get clumps of polish in the brass.

[NFATrustGuy]

Slapps74 is correct in that you'll still need to tumble with dry media before using the wet stainless if you've lubed the brass.

I like to wet tumble my brass after the primer has been removed so the primer pocket can be cleaned. I run the brass through my Dillon 650 to deprime so I've got to lube it up before depriming. I made the mistake (ONCE) of throwing the deprimed, but still lubed brass right in the wet tumbler. What a gooey sticky mess. Everything--stainless media and brass--was coated with the waxy lube.

It took me several empty runs to get the stainless media clean again. I dried the gooey brass and ran it through the dry tumbler with walnut media to get the goop off. I'll never do that again.

I use walnut media purchased from Harbor Freight and Corn purchased from Grainger. The corn makes it shine a little better. Since I'm one of the shiny brass freaks and my stainless tumbler does the heavy cleaning, I tend to use the corn more than the walnut. I run the completed ammo through the corn as the very last step in my process--just to remove the lube.

[eneranch]

I bought 40lbs of 20/40 grit Corn cob Media from Drillspot 7 years ago, still have 30 lbs.

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

[Irving]

You can get clumps of polish in the brass.

Man you weren't kidding. I came to check the media after ten minutes and it looked like a vibrating litter box. Interested to see how much of a difference the Nu-finish and dryer sheets make.

[brutal]

Man you weren't kidding. I came to check the media after ten minutes and it looked like a vibrating litter box. Interested to see how much of a difference the Nu-finish and dryer sheets make.

Drizzle around about 1tbl of polish, then cover and let it run for 10 minutes. The dryer sheets just seem to much things up for me. Perhaps the ones she uses are too thin cause they just fall apart.

[Irving]

So far it's looking like a good smelling, dirty litter box, salad, with brass that looks the exact same. I like the smells though!

[Limited GM]

Just a caution and YMMV, but I bought some corn cob stuff from a pet store years ago. It was cheap and worked well....what I did notice is you have to be damn careful that, with it being a bit larger than some media, a piece won't become wedged in the case.

I blew up a $3000 Briley/STI after a case went boom instead of bang. Was it the media inside with powder on top? I can't say for certain, but I loaded and shot 40,200 .40 cal USPSA loads that year and it happened right after I started using the pet shop stuff.

Oh, and you can say you visually check every case.......I thought I did too. Again, YMMV

[Hoser]

I use 1/8 inch corn cob I get from a feed store with a big squirt of nu-finish car polish added in. 40 lbs runs about $18 and it goes a long way.

[Hound]

I am not saying this did not happen but I regularly tumble with stainless that the brass has been lubed with no problem. Are you putting in dawn dish soap and a little LemiShine? How much lube are you using?


Slapps74 is correct in that you'll still need to tumble with dry media before using the wet stainless if you've lubed the brass.

I like to wet tumble my brass after the primer has been removed so the primer pocket can be cleaned. I run the brass through my Dillon 650 to deprime so I've got to lube it up before depriming. I made the mistake (ONCE) of throwing the deprimed, but still lubed brass right in the wet tumbler. What a gooey sticky mess. Everything--stainless media and brass--was coated with the waxy lube.

It took me several empty runs to get the stainless media clean again. I dried the gooey brass and ran it through the dry tumbler with walnut media to get the goop off. I'll never do that again.

[NFATrustGuy]

I am not saying this did not happen but I regularly tumble with stainless that the brass has been lubed with no problem. Are you putting in dawn dish soap and a little LemiShine? How much lube are you using?

It happened. Believe me: it was a mess.

I used Dawn and LemiShine.

I probably use way too much of the Dillon lube, but I like things slippery!

RWW

[gnihcraes]

This is the same reason why I'm reluctant to delve into wet tumbling.

I agree its another step to dry, but not much different if you have to check all of the primer pockets for corn, walnut or steel pins. Pins stick in them less often.

Just lay the brass out on a black cotton towel in the sun. (or inside through a window) It will dry.

I have two high speed computer server fans I sit on top of a plastic box, it still takes a while. I'm no rush.

[Delfuego]

.
I use 1/8 inch corn cob I get from a feed store with a big squirt of nu-finish car polish added in. 40 lbs runs about $18 and it goes a long way.I always imagined you would have 4 Thumbler's side by side in your reloading room. This is troubling Hoser https://www.ar-15.co/images/smilies/shakehead.gif

[Caithford]

I'm having trouble getting my Dillon case lube off in the tumbler. I don't have mineral spirits in my media, just corncob with some nufinish polish in it. The lube doesn't come off, and instead the small amount of dust in the media just creates a film on the surface of the brass. Had to wipe all the brass down with an alcohol soaked rag to clean it off. I do use a quartered up dryer sheet in every load of brass to help control the dust and keep the media cleaner.

Any ideas as to what the heck I'm doing wrong?

[Zombie Steve]

What kind of case lube? I'd try mineral spirits.

[Irving]

I agree its another step to dry, but not much different if you have to check all of the primer pockets for corn, walnut or steel pins. Pins stick in them less often.

Just lay the brass out on a black cotton towel in the sun. (or inside through a window) It will dry.

I have two high speed computer server fans I sit on top of a plastic box, it still takes a while. I'm no rush.

I tumble then deprime, so I never worry about it. Maybe that will change when I start reloading for rifle though.

[Caithford]

What kind of case lube? I'd try mineral spirits.

Dillon, in the spray bottle, shake it spray it wait 5 minutes then size/deprime.

[Hoser]

.I always imagined you would have 4 Thumbler's side by side in your reloading room. This is troubling Hoser https://www.ar-15.co/images/smilies/shakehead.gif

Two big Dillons for corn cob and a RCBS Sidewinder and Frankford for stainless media.

[spqrzilla]

That redeems your image Hoser.

[Hound]

I got part of this from another member on here but.... Do not put brass in an oven but ya know those HF dehydrators???

My process (mileage may vary, do what ya wat to do, etc):
I tumble (of course). I then pour out dirty water until I start to worry about pins coming out. Wife found a little strainer for the drain that is great for catching pins when you push it too far. I then pour the rest of it into one of those plastic sifting pans that looks like a gold sifting pan with holes in the bottom over the separator base. I shake the pan till pins stop "tinking". I then strain all the pins out with a fine strainer. That gets 80% of everything and takes 30 secs. I then run everything through the seperator in two ways. I slowly go back and forth, maybe 2 turns one way and a couple back, to get all the water I can out by moving the cases. I then spin it quickly to use centripetal force to get more water and pins out. I keep doing these two till no more sounds of pins hitting the seperator plastic. I then take the fresh brass and put it on the dehydrator shelves to dry, it is pretty good in an hour. I find if I leave the top cover of the dehydrator on it gets hot enough to melt the plastic shelves so I leave it off. The entire process takes 5-10 minutes depending on how full I made the tumbler. It is more difficult with an overfilled tumbler.

[Jamnanc]

I got part of this from another member on here but.... Do not put brass in an oven but ya know those HF dehydrators???

My process (mileage may vary, do what ya wat to do, etc):
I tumble (of course). I then pour out dirty water until I start to worry about pins coming out. Wife found a little strainer for the drain that is great for catching pins when you push it too far. I then pour the rest of it into one of those plastic sifting pans that looks like a gold sifting pan with holes in the bottom over the separator base. I shake the pan till pins stop "tinking". I then strain all the pins out with a fine strainer. That gets 80% of everything and takes 30 secs. I then run everything through the seperator in two ways. I slowly go back and forth, maybe 2 turns one way and a couple back, to get all the water I can out by moving the cases. I then spin it quickly to use centripetal force to get more water and pins out. I keep doing these two till no more sounds of pins hitting the seperator plastic. I then take the fresh brass and put it on the dehydrator shelves to dry, it is pretty good in an hour. I find if I leave the top cover of the dehydrator on it gets hot enough to melt the plastic shelves so I leave it off. The entire process takes 5-10 minutes depending on how full I made the tumbler. It is more difficult with an overfilled tumbler.

still sounds like a lot of work. 😉

Stick 1,000 in a harbor freight 18 pound tumbler (that's still under warranty),with walnut, add a dash of spirits and polishing compound, leave it on until it annoys you. Separate... Voila!
56583

[Zombie Steve]

Seriously... I just use walnut or cob (whatever I come across), cut up a used dryer sheet and let it run for an hour... maybe two if it's new to me brass and filthy. Size / deprime after and the decapping pin knocks out anything stuck in the flash hole. Seems like a whole lot of folks make it a lot more difficult than it needs to be.

[ray1970]

Seriously... I just use walnut or cob (whatever I come across), cut up a used dryer sheet and let it run for an hour... maybe two if it's new to me brass and filthy. Size / deprime after and the decapping pin knocks out anything stuck in the flash hole. Seems like a whole lot of folks make it a lot more difficult than it needs to be.
Ditto. And I've never used the dryer sheets.

[Zombie Steve]

The only reason I got in that habit is after buying the Lyman walnut media a loooong time ago. It has that red rouge all over it and it makes a filthy mess. They do keep the media a little cleaner, and it's not like there's a shortage around my house, so...

That lyman walnut media, by the way, does a fantastic job, but you have to mix it with cob or something else (like 3:1 cob to walnut) so the brass doesn't come out with that crap all over it.

[crays]

still sounds like a lot of work. ��

Stick 1,000 in a harbor freight 18 pound tumbler (that's still under warranty),with walnut, add a dash of spirits and polishing compound, leave it on until it annoys you. Separate... Voila!
56583

Looking at the case mouths in that picture, is that machine gun brass?

[Jamnanc]

About a third gets culled. Lots of work. I'm thinking Im going to need a 300 blackout to load for.

[Hoser]

Ditto. And I've never used the dryer sheets.

They help keep the dust down to a dull roar and they keep the media cleaner so it lasts longer.

[Hound]

It is easy when you get it down, looks better, lot less mess, no lead in the air when you pop the top of the vibrator, both have to be seperated, lasts forever, looks better, quicker....... ;)


still sounds like a lot of work. 

Stick 1,000 in a harbor freight 18 pound tumbler (that's still under warranty),with walnut, add a dash of spirits and polishing compound, leave it on until it annoys you. Separate... Voila!
56583

[Zombie Steve]

Guys seem to worry about lead from the tumbler... I have a pretty well documented lead history. I tumbled for about 3 years before I started casting, and my lead level was 2 mcg / dl. I started casting (carelessly) and it jumped to 16. I got as high as 22 and after changing my oil (donating blood a few times) and taking more precautions, I've stayed in the low teens. Point is, tumbling brass never caused me problems. Don't lick your fangers after dealing with the tumbler, warsh your hands and you'll be ok. Side note - I never shoot indoors.

[gnihcraes]

High speed fans,
plastic shoebox
meatball catcher
Tumbler
56639

[Great-Kazoo]

I tumble then deprime, so I never worry about it. Maybe that will change when I start reloading for rifle though.

Shouldn't. When i reload rifle there's a universal decaper in station 1. it removes any media that may be stuck. IMO people Over think the cleaning process, what ever method they use. Myself it's for range, varmints and defense, NOT a beauty contest. YMMV

[gnihcraes]

Never mind.

[DenverGP]

I had been using some "pet bedding" corn cob for all my pistol cases, and it worked good for me. Then I did my first batch of 223 cases, and spent the next several hours trying to remove corncob from the case necks with a pick. So I ditched my corn cob, and picked up a 25lb box of fine walnut media from Harbor Freight. Polishes just as good, comes out of the cases like sand, and my tumbler is a LOT quieter than when I ran it with corncob. 25 lb box of it cost me $20 with the typical harbor 20% off coupon.

[Great-Kazoo]

I had been using some "pet bedding" corn cob for all my pistol cases, and it worked good for me. Then I did my first batch of 223 cases, and spent the next several hours trying to remove corncob from the case necks with a pick. So I ditched my corn cob, and picked up a 25lb box of fine walnut media from Harbor Freight. Polishes just as good, comes out of the cases like sand, and my tumbler is a LOT quieter than when I ran it with corncob. 25 lb box of it cost me $20 with the typical harbor 20% off coupon.

We're paying approx $28 for 50lbs of 14/20 grit corn cob. No issues with case neck. Maybe too much lube, not enough time allowing the polish to mix with media before adding brass.

[DenverGP]

There wasn't anything sticky, just pieces of corncob that wouldn't drop out of the necks. I suspect the corn cob bedding I was using was just too large.

[theGinsue]

I feel your pain DenverGP. I bought a huge bag of cob media bedding material from a pet store a while back. It's considerably larger than the media made especially for firearm/ammo tumbling.

Finally used it to tumble brass & found about 5%-10% of my brass was so clogged with this media that I couldn't get the media out of the brass no matter what tools I used. I'm done with this stuff & will be offering it up to someone soon.

[DenverGP]

Yeah, gave mine away to the neighbor for her rabbit cages. Was amazed at how much corncob could fit into a 223 case.

[Jamnanc]

The stuff kazoo is referencing works well. Sometimes stuck in a flash hole, but put a universal deprime in station one and your good to go.