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Old August 24, 2005, 07:12 PM   #1
Dead-Nuts-Zero
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Corn Cob Media ... What do you use?

I was at wally world today looking for something to use in my brass cleaning process. I tried rice and it did ok, but it became glazed over and kinda soft maybe from the damp air? So thought I needed to try something different.

I have read in this forum that walnut shells and corn cob media work well. Some say that wally world and some of the large chain pet stores sell it. I hear it's about 1/5 the price of the official reloading media bought at the gun store. Who uses these and where do you buy it cheep?

I found only the ground up cob and got a bag to try. Do I use the liquid brass cleaned/brightner along with this cob material? Or should I use that in the final cleaning and use a different medium like walnut shells?

Any suggestions out there?

Thanks.
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Old August 24, 2005, 08:09 PM   #2
CaptainRazor
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You don't really have to add anything to it. I treated my corn cob with some case polish from Midway. I think it's called small animal litter.

Just toss it in the tumbler, add cases, and come back in 3 or 4 hours.
I'm not sure what end result you are looking for, but I try to tumble for a minimum of 4 hours, my cases are always clean and shiny after that.
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Old August 24, 2005, 08:35 PM   #3
Zekewolf
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I've found acceptable walnut media at Petsmart. I've never found acceptable corn cob media at any pet store/dept. All the corn cob I've found in pet stores has been been way too coarse, and it's a p.i.t.a.

I've used Midway's cc media and their case polish. Also use Nufinish car polish with a little mineral spirits.

If you really get heavy into reloading and want to buy some fine cc media, check out sandblasting supply stores.

Last edited by Zekewolf; August 27, 2005 at 08:45 AM.
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Old August 24, 2005, 09:52 PM   #4
lee n. field
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Quote:
All the corn cob I've found in pet stores has been been way to coarse, and it's a p.i.t.a.
Do not use it with .223.
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Old August 24, 2005, 10:27 PM   #5
CaptainRazor
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Zeke,
What is the walnut stuff called at Petsmart?

I would agree, the corncob is to coarse for bottlenecked cases, I found that out the hard way with some .243.

However, it works really well for most pistol cases.
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Old August 24, 2005, 10:41 PM   #6
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Do not use it with .223.
Why not??
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Old August 25, 2005, 01:42 AM   #7
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You don't want to use it with any bottle neck cases,as someone said its to coarse. It'll stick inside the cases and you'll end up trying to pick it out and ultimately tossing them. I think the walnut shell stuff at Petsmart is the right size. What you want is a 1/8 grind as opposed to the 1/4 grind that the Petsmart/Walmart stuff is. Feed stores often carry the 1/8 grind as bedding material and it runs about $15 for 40 lbs in my area. And you do want to use a polishing compound with it.
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Old August 25, 2005, 02:08 AM   #8
Dead-Nuts-Zero
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I have a bottle of Birchwood Brass Case Cleaner that you mix with water to do a wash. Is this anything that may work in the cob bowl?

I also have a sample bottle of Krud Kutter concentrated cleaner degreaser stain remover. Says it cuts grease, tar, oil and wax fast. Anyone heard of this? I think I will try it in my next warm water bath and see how it works on some dirty range brass.

About the car wax, do you dump it in or put it on a small rag and toss it in with the cob or walmut shells?

I have heard of using fabric softner disposible dryer sheets cut into small strips. Anyone tried this?

I am doing straight walled handgun brass and like to have them looking good, but as long as there clean and run through the dies easily, I guess I don't need a spit polish.

I loaded for years and never cleaned anything other than a hot bath. Now I got me a new tumbler and decided to start cleaning things up for my new press.

I plan on doing them before depriming. Anyone have prefrence and reasons to do them after decaping?

Thanks for all the ideas.
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Old August 25, 2005, 07:42 AM   #9
tjhands
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The walnut stuff at PetSmart is just the right size for tumbling brass. It's sold in 10lb bags and is called Desert Blend Lizard Litter. The bag I bought was yellow and red and had a picture of a lizard on it and it was see-thru so you could see the reddish colored walnut stuff inside. Priced at $9.99 I think?
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Old August 25, 2005, 09:38 AM   #10
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I haven't used the Petsmart or Walmart walnut yet (they always seem to be out of stock), but I do use the Lyman "TufNut" media. Its basically walnut shell impregnated with jewellers rouge. I tumble my cases for about 1.5 - 2 hrs and they come out looking like new. As the media starts breaking down and producing more dust, I will cut up a dryer sheet into strips and throw it in with the brass. This seems to keep the dust down a bit. I think I pay about $12 for a 6lb jug, so it is more expensive then bulk walnut, but the stuff lasts a long time, and I think it cleans faster then straight cob or cob mixed with case polish. YMMV.

EDIT: I tumble before I decap, I tried the other way around...ONCE. Picking cob out of flash holes gets old quickly.
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Old August 25, 2005, 09:43 AM   #11
MADISON
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Corn Cob Media?

Corn Cob Media?
It gets filthy twice as fast as Crushed Walnut Hulls.
Go to PET'S MARt and buy:
Walnut hulls...25 lbs for about $15.00.
Corn Cob...15[?] lbs for about $15.00.
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Old August 25, 2005, 11:47 AM   #12
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I just pour a capful of Nufinish, along with a capful of mineral spirits, directly into the media, as it's vibrating. I let the liquids get mixed in well before I add the cases. If you don't have the mineral spirits, the Nufinish works fine without it.
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Old August 27, 2005, 08:42 AM   #13
MADISON
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Corn Cob Media?

Case cleaning media. About 2 pounds last me a year.
I buy it in either $15 for 25 pounds of crushed wallnut hulls or about $15 for 15 poounds of corn cobb media. The coorn cob media get dirty faster than the Walnut.
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Old August 27, 2005, 08:47 AM   #14
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Madison: I get good results with a 50/50 mix of cc and walnut. Have you ever tried that mixture?
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