tumbling media

[madmo44mag]

Another +Lyman with the Green Additive but only in large rifle cases or straight wall pistol cases.

Small mouth rifle cases like 5.56, 22 -250 ect I use the medium walnut.

[cw308]

In cleaning 308 brass. I neck size only, First I clean the out side of the neck & shoulder with 0000 steel wool, inside with a 30 cal bronze brush then tumble with corn cob for 2 hrs. works for me.

[zxcvbob]

The rouge treated walnut does good but it leaves behind that nasty oily residue and I dont have the patience for that. The corncob media is a lot cleaner but seems weak.

Mix the two. About half-n-half, or maybe a little more of the corncob. The problem is they put too much rouge on the walnut stuff.

[105gr]

or run the walnut first then the cob?

[gargodude]

I have never been crazy about the conventional tumbling medias for the usual reasons (dusty, rouge residue, media life, long time to process, etc.). I had a couple vibratory tumblers that didn't last all that long and was going to buy another one. I use 40 lb. and 65 lb. capacity rotary (drum) tumblers to finish machined parts in my shop, so I did some experimentation and used a few tips from others and came up with this method which works GREAT! It might work in a vibratory tumbler if it is the flow-through wet type, but I haven't verified this because I don't have one.

I used 3mm ball porcelain media and a citrus-based soap that I got from C&M Topline in my 40# rotary tumbler to clean some 9mm brass. I used about 20# of media with about 1200 cases, just enough water to get to the top of the mix and about 2 oz. of the soap. I ran for 30 min. then drained out the filthy liquid and replaced it with fresh water and soap, then ran it for another 1-1/2 hrs. The results were impressive. The exteriors were beautiful, most of the interiors were completely clean and the ones with the dirtiest powder (Finocci) only had a minimum of residue left inside. I rinsed with water and spread the cleaned cases out on a bath towel in the sun for a couple hours to dry. The cost of the media and a gallon of the soap was about $68 ($2.50/lb. for media and $18 for 1 gal. soap), but I can use the media forever and I can also use this to polish other brass parts that I make in my shop. The pros: 1) Media lasts forever, 2) No rouge residue on your brass or your fingers, 3) Tumbling time is 2 hrs. vs. 24 hrs., 4) 92% less energy used, 4) Gets even super-tarnished range brass as clean as new, 5) Media is about half the cost per pound as stainless pins and goes twice as far since it's lighter, 6) I believe just about any slightly acidic detergent would work, including the citric acid. Cons: 1) Round media rolls all over the place if you spill it (so don't spill it), 2) You have to take the time to rinse twice and air dry the brass, 3) the primer pockets don't get clean in the corners due to the spherical shape of the media (I ream them all anyway), 4) You need to dry the media before putting it away so it won't grow stinky stuff in it. I spread it out on a bath towel in the sun for an hour like the cases then put into a dry pail.

[105gr]

good info...

[45_auto]

I've been using corn cob, Nu-Finish, and a dose of oderless mineral spirits in my vibratory tumbler for decades. No dust, and brass comes out looking like new after tumbling for a couple of hours with no effort at all on my part.

[oldpapps]

105gr,

As I see it....

The cleaning function is to get any and all grit off of and out of the brass to minimize any damage to dies and other tools. Making the brass nice and 'purty' is only an added attraction.

I would think that the use of anything that would/could cause damage to the tools or brass would be counter productive. Hard grits of unknown size would not be my first choice.

My normal process is to rattle tub brass in corn cob to get the big chunks off. Followed by some processing and a full cleaning with SS pins. (You would be amazed at just how dirty the liquid/water gets.) I want the insides clean too. But, you have ruled out SS pins, so, I will move on.

I don't like the 'red' goop and dust on my brass as I try to lube it, so I go with corn cob media. (I have seen some discussion about what to do with dirty media. I dump mine in the mud hole that the mail delivery car makes down at the road, Oh, the joys of living on a dirt road.)

For years and years, I just wiped my brass clean with a rag and that worked.

May I suggest that you try several products and report your findings. It will help us all in our quest for 'just the right thing'.

Enjoy,

OSOK

[105gr]

Well the only medias I have used as I said before have been untreated cob and the rouge treated walnut (can you get UNTREATED walnut?). I didn't like the treated walnut because of the oily mess I had to clean off when they were done and the untreated cob seems weak. I have no doubt the SS pins work well. I've seen pics. It works great. But it seems like doing laundry to get brass clean with that method. But heres my beef with the SS pins: somebody mentioned sandblasting media being to abrasive. More abrasive than SS pins?. I think not. SS is way harder than brass. If sandblasting media is too abrasive then certainly SS is also, HOWEVER, on the side of the SS, if we are only loading brass 4 or 5 times then the brass material loss from tumbling in SS is probably less damage to the brass than us firing, resizing then reloading. It just sounds like alot to get started with the SS method and quite a bit of work to actually execute the process. As of right now I would think just about any media with the citric stuff and the soap would do the same as SS, but again, I'm a noob so......

[zxcvbob]

SS pins don't abrade the brass. They do peen it; which hardens the brass (and I suspect also stress-relieves it.)

Have you tried mixing corncob media with treated walnut media? (I'm pretty sure I mentioned that yesterday) It works really well. The corncob soaks up the excess rouge so it doesn't make a mess.

[jcwit]

If you are really concerned about the inside of the cases I would go with the S/S pin & wet bath tumbling method.

Myself, I have no concerns about the inside of the cases and have had no issues with the residue left there. Just as I have no issues with how slick and clean and shiny the outside of the case is with regards to the chamber walls. Have reloaded and shot thousands upon thousands of reloads in the past number of decads with no problems. Must be one lucks puppy.

[105gr]

50/50 cob/walnut?....or like 75 cob/25walnut?

[zxcvbob]

Yes.

It doesn't matter, start with all corncob and add walnut until you like the results. If you add too much walnut, add some more corncob. I probably use about 75:25. (CC:W)

[105gr]

roger...its on the "to try" list

[reynolds357]

The most common medium I use is air. Dedicated hunting cartridges is all I usually tumble. Most of my BR stuff rarely if ever gets tumble. I wipe the outside with a rag and blow the inside out with dried compressed air.

[105gr]

so you're using a pretty clean powder?....what powder?

[reynolds357]

N100 series in shorter range bench guns. Rl22, 25, and Ramshot magnum gets burned in most of my 1k rifles.

[Airman Basic]

(can you get UNTREATED walnut?)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[jcwit]

Untreated walnut media?

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-...dia-92155.html

And its much less dusty that the bird/lizard litter.

[Eppie]

jcwit said: Untreated walnut media?

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-...dia-92155.html

And its much less dusty that the bird/lizard litter.

That's what I use, it works great. And with the usual coupons it's about $20 a box.

[105gr]

not sure if anybody is still subscribed to this thread but I tried the harbor freight walnut and its the best media so far. It's finer, untreated, cheaper, comes in larger quantities and really isn't very dusty. Thank you for the tips. Cleaning processes are still being tried and improved so stay tuned....

[Jeff2131]

I simply use coarse, untreated walnut and the results have been shiny clean brass every time. And ive been using this 25lb box for the past year. Its one hour preclean....lube/resize...then two hour reclean. Ive never had a single case come out less then satisfactory. And believe it or not, i accually us a thin, spray chain lube when resizing...maybe that has something to do with the shiny result. They NEVER come out oily though, always bone dry!