walnut cleaning media ?

rebs · March 12, 2012, 03:38 PM

when using crushed walnut media for case cleaning, when do you know its time for new media ?
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I have never used crushed walnut before. Should I be adding anything else to it ?

jcwit · March 12, 2012, 03:48 PM

When you see its not cleaning as it should. Believe me, you'll know when.

Tips
Use onlt a teaspoon of polish, this not only helps in the cleaning but helps retard tarnish. Most any liquid auto polish will work just fine, many highly recommend Nu-Finish, I use it with excellent results as well as Mothers, McGuirers, etc.

Tear up a used dryer sheet and place in tumbler, it will help the media to last much longer.

603Country · March 12, 2012, 08:59 PM

I don't add a thing to the crushed walnut shells. Certainly you can if you want to. Seems like everyone has their magic additive or two. Just be sure to check the flash holes on the cleaned cases. That crushed walnut will get in there. I use my small air compressor and just blow each case out from the case mouth end. Wear safety glasses. I don't know what muzzle velocity I'm getting from walnut bits being blown out of cases with compressed air, but it's pretty high.

William T. Watts · March 12, 2012, 09:05 PM

When the media becomes loaded with dirt an debris add 3-4 used dryer sheets in with the brass and media, repeating this several times will remove the crud that has built up. The media will last longer than you think as long as you remove the contamination. William

Sport45 · March 15, 2012, 12:05 AM

I buy ground walnut at the pet store and just dump it when I don't think it's cleaning fast enough. Ten dollars worth probably lasts me 5 years...

Lemmon · March 15, 2012, 10:25 AM

I just add more crushed walnuts in the tumbler when it get low and add some more polishing stuff in at the same time. Never have dumped the media.

Lemmon

rebs · March 15, 2012, 11:01 AM

How often do you add nu finish to the crushed walnuts ?
I cannot believe how much dryer sheets cut down on the dust in my tumbler as well as clean the crushed walnuts.

chris in va · March 15, 2012, 11:45 AM

Our range has some mud, so I have to change the media every few cleanings. on a whim I washed it out with water which brought it back to new, but caught flak from the board about safety issues (lead dust).

Sky Master · March 15, 2012, 01:00 PM

I trying Swiffer sheets. They seem to attract more dust than dryer sheets

89blazin · March 15, 2012, 05:31 PM

I mix walnut and corn cob 50/50. I get better mileage that way.

Billy Shears · March 15, 2012, 06:06 PM

A capful or two of mineral spirits will not only make your brass shine, it will also greatly extend the effective life of your media as well as cut down on dust and you won't get in trouble with your better half for using her dryer sheets.

m&p45acp10+1 · March 15, 2012, 06:29 PM

I do not worry about flash holes the walnut shell media I use is fine. I bought a bag at Harbor Freight near 3 years ago. I still have most of it. I think I change media when clean looking brass starts to leave a black film on my fingers after handeling brass. Average run time is an hour and a half. I do clean brass it shoots just the same. Oh and I do the NuFinnish, and torn up dryer sheets. It does work, and speeds up cleaning time. I dab the polish on a cleaning patch and toss it into the media.

Super dirty brass that has mud and crud gets a jug shaker wash with dish soap, water, and splash of vinegar first. I then let it dry, and toss it in the tumbler.
The only exception is my rifle cases that have been cleaned, lubed, sized, trimmed. I clean those in a sonic cleaner, then rinse well. Put them on a towell in a basket. I put a fan blowing on them to speed up the drying.

3kgt2nv · March 15, 2012, 06:42 PM

i tumble several thousand brass a week and find that when the media starts to produce a lot of dust it no longer polishes well. even with removing the dust it starts to take longer and changes the quality of the finish you get.

i change once it starts to produce clouds of dust when i dump from the tumbler into the rotary separator.

jepp2 · March 15, 2012, 07:16 PM

Quote:

When you see its not cleaning as it should.

Actually my experience has been just the opposite. I find the dirtier it is, the faster it cleans the brass. All the abrasive from previous cleanings, makes it brighten the brass even faster. I use the Harbor Freight fine blast media because it doesn't get caught in the flash hole.

Quote:

I think I change media when clean looking brass starts to leave a black film on my fingers after handeling brass.

This is my determining factor. The only thing I add to my walnut media is OMS (odorless mineral spirits) to assist with the cleaning. I use corncob media when I want to polish to a bright finish. But when adding used dryer sheets or paper towels just don't get enough of the dirt out and I find my hands are filthy after handing the brass I know it is time. And any time I do change it out, I am always amazed at just how bad it was. Comparing the old media to the new media is like night and day (color mostly).

OkieGentleman · March 15, 2012, 09:57 PM

Harbor Freight has 25 lbs of walnut shells for $22.99. Don't get the coarse, get the fine grind. Don't ask me how I know not to use the coarse just know I have 50 lb of ground up walnut shells. I don't think I will ever need to buy any more for the rest of my life.

If you have a store handy you can call them and see if they have any in stock. They also have what looks to be a decent vibrator unit at a good price, $54.99 for their 5 lb unit

chills1994 · March 16, 2012, 12:32 AM

you guys probably know this already, but it is also sold as "lizard litter" at say Petsmart or PetCo.

If I ever make it down to, I think it is Stockton, MO ...it's near the Ozarks or Silver Dollar City...to a place called Hammond's Walnuts, I would probably buy a few bags of their crushed walnut shells. They have a website and they also list their sizes available along with pictures.

Then I might make the drive to Sedalia, MO where the Sierra Bullet Company is and buy some of the factory blemished 69 grain Sierra Match King bullets for .223.

3kgt2nv · March 16, 2012, 09:02 AM

the petzilla walnut shell stuff from petco is very fine and leaves a nice finish on the brass and doesnt clog the flash holes or case necks on rifle brass that often.

its fairly inexpensive and with the store card and coupons i can get it for about 5 - 6 bucks for 10 pounds depending on how crazy i want to go with saving on a random purchase.

i have thought about trying to buy a bulk 500 pound container from a walnut company

hooligan1 · March 16, 2012, 02:37 PM

Really I've used the very same walnut media that my brother started with in 86, still works fine I'd say.

3kgt2nv · March 16, 2012, 02:44 PM

i notice that it slowly breaks down and goes from leaving a nice gold color to a soft washed out finish. plus it starts to leave dust on the rounds that then have to get cleaned off of the cases,dies,case feeders,

dacaur · March 16, 2012, 04:12 PM

I just bought some the the pet store walnut shells... lizard littler... The first try it was VERY dusty... left a fine dust on all the casings and everything else.... I put 3-4 cut up used dryer sheets in and ran them again and the dust is gone now... seems to work well.

I tried some that walmart had, it was super course, about 1/8"+ pieces, it worked OK till I tried it on some .223's.... about 1/3 of them came out incompletely packed with walnut, I had to find something to stick inside to get it out..... not recommended....

March 12, 2012, 03:38 PM	#1
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	walnut cleaning media ? when using crushed walnut media for case cleaning, when do you know its time for new media ? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I have never used crushed walnut before. Should I be adding anything else to it ?

March 15, 2012, 12:05 AM	#5
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	I buy ground walnut at the pet store and just dump it when I don't think it's cleaning fast enough. Ten dollars worth probably lasts me 5 years... __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.

March 15, 2012, 06:29 PM	#12
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I do not worry about flash holes the walnut shell media I use is fine. I bought a bag at Harbor Freight near 3 years ago. I still have most of it. I think I change media when clean looking brass starts to leave a black film on my fingers after handeling brass. Average run time is an hour and a half. I do clean brass it shoots just the same. Oh and I do the NuFinnish, and torn up dryer sheets. It does work, and speeds up cleaning time. I dab the polish on a cleaning patch and toss it into the media. Super dirty brass that has mud and crud gets a jug shaker wash with dish soap, water, and splash of vinegar first. I then let it dry, and toss it in the tumbler. The only exception is my rifle cases that have been cleaned, lubed, sized, trimmed. I clean those in a sonic cleaner, then rinse well. Put them on a towell in a basket. I put a fan blowing on them to speed up the drying. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

March 15, 2012, 09:57 PM	#15
OkieGentleman Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 1999 Location: OKC Metro Posts: 521	Harbor Freight Harbor Freight has 25 lbs of walnut shells for $22.99. Don't get the coarse, get the fine grind. Don't ask me how I know not to use the coarse just know I have 50 lb of ground up walnut shells. I don't think I will ever need to buy any more for the rest of my life. If you have a store handy you can call them and see if they have any in stock. They also have what looks to be a decent vibrator unit at a good price, $54.99 for their 5 lb unit

March 16, 2012, 02:37 PM	#18
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,586	Really I've used the very same walnut media that my brother started with in 86, still works fine I'd say. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

March 12, 2012, 03:48 PM	#2
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	When you see its not cleaning as it should. Believe me, you'll know when. Tips Use onlt a teaspoon of polish, this not only helps in the cleaning but helps retard tarnish. Most any liquid auto polish will work just fine, many highly recommend Nu-Finish, I use it with excellent results as well as Mothers, McGuirers, etc. Tear up a used dryer sheet and place in tumbler, it will help the media to last much longer.

March 12, 2012, 08:59 PM	#3
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	I don't add a thing to the crushed walnut shells. Certainly you can if you want to. Seems like everyone has their magic additive or two. Just be sure to check the flash holes on the cleaned cases. That crushed walnut will get in there. I use my small air compressor and just blow each case out from the case mouth end. Wear safety glasses. I don't know what muzzle velocity I'm getting from walnut bits being blown out of cases with compressed air, but it's pretty high.

March 12, 2012, 09:05 PM	#4
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	When the media becomes loaded with dirt an debris add 3-4 used dryer sheets in with the brass and media, repeating this several times will remove the crud that has built up. The media will last longer than you think as long as you remove the contamination. William

March 15, 2012, 10:25 AM	#6
Lemmon Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2009 Location: Rural South Carolina Posts: 445	I just add more crushed walnuts in the tumbler when it get low and add some more polishing stuff in at the same time. Never have dumped the media. Lemmon

March 15, 2012, 11:01 AM	#7
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	How often do you add nu finish to the crushed walnuts ? I cannot believe how much dryer sheets cut down on the dust in my tumbler as well as clean the crushed walnuts.

March 15, 2012, 11:45 AM	#8
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	Our range has some mud, so I have to change the media every few cleanings. on a whim I washed it out with water which brought it back to new, but caught flak from the board about safety issues (lead dust).

March 15, 2012, 01:00 PM	#9
Sky Master Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2009 Posts: 136	I trying Swiffer sheets. They seem to attract more dust than dryer sheets

March 15, 2012, 05:31 PM	#10
89blazin Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2009 Posts: 107	I mix walnut and corn cob 50/50. I get better mileage that way.

March 15, 2012, 06:06 PM	#11
Billy Shears Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2011 Posts: 606	A capful or two of mineral spirits will not only make your brass shine, it will also greatly extend the effective life of your media as well as cut down on dust and you won't get in trouble with your better half for using her dryer sheets.

March 15, 2012, 06:42 PM	#13
3kgt2nv Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: hudson valley NY Posts: 517	i tumble several thousand brass a week and find that when the media starts to produce a lot of dust it no longer polishes well. even with removing the dust it starts to take longer and changes the quality of the finish you get. i change once it starts to produce clouds of dust when i dump from the tumbler into the rotary separator.

March 16, 2012, 12:32 AM	#16
chills1994 Member Join Date: July 14, 2005 Posts: 29	you guys probably know this already, but it is also sold as "lizard litter" at say Petsmart or PetCo. If I ever make it down to, I think it is Stockton, MO ...it's near the Ozarks or Silver Dollar City...to a place called Hammond's Walnuts, I would probably buy a few bags of their crushed walnut shells. They have a website and they also list their sizes available along with pictures. Then I might make the drive to Sedalia, MO where the Sierra Bullet Company is and buy some of the factory blemished 69 grain Sierra Match King bullets for .223.

March 16, 2012, 09:02 AM	#17
3kgt2nv Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: hudson valley NY Posts: 517	the petzilla walnut shell stuff from petco is very fine and leaves a nice finish on the brass and doesnt clog the flash holes or case necks on rifle brass that often. its fairly inexpensive and with the store card and coupons i can get it for about 5 - 6 bucks for 10 pounds depending on how crazy i want to go with saving on a random purchase. i have thought about trying to buy a bulk 500 pound container from a walnut company

March 16, 2012, 02:44 PM	#19
3kgt2nv Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: hudson valley NY Posts: 517	i notice that it slowly breaks down and goes from leaving a nice gold color to a soft washed out finish. plus it starts to leave dust on the rounds that then have to get cleaned off of the cases,dies,case feeders,

March 16, 2012, 04:12 PM	#20
dacaur Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2010 Posts: 733	I just bought some the the pet store walnut shells... lizard littler... The first try it was VERY dusty... left a fine dust on all the casings and everything else.... I put 3-4 cut up used dryer sheets in and ran them again and the dust is gone now... seems to work well. I tried some that walmart had, it was super course, about 1/8"+ pieces, it worked OK till I tried it on some .223's.... about 1/3 of them came out incompletely packed with walnut, I had to find something to stick inside to get it out..... not recommended....