best media and brass cleaner to use in tumbler?

[smothron5]

hi, I have been reloading for a year now but has all been new components! now I bought a tumbler and am wondering what is a good media and brass cleaner to use? o only reload rifle rounds, started reloading 2 now I reload 8! lol any help would be appreciated ty

[Barnacle Brad]

I have only used the green corn cob media. It does the job in a couple of hours.

Whether or not you want to use a 'polish' depends on how shiny you want your brass to be. To me it is not a big deal. As long as the fouling is removed so I can inspect the case well, is really all I am concerned with.

I have never used polish - HOWEVER, I did add some Ballistol to some media when it began to take too long to clean the cases. It worked pretty good really. It left a little residue that needed to be buffed off with a rag. I don't think I will try it again...(but maybe). Someone may scold me for the ballistol trick, but of all the cases I ran through that media, I had no FTFs. The only downside was the black residue left inside the tumbler. It cleans up though.

[Coach Z]

I like my cases to be REALLY shiny so I use corn cob media and Flitz polish. Cases come out shiny as heck which I think helps to highlight any flaws or cracks.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001T7JWN4/...keywords=flitz

[gordyt]

I had been using Dillon Rapid Polish, but I read a post a few months ago (can't remember where) that recommended using a capful of Nu Finish Liquid Car Polish. The author of that post also suggested cutting up a dryer sheet and putting the pieces of it in with the media as well. Supposed to help keep the media cleaner longer (you find and toss the dryer sheet pieces when you are done).

Anyway I've been using that recipe the last several batches of brass that I've done and it really does seem to do a good job.

[hartcreek]

I have a mix of walnut shell media and cheep corncob pet bedding. When it got dirty I dumped it in a bucket with some laundry soap and washed it. To rinse it used a plastic tub with holes drilled in it and a piece of window screen to hold the media from going through the drain holes.

[smothron5]

ty all I have looked into ideas and research and came up with and order, ty all

[Theohazard]

You posted this in the wrong forum. This should be in the reloading forum, not the NFA forum.

[mikld]

I tried everything I could think of for tumbling media (for both rotary and wobblers). I tried dried coffee grounds, wood chips, rice, beach sand, BBs, plastic tumbling media, glass beads, 2 different kinds of cat litter, and lizard litter. Some worked some didn't. The dark, coarse grind lizard litter from PetSmart worked great at cleaning and didn't leave a glossy shine, more of a "shiny matt". Some of the litter available on line (light colored "Desert Blend") is OK but not great. I tried corn cob blast media and as a general all around brass cleaning/polishing media it's a good choice, and a great place to start. http://www.drillspot.com/products/49...bs_blast_media

[AllenJ]

What type of tumbler did you get, rotary or vibratory? I've always used vibratory and have tried corn and walnut media in them. I prefer walnut now because it does not get stuck in the flash holes as much. Lately I've been adding a cap full of Nu-Finish car polish to it, every 5 or so runs, and half a dryer sheet. The Nu-Finish makes the brass shine more and the dryer sheet absorbs dust.

[condor bravo]

The combination of lizard litter and Nu-Car auto polish does a good job. Go to a pet supply store and get a five or ten pound bag of Zilla (or similar) brand of lizard litter ground walnut shells, and from an auto supply store look for the orange plastic container of Nu-Car auto polish. Fill the tumbler bowl at least three-quarters full with the walnut media and, with the tumbler running, pour “some” (like several capfulls) into the media. The polish will clump with the media so break up the clumps (with the fingers by a hand inserted into the mix with the tumbler still running) before adding the cases. Periodically add additional polish after several tumbling sessions. As pointed out in another post or two, if desired a sheet of fabric softener can be cut into strips and added to help pick up the dust that accumulates. Discard the used strips after each session and add more next time if it seems worth while. I tumble 95% rifle cases and seldom run over an hour, an hour and a half at the most. This removes any residue and applies the desired shine.

[sawdustdad]

I use walnut hull media with Dillon rapid polish every few batches. accidentally left it running overnight one time, when I dumped out the brass, it nearly blinded me! Talk about nice looking ammo!

[Gster]

If it's a tumblir you have and not a vibratory, you simply can not beat wet tumbling with stainless pins and either citric acid or lemi shine and Dawn dish soap. Vibrating with dry media and any kind of polish you can think of will never get your cases looking like new, inside and out including the primer pockets. Stainless pins will.

[std7mag]

I'm just using walnut shell in a Lyman tumbler.
Shell was purchased in a 25 pound box from Harbor Freight...

Yeah, I'm cheap....

[smothron5]

I use frankford arsenal quick-n-easy vibratory tumbler, walnut media ,rice and lyman turbo brite brass polish, I have been running into problems with black blotches especially around case neck! I even uses steel woll to clean them but no luck, the ones with case neck black I wonder if are safe or should I toss them?

[condor bravo]

No I wouldn't toss them. You are probably referring to rifle brass and that is just the way with certain rifle cases. I have had that happen with certain rifle cases after tumbling and there are no problems. (Other than the discoloration.)

[smothron5]

this is my firs time tumbling so wasn't sure, ty. any tips on how long to tumble would help to! right now I am doing 1000 rds of 303-06 I have had accumulated and are not bad so im just tumbleing for an hour! but others that were not as good I did for about 2 and a half hours, am I doing this right?

[condor bravo]

You will have to experiment to see what is right for your configuration. If you.are doing 1000 at one time, that is too many. Some only tumble for an hour while others tumble up to six hours. Kind of depends on the results you are satisfied with. I tumble rifle brass no longer than 90 minutes. Any dry tumbling media with polisher added is probably as good as the next.

[MEATSAW]

Ground walnut (lizard litter at Petco) with a cap full of Nu Finish every 4th batch with a cap full of mineral spirits in the batches in between. Makes very pretty brass inside and out. I used to use old dryer sheets and still do when I remember but it's not s deal breaker. Just throw some cut up patches every 3rd batch or so.

[smothron5]

I have 1000 but am doing about 100-125 at a time, is ground walnut same as lizard litter?

[condor bravo]

Yes ground walnut is the same as lizard litter. Around 100 is the rigjt amount to tumble in one load. I apologize for saying 1000.

[smothron5]

np, good to know can save money on walnut lizard litter! I have been adding rice also is that a good idea? I bought the tumbler thinking it would get every blemish out but isn't? im learning a lot of mistakes I made, is rice one of them? a lot of people are saying nu-polish? how does that work? do I have to clean brass after?

[condor bravo]

Have never tried using rice so cannot comment but seems like it should do the job OK. No, the tumbling will not remove all blemishes. I also use the lizard litter with some Nu-Auto Polish added. Replinish every few tumblings as needed. Look for the orange plastic container at the auto supply store for the Nu-Polish.

[Marco Califo]

HFT walnut plugs up my primer flash holes.

I recently tried Lymans Tuff Nut walnut media which is treated with iron oxide jewelers rouge. You can find better prices on Amazon.com than Midway. It works very well, but turns your tumbler bowl red. That is OK as I have two: no need to clean the red one. That is what the clean freaks complain about. I mix it with plain corn cob and walnut. The added iron oxide goes a long way so there is no need to use it straight. I does work better than plain media with polish added. I might try adding the polish too!

[snuffy]

mikld-

I tried corn cob blast media and as a general all around brass cleaning/polishing media it's a good choice, and a great place to start. http://www.drillspot.com/products/49...bs_blast_media

Better to get the corn-cob from drillspot that's the finer grade; http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media.

For those that polish brass after sizing, (to remove lube), the finer grade 40 grit will NOT get stuck in the primer flash hole.

I too use the flitz tumbler polish media, and I also use the nu-finish wax in the same corn-cob, same tumbler at the same time. That combo cleans quickly, the flitz results in the shine, the nu-finish puts a protective layer of wax on the cases. The brass simply stays shiny longer. I also use the used dryer softener sheets to trap the black stuff.

Why get brass shiny? So you can find your brass easier on the ground. Especially when the sun is shining. The sparkle is pretty evident.