tumbler media

[Jason F]

What kind of media are you guys using and why.

[YRUpunting?]

The 10 qt bag weighs a little over 14 pounds.  For some reason crushed walnut shells sold as lizard litter costs less than half crushed walnut shells sold as tumbler media.  Another of life's mysteries...


http://www.petco.com/product/102881/Zilla-Ground-English-Walnut-Shells-Reptile-Bedding.aspx?CoreCat=MM_ReptileSupplies_Substrates

[hornady]

Like every thing in life it’s a trade off, I use walnut with a table spoon of nu- Finnish car wax, and throw a dryer sheet in about ever 5^th load. The corn dose a better job but takes  much longer, I am not looking for the shiniest brass on the block, and time is a concern so walnut.

[ironglow]

  Thanks YRU;
  I recently purchased a tumbler, but being of Scottish heritage  , I figured the walnut shells would be a by-product and should not be near as costly as they are in the gun shops.  So I guess I go to the pet shop !
 
  ...And thanks Hornady, for the polishing tip..
 
  Actually, I had considered going into some of the already harvested fields around my house and picking up stray corn cobs, however I don't have a grinder at the moment.

[mdi]

http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media
I use this because it works, it's cheap, and they deliver. There's enough media in a 40 lb. bag to last a loooooog time...

[Larry Gibson]

I've had a Thumbler tumbler for 40+ years and a vibrating cleaner for 20 years.  I've tried about every type of media and always go back to rice.  I get the long stemed in large bags very cheap at asian markets.  I cleans and polishes better than anything else and quicker also.  A little Midway case polisher makes it even better in the vibrator but run it for 45 minutes before putting the cases in.  When dirty I just throw it away and use new rice.  Only problem is the rice turns black real quick and if you spill any on the floor it looks like mouse turds so the wife may get excited.  Rice is all i use for cleaning and polishing anymore.
 
I also use pitch free saw dust in the Thumbler to clean case lube off sized cases and loaded ammo from the Dillon with lube still on the cases.  Takes about 20-30 minutes is all.
 
Larry Gibson

[GH1]

I use walnut lizard bedding with one cut up dryer sheet to control dust. I change the sheet strips everytime I tumble a new batch.
Works well and it's cheap.
GH1

[AtlLaw]

I use walnut lizard bedding with one cut up dryer sheet to control dust. I change the sheet strips everytime I tumble a new batch.

+1 except I tumble a second time after sizeing with treated corn cob.  I likes shiney!   

[tacklebury]

I use walnut only.  I like the Franklin arsenal because it's fine and doesn't stick in the primer pockets.  I use RCBS powder brass polish and I put in a new bag every 3k shells or so.  Walnut can be a little dusty, but I put a sheet of paper towel in each time.  Unfortunately, my wife is HIGHLY allergic to corn cob, so I cannot use it.  Tried once and even residual on me makes her go down hard.  8(

[Gun Runner]

As I have posted before I buy a 50lb bag of crushed walnut at my local tack and feed store, it runs $15.00 a bag. 50 lbs goes a long way.

Gun Runner

[ironglow]

As I have posted before I buy a 50lb bag of crushed walnut at my local tack and feed store, it runs $15.00 a bag. 50 lbs goes a long way.

Gun Runner

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
 
    How does the walnut medium happen to be at your tack/feed store ?  Is it sold as pet bedding ?

[Lloyd Smale]

corn or walnut work fine. I actually prefer corn but it tends to plug up small cases like 223s so i dont buy it much anymore. cant see bothering with two differnt media.

[Rock Home Isle]

What kind of media are you guys using and why.

I like the untreated Walnut Crushed Hulls. There is evidance that the jewelers rouge in the treated media causes the throat of the firearm to be prematurelly shot out.
 
If I can't find untreated media I go to the pet shop and buy the Crushed Walnut Hulls that they use for reptiles, or I wash my polished cases with laquer thinner before reloading.

[gypsyman]

I've found that walnut by itself, without any additive, leave the cases clean, but not real bright. And the corn, leaves them bright and shiney.(at least when it's new) So, I usually run about a 50/50 mix, and will put in a tablespoon of Flitz media additive once in awhile. I have about a 3 hr. time limit on running the tumbler. Anymore than that, and if the brass is still dirty, I'll either add alittle additive, or change the media, if it looks dirty and wore out. I have talked with some reloaders at the gun shows, that will run there tumbler for 2 or 3 days. Way to long. Here's alittle tip also, run your tumbler on a basement floor if you can, or at least in a cool spot in a garage if you can. There is a fan in the bottom, pulls air up to cool off the motor. Put it outside in the sun, and you can burn out the motor faster. I've got a Lyman 1200 that's going well over 25 years old, and it still runs good. And there were times I was cleaning brass to sell, and might run 3-4 days a week, with only time to change the brass and media, when it got shut off. gypsyman

[Gun Runner]

ironglow, thats exactly what its used for.

Gun Runner

[saddlebum]

I mix Lyman cob media with untreated walnut media. Walnut scrubs and corn polishes in one tumbling. Stay away from the stuff with the red jeweler's rouge in it. It's hard to get it all off the cases and it scratches loading dies and brass. I am particular about the size and amount of dust and trash in the media. Lyman works for me. I sometimes add some Midway brass polisher, but not often.
 
I just remembered this thread about cleaning brass by boiling in water. Something to think about. I haven't tried it yet.
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,213384.0.html

[TwoSeventy]

I use a Thumblers tumbler and stainless steel media to clean rifle brass. 1 to 1.5 hours, and the brass is spotless, inside and out. After sizing, I will run the brass in the Lyman tumbler with extra fine walnut shell from Harbor Freight to remove sizing lube. The Harbor Freight walnut is much finer than the lizard litter from the pet store, and will not clog flash holes.
I not concerned about spotless brass when loading large volumes of pistol ammo, so I use the $4/bag corn cob from Walmart. A couple of hours in the vibratory tumber, and it's good to go. Can generally run a couple of batches of brass before the corn cob is completely black, and needs to be changed.
 

[ironglowjr]

awesome
 

[ironglow]

 My tumbler has the plastic drum..wouldn't a metal medium be rough on it ?

[swifty22]

Jason, I use my tumbler not very often but I use walnut shells plain when I do. What I do use is the old NRA liquid formula case cleaner, which is IIRC -1 Tbs salt, 1 cup vinegar, 1 lg squirt (probably 3 Tbs) Dawn liquid dishwashing detergent and approx. 1 gallon hot water. Use 2- 1 gallon milk ect. jugs (I like windshield washer jugs- they're tough). OK put decapped cases in one jug and add the above mix. shake for 15 seconds and let sit for about 2 minutes depending on the crud/color of the "brass". Pour the solution into the other jug and fill the jug w/brass w/ hot water above the level of the brass and shake a lot, drain and repeat a couple of times. The solution will begin to take on a blue/green color after a couple of uses but looses it's mojo after 5 or so-so make more, It's cheap. Then take the wet cases out and put them in some sort of vented holder (30-06 head dia. works great in 40 cal/10mm pistol plastic holder from factory boxes, available in the garbage barrel at most ranges), I put them neck down to drain on the dash of the PU or in the sun and after a couple of hours they are dry, They are not polished shiny but more burnished be VERY clean. When decapped prior to cleaning it makes them dry a lot quicker as well as making primer pocket cleaning a breeze. There is no dust, chemicals ect. and everything is biodegradable -Muddy

[charles p]

Regarding the misuse of the plastic container, my wife uses my tumbler to "age" bits of sea glass she collects along the beach.  We have also "aged" freshly broken stained glass bought by the pound at a glass plant in WV.  Never worn a tub out yet.  When she runs glass, there is no media, just glass on glass. 

[ironglow]

Thanks Charles, must be they figured for the potential abrasion..