[Kevwyo]

Just so you know I did do a search but obviously didn't have any luck on this topic.

After re-sizing used 5.56 brass and tumbling it to get the lube off after several hundred cases the media starts to get pretty dirty. In the past I've just tossed it. But is there something a guy could add to the media to kind of clean it up to make it last even longer? I'm not asking about polish to get brass clean.

Thanks

[evan price]

I take a used dryer sheet & tear it into quarters and add that to the media. Traps the dirt. Throw the pieces out after each load. Freebie!

[bullseye308]

I use lizard litter and nu-finish from wally mart. Add a capful of nu-finish about every 10 loads and a cut up used dryer sheet about every 3 loads to keep the dust down and remove most of the "dirt". I generally get about 40 loads before I change out the media.

[Kevwyo]

I know about the polish and as I mentioned that wasn't what I was asking about. I have tried the dryer sheets and while they help some with dust and dirt the media still gets dirty with time. What would happen if I took a small amount of paint thinner to the media and let it tumble over night with the lid off so the thinner could evaporate?

[rcmodel]

You would just still have dirty media that smelled like paint thinner.

If it evaporates out, it is going to leave all the dirt behind.

rcmodel

[rondog]

Man, the walnut and corncob medias are so cheap, just buy some new stuff. Why try to clean it?

[jhansman]

I use the dryer sheets to extend the life of my walnut media. It may be disposable, but not right away. These days, every buck counts!

[CU74]

Small squares of paper towel wetted down with mineral spirits will pickup and retain the dust and grit. You only have to run the tumbler for about 15 minutes. Won't be like new, but it will remove lots of media "dirt".

[ranger335v]

Discolored media is just discolored, not "worn out", just keep using it.

It's unlikely you need to add more polish, much of the discoloration is from an excess of polish already.

The loose weave of dryer shieets, paper towels, even Tee shirt material will trap small particles of media and polish "dust" so you can toss it out.

The addition of mineral spirits (oderless paint thinner) won't clean the media at all but an ounce of two per patch (you will have to add more each time because it evaporates pretty fast, lid or no lid) and helps the media cut any residual (greasy) case lube off the brass. I mean, mineral spirits IS a help but it's not magic.

[rockhound758]

What about washing it in a bowl? Could you add dishwashing detergent or something and wash it, then rinse it and let it dry? I know media is cheap, but was just wondering...

[PCJim]

I've never heard of "cleaning" media. It's considered a consummable in the hobby. Corn cob would probably disintegrate if washed; walnut being wood would swell and probably lose it's cleaning qualities.

I use walnut media and can honestly say it is black. I'd estimate that the lot I am currently using has cleaned close to 10K of pistol casings. Am I cheap? No, but I don't like being wasteful either. As the media continues to do it's job, I just keep adding a teaspoon or so of unscented mineral spirits to the media and tumble for 10 minutes before beginning another series of cleanings. The mineral spirits will both clean and brightly polish brass casings.

One word of caution - use only the unscented spirits unless you want the scent hanging around for a while.....

[NCsmitty]

I drop a few shakes of the cheap powdered sink cleanser in the mix. It extends the life of the media and helps polish the brass.

NCsmitty

[Walkalong]

Corn Cob at Grainger. If you pick it up at the store they do not charge shipping. Use drier sheets to help prolong the medias life as already suggested.

14/20 (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2MVR4)

20/40 (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2MVR5)

[jcwit]

It's possible to wash corn-cob media. Did it once when I ran out and wanted to change it---man does it take a long time to dry. It was winter and had to just let it air dry 2 weeks. End result, not worth it, like Walkalong just noted get it at Grainger its cheap. I got the 20/40 and no more in the flash holes.

[Kevwyo]

Well thanks for all the replies.

I have been doing the dryer sheets but haven't tried the odorless mineral spirits trick yet. Not sure if I need to if I am using case polish or NuFinish car wax as a polish additive to my mix.

I have been using a combo of about half and half corn cob and walnut media as my new media. My initial question had to do with my old media (all corn)that is very dirty. My practice has been to tumble in media for about 8 hours but my last batch of 5.56 (1500 cases) wasn't getting clean so I went and got new corn and walnut media. After a couple hours in the fresh combo media the brass was good as new. It's just that it took about 12 hours of tumbling per 200-225 cases. As you can imagine 1500 brass took quite awhile to get where I like it.

In order to try and reduce the amount of dirt/carbon into the media I had been decapping and then washing that brass in soapy water to get the majority of the residual case lube off as well as rinse any carbon and dirt away. Just the same, over a period of time the media gets pretty dirty and it seems like it takes longer and longer to get brass clean. So that was the basis of my inital post about the possibility of refreshing old tumbling media.

[rockhound758]

Kev, I don't know about washing the brass but I haven't ever done that (maybe some of the other guys have) but it seems like that might create some other hassles. Seems to me that you also don't want to have too much brass together, right? You want that nice balance between getting enough brass in at one time but also having enough media to polish away...brass against brass doesn't do much as we all know!

I'm not sure what other folks do, but I'll tumble 200 or so .40s or .45s for 2 hours or so and that seems to do wonders...don't know if that's too short or too long but it works for me... :)

Take care.

Larry

[qajaq59]

Does it actually stop cleaning because it is dirty? Or has the media become too smooth from use to work properly? If it's the latter, then cleaning it would buy you very little. Anyone got a microscope? :D

[moooose102]

the stuff is relativly cheap, and full of lead, just dump it and keep your health!

[bullseye308]

Here is what i do. Mix up 1c water, 1c white vinegar, 1tsp salt, & 1tsp dish soap. Mix the brass around in it and let it sit, stirring it around every 3-5 min for 20-30 min till it looks noticeably cleaner. Rinse it off then let it dry then tumble in walnut with a capful of nu-finish for about 2 hours. I have not yet used any cob, though I have a bag still unopened. This works best with unprimed brass so you get the pocket cleaned too. The media will get dirty, but will still work just fine for a while. I get about 40 loads to a bowl of walnut. I also only add the polish about every 5 loads and a dryer sheet cut up every 3-5 loads. I like shiny and this works for me. :cool:

[Hk Dan]

I buy it at our local grain elevator (granted, this is Iowa), and it's $10 for 100 pounds. My impression is that they were glad to get rid of it!

[jjohnson]

Well, guys, I'll admit that I'm a tightwad - that's part of the reason I reload, but, like anything else, something you do may be 'normal' but there are people on either side of you who go to exctremes :scrutiny:

I don't wash my media either, but I saw in a post some months ago, one guy dumps his dirty media into a bucketful of hot water with dishwashing detergent, swirls it around a bunch, pours the whole mess through a strainer, lets it drain awhile, then scatters it out on old newspapers to dry. :eek: Yeah, that IS a bit on the cheap side, huh? Apart from the procedure being a little past the point of diminishing returns, it would make sense that it would work. If that works, you should be able to pour hot water and a squirt of detergent into your tumbler and let the tumbler clean the media.

I'm with most of you guys - I get rid of the stuff when it doesn't work well anymore. I do use a drier softener sheet to get the dust out, but when the stuff has had it, it goes into another bucket. The stuff is good to spread on iced driveways up here in Minnesota. :evil:

[USSR]

...one guy dumps his dirty media into a bucketful of hot water with dishwashing detergent, swirls it around a bunch, pours the whole mess through a strainer, lets it drain awhile, then scatters it out on old newspapers to dry. Yeah, that IS a bit on the cheap side, huh?

Never underestimate a cheap SOB.:D

Don

[PlusP]

Media looses it ability to clean quickly as the sharp corners are worn off the partials you can't do anything about it but toss it and replace it all ..This applies to all types of media ceramic, plastic, cob or nut….

[Remo-99]

Media looses it ability to clean quickly as the sharp corners are worn off

Yes, loses it's abrasive/cleaning properties, but polishing properties are improved.

This is why other products are added, too enhance/extend cleaning/polishing properties.

[scrat]

using mineral spirits or paint thinner can help. you need to put in a lot of dryer sheets and strips of paper towels. then run the tumber. after that i would do it again. run it several times. Just dont let the cost of cleaning it outway the cost of replacing it. These are all quick patches you can try out but in the end you just need to replace the media.

[ArchAngelCD]

Like the others I cut up a used dryer sheet and let it grab the excess dirt in the media. Those dryer sheets clean up the media quite well.

[crawfobj]

Got the dryer sheet idea from some of the posts here. The Mrs. now saves all the used ones for me.

I stumbled on to an interesting result tonight. I had 2 whole sheets in the tumbler, one rolling around in the media, and one with a corner stuck under the lid to see what it would do. This kept it mostly above the media, with only a corner rolling around in the action. Surprisingly, this one was MUCH dirtier than the one that was rolling around with the cases, although both picked up a bunch of crud. The one that was above the media was completely coated black with dust it had collected, which was alot.

The tumbler is running again now with 2 sheets with corners stuck under the lid. Will let you know if this makes a difference.

[ironhat]

When my media starts to get a bit tired I add a couple of teaspoons of Bon-Ami or Barkeepers Friend to improve the abrasiveness of the media. I too have noted that the used dryer sheets grab the dusty components of dirty media pretty well. I have read a post or two in the 'helpful tips' thread which mentioned slowly pouring the media from one container to another while outside on a lightly breezy day. One post noted that the same could be accomplished by setting a vac nozzle on the edge of the tumbler while it is running. After cleaning 1K, 5.56 cases recently and using pieces of dryer sheet (I'll be experimenting with your suggestion, crawfobj) I decided to toss two cut up sheets into the media just for cleaning it. I was surprised at how little the sheets picked up as compared to when I first started using them. Of course, the media already had a couple of years of crud in it when I started.

[tomj44]

I have refreshed both corncob and walnut tumbling media. Dump the media in a pillow case and tie the end in a knot. Put it in another pillow case and tie the end off. Throw it the washing machine. When done air dry.

[crawfobj]

Just a quick update on the dryer sheets. I'm sticking with one stuck under the lid to keep most of it above the media and one floating in the media with the brass. The one above gets FILTHY with the airborne stuff, and the one that gets tumbled picks up plenty of its own that may not get airborne. I haven't seen a benefit to cutting them up so far.

[jcwit]

The dryer sheet works to keep the dust down but in my exoerience the sizing lube still contaminates the media.

This is why I slost the brass in a lg coffee can of white gas aka coleman fuel to remove the lube. Set it aside it drys quickly whithin an hour (do this outside), I then tumble the brass to do a final clean and polish.

I have a problem with this as I shoot cast bullets in my 30 cal carbine and not onlyhave the case lube but the sooty residue from the bullet lube on the case.

Remember the dryer sheets help but if you have much lube both bullet & case it will contanamite the media.

[jcwit]

Don't try washing the corn cob media in the washing mach. especially if you have young ones at home. The media has lead residue from the lead stefanite in the primer. Not a good thing to have on your cloths, this is a form of lead than can be absorbed thru your mouth, breathing, and skin contact, not good.

Besides corn cob media is so cheap $25.00 for a 40 lb bag at Graingers Ind. Supply why mess around washing it? Why put yourself and loved ones at risk?

[jcwit]

Regarding the danger of using white gas/coleman fuel to remove the bullet/case lube its more than a lot safer than filling your mower tank while its still hot.

[cinteal]

I can't believe nobody mentioned to the guy 1) don't tumble rifle brass, 2) certainly don't tumble it 8 hours, and 3) don't lube, resize, and deprime the brass before you tumble.

1) banging the cases together while tumbling increases the hardness of case necks and can cause the necks to split prematurley

2) 8 hours? are there any cases left when you open up the tumbler?

3) if you're having problems with lube clogging media, don't put lubed cases in the media . . . problem solved. Plus, depriming then tumbling, now you have to check every flash hole to make sure it's not obstructed. And, though minute I'm sure, I would think you would eventually enlarge the primer pocket. Out of the gun, into the tumbler, then resize, etc.

BTW, I have cleaned media in water and detergent before. It worked. In fact I liked the media better after the water bucket with detergent method. Still not worth the time and hassle.

[ironhat]

I pre-clean my cases right after sizing and depriming. I keep a towel draped over my leg and drag the case across my leg a couple of times, not letting the case rotate very much. Most of the lube comes off and there's less to foul the media. As for tumbling rifle cases, I've done it for years and can't say I have seen premature failure of the necks as compared with a friend who, like you, cinteal, worries about work hardening of the necks. To each his own. No flame intended.

[cinteal]

LOL, no flame taken. Had to look at where you were from to know that I wasn't the friend you were talking about. One of mine laughs at my convictions, too.

I tumble rifle brass, too, just in small amounts. The stuff I go to the trouble to turn & ream do not see the tumbler, though. And like you said, after a couple of experiences, I do worry about work hardening on my accuracy rounds.

Still, on the resizing before tumbling, why? Clean brass resizes easier, less wear on your dies, and you don't have to worry about clearing the flash hole. You would still use the towel. Maybe you have to clean primer pockets, but on non-accuracy loads, pocket cleaning is debatable and tumbling isn't going to get them clean enough for that purpose anyway.

[jcwit]

cinteal: If you would have read my post I stated I clean my brass in solvent before tumbling. You see my problem was solved.
Regarding media in the flash hole. Get media 20/40 grit it flows right thru the flash hole and doesn't get stuck in it.
Regarding tumbling for long periods. I have .223 brass that has been tumbled overnight many, many times and some of it has been reloaded 50 plus times, all this with no split cases.
I've had cases that inadvertly tumbled for over a week and guess what they were still there.
Question, How do you keep your bowl from wearing out?
Regarding wear on my dies all of my pistol dies are carbide, about the next thing up the scale is diamond and I doubt I'm wearing my dies out. If they do it won't be in my lifetime.

[cinteal]

jcwit: yeah, I learned about the bowl wearing out the hard way. Cost me a new tumbler and new ground fault breaker. Thing vibrated over to the bathroom sink and turned on the water just as it fell in. It sets on the floor, now.

As to cases being left, that was of course sarcasm. But the wearing of the dies, 1) not all of the die is carbide, none on rifle . . . typically, 2) it will be hard to do now, but when you get new dies (for some other caliber) watch the scratches on the cases increase over time. No they won't wear out, but they do wear. I wish carbide was indestructable as I would never have to buy another router bit.

Flash hole obstuction . . . bridging . . . 2 objects brought together by another . . . maybe 1 40 grit particle won't clog a flash hole, but 2-3 might. It's a good thing you use solvent before tumbling, lube would be murder on 20/40 grit :)

[jcwit]

Yeh cinteal, I stumbled into the 20/40 grit accidentally buy ordering the wrong grit from Graingers Ind. Supply. They offered to exchange it and get the 16/20 grit that most use but I took it anyway and ended up likeing it better.

[cinteal]

jcwit: I think you're good with the 20/40. I'm thinking about getting some . . . for pistol brass, of course. More surface area to clean and polish. I was being an a$$#ole on the "murder on 20/40" comment. Text . . . can't be sarcastic when you want to . . . everybody thinks you are when you're not. :)

[jcwit]

Hey we're getting it, you're OK. Go ahead and try it I think you'll like it, I add alittle Nu-Finish, not much maybe a capful. I think alot of folks use to much polish.

[SilentArmy]

I tumble approximately 10,000 cases each day of various calibers as I sell once fired brass and I have developed a mixture ratio of fine corncob and fine walnut with a commercial polish that cleans fast (about 2 hrs) while polishing to a shine the my customers are blown away by and usually plead for the recipe! I have found that as you use the media, it loads up with dirt/ lead/ polish and eventually starts to break down. When I find that there is particles that static cling to the cases in my media separator, it is time to throw it out! I use the dryer sheet every 4-5 loads to remove some crap from the mix but you can tell when it is time to recycle the whole mess into land fill.

[1858rem]

i just get the cheap corn cob in walmart for 4 bucks a big bag....i dont tumble much, mostly fine steel wool for my rifle brass, but when i do i change it often since it cleans so much faster. i keep the old stuff in case i find a better use or run outta new stuff.

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Thing vibrated over to the bathroom sink and turned on the water just as it fell in. It sets on the floor, now.

Well Duh! I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there! :D

Isn't there a rule about leaving an unattended electrical motor running where it can move, fall or 'even turn the water on'?

Hmmm.. Maybe that's why the wife makes me run the vibrating case cleaner in the garage.. Oh, on second thought, she didn't need to tell me. At all.

As for 'cleaning the media', a hand towel with a hole in the center pushed over the shaft of the lockdown nut for the lid, with the towel floated on top, held at the four corners by the lid will pick most of the dust out. Doing this with dryer sheets will clean out your media pretty well.

-Steve

[cinteal]

I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there!

Thank you, please tip your waitress . . .

[Mini30]

Cinteal, jcwit:

The Grainger grit you are using is their corncob-based blasting media?

[jcwit]

Right you are, without looking it up its about $22.00 to $25.00. If you pick it up there's no shipping.
Yes corn cob.

Edit, edit thats for a 40 pound bag by the way. All these things come to me after I post, dam getting old's fun. hehehe

[cinteal]

Mini30: I don't own any, but was interested and visited the site. But yes, it is blasting media.

[280shooter]

if its corn, u can wash it.I done that a few times.i pour it in a bucket, I use dawn dish soap,cuts the grease,and after your wash it, dont let it soak,rince,and toss it on to news paper.let it dry and use it again,
I now use lizzard litter. its cheap does well too.but I always use a brass polish,as long as its for brass,or cheap car wax or polish,maybe a teaspoon,