confused on adding polishing agent to tumbling media

[TennJed]

ok guys I am starting to get everything set up to reload and I am asking a lot of questions and getting some great help so thank!

Another question....I need some help on adding polishing agents to the media....I am using a corn cob bedding from a pet store.

My confusing starts with the fact that the corn cob packaging says it is highly absorbent...wouldn't that mean it just absorbs all the liquid or polish?

First what do you use? NuFinish car wax? mineral Spirits?

If you use something like nufinish can you use any brand car polish or just nufinish? Do you use a lotion type wax and just squirt a cap full in the media? Does it just spread out on its own? Can you use a spray wax to distribute it more evenly.

when using a liquid do you just pour a cap full on the media? Does it just spread out on its own? Should you use a spray bottle to distribute it more evenly?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I use Nu Finish. Some guys say to put the polish in before adding the brass and to let it run a while. I'm to anxious to wait. I just put the a capful in with the cases and let it run. No problems with clumping.

 

[jcwit]

I suggest to put the polish, Nu-Finish or whatever you decide to use into the media and let the tumbler run for a few 15/20 minutes to distribute it. Then toss in the brass.

Its possible for the polish and media to get cramed into a few cases if the cases are added as sone as the polish is added. Not always, but I have seen it happen.

 

[LiveLife]

I use walnut with polish as it does a better job of cleaning the brass of black fouling with a light polish. For indoor range brass, about 20-30 minutes in the Berry's tumbler fully loaded to capacity.

If I want more shiny brass, I use corn cob with polish as it does a better job of polishing the brass to a brilliant shine. After cleaning the brass with walnut, I run about 1 hour in corn cob with polish.

As others posted, be sure to add polish (I use 2 capfuls of NuFinish for new media) and run the tumbler until it is well mixed in (about 10-20 minutes or quicker if you take a screwdriver and help break up the clumps). I also don't add polish with every batch and keep the media on the drier side (I add one capful every 3-4 batches in walnut media).

I also use old dryer sheets cut up in 1 inch strips and it does a nice job of collecting some dust/fouling from the media. Since we normally toss the used dryer sheets, it doesn't cost anything to extend the life of the media.

 

[medalguy]

Also you can buy corn cob from drillspot.com and get a 40 pound bag delivered to your door for about $25. This is the cheapest way to get media that I've ever found. If you get the 20/40 size it's small enough that it won't stick in the flash holes.

Otherwise what you've been told is good advice. Put the polish in and run it a few minutes before adding the brass. Add a cut-up sryer sheet to pick up most of the dirt. And I use three different batches of media and keep each separated in a different 5 gallon bucket. I use bucket #1 to clean brass of all dirt before I start resizing to prevent damage to my dies. Then after sizing the brass I run it through bucket #2 to remove any lube. Finally after loading, I run it through bucket #3 with Nufinish polish to really polish it up bright and remove any fingerprints. About 30 minutes is all it takes at this point.

 

[1SOW]

+1 to what's been said. I have good results by putting nu-finish in in small drops at a time scattered around the media as I 'drip' it in. Run it for a few minutes and then add the cases. Set your light timer for how long you want to run the tumbler.

I pre-wash my cases and rinse with the garden hose because of S. Texas sand often mixed with small rocks. I use 3 to 4 hours with corn cob and nu-finish using a Cabella's tumbler. The cases are very shiny and my media lasts a loooong time..

 

[evan price]

NuFinish car polish does not contain anything that will harm the powder as residue from this polish keeps the brass shiny and slick. It has a very mild polish that won't overly abrade the brass and tumbler bowl.

Start your tumbler going, shake up the bottle of NuFinish, then drizzle a thin line of NuFinish into the agitating media as if you were a fine chef putting a wonderful sauce on a plate of high-end cuisine. Drizzle, not glop like pouring maple syrup on pancakes at the diner! Glops cause clumps. You don't need a lot of polish to do the job especially with 'normally' dirty brass that is still shiny but has been fired. The rough amount of polish needed: About as much ketchup comes in a fast-food packet. No more. Excess polish won't make things better, it is the media that does the work with assistance from the polish.

Adding mineral spirits is to rehydrate the polish that is already in the media. Once you've added a few helpings of NuFinish the polish is still in the media- as you noted, the media will absorb moisture- and just needs a bit of 'wetting' to be brought back into service. A little dribble of mineral spirits will do this well and not damage the brass. I have been using "Brush Cleaner" sold at Lowes because it is advertised as safe for all plastics on the can...I ruined a Midway 1292 Tumbler bowl & lid with regular mineral spirits, it attacked the plastic and it got soft and wore out the center prematurely! Basically you add the fluid the same way as the NuFinish...drizzle not glop. I add about as much liquid as I do polish, maybe a little bit more depending on how dirty the brass is.

I take used dryer sheets and rip them in half and put two sheets (four halves) in with each load of brass. This material traps the dirt and can be thrown away. Keeps your media cleaner.

I will highly recommend the Berry's/Cabela's tumbler. I run my pair of them 24-7 pretty much nonstop and they just keep trucking. I take them down for cleaning once or twice a year as needed.

 

[Clark]

evan price
I take used dryer sheets and rip them in half and put two sheets (four halves) in with each load of brass. This material traps the dirt and can be thrown away. Keeps your media cleaner.

I have been using 2 or 3 paper towels, torn in 1" wide strips.

The paper towel strips get really dirty and the media stays clean.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

With a vibrating modle I, put the brass in first, dump the media in it, start it up the add the polish, even if it clump's it will break up after a short time. If you are useing a rock tumbler you will want to let it mix a little before adding the brass for best result's.