Corncob media

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wvshooter

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I've been using off the shelf Lyman corncob media to tumble my brass. Is there a less expensive source for a similar product? What I've been buying is $20 per container but I would like to find something with about five times the product for something like $20. Any ideas?
 
I've been using the same stuff for about 3 years. Is you brass that dirty? If you can figure out how to grind it I will have a bunch in a couple of months but I don't figure its worth the time.
 
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/productIndex.shtml

The 20/40 grit corncob has the added advantage that it is too small to stick in primer pockets.

I ordered it online and chose the "will call" option. That allowed me to pick it up at my local Grainger store when it came in. You can choose the more normal grit 14/20, but the other has the advantage of never having to punch corn cob out of your primer pockets and works just as well.:)

The price is great: $23.60/40 lbs or $5.90/10 lbs
 
You can usually get good deals at gun shows. If you want to try the the mail route, just search Ebay or go to MidwayUSA. If there are cheaper alternatives I would love to hear them as well.

Heres a link for Midway http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Bro...907&categoryString=9315***731***695***8940***


Probably cheaper then what your paying per pound. I just add in some Flitz or NuCar Polish if its not treated. Just my .2, but it gets pretty clean. I also mix corn and walnut.
 
Just go to Wally World and buy corn cob pet litter. Same stuff half the price. I use it with Dillon polish. Pour both in, run your vibrator for a bit, then dump in your brass. Comes out purdy.
 
Also if you know anyone that does sand blasting you can get some from them dirt cheap and darn near a life time supply of it. When you mention it's for polishing brass, the price near tripples.
 
See post #4 and #8. Mix in a capful of NuFinish Car Polish in a tumbler full of the 20/40, and you're ready to rock! Costs about $25 for a 40lb. bag. You may have grandkids before you use it all.

FWIW - the corncob I bought at WalMart was bigger than Grape Nuts cereal, and wouldn't even move in my tumbler. I ended up throwing the whole bag away. Great big stuff, got it in the pet dept.

And Kaytee brand Walnut Bird Litter from PetSmart is great stuff too! It doesn't "polish" as well, but it "cleans" better. I run my cases through the walnut first, then come back and run 'em again with the corncob/NuFinish mix.
 
I buy a 40 pound bag of 1/8" ground corn cob from my local pet supply for $15.75 a bag. Always get the 1/8" size, and not the 1/4" size, since it will stick in bottleneck cartridges and have to picked out. The larger size will work with straight wall pistol cartridges of .38 caliber and larger, but nothing smaller.

I use Berry's polish, but any of them will work, as long as polishing brass is their intended purpose. Stay away from Brasso, or any other polish containing ammonia, since it attacks the brass and weakens it.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
+1 For the corn cob pet litter from Wally World.
Click to expand...

In all my years of reloading & shopping at Walmart I've never seen corn cob media that would be good to tumble bottle neck cases.

Graingers is by far and away the best bet.
 
Pet litter at Wally World as suggested above works well, but not as well as the "gun store" stuff. I have also found Walnut Polishing Media at the Home Depot that works well.

t2e
 
Pet litter at Wally World as suggested above works well
Click to expand...

Have you checked the size of Wally World media? Have you tried the 20/40 size from Graingers? Tell me this, how much do you polish in a 6 month period and what calibers? State some facts and actual experience with WW media, the stuff I see there runes approx 1/8 to 3/16 dia avg., ever tried to dig that out of a .223 rifle case, or worse yet a 30/06.

Last summer I was tumbling 2 to 4 thousand cases a week with some weeks double that, I don't have time to dig media from flash holes or for that matter the case itself.

As stated 20/40 grit from Graingers is the best bet, along with a little Nu-Finish.

But then what do I know.
 
I load between 5000-15000 rounds per year. (this year will be more like 20,000) I polish about 1000-2000 cases per month, give or take. I load everything from .223 up to .45-70. The WW media I am talking about is fine like the "clumping" cat litter and is called "Natures Choice". It is dusty compaired to normal media. It is made from chrushed corn cob and sawdust. If it's not fine enough for you, run it through the blender for a few seconds. I have not tried the Graingers 20/40 size. Why would I when I can buy a freek'n huge bag of the WW stuff for $8?

But then, what do I know?

t2e
 
I use lizard bedding from the local pet store. It is finely crushed walnut shell and costs about $18.00 per 25 lbs. I have used the corn cob bedding and that works well on pistol cases. Someone told me take I could get crushed corncob material really cheap at the Napa store, as they sell big bags of it for oil spill cleanup. I never check it out though.
You can double the life of your polishing media by adding a couple or four used dryer sheet every time. They soak up a lot of crud and grime, just throw them away after one use.
 
I'm going to give the Grainger's 20/40 corncob media a shot. It's $23.60 before tax for 40lbs picked up at my local Grainger's location. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
I seriously doubt you'll be disappointed. Add about a teaspoon full of auto cleaner wax/polish. Nu-finish, Turtle wax, Meguires, ect., ect. Remember one thing, more is not necessary better in this case.
 
Boy, I wish I had this info about 6 months ago. I spent too much time picking pet store brand corn cob media out of a bunch of .223 cases. Hindsight is 20/20.
I did take a section of 1/8" mesh and sieved the rest through it, so now I have plenty for my 9mm/.38 Special/.357 Mag and .45 auto cases, and enough for the bottleneck rifle cases.
 
Grainger & Tax Numbers

I ordered 40 lb of the 20/40 corncob from Grainger & paid for it (backordered, used "will call" option), after the required registering. No problem. Got an order confirmation the same day, and the next day a "thank you for registering" email, but also an email from Joe Bob or whomever asking for my tax i.d. number or business license number (I left the business name blank on the registration) as they were a wholesaler doing business with retail merchants. I have studiously ignored it, but it raises questions about picking the order up when (and if, now) it arrives. Anyone have experience/comments? :scrutiny:
 
Hi wvshooter,

I get my corncob media (#2 mesh size) from Grand Northern Products http://www.grandnorthern.com. It ships in a 50 pound sack for twenty some odd bucks. They also have many other types of media also (walnut, pecan, etc.). When you are not tumbling with the cob, you can use it for smoking fish! Corn cob makes for an excellent fuel source for smoking fish! So it serves two fold - what a deal!
 
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