Lyman Green Corncob Confusion

[NavArch]

I put some .40 S&W in my tumbler with used "regular" corn cob. The brass ended up shiny on the bottom ends, but the mouths were still a bit dull. Yes, I had over-filled the tumbler a bit (437 pieces) and, as stated, the corn cob was well used. So, I emptied the bowl, replaced the media with Lyman Green Corncob (which I had never used before), and put back only half of the brass. After two hours of running.....the brass was universally DULL.

What's the story here?

 

[stubbicatt]

I don't have an answer to your specific question but drop by the pet store and get walnut bird cage litter and some flitz or automobile polish and you will get really clean and really shiney brass for a quite reasonable price.

I have found that a few square inches of paper towel in the tumbler helps to keep the dust down and the media cleaner longer.

 

[jfh]

The media I use is crushed walnut, the "reloading" kind. I bought a bunch about fifteen years ago....

At any rate, I have cleaned about 12,000-15,000 pcs of brass, average 250 or less at a time, in a Lyman 1200. IOW, that batch has been used roughly 50-100 times. It's just now starting to dull and take longer.

200-250 pieces running two-three hours produces really well-polished brass. I dump a cap of NuPolish in it about once a month--and now, the whole deal is about needing a change.

Jim H.

 

[NavArch]

So, I got over-anxious about changing out the corn cob. It had seen only a thousand or so pieces of pistol brass. And I had been using paper towel quarters and a cup of NuFinish with each load.

But why would the green Lyman have dulled everything up like it did?

 

[tjj]

I hope you meant a cap full of NuFinish. A cup is a lot......like, half a pint!!
Any how, yes a thousand pistol brass is nothing. I've done over 15,000 pieces and still using the same media. I've used Lyman polish and various other car polish products and they all do pretty well. I run mine a little longer than most cuz I'm lazy. I let them run over night or all day while I'm at work. Just pulled out 100 .308 cases that were very shiney and I haven't added any polish in three or four cycles now.
I do remove some annoying dust by going out to the back yard and pouring out the media when there is a slight breeze which will carry away the lighter particle while the bulk of the good media falls into a catch pan. I have plenty of new media but just haven't found the need to change it out yet.

I've never used the green stuff. I think it has some abrasives in it which causes the dull satin look. It should do a good job scrubbing clean those really tarnished range brass though.

 

[Dave P]

I like the lyman treated media! I mix about 50/50 with plain corn cob. Great shine every time!

 

[evan price]

iirc the Lyman Green stuff is walnut not Cob.

If true, Walnut is actually more abrasive than cob. I notice that my cob treated brass has a softer, whiter color than the walnut stuff- which has a yellower, slightly rougher look (but is just as clean, and faster to boot)

 

[-tmo-]

My lyman media canisters are labeled: "CORNCOB GREEN", Original recipe "Factory Brass" finish dry media (no liquids) leaves no abrasive residue.

The red is labeled: "TUFNUT" crushed nutshell treated with rouge, Cleans and shines all metals to a high luster.

t

 

[Roccobro]

The dullness will go away when the media "breaks in". Seems there is too much additive for the first few cycles. I ended up mixing my Tufnut with my lizard Litter from Petsmart to make a nice blend.

I have done over 20k pieces of brass on the same media. every 3rd or 4th load I recharge it with 1/2 cup of denatured alcohol and put paper towel squares in EVERY load to maintain.

Justin

 

[NavArch]

To tjj - Yes, a CAP, not a CUP of NuFinish. Then I tried lizard litter walnut. Got that satin brass finish instead of the really shiny finish of plain corn cob + NuFinish.

Need to track down some plain corn cob locally......