BigN
Member
With all the talk of tumbling media here, what about using some fine sand blasting media in the tumber? I can get a hundred pound bag for about $8. Anyone try this yet?
Sand Blasting Media
- Thread starter BigN
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
NOOOOOO!!
Fine Silica or emery dust from the blast media will eat your reloading dies for breakfast.
The primary reason ground walnut shells and corncob are used for tumbling is that the residue is harmless to dies, and gun barrels.
It doesn't hurt that it is cheap too.
Buy the way.
100 pounds of sand isn't very much sand.
100 pounds of ground walnut or corncob is an awful lot!
You can get corncob or walnut media cheap several places. Granger is one.
Or you can buy Zila brand Lizard Litter at the pet store.
It works better the real tumbler media.
rc
Fine Silica or emery dust from the blast media will eat your reloading dies for breakfast.
The primary reason ground walnut shells and corncob are used for tumbling is that the residue is harmless to dies, and gun barrels.
It doesn't hurt that it is cheap too.
Buy the way.
100 pounds of sand isn't very much sand.
100 pounds of ground walnut or corncob is an awful lot!
You can get corncob or walnut media cheap several places. Granger is one.
Or you can buy Zila brand Lizard Litter at the pet store.
It works better the real tumbler media.
rc
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
No! This kind of media would be way too aggressive.
Not to mention.. depending on which blast media you use, that stuff will stick on anything. Aluminum oxide blasted parts need a good air-blasting to get all the stuff off, and even then, I usually still have to wash the parts in the sink afterward.
So you'd have to wash the brass, and dry it, and in general be way more effort than is worth.
Crushed walnut and NuFinish is hard to beat, in my opinion...
So you'd have to wash the brass, and dry it, and in general be way more effort than is worth.
Crushed walnut and NuFinish is hard to beat, in my opinion...
ranger335v
Member
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- 3,797
Sand Blasting Media - you wanna run a little sand dust down your bores? That would be a real blast ... on your rifling!
evan price
Member
Good grief no! That stuff will embedd in the pores of the brass. Then you get nice gritty cases in your chamber and in your dies. A good walnut shell will do wonders even with chocolate brass. I can think of no better way to ruin a batch of brass and your dies than to put aluminum oxide grit in a tumbler.
Plus it will eat out the bowl of the tumbler!
I changed ceramic tips in my sandblast gun quite often due to erosion. And that's ceramic!
Plus it will eat out the bowl of the tumbler!
I changed ceramic tips in my sandblast gun quite often due to erosion. And that's ceramic!
OP
OP
BigN
Member
Ok, I guess that settles that. Just a thought...
The very fine corn cob blasting media I use works great!!
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/EC...Supplies-_-2MVR5&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=2MVR5
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/EC...Supplies-_-2MVR5&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=2MVR5
Yes, it does! For polishing. I use the exact same stuff, with a little NuFinish car polish mixed in. Does a wonderful job of making them shiny. But it's not aggressive/abrasive enough to clean brass, that's where the walnut litter comes in. I tumble in dry walnut first, then polish with the corncob.
But sand? No way!
dprice3844444
member
longdayjake
Member
Here is some very valuable information. DO NOT BUY THE MEDIA FROM GRANGER!!!. They charge shipping. Instead buy them from drillspot because they have free shipping. The funny thing is that Granger drop ships for drillspot so you will be getting the exact same thing that you would get from granger. Here is a link to the size that won't get stuck in the flash holes. $26 for 40lbs of media is AWESOME. Just do it! Everyone is doing it. You know you want to.
http://www.drillspot.com/products/521055/econoline_526040g-40_40_lbs_blast_media
http://www.drillspot.com/products/521055/econoline_526040g-40_40_lbs_blast_media
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longdayjake
Member
well, that works too I guess.
Jim Watson
Member
I got my walnut hull media from the local blasting supply dealer.
50 lbs for $16 plus sales tax, pick it up at the warehouse.
50 lbs for $16 plus sales tax, pick it up at the warehouse.
T Bran
Member
Im trying a new one as I type so far so good. If it works at least ill have a use for all the rice my wife has stored in the pantry. Dont think ill put it back though.
T
T
jcwit
member
Don't forget to factor in your gas cost if picking up at the warehouse. At $3.50 a gal. it now costs to travel every mile, even getting 20 mpg thats $ .18 cents per mile just for gas.
FROGO207
Member
I use a mix of corn cob and walnut with some NU Finish to polish my finished rounds. I use SS media and a Thumblers to polish the brass now. Before I used to use the finer crushed walnut in a vibratory tumbler to polish my brass. That works as the best method to clean brass in a vibratory tumbler as stated above. The red rouge that is available is quite abrasive and I damaged a couple sizing dies with it so I stopped using it entirely. To speed up the process of cleaning the tarnish (brown discoloration) off the brass I used the IOSSO case cleaner liquid, then tumbled as usual. It cut the tumbling time in half at the very least. That is what I would do if you are looking to speed up the process. I would think that the blasting media would be the worst choice of all. I would use common sand that you can get from the hardware store first as it would not damage the brass as much but still think that this would be a poor choice.YMMV
Jim Watson
Member
The warehouse is one block off my direct route to the shooting range.
I think the carriage cost is lost in the noise for a several year supply.
jcwit
member
Well then that will work.
I know nobody wants to hear this, but...
... BigN might not be so stupid. We need to clarify what kind of media he means.
Crushed walnut and corncob ARE sandblasting media.
They are used in sensitive areas where slag and silica would foul machinery.
We reloaders borrow that media for cleaning brass.
Pet owners borrow it for pet litter, etc.
But we aren't the first ones to invent uses for it.
It has been used as organic sandblast media for at least 50 years.
Maybe longer, but I'm only 57 years old so I can only remember back 50 years.
We should clarify with BigN on what kind of media he was talking about.
If he means walnut or corn cob, the only response is to tell him the grit size.
... BigN might not be so stupid. We need to clarify what kind of media he means.
Crushed walnut and corncob ARE sandblasting media.
They are used in sensitive areas where slag and silica would foul machinery.
We reloaders borrow that media for cleaning brass.
Pet owners borrow it for pet litter, etc.
But we aren't the first ones to invent uses for it.
It has been used as organic sandblast media for at least 50 years.
Maybe longer, but I'm only 57 years old so I can only remember back 50 years.
We should clarify with BigN on what kind of media he was talking about.
If he means walnut or corn cob, the only response is to tell him the grit size.
jcwit
member
Doing a quick search I find most companies supplying abrasive blasting media refer to sand blasting media as glass or Aul. oxide. Others such as walnut or corn cob as just blasting media not sand blasting media.
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
No, "sandblasting" media is SAND, period. Used for heavy stuff like blasting buildings, bridges, ships, drilling rigs, etc. Everything else is MEDIA blasting, using things such as glass beads, walnut, corncob, baking soda, plastic beads of various shapes, aluminum oxide, etc. If it's done in a cabinet or small blasting room, it's media blasting. Done outdoors with heavy-duty gear on heavy equipment with massive compressors and blasting equipment, it's usually sandblasting. Two different animals.
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