tumbling-media & wet questions

[Axis II]

I have Hornady corn cob that's gotten kind of nasty so i pitched it and was just searching on here about corn and walnut mix and seen a post about wet tumbling without steel media. I ditched the corn cob because i do range pickups for a lot of calibers and I'm getting 9mm stuck in 45 cases and so on.

How does walnut do for cleaning cases? some of the range brass has dirt and mud inside and corn isn't cleaning it well.

can i wet tumble without steel media? I seen that referenced a couple times on here but no real info on it.

 

[Toprudder]

It is generally said that walnut does a better job cleaning, and corn cob does a better job polishing.

Yes, you can wet tumble without pins, and it will get the outside of the cases clean. It will generally do a decent job getting the loose dirt out from the inside of the cases, but naturally won't get the inside as clean as you would get by using the stainless pins.

I have settled on wet tumbling my rifle brass for about 15 minutes, without pins, just to get the outside clean enough for resizing/decapping. I don't even try to get them completely dry for resizing. After resizing, I toss them back into the wet tumbler, with the pins, to get all the lube off and to do the final cleaning before I finish processing the brass (trim, chamfer, etc).

For straight wall pistol brass, I decap using a universal decapper die, then into the wet tumbler with media.

 

[brewer12345]

While we are on the subject, would an ultrasonic cleaner work for (mostly) pistol and (occasional) rifle brass? These would be my brass rather than range pickups, so not as hugely cruddy as cold be.

 

[Axis II]

It is generally said that walnut does a better job cleaning, and corn cob does a better job polishing.

Yes, you can wet tumble without pins, and it will get the outside of the cases clean. It will generally do a decent job getting the loose dirt out from the inside of the cases, but naturally won't get the inside as clean as you would get by using the stainless pins.

I have settled on wet tumbling my rifle brass for about 15 minutes, without pins, just to get the outside clean enough for resizing/decapping. I don't even try to get them completely dry for resizing. After resizing, I toss them back into the wet tumbler, with the pins, to get all the lube off and to do the final cleaning before I finish processing the brass (trim, chamfer, etc).

For straight wall pistol brass, I decap using a universal decapper die, then into the wet tumbler with media.

I think i might have to go the pin route then. there was some very good brass like 44mag, 38spl, spp 45acp and 223rem all looked brand new but the range floods from time to time and the buckets get all kinds of junk in them and these had to be tossed cause they had some crud in the case and no way to get it out. I figured walnut or maybe wet would help with that.

 

[Axis II]

I also noticed the walnut is red. Is this dye that will get all over the place? I spent an hour sorting the range brass i picked up last night dumping the corn cob out and i can imagine if its red dye my hands and stuff will be red.

 

[brewer12345]

I also noticed the walnut is red. Is this dye that will get all over the place? I spent an hour sorting the range brass i picked up last night dumping the corn cob out and i can imagine if its red dye my hands and stuff will be red.

I would say that when doing anything reloading, a pair of disposable rubber gloves are your friend.

 

[MifflinKid]

Put the scrounged cases in a bucket of hot water with a little soap. Swish them around for a minute or two. Dump the dirty water. Repeat the washing and dumping until they are clean enough to tumble. Let them dry. Separate the cases by cartridge type.

You can then tumble by cartridge type. Alternatively (and this is what I do with when tumbling different sizes of brass) you can put the cases in a nylon mesh bags, putting each type of cartridge in a different bags. I use the nylon bags in which lemons and onions are packaged.

 

[Axis II]

Put the scrounged cases in a bucket of hot water with a little soap. Swish them around for a minute or two. Dump the dirty water. Repeat the washing and dumping until they are clean enough to tumble. Let them dry. Separate the cases by cartridge type.

You can then tumble by cartridge type. Alternatively (and this is what I do with when tumbling different sizes of brass) you can put the cases in a nylon mesh bags, putting each type of cartridge in a different bags. I use the nylon bags in which lemons and onions are packaged.

I did this with a spagettie strainer, hot water and dawn but there is like sand in the cases the water didn't get all the way out so i was hoping some sort of tumbler would clean the stuff out a little better than me scraping it out.

 

[2bfree]

I also noticed the walnut is red. Is this dye that will get all over the place? I spent an hour sorting the range brass i picked up last night dumping the corn cob out and i can imagine if its red dye my hands and stuff will be red.

The Lyman red walnut is rouge, it makes the case super slick, cleans really well and will turn your fingers red as well

 

[Axis II]

Anyone use the harbor freight stuff? I seen 12 and 24 grit walnut media.

The Lyman red walnut is rouge, it makes the case super slick, cleans really well and will turn your fingers red as well

what's the reasoning behind the red dye media?

 

[hdwhit]

ohihunter wrote:
I also noticed the walnut is red. Is this dye that will get all over the place?

Walnut shells are reddish-brown so when they are ground up, they will be some shade between deep red and light brown. The last batch of walnut media that I bought was a reddish-tan. I don't know where you got your walnut media, but some sellers will add things to it that they believe will make it more effective.

As the media tumbles against itself, little bits of it break off so it will produce a fine reddish dust. This will get on your hands when you handle the brass, but it won't stain. You can minimize the amount of dust by putting some one-inch squares of used dryer fabric softener sheets in with the media. When the pieces of dryer sheet come out saturated with dust, it's probably time to replace the media.

 

[2bfree]

Anyone use the harbor freight stuff? I seen 12 and 24 grit walnut media.

what's the reasoning behind the red dye media?

It is not dye, it is rouge, used for polishing. I tried the HF stuff, way to much dust for me but it does work good. No amount of dryer sheets, mineral oil, or wax cut down the dust. https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloading-Tumbler-Tufnut-12-Pounds/dp/B001GX8IFE

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloading-Tumbler-Tufnut-2-75-Pounds/dp/B000NOQING

 

[hdwhit]

I don't wet tumble. What I do with newly-acquired brass is to wash it in a weak acid/detergent solution. I use either:

• 1 tablespoon of Lemi-Shine, or
• 1 cup of acetic acid (i.e. vinegar)

to a quart (or thereabouts) of water along with about a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing deterent. I let the brass soak in this mixture of about fifteen minutes aggitating it vigorously for about 30 seconds every five minutes.

After the soak, I rise the brass thoroughly in hot water and let it air dry overnight.

I lubricate and resize the cleaned brass and then dry tumble in walnut media for between about 4 and 12 hours to remove the resizing lubricant and impart a shine. The result is clean brass with a moderate shine roughly equivalent to what you see with most factory ammunition. If you want a "jewelry grade" shine that you could use as a mirror, you will have to wet tumble using stainless steel (or bronze) pins.

-----------------------------

Note the term "weak acid" refers to its propensity to "donate" electrons, not its concentration. In fact, the proportions specified above are fairly concentrated, so don't leave your brass in the solution for much longer than about 15 minutes or it will turn black (in the case of Lemi-Shine) or a dull tan (in the case of Vinegar). If this happens, don't panic, the shine can be restored by either wet or dry tumbling the brass.

 

[Axis II]

It is not dye, it is rouge, used for polishing. I tried the HF stuff, way to much dust for me but it does work good. No amount of dryer sheets, mineral oil, or wax cut down the dust. https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloading-Tumbler-Tufnut-12-Pounds/dp/B001GX8IFE

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloading-Tumbler-Tufnut-2-75-Pounds/dp/B000NOQING

Okay, thanks! when i was looking at it online i figured they put a red dye inside of it for some reason as i seen green corn cob too. I tumble outside and separate it outside and then it goes into a popcorn bowl i separate the range pickups i accumulate in shopping bags so dust wouldn't bother me other than being all over the cases and my hands.

 

[2bfree]

Okay, thanks! when i was looking at it online i figured they put a red dye inside of it for some reason as i seen green corn cob too. I tumble outside and separate it outside and then it goes into a popcorn bowl i separate the range pickups i accumulate in shopping bags so dust wouldn't bother me other than being all over the cases and my hands.

The dust I spoke of was from the Harbor Freight media, not the lyman.

 

[Demi-human]

I enjoy my loaded rounds looking better than new factory rounds. Other will disagree. There is just nothing better than fourty-seven thousandths stainless pins from Bullseye Reloading. I have clean pockets for seating pistol primers easily. It may be a greater investment up front. I made my tumbler, canister and stand myself so it was definitely a bigger investment as far as time. I rest assured that when I am gone my son and his son will still be tumbling, what ever they decide to tumble.
With an old drill press motor and pulley, solid steel shaft and eleven inch sheave pulley, my quite industrial tumbler will be around a while. My twelve inch canister will clean about eight hundred fourty five auto brass in an hour. Gleamingly bright which I greatly prefer. The apparatus will accommodate up to a twenty eight inch canister. Three hundred, two-twenty-three cases are washed, shook in a towel, then annealed and dried at the same time in under two hours. Ready to load. Primer pockets perfect.
I lube my rifle bullets, so the lack of carbon in the necks does not concern me. Though I do not shoot benchrest of any sort and those that do will disagree vehemently.

As an example of cleaning power. I found a thirty carbine case in the flower bed of my Grandfathers home. It has gone from being encrusted in clay and dirt, to brand spanking new, and is one of a very few of my cherished objects. A gleaming, ion passivated reminder of the man that started the do it yourself better movement in my family.

If some ne'er do well stole my truck, I would call the police. If one took that case or his thirty aught six, it would be vendetta.

You have my apologies. It would have been easier to tell you to get a Frankford Arsenal Rotory Tumbler. But evidently, it is not my way.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I wet tumble all my handgun brass but only use pins if it is badly tarnished. If it's very dirty I soak in warm water or tumble for 15 minutes then change the water. Pins get brass much cleaner and prettier but for big batches of target ammo who cares?
I dry tumble also for small batches, prefer walnut media. I have read (maybe on THR) that "lizard bedding" is crushed walnut and can be bought at pet stores for much less than walnut tumbling media. I'm sure someone here has tried it

 

[Dudedog]

Walnut seems to clean better than corncob, but corncob polished better. I purchased a Frankford Ultrasonic and while it works it takes forever and didn't really do that much better than using dry media.
(a more expensive ultrasonic might work better)
Currently I wet tumble using pins and a Lyman tumbler. ( do do small batches in the dry but not often)
Wet tumbling does a great job, car wash and wax and a dash of citric acid from the canning section of the supermarket. (citric acid is whats in Lemishine that ;lots of people use)

My range is really sandy except in winter when it is muddy. I do a quick soak of everything in a 5 gallon bucket with disk soap for a day or so then a 1/2 hour pass with pins before de-prime/resize.
Then after it's deprimed/resized another 1 hour pass to get everything super clean.
The wet tumbling is a little more hassle but worth it to me and the pins as far as I can tell never need to be replaced unlike dry media. Also no dust to deal with or inhale.
Up front cost is higher but I feel it's wortrh it.

 

[Beach Bum]

I have Hornady corn cob that's gotten kind of nasty so i pitched it and was just searching on here about corn and walnut mix and seen a post about wet tumbling without steel media. I ditched the corn cob because i do range pickups for a lot of calibers and I'm getting 9mm stuck in 45 cases and so on.

How does walnut do for cleaning cases? some of the range brass has dirt and mud inside and corn isn't cleaning it well.

can i wet tumble without steel media? I seen that referenced a couple times on here but no real info on it.

Get the Thumlers tumbler and don't look back, you won't regret it ........I have steel pins but I rarely ever use them............My brass comes out sparkly clean with out them.

 

[Blue68f100]

There is different sizes of corncob media. The 40/20 is the one you want, it's fine enough it will fall through the flash holes. It does not clean very fast due to the finer size, the reason I use a mix. I use a 50/50 of walnut/corncob for handgun brass. I use FA SS pins system on my rifle brass. The better media is blast media, pet bedding is whats left after the good stuff in taken.

Wet cleaning can be done without the pins by using the commercial cleaners. These clean very fast and should have a neutralizing rinse.

 

[salpal48]

Anyone use the harbor freight stuff? I seen 12 and 24 grit walnut media.

what's the reasoning behind the red dye media?

I Have used the Harbor Freight Media. The Only thing good about it It's Cheap. Very Very dusty. Once You get most of the dust Out it's better. But since your grinding media while Tumbling You will always Get dust. I use Dryer sheets to absorb dust.. This stuff to me is The Bottom of the barrel. . The Blast media By summit Racing Or Kramer industries is Sharper and faster. I do not use pins anymore Because Of the damage to the Brass. . Good blast media Is not Cheap. but Last Longer