Tumbling Media

[Jayhawker]

For years, I have used El Cheapo corn cob pet bedding from Wal-Mart as a tumbling media. The stuff has worked great until I got into .223. The bits and peices are just big enough that they really jam-up inside about 10% of the brass and are hell to get out. Any suggestions on something that would be finer ground? Does rice pack-up in .223 cases?

Pete

 

[m0ntels]

I use El Cheapo walnut hulls from the pet store. The stuff I have is much finer than the corn cob I had which even got stuck in a few 38SP cases, and it cleans in about half the time.

Randy

 

[WayneConrad]

Yep, the walnut works well.

I keep hearing that walnut is "more abrasive," but I don't know what that means. I've tumbled cases for days (just plain forgot I left it running. What can I say?) and have yet to rub out a headstamp.

 

[1 old 0311]

Walnut works very well, but doesn't last a long time. When I reloaded I had one tumbler with corn cob and one with walnut. Start with the corn cob, to get the big crap off, and finish with walnut.

 

[m0ntels]

I've probably tumbled 3,000 cases or so on one bowl full of walnut. It started to get a bit dusty, so I finally changed it. Still got a overfilled bowl full of cases shiney in about an hour though.

I dont have a hardness scale for pet bedding, but in my experience, the walnut has cleaned twice as fast as cob, so I would assume it is more abrasive than corn cob. It isnt a problem though because an one material will only scratch another if it is of greater hardness. Brass is still harder than walnut shells, so you're fine.

If you want to try rice, small grain would probably work for you too. Rice is dirt cheap too. Tumble with some, eat the rest to rotate stock.

Randy

 

[Sistema1927]

I needed some media, so I picked up a big jug of Lyman's media with rouge added at Sportsman's Warehouse yesterday. About a cup and a half of media added to a mixed batch of about 150 .45 Colt and .45 ACP cases in an old rock tumbler gave me beautiful brass in about 8 hours. Small enough to separate in a cheapo plastic collendar.

 

[Car Knocker]

I found that the Lyman's with rouge tended to leave a residue on the bras that coated my hands. I ended up running the brass through untreated corn cob to clean the residue off.

 

[oscar]

Take your cheapo stuff and give it some time in the blender. You can cut it down to size in a very short time.

 

[Hutch]

Even more el-cheapo is ground corncob from an abrasives distributor. Bought a 50lb bag for ~ $15. Add a tablespoon or 2 of liquid car wax, and your golden.

 

[Dr.Doug]

Jayhawker-

I ran into the same problem when I started loading 223. Now I reserve the larger stuff for big-bore, straight walled cases. I'm also using my supply of it for filling sand bags for the bench.

I picked up some finer corncob at a gun show. It pours right out of the 223s. I paid $2 for 2-1 gal ziplocs. It lasts quite a long time, and I figure I'm supporting another firearms enthuiast, rather than Sam Walton's hiers.

Has anyone heard of tumbling a dryer sheet in loaded-up media to rejuvinate it? Does it work?

Has anyone used any of the ceramic media?

Stay cool,

Doug

 

[RugerSAFan]

I use an old dryer cloth whenever I run my tumbler.

Seems to keep the dust down.

Plus, the cartridges come out "bounty fresh".

 

[crackerjack]

reloading

Have used the dryer sheet it does collect alot of the nasty stuff seems to make media stay cleaner. Still like mineral spirits and NuFinnish car wax the best ,clean slick shiny brass and cuts down dust.