Tumbling Media

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I use 75% crushed walnut from a pet store and 25% Lyman's corn cob mix. I only tumble large loads and I toss in 2 torn in half spent dryer sheets in the last 15 minutes of tumbling or for 15 minutes after I've finished tumbling to mop up any dust. Every 0 batches or so I pour a half cap of NuFinish car polish in the fix.
The walnut widles down over time. The corn cob much slower so I have to add walnut bedding, about 10% every 10 loads as well. After 40 to 60 loads I just start over.
 
The Andersons Grit 'O Cob 1420 or 1014

The Anderson Grit O' Cob they have a list of dealers on their site. I paid $21 for 50lbs. it makes great kitty litter, ice traction, spill absorbant too. I think lyman buys their stuff here too. This is only the woody core and not the pith or chaff that kitty litter has. It is used for blasting and tumbling. Corn cob media grade 1420 for best results. The 1014 grade works well and faster but the grains get stuck in 50% of my 5.56 flash holes. Make sure its only the woody core of the cob and not the pith or chaff. Add a capfull of NuFinsih and tumble for 10 minutes before adding brass. Dirty brass looks like polished gold in one hour. I found 50lbs locally for $21. The Walmart kitty litter contains cedar and pine. 'smells great but very dusty and the wood breaks down. Bedding cob is too coarse. Best Kitty Litter clogs primer pocket with crud. The Andersons Grit O' Cob 1420 is the best I found. I use it as kitty litter, pet bedding, cleaning spills, mix with garden soil, best of all brass tumbling. Harbour Freight carries both coarse and fine walnut shell. If they don't have it in stock, you can order it shipped to store or buy online, its $24 for 25lbs. Walnut is good for pre deprime cleaning and leaves a nice matte finish on the brass. Walnut is softer than brass so it errodes over time. Corn cob is harder than brass, so don't leave it in too long, one-hour should do. Corn-Cob polishes with high luster. My shells look better than new, like gold and the NuFinish keeps the tarnish and fingerprints away and re-cleaning easier too. ;)
 
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Stainless steel media is used water, usually in a rubber lined rock tumbler. If you Google stainless steel media for case cleaning the company who sells the kits will come up. That's where I bought mine but forget there name. The stuff is great, I'm pretty anal about my stuff and would never go back to walnut or corn cob. Cases come out like brand new, primer pockets and all. And its great for inspecting cases for cracks or anything of the sort once they have been loaded many times. And the media is a one time purchase.
 
Okay, let's please not confuse a newby. I was under the impression that finished rounds (and rounds with unfired primers) shouldn't be tumbled????
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Been hashed and rehashed, manufactures tumble finished ammo, no reason we should not if we wish to.
 
14/20 grit works very well, but 20/40 works even better in that none will get stuck or clumped into primer pockets or flash holes. Still does a fantastic job of cleaning and polishing.
 
BrianC636 said:
This is what I use. I bought the little double drum rock tumbler from harbor freight then purchased the 2lb refresh kit from them and split it between drums. I can tumble around 200 pcs of brass at a time depending on caliber. I like it so far.
Click to expand...
Brian- You're not using their tumbler? Which HF one do you use? I thought for sure unless you had a lined tumbler that was sealed for water that the SS media and water would eat up a regular tumbler.
 
Speedster00 said:
Brian- You're not using their tumbler? Which HF one do you use? I thought for sure unless you had a lined tumbler that was sealed for water that the SS media and water would eat up a regular tumbler.
Click to expand...

I am using the harbor freight dual drum rock tumbler. It has 2 small rubber drums that I put a pound each of brass, media and water. Let it go for about 2 hours and stuff comes out looking brand new.
 
Ks5shooter said:
So 20/40 is the size to not get stuck in flash holes?
Click to expand...
yes, 20/40 is very fine and will not stick in the hole. The larger grit (14/20)some of the corn is just the perfect size to stick in there.

I actually want some coarser grit as it cleans really dirty brass better. I clean before depriming so I do not care about primer pockets or flash holes.
 
Problem with cat litter is what they treat it with so it doesn't clump, and it has perfume. Messes up the brass with gunk.
 
Yes. Stainless Pins are used in wet tumbling vs. the typical dry tumbling methods.

Water, some Lemi-Shine and either Dawn or I've started used some Armor All Wash and Wax to see if add some wax to the brass helps with resizing.

I tumble on the cheap side, I use the harbor freight dual drum rock tumbler but several people have built their own tumbler or purchased the one that STM offers.
 
I just ordered some 14/20 from Zoro,
it was at my door yesterday. Took maybe 3 days to get here! I wanted the coarser grit. I have a bag of finer corn and finer walnut.

$30 for 40 lbs delivered to my door. Why bother to drive 5 miles to Harbor Freight Junk store:D
 
Field Tester,

Stainless media are small "pins" of a specific length and diameter, of which there are several sizes to choose from.

Here is a link: http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

They use a rotary wet tumbler like the Thumlers Tumbler or the Exteme Tumblers Rebel 17, both on the above link.

The media is expensive but never wears out. the tumblers are expensive but the results are amazing.

Here is a link from AR15.com that discusses the media results, along with other sources to purchase them : http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/344832_Wet_tumbling_with_SS_media__lots_of_pics__New_info_second_post_1_18_2012_.html

Here is a link from AR15.com that discusses how to build your own rotary tumbler with a larger capacity for less than commercial models: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/344986_How_i_built_my_own_rotary_tumbler.html

Go from this:
P6010116.jpg

To this:
P6020117.jpg

Walnut and corn cob can't do that. The cases are just as clean on the inside as well as inside the primer pockets

There is a wealth of knowledge in the two links above concerning SS tumbling. Enjoy.
 
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