Tumbler media question

[Pighunter]

I just tumbled a bunch of 7MM Mag. cases in corn cob media. Every case is packed with media. I've been using this stuff for years with my pistol brass (straight wall) and haven't had this problem. Should I be using a different kind of media?

[Winger Ed.]

I use corn cob media and have had that happen when the media was damp.
Either high humidity, the polish media had gotten 'greasy' for lack of a better word, or the liquid additive didn't fully absorb & dry.
(Be glad you didn't find this out on a few hundred 5.56)

Once in awhile I wash & rinse my dry media in gasoline or Lacquer thinner to wash the oils and excess waxes off of it
then lay it out on newspaper to dry in the sun.
That cures it.

[jeepvet]

I use Lizard Litter from the pet shop. It is walnut hulls ground small enough that it does not hang in the flash hole. To that I add one cap full of a car polish and one cap full of mineral spirits. Let that shake until all clumps are gone before adding brass. If I am doing several batches on the same day, I can usually get two or three batches before adding more liquid. The cases will fill with media, but it dumps out easily.

[Old School Big Bore]

I keep corncob media with Lyman Turbo polish in one tumbler and walnut hull media with Dillon blue polish in the other, depending on what sort of cleaning job turns up. I use the corncob for normal light soot and the walnut for tarnish. When either media gets cloggy, I agitate them in acetone or mineral spirits, sun dry them, then load them with polish again and buzz 'em til they absorb the polish. If a particular loading had to be lubed (One Shot) before sizing, the ammo gets shaken in a damp towel and then a dry towel before boxing. That way the residual lube doesn't get into the boxes, chambers, etc and is not on the fired cases to contaminate the media again.

[CrystalShip]

You should be using a different mesh size Or grit size . Corn Cob is usually a Course mesh. Walnut has a Finer mesh . Walnut can be in Extra Course to Flour Grade. I use a fine to extra fine . This will not stick in primer Pockets. Lizard Litter can be used but it is the Bottom of the barrel with No mesh size and Not ground to a specific size
My suggestion Is Kramer Industries for proper sizing and quality

[15meter]

Harbor freight pedals walnut polishing media, $25 for 25 Lbs. With the 20% off coupon it's $20. I started using it this spring and have been pleased. It is fine enough that rarely to I get anything in the flash hole. I use NuFinish car polish, about a 2 capfuls put in after I run a batch of brass, let it run for a couple of minutes to mix and then put the polisher on the shelf. Next time I polish brass the Nufinish has dried so there is no problem with plugging up cases. Right down to 204 Ruger. I tried corn cob media once, didn't like it. I load too many bottleneck cartridges for a coarse media.

And a 25 Lb. box of media is going to last me for years, filled up gallon milk jugs with the excess. Just hope I remember I've got it when it comes time to change media.

[M-Tecs]

I use corn cobb in the 14-20. That is what Federal Cartridge uses in production. Never had an issue with plugging cases with any grit unless you add polish after adding cases. Always add polish first and let the tumbler run for at least 5 minutes before adding cases.

https://catalog.precisionfinishingin...grit/item-4220

[Pighunter]

Thanks everyone, I think I'll try the Lizard mix. The stuff I used was a corn cob mix for cat litter. I can't believe how plugged these cases are, I soaked them in a bucket with hot water but I think I made them worse.

[country gent]

A lot of cat litters have clumping additives so urine and such can be removed. any poish mineral spirits or moisture will activate this additive causing it to clump. A lot of the animal litters have this as a plus for polishing it causes issues;
I use corn cobs for blasting media I believe its 20-40 grit small enough to pass thru flash holes. To this I add a small cap of nu finish polish, a cap full of Iosso polish and 40unces of mineral spirits. Polishes as needed mineral spirits every batch. No clumping. Walnut hulls work as well. The corn cob I buy was $20.00 for 50 pound bag. Look to grainger McMaster Carr and MSC

[Life Member]

I use Lizard Litter from the pet shop. It is walnut hulls ground small enough that it does not hang in the flash hole. To that I add one cap full of a car polish and one cap full of mineral spirits. Let that shake until all clumps are gone before adding brass. If I am doing several batches on the same day, I can usually get two or three batches before adding more liquid. The cases will fill with media, but it dumps out easily.

Lizard Litter is great and lasts a long time.

[TNsailorman]

Another vote for lizard litter. I haven't used anything else wince someone told me to try it some years ago. Last a long time and polished better wit a little less run time. It is a little dusty but take it outside when the wind is blowing light and pour it from one bucket into another a couple of times and dust will blow away leaving the litter all by itself. If you try it, I think you will like it. james

[Dimner]

how do you guys avoid dust with the lizard litter?

I tumble in the workshop in my basement, I drop in 3 or 4 used dryer sheets each tumble and I still get dust everywhere. Do I need to swap the litter out more often? It still polishes very well, just dusty. I dont put in the Nu Finish but every dozen tumbles or so... basically when the polish quality diminishes. Does the Nu Finish help with dust as well?

I'm basically at the end of my patience with the lizard litter. Don't get me wrong it works great, but coats my workbench and shelves in dust.

[ReloaderFred]

The OP may want to peruse this thread in the stickies above: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Tumbler-Media

As for me, I use ground corn cob from zoro.com in the 20/40 grit, which is very fine. In fact, all four of my tumblers are running right now with it in them. A forty pound bag is something like $35.00 or so, and orders over $50.00 have free shipping.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[The Dar]

I use the Harbor Freight fine walnut media. Sold in a 25lb box which fills a five gallon bucket nicely. All my tumbling is done outdoors with the lid off the tumbler. Slightest breeze takes the dust away. I have ran my tumbler in an outside access storage closet with the lid on. I was surprised how everything in the closet got covered with dust.

[GWS]

The OP may want to peruse this thread in the stickies above: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Tumbler-Media

As for me, I use ground corn cob from zoro.com in the 20/40 grit, which is very fine. In fact, all four of my tumblers are running right now with it in them. A forty pound bag is something like $35.00 or so, and orders over $50.00 have free shipping.

Hope this helps.

Fred

I'm with Fred on corn cob 20/40 from zoro. Cheap lifetime supply and it's never stuck on me or my brass.

Attachment 249164 I add a teaspoon of Dillon polish in a large tumbler to speed things up....never noticed moistness
but then I live in New Mexico....

[15meter]

I use the Harbor Freight fine walnut media. Sold in a 25lb box which fills a five gallon bucket nicely. All my tumbling is done outdoors with the lid off the tumbler. Slightest breeze takes the dust away. I have ran my tumbler in an outside access storage closet with the lid on. I was surprised how everything in the closet got covered with dust.

With the NuFinish, I've never had a dust problem with the harbor freight walnut media, generally a capfull or two every run or every other run and have had no dust. A couple of times I've had a buildup of what appears to to coagulated dust and NuFinish on the bottom of the polisher. I just chip it out with a putty knife when it builds up, and continue running as before.

[ReloaderFred]

I'm with Fred on corn cob 20/40 from zoro. Cheap lifetime supply and it's never stuck on me or my brass.

Attachment 249164 I add a teaspoon of Dillon polish in a large tumbler to speed things up....never noticed moistness
but then I live in New Mexico....

Yep, that's the stuff. I use Berry's Brass Polish in mine, but I buy it by the quart bottles, usually a case at a time. Zoro has the best prices on media, and what's not to like about free shipping on a heavy package? They're owned by Grainger's, but seem to have better prices and better sales.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Pighunter]

OP here, I went to a major pet store today, The didn't have anything that said "Lizard" bed. They had a lot of reptile bedding that looked like beach sand?? I went to the second store and it was the same result. But in the bird section they had a 10# bag of "GROUND" walnut shells. So I bought that for $11, I have some cases in the tumbler now. It was a sand texture also but it was a little bigger than beach sand.

[15meter]

Did you add any polish compound? If not there are multiple suggestions here on what works, NuFinish car polish works for me, cheaper than the commercial rifle brass polish that is marketed. I'm sure there are other car polish brands out there that will work.

[JBinMN]

Capful of NuFinish & a capful of Mineral spirits with walnut media, has been working for me right fine.

As well, every so often I also put a couple of strips of Mineral Spirits soaked strips of paper towel about 2 inches wide & 6" long in as well & they pick up any real small dust created from the vibrations & breakdown of the walnut shells pieces.

Most of the time I do a shake up/rinse of Mrs. Wares citrus acid powder/dish detergent/hot water, then dump into a collander & shake it to get the liquid out of the cases, then rinse in the colander, shake again & then put into a towel like a hammock & swish the cases arounf BEFORE I even put them in the tumbler. Keeps the media cleaner that way.

In regard to the primers, I generally leave them in & clean later when I deprime.

YMMV of course, but that is how it works for "me", anyway...

BTW... I tried the corncob from Lyman with the polish already in it & I had the same trouble with the stuff getting into the primer pockets on a lot of them, so I just went to the walnut stuff...
I mixed the corncob stuff in with the walnut stuff until I got rid of the corncob. Won't be buying it again, I am thinking..


G'Luck! in figuring out what works for you...


P.S. - I am another who bought the H. Freight box of walnut shell blasting media & have no complaint what so ever...