Tumbler media??

[YankeeFingergasm]

And I don't mean this:




So, what do you use? Walnut? Corncob? Something else? I read somewhere you can buy walnut on the cheap from pet stores. How long do I let it run? Does the brass get dusty?

[Mikec2003]

Walnut, yes, one hour or till it's clean, not really.


Seriously though. I use walnut media, seems to be fine. You can get some media at a pet store, I think it's sold as small rodent bedding, I let mine go for an hour, and then check on it to see if it's done, and I haven't had an issue with dusty cases.

[FLT]

Walnut to clean corncob to polish. It helps to add a little dillon or Lyman brass polish to the media of choice.

[Rumbler]

I prefer corn cob. It does not clean as fast as walnut, but it cleans shinier.

50 pounds for $37 at Grainger. That is a LOT of media.

How long to tumble is a factor of how dirty the cases are so that is nearly impossible to make a blanket statement on other than a pretty pointless one; "until it is clean". Expect it to take a couple of hours at least if you are like me and really enjoy loading cases that look like they are made of gold.

Dust. Yes. Eventually. 'course if you have 50 pounds of it . . . . you can change it when you start getting annoyed by it.

Most of us use some kind of tumbling media additive. Most commonly called "case polish". I get exceptionally cost effective service out of "NewFinish Once a Year Car Polish". It also really helps keep the dust down. Anyway . . . most modern liquid polish/wax that does not contain ammonia will probably do just fine. My point is that you can get a quart for about the same price as a pint of "cartridge case polish" and get it locally to boot.

[Mikec2003]

do you mix the polish in with the media? I've never heard of this.

[FLT]

do you mix the polish in with the media? I've never heard of this.

Yes.

[YankeeFingergasm]

How much polish and how much media? Thanks for all the info so far guys!

[mapper]

anybody run a used dryer sheet in the tumbler as well..
I haven't tried it, but from what other folks that posted about it said it cuts down the dust

[FLT]

I've heard that to but have never tried it .

[Rumbler]

Tumbler capacity (in pounds or quarts) dictates the amount of media. The goal is to add enough media to get the cases to either not be visible or just occasionally be visible as the tumbler runs (during the time the case sticks up in the air it is not being cleaned).

The amount of polish used changes. Initially it takes a fairly large amount - again dependent on the size of the tumbler. Subsequent batches run through the tumbler take significantly less.

We have two tumblers, a huge Frankford (capacity about 1200-1300 9mm cases) that takes most of a fluid ounce to 'charge' the media initially. But subsequent batches of brass, I seldom add more than perhaps a teaspoon full at most. Also a Lyman 750 tumbler - about 1/2 the capacity. Probably won't surprise you to hear I use about half as much polish in that one.

It is important to note; DO NOT add polish with cases already in the tumbler. Add the polish, run the tumbler until you see NO MORE 'lumps', then add the cases. Otherwise you will find one of those Murphys laws; polish wet media lodges inside the cases and gets really really sticky and difficult to clean out.