adding polish to your media ?

I use a two-step process.

Crushed walnut hulls are used to clean the brass. Nothing is added but walnut and brass.

I separate the brass and walnut and then add corn cob to the tumbler. I add a little Frankford Arsenal Brass Polish to the corn cob and let it tumble for five minutes or so and then add the brass.
 
I use corn cob media and drizzle the polish into the media as the tumbler is running. I then stir the media and polish with a whisk and any clumps rapidly disappear.
 
How did that work? I have some cat litter left over after the cat died...

I've been considering things to do with it. Not getting another feline.
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The only one that worked (but not great) was "Good Mews". It is a litter that looks like rabbit feed, small green pellets that are kinda hard. The "normal" clay (diatomaceous earth) just breaks down into dust before it cleans.

One of my favorite media mixes is some HF hard plastic pyramids, about 1/4", mixed with corn cob blast media, 25/75 ratio. The plastic media will last forever, but used alone is pretty aggressive, and leaves a dull matt finish...

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-rust-cutting-resin-abrasive-tumbler-media-60542.html
 
I use Flitz paste. It will clump if not premixed.

Pour out about 1/2 cup of your media in a mixing cup and add your polishing compound (Flitz paste in my case). Use the back side of a spoon to mash the paste into the media. Keep mixing in the cup until the polish is fully incorporated into the media.

Add that mix to the rest of the media your tumbler, run it for a couple of minutes, and then add your brass.
 
I wash the cases with citric acid, then when dry, run them through the walnut media. no polish or wax, or dryer sheets, cases come out like factory new.
 
I tried the wax thing over the weekend with 223 and 9mm cases in corn cob for about 3hrs and while they didn't come out super shiny gold color like some of the brass i seen they are very nice looking and it seems to have cleaned some of the stuff off the outside too. they have a dull polished color to them but cleaned them up nice.
 
I wash the cases with citric acid, then when dry, run them through the walnut media. no polish or wax, or dryer sheets, cases come out like factory new.
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Can you use lemon juice (or similar) or is that what you mean and I just embarrassed myself? :o
 
No offence to anyone, but case tumbling is the most talked about but least important part of case prep. and everyone has the "best" method...:D :D
 
Primer Hole Cleaner Method:

I too prefer the cone cob, but as noted it gets into the primer holes.

I have a Lyman Hand trimmer tool that has a small pin on the end.

I just knock the stuff out of the shells and then use the pin on all of them (I don't bother to look) and knock out the stuff if its there.

Usually a quack grind on the prep station for the primer pocket.

Solves that problem.

Hadn't realized the thing about the dryer sheets, I will try that.

I just let mine run over night or 8 hours or so, usually don't add anything to the media.

I know it does not matter but I do like those lovely shiny rounds. Quality looking as well as done.
 
robhic,

some people use lemon juice, it does contain citric acid, but also other ingredients like sugar and the like that you really don't want in your brass cleaning solution, I buy pure citric acid off the web, and add two table spoons to a gallon of hot water, drop in the brass, and after a few minutes, the come out like new....then tumble for added shine, and they will look like they just came from the factory.
 
Corn cob media and a capfull of NuFinish. If you let it run for about 10-15 minutes it will "de-clump", then add the brass. I also add the used dryer sheets ripped in one inch sections... keeps the dust down and makes the media last longer IMO. Replace as needed, and when I notice that the media is taking longer to clean the brass add another capfull. The other benefit of the polish is it adds a bit of "lube" to the brass, makes it easier to resize in carbide dies. That's my experience anyway...
 
Corn cob media. I saturate small pieces of toweling. 1" X 1-1/2" with Brasso than let the tumbler and brass do what it their suppose to do.

Tried pouring Brasso directly into the media only to find it ruins the media's tumbling ability due too to much or >over saturation. Toweling Brasso polish in. I've never encountered a problem. 1-1-1/2 hours and my brass sparkles better than new. (3-4 pcs of cloth is all that's required) Toweling left rotating in the polisher. Simply buffs my brass to bling/bling appearance.
 
Sure Shot Mc Gee:
Corn cob media. I saturate small pieces of toweling. 1" X 1-1/2" with Brasso than let the tumbler and brass do what it their suppose to do.

Tried pouring Brasso directly into the media only to find it ruins the media's tumbling ability due too to much or >over saturation. Toweling Brasso polish in. I've never encountered a problem. 1-1-1/2 hours and my brass sparkles better than new. (3-4 pcs of cloth is all that's required) Toweling left rotating in the polisher. Simply buffs my brass to bling/bling appearance.
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My understanding was always to avoid Brasso because it contains ammonia which makes unhappy brass. While the Marine Corps did teach me Brasso was a gift from the Gods and makes things shine I thought using any polish that contained ammonia was not a good idea for brass cartridge cases. Apparently it has worked for you with no ill side effects.

Ron
 
I use two tumblers one with walnut the other with corn, with a couple of shots of car polish...... works like a charm.

Thewelshm
 
I deprime on my drill press and use a small rock tumbler, hot water (coffee pot hot), Lemishine and dish soap. Lemishine does a great job for water based cleaning / shining
 
I use crushed walnut media in my Thumbler's Tumbler. I buy it at the local feed and grain for 25 pounds for $10. I add a tablespoon of silver paste polish to it once. I clean a lot of range pick-up brass and I like the brass clean. In 1/2 hour to a maximum of one hour I can clean a load of brass. I separate the media from the cases through a 1/8" metal screen. If it takes more than 1 hour to clean the brass I wash the media in warm (hot) water with a couple of teaspoons of liquid dish washing soap. I let it soak over night and then filter it through a piece of window screen. It is rinsed with hot water and dried. In the mean time I am using new media with a tablespoon of silver paste polish. I can reuse the cleaned media several times and I add a tablespoon of silver polish once it is dry.

Ammonia attacks copper as quickly as acid attacks zinc. Washing your brass in acid - even a mild acid like citric acid removes zinc from the brass. Using Ammonia will remove copper from the brass. Either way you are altering the alloy of the brass in a bad way. It is best to use neutral polishing media. Using wax in a tumbler makes your brass shiny - because it is coated with wax. Wax is a lubricant and you don't want any lubricants in your chamber.
It is usually alright to use an automotive car polish as long as it does not contain wax. Buffing compounds are good as long as you use a neutral color - red, green and blue are great for metals that you are going to buff or clean after you get them shiny but the color left behind can make your brass "funny looking".
Just my opinion - you may feel free to take it or leave it - it is certainly worth at least what you paid for it. :)
 
I use Frankford Arsenal citrus case polish.

I dump the media in the tumbler. Turn it on and drizzle a little bit of polish into the media as it's tumbling. When most of the little clumps break up. I add the cases and go do something else.
 
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