Brass tumbling question

B

Brando1992

New member
Hi there, I am new to reloading. I finally took the plunge and got a tumbler and am using crushed walnut from a pet store, I have included in the mix a few dryer sheets as suggested in a previous form post i saw somewhere. But the problem I am having is inside the cases there is so much of the walnut left over sticking to the sides. I have to scrape it out or use a q tip. Any suggestion on how to prevent this from happening?
 
What else is in the media? Just dryer sheet shouldn't do this. I started tumbling "pre-web" and used plain walnut shells fro PetSmart with nothing else. Cases came out clean semi-shiny and no media stuck to the cases. Check to see if any additives are in your pet litter and make sure everything is dry (no oil, case lube, water, etc.). Try tumbling with brass and media only, don't try to fix problems before they happen (dryer sheets to reduce dust)...

Over the years I've experimented with everything I could imagine from pet litters to wood chunks, charcoal, rice/dried beans, beach sand, "Good Mews" cat litter, commercial hard resin media and glass beads. The best I found is corn cob blast media. It is consistent and a bit "harder", more aggressive, but still shine well, than pet litter and I still have some of my 40 lb. bag after 6 years... http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media
 
Last edited:
Use cob! I have a bit stick now and then but nothing serious. I'm never used walnut shell. I've read that the stuff from the pet shop works but is coarser that the stuff made for tumbling.

By the way, I never put any kind of additive's in the cob.
 
My first thought is was it a used dryer sheet? Sounds like you used a new one. Personally I prefer crushed corn cob. I see you are in Dallas, you can buy it at Graingers.
 
Most likely its not fine enough, I would dump it & get it from MidwayUSA or another gun store. I switched to wet tumbling with Stainless Steel pins. Cleans the cases inside like new. I used dry tumbling with corn & walnut media , would use a pistol rod & patch to get any media out of the case , still when sizing I would see some media on the press . I mostly reload for 308 it would build up by the shoulder, didn't want media left in the case . After cleaning I would tap the case some would come out & load powder, then when I installed a patch in the case & more came out , that's when I switched to wet. I used media for 25+ years.
 
Thanks for the input! This is the media I am using, I used 1 or 2 new dryer sheets to tumble the media. I will try and remove the dryer sheets and see if that helps. If I continue to have problems I will run over to Graingers! Thanks jag2!
 
USED dryer sheets; new ones still have the chemical on them. All they are for is keeping dust to a minimum. My tumbler (Thumler's) has a solid lid, so I have no dust issues and do not use dryer sheets.

I mix 1/3 corn to 2/3 walnut with grated jeweler's rouge and a tiny bit of Nu-finish. Works great. A dollar store colander fits inside an old round powder dish soap bucket for emptying the media from the brass. All of those materials cost me about $10 total for a few years worth of cleaning supplies.
 
Oops, guess I never saw the memo about the used dryer sheets instead of new :eek: Newbie mistake. I bet that is the issue i am having
 
I'm not sure if that media will get better or not. May need to toss it. If you go to Graingers get the 20-40 size. 40 pound bag will be about $40 but will last for many years. They may have to bring it in so you may have to go back a few days later.
 
Brando1992 wrote:
...mix a few dryer sheets...
Click to expand...

The dryer sheets should be used, not new.

Also, the brass should be dry.

Check the litter to see if anything else has been added to it.

I've been using crushed walnut media exclusively for dry tumbling for more than 20 years. I use walnut media sold as walnut media, not pet litter, and I make sure my brass is dry before tumbling and I have never had the problem you describe.
 
During my lunch break i ran home and poured our the media and brass i had in the tumbler and threw away the dryer sheets. I refilled the tumbler with brand new media and untouched brass, hopefully that will remedy it. I will find out when I get home! thanks for all the input! I have found with the litter i am using that multiple reviews show it has worked perfectly for dry tumbling so I am thinking the only issue was the dryer sheets i added in. I will start collecting used ones in case I need them down the road! thanks everyone!
 
The problem you describe typically sounds somewhat like what happens when a polishing media like the Nu-Finish auto polish is added to the walnut shells BUT is still clumped up while running the tumbler with brass. Should you use polishing media eventually, make sure it has been broken up and distributed throughout before adding the cases. Otherwise the situation will be worse than you describe since the walnut and polishing media will imbed itself in the cases. Can't understand the new dryer sheets causing the problem--have never experienced that.
 
I've been cleaning my brass in a vibratory tumbler with 20-40 crushed walnut shells for a whopping 7 months now. I do add a small slurp of nu-finish now and then and except for the first time....I let the tumbler run a few minutes before I add the brass. :o I use the smelly dryer sheets cut into thirds and they're new because I bought them by mistake and my wife won't use them in the laundry. Since my one excursion with improperly adding the nu-finish into the process, I haven't had any problems with concrete forming inside the cases.
 
Last edited:
My tumbler (Thumler's) has a solid lid, so I have no dust issues and do not use dryer sheets.
Click to expand...
The dust in the walnut tumbling media does not come from leaving the lid off. The dust is walnut media breaking down into dust. The dryer sheets collects the dust...or when it starts getting dusty, just replace it with new.
 
I have a Lyman vibratory tumbler. I use corn cob media with some Maguires liquid polishing compound. I have been using my current batch for about 2 years. I have 2 levels of cleaning and polishing. When I get in from the range I dump my brass into the tumbler and use my darker media to clean most of the dirt/grunge off. I then sort by caliber and depending on the caliber by headstamp. When I am prepping for a load I will drop it back in a cleaned up tumbler with the cleaner media that has the polishing compound well mixed/dried for a couple of hours.

When my media gets dark I will use some dish washing detergent and water to release the dirt and grime. I rinse it 4 to 5 times to get the detergent out. I lay it out on a sheet of plastic in my basement to dry for a few days then drop it into the tumbler and run it for a few hours and add some polishing compound. This becomes my polish and the other batch becomes the cleaner.

I have washed the media about 4 times each in the past 2 years and I have cleaned and polished about 18k rounds.
 
Moisture or a 'Clumping Agent' is the problem with animal bedding or litter box media.

'Desert Blend' walnut bedding media works OK right out of the bag, it's dryer.
Otherwise I throw it in the oven and dry it out.

The corn cob kitty litter has a clumping agent that you seriously have to dry out before it works even close to correctly.

The dryer sheets works OK if it's USED, been through the dryer and dried out, otherwise it's useless.

When your media is TOO DRY, and makes a lot of dust,
Take it outside and pour it from one container to another several times, the dust will separate & drift off.
If you aren't using soap & water to clean the sticky 'Grease' off cases first, your media will plug up fairly quickly and it will take several hours to work for bright shiny cases...

Remember, corn cob & walnut she'll are POLISHING media, NOT cleaning media.
Walnut CAN be washed (separate dust first!) With a solvent that evaporates fairly quickly, but most reloaders don't bother...
Alcohol comes to mind as cheap & effective.

There is usually water in most common alcohol, so dry in the oven or OPEN stove top pan before you reuse it.
Polishing additives STINK in the oven, so wash with alcohol or other solvent first before your wife kicks your butt for sticking stinky stuff in the oven!
And go to the dollar store & get your own cookie sheet or bread pan to dry your media, or you will get your butt kicked twice! (I speak from experience!)
Generally, under 150*F. and time dries out all mistakes...

If you don't use alcohol or other quick drying solvent,
A 'Knee High' woman's stocking stuck inside of an old sweat sock makes for a way to run your media through the wash, just remember to run a load of jeans afterwards because the the gunpowder residue is greasy/sticky & needs to be cleaned out of the washer...
Again, keeping you from getting your butt kicked!
The deal is to leave room for the media to move around, don't compress it.
Stockings & sweat socks come in pairs, so two large socks will do the usual load from a vibratory tumbler.

Depending on your volume, a coffee can with water and a shot of detergent shaken or rolled two minutes will usually work fine, gets the gummy/greasy powder residue off the brass.
Hot water makes short work of brass washing! Really gets the crud off, so it doesn't wind up in your POLISHING media.
Dishwasher soap FOR HARD WATER works better than normal dish soap, it's usually got an acid additive that helps clean off the brass, but plain old 'Dawn' works fine too, just makes a lot of suds.
A sprinkle of 'Lemi-Shine' (for hard water) with detergent also cuts the grease much faster & it's cheap from any discount store.
Just a little bit of both goes a LONG way, so don't over do it!


'Dust' Control' is usually a moisture content issue.
A wax or polish will add moisture that keeps dust down, you know you used too much when you get clumps...

Personally, I wash brass with a grease cutting solvent or detergent & water,
Spin the brass to knock off excess water & separate steel pins,
Throw that damp brass into a dry media tumbler and let the media dry the brass while polishing it.
The small amounts of water carried into the media keep the dust under control and if the media gets too much moisture (or polish) I simply throw it on a heat source and dry it out again.

Having NON-greasy brass going into the polish media makes the polish media last MUCH longer since you aren't clogging up the pores in the media with crud in the first place...
Common sense, but everyone ignores the basics...
 
Last edited:
This bears repeating, so I'll say it again,
And keep in mind that I tumble brass on an industral scale, so longevity of media & an efficient process are key...

First off,
Walnut & Corn Cob are POLISHING media, NOT CLEANING MEDIA!

THE OLD SAYING OF "GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT" APPLIES PERFECTLY HERE!

*IF* You want to waste your media's effectiveness, then by all means drop that sticky, gummy, greasy powder residue brass in the POLISHING media and plug up the polishing surfaces!

If you want to do things CORRECTLY & QUICKLY (emphasis on quickly, time is money),
Then use a SOLVENT to clean off the sticky residue!
(Like the solvent you use to get the same sticky crud out of the firearm!)

WASH THE BRASS!
Dawn & water will do that job in 5 minutes, an acidic hard water additives or detergent will do that job in 2 minutes.

The only 'Specality' tool needed is a sealed container, pickle jar, coffee can, etc.

Spin/shake the water out of the brass, the very small amount of moisture the brass carries into the dry media will work as dust control without clumping, particularly with walnut shell media.

*IF* your media gets too wet, 20 minutes in the oven at 150*F. will dry it out again...


Second,
'Dust' is crud from the cases & media breaking down.
Dust is dangerous to breathe.
ANY small particles (dust) is dangerous to breathe, more so with gunpowder residue.

Without ANY specialized equipment, other than a damp rag over your face if you aren't smart enough to get UP WIND of the dust,
You can simply spread out a sheet, towel, tarp, etc and pour your media from one container to another.

The dust being lighter, will drift off from the granular media.

Dust control is as simple as a misting squirt bottle (like an old Windex bottle) or a USED dryer sheet.
Adding SMALL AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE (water) to the media hurts nothing, and controls dust.
A few small sprits from a squirt bottle stops dust issues. Period.

THIRD,
Common sense...
Clean media works MUCH faster than old, plugged up media.
Cleaning off the greasy crud first saves a crap load of tumbler time.
Tumblers cost money & wear out. The LESS tumbler time you have, the longer the tumbler lives.
The cleaner the media, the faster it works & gets replaced less often, saving time & money.

The point here is, you work for money, that saves you time at work for media & tumbler cash,
And it speeds up the reloading process so you can shoot more for less money over all.

This is the 'Dollars & (common) Sense' end of things...

Walnut shell media can be cleaned, but that also takes time.

The best 'System' is to wash the brass with a grease cutting solvent FIRST so you don't plug the media up!
A few drops of detergent & water are CHEAP, but the TIME you save is priceless,
The brass POLISHES faster, and you don't spend time cleaning media...
------

And now, rebuttal by guys arguing AGAINST common sense because they don't do it that way.... In 3, 2, 1...
 
Last edited:
JeepHammer, I never tried washing my brass with Dawn & water before I put it in the vibrator/tumbler. Makes perfect sense, I'll try that next time. Thanks for the tip.
 
First off,
Walnut & Corn Cob are POLISHING media, NOT CLEANING MEDIA!
Click to expand...
Nevertheless, that is what I (ground walnut) and thousands of others have been using in their tumblers for years. I have never cared about polishing, just cleaning the carbon off after firing and it (walnut) works. I am sad to hear it no longer works. :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top