More globs like cat poop

Y

yober

New member
OK, so I pour a generous amount of the polish this time and run the vibrator for a half hour and check on it -- it's still clumpy, large ones, like cat turds in a litter box. Moist, too. So I have to stick my hands in and find and break up the cat turds. Surely this is not the right way to do this.
 
I don't know what you are doing, but generally a full tumbler needs about a teaspoon every 3 loads of brass you run through it..


Speaking about a "dry" corn cob media polisher.
 
I just bought a Frankfort Arsenal vibratory tumbler kit and it came with brass polish. I have been squirting out about that amount onto the medium, and then run in the tumbler for about a half hour before dumping brass in. The liquid seems to clump up like cat poop in a litter box and not break up. Haven't tried other polishes yet but it has the consistency of Mother's car wax, so I figured it's OK.

(First time I ran it, forgot to read the instructions and dumped it right on the brass. Ended up with globs I had to clean out. Won't do that again.)

What breaks up the globs?
 
Yes breaking up the clumps with the fingers inserted into the tumbler while running is the fastest and best way to get things underway. Just do a good job of breaking up the clumps, and don't have any brass included during thst breaking up process. When finally tumbling don't overlook adding cut up strips from fabric softener sheets to collect the dust that will accumulate. Maybe not necessary to do it every time, but like every other. This will help keep the tumbling media clean and lasting longer. When the media and strips start getting considerably darker than the initial media, it is usually time to replace the media. Also if dust not removed, you may get nicely polished brass but covered with a layer of media dust.
 
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But does everybody get the clumping, or is it just me?

(Maybe I don't wanna know the answer....)
 
You can certainly run it without polish and save the trouble; I never bother anymore with it myself. I'm looking for clean, don't really care about super shiny.
 
No it's not just you; everyone gets the clumping who uses polisher like Nu-Finish auto polsh. I guess the polishing media used could make the difference as to how much clumping. The Nu-Finish auto polish used by many is probably thicker than what you are using. I have never found the breaking up of the clumps as being any problem and do use quite a bit of Nu-Finish for initial applications and add the equivalent of several capfulls periodically thereafter.
 
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A friend of mine had some misfires and squibs. Turns out that globs of wet polish and media had gotten into his cases and dried hard like concrete. I retired my liquid polish after that episode.

I use a powdered polishing additive now. I'm told it's the same as jeweler's rouge. I think the directions called for a capful every third or fourth use of the media.
 
i get a couple clumps, i used to use thin car-wash with wax. i just break them up and it's good. i made the mistake of using too much once, and after blowing out the primer clogs with pursed lips, i didn't do it again.

i have since switched to the aerosol type wash/wax that foams up on the surface and has turned out to work eally really well. armor all something or another, it cleans well and gets em shiny. i also add two to three packets of lemon juice from the gas station.
 
I don't get clumps. . . . i did once, because I way overloaded the media. You will need to remove ~ 50% of the "wet" media and add dry media to unclump.
 
I've also used the Frankford Arsenal tumbler with corncob (~3 lbs). With untreated corncob I start with half the recommended polish amount and thoroughly vibrate for 1/2 hour before adding brass to be cleaned.

When I recharge, I add only one teaspoon (at most) in subsequent cleaning sessions. Regardless, I break up any clumps if seen. It doesn't take long.

A little goes a long way. This is combined with cut-up used dryer sheets.

Been doing this for a couple of years now and the brass is reasonably polished and mostly clean without any noticeable residue. I haven't had any squib issues (knock on wood) or any primer/misfire issues yet.
 
I have that problem when it is damp out or real humid.
The media absorbs the moister and the polish can't be absorbed as well into the media.
I just break the clumps up and let is run longer before adding the brass.

Here in Texas right now it is so humid from all the rain I had to pour my media on a cookie sheet and bake is at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. It was damp to the touch. You could pour it in your hand and squeeze it and it stayed in a ball.

What is bad is my media is stored in a sealed bucket and it still does this when it is real humid or wet outside. (treated corn cob media)
 
Yober,

With new media, run machine outdoors with the lid off on a sunny day with low humidity. As the grit starts to move around, drizzle the initial polish quantities into the moving media in a spiral. Let it run for an hour with the lid off so the moisture can escape.

Once you start to polish cases, rather than add a teaspoon every three tumbles, drizzle about 1/3 of a teaspoon into every tumble to minimize clumping. Let the machine run 15 minutes to work 1/3 teaspoon in. With the small quantity you shouldn't need to run outdoors with the lid off. You never want to run used media indoors with the lid off, as primer residue, which has lead in it, will contaminate the air and surfaces all around the machine. This has been measured.

Between uses, with the machine off, you can leave the lid off for a day or more to let moisture dry out, unless you have it in a humid place.
 
You never want to run used media indoors with the lid off, as primer residue, which has lead in it, will contaminate the air and surfaces all around the machine.
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I have a piece of cloth with a hole in the center that covers the bowl on my Lyman Turbo tumbler to keep all the dust contained

The hole goes over the threaded rod then the rubber nut holds it in place
 
OK, so I pour a generous amount of the polish this time and run the vibrator for a half hour and check on it -- it's still clumpy, large ones, like cat turds in a litter box. Moist, too. So I have to stick my hands in and find and break up the cat turds. Surely this is not the right way to do this.
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Rifle or pistol cases? If only pistol, my buzz bucket takes a break.

What might help: SS pin tumbling. Buzz bucket for cleaning lube off rifle cases only. Once you have enough polish distributed throughout the media, you won't need to add more for a while. No lead dust to worry about as well.
Just add slowly with a loaded bucket, the movement of the brass will break up the clumps. Just be careful not to drop liquid polish in the case and inspect each case when done.
It's more work but I actually get more done because it gets cases cleaned faster, inside and out, flash holes included (if you deprime first). One hour wet tumbling equals 2-4 hrs dry (YMMV). Lube removal only takes 1/2 hr.
 
My polishing compound idea

I just put my polishing compound in a metal pan and let the moisture evaporate out of the compound and scrape some out and add to the
tumbler as needed. Its a simple solution and works well.
 
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