Needing new media what's good

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bungiex88

New member
I'm sure this has been answered but for some reason I can't search for it because Everytime I click on search it dissappears. Feel free to post a link to a topic if there is one or just answer here. I'm looking at buying new media mines about worn out. It was corn cob media which came with my tumblr. It seems to work alright but would mind something better. Is the walnut media any better. Or whats a very good media that cleans brass very well. My stuff is in the basement so I'm not concerned with dust or nothing like that.
 
Yes, this topic is discussed frequently, and I'll start by mentioning the popular walnut shell media used by numerous members of the forum. No doubt others will be forthcoming with the same recommendation. Talking about the Zilla brand finely ground English walnut shells, also known as lizard litter, that is relatively inexpensive and obtained from pet supply stores. This media is then often used with a car polish called NuFinish Auto Polish. A quantity of this, like several cap fulls, is added to the media for improving the polishing of the brass. Note that when the NuFinish is added to the media it will clump and, with the tumbler running, break up the clumps before adding the brass. If cases are added before breaking up the clumps, they will find their way into the case mouths and annoying to remove. The polish needs to be replenished after several or more tumblings when the brass is not coming out with its usual shine. Accumulated dust can be removed by adding cut up strips of fabric softener dryer sheets every two to four tumblings.
 
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Lizzard bedding is the least expensive way. You media is not worn out just dirty. You can dump your media into a bucket with some laundry soap and wash it of a few days. The hardest part is the rinse. I used a plastic tray with some holes in it lined with window screen.
 
I've honestly had major dust problems (as in a coating of dust inside and outside the casing) using lizard bedding or ground walnut shells. I've settled on ground yellow corncob (not the red or green since they leave dust too) with a cap full of New Finish or Cabela's brass cleaner.
 
Grainger

http://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Blast-Media-2MVR5?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP

Forget about pet litter/bedding, it's usually way too big for tumbler media. The above link is for the Grainger 20/40 grit corn cob, which is small enough to NOT get stuck in the primer flash holes. Lots of people tumble after resizeing to get off case lube or de-cap before tumbling to help get primer pockets clean. The 20/40 grit will not leave a chunk of corn cob in the flash holes. It also shines better, because more contact with smaller grit polishes quicker.

39 bucks for 40 pounds is a really good deal, but be advised, that's enough to last a very long time. Or give ¾ of it away, that results in you having enough to last for years.

Walnut media does a better job of cleaning tarnish from cases, but the finish is duller.

Stay away from stuff like tuff-nut that has rouge impregnated into it. The rouge is greasy and will leave a fine coating of rouge on the case and inside as well.
 
I'll jes add my .02 here; I don't find Zila Desert blend any better than any other pet bedding I've tried and not as good as corn cob blast media (how much quality control goes into something used for your lizard to poop in?). While you can get away with pet bedding (and I've tried stuff from rice, dried beans/peas, to wood chinks, beach sand to "Good Mews" cat litter and prolly a dozen other things I forget right now), I have found a superior product, made just for polishing/cleaning metal parts. http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media. If youn wanna use all the "hints" about auto polish, dryer sheets. mineral spirits, go ahead, normlly won't hurt anything, but after playing with tumbling for 20+ years I now use plain cob with an occasional dollop of auto polish and nekkid cob blast media works quite well...:D
 
Lizard bedding is also known as small pet bedding. A great big bag(runs less that $20. Don't buy this stuff online. Shipping will kill you. One place wants $36 to ship a 50 pound bag worth $35.
 
Re: post #11 by snuffy indicating pet bedding usually too big for tumbler media

I guess some could be but the Zilla lizard bedding under discussion has the finest granules of walnut shells, or other media, that you could ever find and will not plug up primer pockets.
 
^^^^^^^ What he said. Lizard bedding is very small. That is half the reason I switched to it. I shoot 6MMBR, Very small flash holes, Never gets stuck or plugged. As for shine- A squirt of Car wax ( does not have to be Nu Finish). And it will shine as good or better then anything else.
Snuffy- I sell brass on the side- I run through about 20 lbs a month of Media.
Now that slacks off in the winter to a point. I do not use dryer sheets or TP either. The stuff is so cheap, I just tumble till it's dirty and throw away and refill tumbler with fresh.
This week alone now- Getting caught up from being lazy:D, I have tumbled 200-30-06, 300 or so 270's, couple hundred 243,308 couple thousand 9MM,40SW and 45 ACP. I am now down to about 7000-223's to go.
 
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I've been using a 50/50 walnut shell/corn cob mix, with a few torn up (used, not new!) drier sheets every load.

This is admittedly a compromise--from what I've read (and my experience supports this) the walnut is harder, and gives a bit less shine to the brass. Once I've used it all up, I will probably just go with the corn cob media.

The drier sheets suck up a lot of the dirt/primer residue...you throw them away every load, keeping the media clean.

I throw in a cap of NuFinish once every half-dozen loads or so, running the tumbler for 15 minutes or so (I don't add the drier sheets or the brass until the 15 minute run to break up the clumps in the NuFinish).

I think I am at 16 loads of brass through this batch of media, and it still looks great.
 
I have used corn & walnut, liked walnut better. Didn't stick in flash hole. What I feel is best is wet tumbler with Stainless Steel Pins does a much better job on cleaning brass inside & out even primer pockets.
 
I just use cheap old Harbor Freight crushed walnut shells and tumble prior to depriming. Don't have to worry about plugged flash holes.
 
Use 20/40 corn. Won't stick in flash hole or primer pocket.
Call Granger or check with Harbor Freight
ALL the nut media will generate a lot of dust and that dust HAS packed in my cases and I had to hand-scrape about 500 cases to get the packed in dust out.
If you have cases caked in dried mud, you need nut media. Otherwise, corn is better.
 
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