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Tumbling bullets?
- Thread starter Chainsaw.
- Start date
I acquired some bullets from an estate that were covered with some sort of gunk that actually ruined my batch of tumbling media. They turned the corncob media dark and that batch couldn't clean anymore so I had to throw it out.
The gunk was a sticky blueish grayish stuff that was firmly stuck to a whole box of Hornady 150 grain .277 round points. After my tumbling mishap, I washed them in some dish soap amd the gunk came off with a fair amount of scrubbing. It was a lot of work for a box of bullets.
The gunk was a sticky blueish grayish stuff that was firmly stuck to a whole box of Hornady 150 grain .277 round points. After my tumbling mishap, I washed them in some dish soap amd the gunk came off with a fair amount of scrubbing. It was a lot of work for a box of bullets.
Cleaning in a tumbler is kind of hard on media if you have really gunky brass. Preclean it in the clothes washer. I have a canvas bag with drawstring. I load it up with dirty brass, and run it through with jeans. the brass comes out clean, and tumbling takes a fraction of the time and the media stays clean.
Use a heavy bag, the sharp case mouths will cause a lot of wear. After you wash, it's a good idea to leave it somewhere warm to dry them completely. Toss them out in the sun on a sheet pan for a day, summer or winter.
Use a heavy bag, the sharp case mouths will cause a lot of wear. After you wash, it's a good idea to leave it somewhere warm to dry them completely. Toss them out in the sun on a sheet pan for a day, summer or winter.
I should have mentioned that the reason for the above it that heavy fouling clogs up the pours in corncob and the fiber interstices in walnut which glazes them both. A smooth, glazed surface doesn't rub dirt off nearly as well as a matte surface does because of the lack of friction between them and the fouling.
Lots of normal brass rub-off will tend to stick preferentially to strips of used clothes drier sheets added to the tumble. I don't believe grease will. However, if you add strips of rags moistened with mineral spirits to the mix, it will pick some of the grease up and clean off some of the glaze. That said, as was pointed in this post in another thread, getting some 20-40 grit from an industrial supplier or from air/sand/bead/abrasive blasting supply house makes it so cheap that tossing it out barely registers in the budget. At McMaster-Carr, it's $27 for 40 lbs plus shipping, which is about as cheap as I see it on line. But if you have a supply place near by (most big cities do), you can just drive over to buy it and drive it home with you, probably for less. 20-40 grit is called "fine" grade.
Lots of normal brass rub-off will tend to stick preferentially to strips of used clothes drier sheets added to the tumble. I don't believe grease will. However, if you add strips of rags moistened with mineral spirits to the mix, it will pick some of the grease up and clean off some of the glaze. That said, as was pointed in this post in another thread, getting some 20-40 grit from an industrial supplier or from air/sand/bead/abrasive blasting supply house makes it so cheap that tossing it out barely registers in the budget. At McMaster-Carr, it's $27 for 40 lbs plus shipping, which is about as cheap as I see it on line. But if you have a supply place near by (most big cities do), you can just drive over to buy it and drive it home with you, probably for less. 20-40 grit is called "fine" grade.
This is exactly what i did in the first place. Bought a big box of walnut, and a box of cob, and they weren't quite so expensive, more like ten. a few more dollars for a bottle of brass polish media treatment. Add the dope to the cob as you shake it, dry it, and turn the brass in. No need for hours of work, mostly an hour or so, and when the stuff gets filthy, or it takes more than a few hours, dump it and add another two dollars worth of media.
But, as I mentioned before, if a person washes off the soot, grease, dust, and other gunk that will come of with soap and water, that is the biggest half of the battle. Don't "clean" your brass in a tumbler, clean it in water, and use the tumbler to polish off tarnish, and prevent corrosion.
Just my two cents.
But, as I mentioned before, if a person washes off the soot, grease, dust, and other gunk that will come of with soap and water, that is the biggest half of the battle. Don't "clean" your brass in a tumbler, clean it in water, and use the tumbler to polish off tarnish, and prevent corrosion.
Just my two cents.
Emerson Biggies
New member
Are the bullets that you mentioned somehow connected to primed brass cases????? If so you are talking about ammunition and not just bullets.
Tumbling ammunition can be dangerous. I'm surprised someone else has not questioned this. I have tumbled loose ammunition in the past, but I put the tumbler out in my shed before turning it on.
Should my tumbler become a noise maker, it would not hurt anyone if it pops a round or two.
Tumbling ammunition can be dangerous. I'm surprised someone else has not questioned this. I have tumbled loose ammunition in the past, but I put the tumbler out in my shed before turning it on.
Should my tumbler become a noise maker, it would not hurt anyone if it pops a round or two.
I suggest that you buy bulk cob media, and tumble it dry. No matter how much exposed lead you have, that lead will ruin your media. Discard when it gets dirty.
If you have hollow points or other problems with lots of exposed lead, try a batch, watch for results, and if you find excessive peening of the exposed hollow points, you must stop.
If you have hollow points or other problems with lots of exposed lead, try a batch, watch for results, and if you find excessive peening of the exposed hollow points, you must stop.