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Tumbling media

chaneydchaneyd Member Posts: 56 ✭✭
edited March 2012 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Anyone have a favorite media size they use? I was thinking about 14/20 for corncob and 12/20 walnut. Maybe 50/50 mix?

Thanks.
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    chaneydchaneyd Member Posts: 56 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    do you use treated media or do you get the untreated and treat it yourself? what do you recommend? thanks.
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    geeguygeeguy Member Posts: 1,047 ✭
    edited November -1
    I have been reloading for over 45 years and never heard this question, so I will be interested in other answers.

    I just have used cheapest walnut in the pet store, corn, or rice, and they all have worked very well, so I guess I'm just not as picky as some. I don't even think I ever knew there "was" a size requirement.

    Well we all will learn from these answers, which I look forward to reading.
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    chiefrchiefr Member Posts: 13,801 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    To me, walnut is superior to corn cob and much faster.

    I have used "speedy dry" which is an oil absorbant similar to cat litter to clean oxidized brass I have found with outstanding success.
    All additives, both rouges and liquids work great.
    I use an ancient Lortone rock tumbler to clean my brass. I consider it superior to the vibrators. It still works like new. I do however own 2 vibrator types that I use occasionally.
    Hope this helps
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    smith52smith52 Member Posts: 78 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    To be perfectly honest, I have never paid any attention to different sized media. I just always look for untreated corn cob media. I prefer the corn cob over the walnut because its not as abbrasive and I think I get a little more case life. I read on another forum of a gentleman that uses dried coffee grounds as media. I've been keeping my coffe grounds , figured it's worth a shot.
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    chaneydchaneyd Member Posts: 56 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The reason I was asking is that there is a blasting company close by that carries both cob and walnut media in 50lb bags for $15.00. The sizes range from flour to the size of pea rock. It's used for blasting log homes. I figured maybe 12/20 or so?

    Thanks.
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    I like rice.Cheapest kind you can find.
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    chaneydchaneyd Member Posts: 56 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    I like rice.Cheapest kind you can find.


    I tried it and for some reason, it didn't seem to work for me. After 5hrs, brass still looked dingy.
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    dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,969
    edited November -1
    I add some Kit Scratch Out to my corn cob. It's a real fine polish that I got at Walley World cheap.
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    MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,801 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Be advised that some of the "media" alternatives will bridge up in smaller caliber cases. I have had some of the corncob bedding clog the .223 cases and will not come out of the case mouth. This is a noticeable condition but a smaller clump lodged in a case would cause all sorts of problems. I've found that larger grit sizes cut grundge off the cases better but smaller grits polish better-just like sandpaper grits. Depends on what you want. I use course for knocking the filth off before sizing and fine for cleaning after sizing leaving a good shine.
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    toad67toad67 Member Posts: 13,019 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What do the numbers (14/20 and 12/20) refer to? I use walnut media for my stuff with a little dab of Brasso in it. Works great.

    T67quote:Originally posted by chaneyd
    Anyone have a favorite media size they use? I was thinking about 14/20 for corncob and 12/20 walnut. Maybe 50/50 mix?

    Thanks.
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    chaneydchaneyd Member Posts: 56 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by toad67
    What do the numbers (14/20 and 12/20) refer to? I use walnut media for my stuff with a little dab of Brasso in it. Works great.

    T67quote:Originally posted by chaneyd
    Anyone have a favorite media size they use? I was thinking about 14/20 for corncob and 12/20 walnut. Maybe 50/50 mix?

    Thanks.



    This refers to the size of the media.

    After media is ground it goes through a series of screens to separate the different size media. In the case of 10/14 the 10 designates that the media is going through a screen that has 100 holes per square inch (10x10=100) and the 14 designates the screen size per square inch (14x14=196) that the media rests on after going through the 10x10 size screen described above. In the case of 12/20 the 12 designates that the media is going through a screen that has 144 holes per square inch (12x12=144) and the 20 designates the screen size per square inch (20x20=400) that the media rests on after going through the 12x12 size screen described above.
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    MaggerMagger Member Posts: 7 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I use tartaric acid - a household cleaner if you will. 1 teaspoon in 1/2 litre luke warm water and I drop my cases in there that have already been de-primed. after 24 hrs I remove them, rub them off with a soft cloth and leave them on a homemade rack upside down in the sun for a few hours.
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    bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get a size that will either flow through or be larger than the flash hole in your cases. If you get a size too close to the hole size you will be picking stuck media out of every flash hole.

    I used rice until I purchased a 50 pound box of ground walnut. I use a dash of marvel mystery oil to keep dust down. It lasts for several thousand cases before I dump and change it.
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    SP45SP45 Member Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I started making my own media over 15 years ago. Started selling it at retail 5 years ago. This was because everone was asking how I got my brass so clean and shiney. I have a display set up at gun shows (southern Missouri) with a running tumbler for demo purposes and so that I don't have to explain every 5 minutes. I tired the various sizes of corn and decided on the 1420(they make about 6 different sizes). It meters easily and cleans the best. I add a polishing agent and my product is guaranteed to work as advertised. I sell mine for $9.00 for a 4 lb box which is more than enough for most tumblers except the large dillon. I have tumbled many thousands of pounds of brass so I have some experience in the area.
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    tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    For you folks who want no fuss, mess, dust, or having to dry casings, check this out.

    http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/?gclid=CPfPu8zx8q4CFYe8KgodF1JfLA

    You need to use a rotary tumbler, as this will eat the plastic bowls on the vibratory type tumblers. One of our Moderators, Nononsense, posted this some time ago. If I am not mistaken, he uses this system, as does myself, and at least one other member that I know of. It cuts the time in about half of the treated walnut media, or more. It also cleans the primer pockets.

    Best
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    To me, cleaning cases accomplishes only one purpose- to keep dirt and grit and soot out of my dies and out of my chamber. If they get polished and shiny, that's a nice plus. A few thoughts-

    SS pins certainly do a nice job. I can't conscience buying that whole set up to fix something that isn't broke, but if starting from scratch I might.

    Ultrasonics never did that well for me. No better than just soaking in a vinegar/water solution. Even after 3 cycles I still find pieces of soot, bullet lube, etc. on the case.

    Tumblers... on one hand the coarser media seems to do the job faster; OTOH it gets stuck in flash holes. I don't have a preference of walnut vs. corn cob, but I usually order blasting media- very fine grain stuff, good for tumbling, and won't get stuck in flash holes. The 20/40 stuff at drillspot.com is pretty good and rarely sticks in a flash hole.

    I find that rather than using case tumbling cleaner, a teaspoon of oderless mineral spirits added to the mix shines things up nicely, AND it removes oil and left over lube from cast bullets.
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    TANK78ZTANK78Z Member Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    this thread is 2.5 yrs old----
    he might have found the proper size to use by now
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by TANK78Z
    this thread is 2.5 yrs old----
    he might have found the proper size to use by now


    Ha, true.

    Then again, maybe not; I've been tumbling for 10 years and just found the blasting media last year.
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