Lyman Turbo media tumbler

[dlouie87]

I'm just beginning to reload and I just inherited one from my uncle but he left me with no instruction on how to use it. I've been reading a bunch of stuff on walnut shells, stainless, and other medias but I dont know what media is for what type of appplications?

I dont have the funds to buy SS tumbler and it's media as of right now so what would I need to get started?

What type of media/mixes are people using with their Lyman turbo? I have some 9mm, .223, and .308 brass I would like to get cleaned up.

Is the prepping process basically:

Take range or once fired brass
Put it in the tumbler
wait a few hours
Take out and sort (crimped/ not crimped) by caliber
Deprime/decap
Uncrimp?
tumble again

Clean? and with what?

Then start reloading?

-Daniel

 

[427Cobra]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

Go to the pet store and buy ground up Walnut shells, then stop by the auto parts store and buy a bottle of NuFinish car wax, fill the tumbler 3/4 full with the Walnut shells, add two cap fulls of NuFinish, turn on the tumbler, run it for about 1/2 hour to coat the media, then add your cases, tumble for 3-8 hours, the longer the better the results.

 

[Charlie Papa]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

Hi Daniel, welcome to your new obsession. With that kind of tumbler, your options are basically treated or untreated, walnut or corn cob. I've always used treated, so can't give you too much info on untreated. Walnut is said to be better at cleaning, and corn cob for polishing. A lot of guys will tumble with walnut, resize, and then polish with corn cob to get the sizing lube off. That is either a PITA or requires another tumbler. For many years, I cleaned everything with treated corn cob and had no problems. I size with Imperial sizing wax, and just wipe it off with a paper towel when I'm done so I don't get that stuff in my tumbling media, and don't have to spend the time to get all the media out of every case and primer pocket (since sizing decaps, too). Also, you can put a dryer sheet in with the brass and media and it will capture some of the dust.

The process you listed is right: brass in the tumbler for as long as it takes to get clean, 2-4 hours usually, take it out, make sure you get all the media out of the cases. Lubricate, size, remove the sizing lube (paper towel or tumble again), remove the primer crimp (if any), clean the primer pocket, trim (if necessary), chamfer, debur, prime, charge, seat the bullet.

I think all the reloading manuals contain fairly detailed instructions on each step in the front, and data in the back. You can get away with finding all your data and instructions online, but it's nice to have a hard copy you can reference at your bench. There are tons of techniques and differing opinions out there on how to do everything, and tons of how-to info on this site, so read everything you can. You'll figure out what works best for you as you go. Be careful, and have fun!

 

[Twisted .308]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

http://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/me...Code=TUMB_MEDIA

look here for the Media's and other components

 

[knight_dive]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Twisted .308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/me...Code=TUMB_MEDIA

look here for the Media's and other components </div></div>

3x as much, less money

Ground Walnut at Mcmaster Carr

They also have corn cob in 40# boxes for under $30. I'm fortunate enough to work across the street from them so shipping is a non issue for me. Downside is that address happens to be in CA. I'd rather pay shipping.

 

[ss7]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: knight_dive</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Twisted .308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/me...Code=TUMB_MEDIA

look here for the Media's and other components </div></div>

3x as much, less money

Ground Walnut at Mcmaster Carr

They also have corn cob in 40# boxes for under $30. I'm fortunate enough to work across the street from them so shipping is a non issue for me. Downside is that address happens to be in CA. I'd rather pay shipping. </div></div>

Which mesh size do you go with?

 

[Iamironman]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

This company is somewhat local to me, so I like to support them. Their media is called casebrite and it works excellent.

http://www.acaabrasives.com/metalapp.htm


For the OP, to KISS just get a container of the Lyman green corncob media. I have experimented with different pet store varieties of walnut shells, and found most of them very dusty.

 

[dlouie87]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

Thanks for all the good info.

I'm excited to get started in reloading. I can finally attempt to find the "perfect" load for my rifle rather than buying factory stuff. It's a little overwhelming but I think I'll get a hang of it. No need to rush things and safety is always #1!

@Charlie_papa, the tumbler is the Lyman Turbo.

 

[dlouie87]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Iamironman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This company is somewhat local to me, so I like to support them. Their media is called casebrite and it works excellent.

http://www.acaabrasives.com/metalapp.htm


For the OP, to KISS just get a container of the Lyman green corncob media. I have experimented with different pet store varieties of walnut shells, and found most of them very dusty. </div></div>

Okay, Thank you.

Can I use the "car polish" with this lyman green cob media? or just walnut media?

 

[aloreman]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

i use lizard litter from the pet store and nu finish car polish

 

[dlouie87]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

Do I need to clean before I tumble? I have read in other threads that people rinse out their brass with soap and water before they tumble and sort.

 

[BirdEyes]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

You don't need to clean the brass first. It prolongs the life of the media if you do so it is a time vs cost tradeoff. If your brass never hits the ground, it is a questionable savings...

 

[Iamironman]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

I've used Nufinish and didn't like it. Stick with stuff that is meant to polish metals, not paint on cars. Flitz makes a polish specifically for tumblers that works really good.

The green media is already treated, so you wont need to add anything extra to it for quite a while.

 

[former naval person]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

Yes...Nu-Finish works fine with the Lyman media...I have found that the grit size of the Lyman doesn't get caught in the flash hole nearly as bad as the Lizard Litter. You do need to check the cases each time tho.

 

[aloreman]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

Put strips of paper towel and drier sheet in with your media as well. It will keep your media clean and make it last twice as long

 

[dlouie87]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

I'm loving these little tips! Thanks and keep them coming if there are different ones you you like. I'll try these different methods with the metal and car wax/cleaner.

These are the tips I dont get in a reloading manual!

 

[aloreman]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

dont use car wax use car polish

 

[Iamironman]

Re: Lyman Turbo media tumbler

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aloreman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">dont use car wax use car polish </div></div>

Don't use either, use metal polish.