So I just got my first tumbler in the mail today and I have already cleaned about 500 rounds of 9mm with corn cobb and polishing material. How often do I change it? Also I have read that guys will use dryer sheets and brass-o to help clean media but I cant find out why or how this helps. Can anyone help me?
- Thread starter nikdanja
- Start date
Dryer sheets attract and keep the dust down. The more additives you use, the shorter the likely useful media life. Take note of roughly how long it takes to clean how-well in your tumbler. When performance falls off that bechmark, try changing the media.
Or go to a wet tumbler
It lasts a while. I threw mine out after cleaning thousands of pieces of .308 fired from a semi, only to realize after the fact that the media was perfectly good.
Polishing compound (I use the stuff from RCBS in the little packets,) gets the brass much shinier and cuts down on the cleaning time. I recommend adding one packet when the media is new, and adding another when the performance drops off.
Polishing compound (I use the stuff from RCBS in the little packets,) gets the brass much shinier and cuts down on the cleaning time. I recommend adding one packet when the media is new, and adding another when the performance drops off.
Chunk out the Brass-O. Contains ammonia and not really suited for tumbling media. Either get a dedicated polish such as Frankford Arsenal, RCBS, etc, or use some Nu Finish car polish (Walmart). It won't harm the brass and it does make your media work much faster with a more satisfactory result.
I have not used corn cob media in many years as it has a habit of plugging the flash holes. I use walnut hull media. Dusty as hell when new, but the polish added, and dryer sheets, cut down on the dust. It does occasionally plug a flash hole, but not every other one.....
I usually run my media until it starts to turn dark. It's a "feel like it" thing. FWIW, walnut media lasts much longer than corn cob media, but run what you brung and carry-on. .....
I have not used corn cob media in many years as it has a habit of plugging the flash holes. I use walnut hull media. Dusty as hell when new, but the polish added, and dryer sheets, cut down on the dust. It does occasionally plug a flash hole, but not every other one.....
I usually run my media until it starts to turn dark. It's a "feel like it" thing. FWIW, walnut media lasts much longer than corn cob media, but run what you brung and carry-on. .....
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I change mine when the shininess of my brass starts to get duller. The corn cob is gray in color when that happens.
+1 on walnut (one of the few things I'll buy at Harbor Freight)
Add a couple capfuls of mineral spirits (helps with really dirty range brass)
Run 5-10 minutes to distribute
Add some nufinish
Run 5-10 minutes to distribute
Add brass and let er rip.
Add a couple capfuls of mineral spirits (helps with really dirty range brass)
Run 5-10 minutes to distribute
Add some nufinish
Run 5-10 minutes to distribute
Add brass and let er rip.
I had been using walnut. I get 50 lb sacks from work. I use the walnut until it is black and change it out. This time I went with 50% walnut and 50% corn cob thinking it would help shine it a little better. I can't see any difference in the shine. Once I the CC is spent I will go back to walnut only. I don't care if my brass sparkles. I just want it clean. I put in 2 caps of Nufinish with every batch of brass.
Tumbling media rarely "wears out" but it does get a hard cake of dried, blackened metal polish all over it when too much polish has been added.
I quite using polish decades ago, glitter is nothing but newbie eye candy anyway and there's no way I'm going to use anything containing ammonia on my cases.
I quite using polish decades ago, glitter is nothing but newbie eye candy anyway and there's no way I'm going to use anything containing ammonia on my cases.
I've had the same tumbling media for over 4 years now. I've gone from 200-500 rounds a year to about 1000rounds a year.
So I may not use mine like some do. Range brass gets scavenged up fast, so i haven't been cleaning that any more.
As long as the black soot on the outside of the necks comes clean, I don't plan to change it.
So I may not use mine like some do. Range brass gets scavenged up fast, so i haven't been cleaning that any more.
As long as the black soot on the outside of the necks comes clean, I don't plan to change it.
You will be able to tell by the finish on the brass, but it will last a long time. Also use a couple tbls of kerosene every time you use it. And if you want to make brass really shine use some Dillon Rapid Polish 290, man that stuff really works!
Cheers,
George
Cheers,
George
When it turns mostly black in color and takes 4 X longer to clean brass. It's time to chuck it.
1 year of the same corncob media, every cycle gets a cap of Nufinish/Mineral Spirits, media is black as night, tumbler bowl is stained black...but...it still makes brass shiny like factory new. I don't time my tumbles...turn it on do something else...forget about it for hours, when I think about it again, I turn it off.
I've got 15K rounds of 308 and 223 on a single load of corn cob media
{This also burned up 2 tumbler motors...}
{This also burned up 2 tumbler motors...}
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