Walnut Media for using with tumblers

[steve_b_wales]

Does anyone know where I can get a supply of walnut media to use with my tumbler. I use corn cob at the moment, but have read that walnut is quicker and better. Also, what is best to add to the media to help improve it's cleaning properties.

 

Thanks

Steve.

[kent]

Does anyone know where I can get a supply of walnut media to use with my tumbler. I usecorn cob at the moment, but have read that walnut is quicker and better. Also, what is best to add to the media to help improve it's cleaning properties.

 

Thanks

Steve.

 

a little bit of brasso

[snowz]

Brasso is a no no for cases due to the amonia content.

 

I use walnut media leave the tumbler on overnight or a whole day out at work and they are bling tastic you couldn't get it shinnied if you tried so no additives needed,

 

All tumbling does is make the outside look nice what counts is the inside and ultrasonic cleaning is the answer to that

 

I bought my tumbler with walnut media so can't help on media supplier but will ask a m8 an get back to you

Edited March 31, 2011 by snowz

[Vince Green]

I would have thought somebody like reloading solutions would be a good place to start. But walnut is not better its just quicker than corn cob material because its harder. Unless you are running a reloading operation on an industrial scale, how much does it matter how long you leave the tumbler switched on?

[steve_b_wales]

Thanks for the replies.

[phaedra1106]

I use a wash with Citric Acid powder (2 teaspoons 1 gallon of warm/hot water) which gets the cases very clean then about an hour in the tumbler for a final polish.

 

Have a look at http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

 

You can get almost identical results without the Ultrasonic, here's my routine,

 

 

Citric Acid Wash - (Citric Acid 2 Teaspoons per Gallon0

 

Pre-heat oven to about 130c

 

5 Mins Hot Citric Acid Wash

 

Clean Rinse

 

2 Mins Baking Soda Wash - (Baking Soda 1 Teaspoon per Gallon)

 

Clean Rinse

 

Place cases in a towel and shake to get most of the water out

 

Turn off oven and place cases on a baking sheet into oven for 10 mins while oven cools it dries the cases ready for tumbling.

Edited April 1, 2011 by phaedra1106

[dicehorn]

Personally I have never been able to get my head around the idea of cleaning cartidge cases that are just slighly off colour - lets face it, do bright shiny cases give better accuracy? Some of my 22.250 and 6.5 cases have been fired more than 15 times - both guns shoot sub .3 consistantly and whilst I have both tumbler and ultrasonic cleaners, they gather dust. Yes I would use them if my cases got tarnished and stained but I am not in the habit of leaving empty cases out in the open. The only cleaning of the case I attend to is brushing out the case neck.

 

As I use a body die on both rifles to push the shoulders back and use Imperial Sizing wax to make that process easier, I find when wiping off the wax, it cleans the brass sufficiently for my use.

 

As for build up of debris in the body of the case, consider this - if there was to be a build up of burnt powder and the case was used (as some can do with annealing) say 40 times then you would get to the stage when say on a 22.250 that required 37 grs you would struggle to get more than 20 grs in the case. Fact is that it simply does not keep building up - the tumbler manufacturers would just like you to believe this. Anyway if it was to build up in a batch of cases then surely the build up would be the same in all the cases so your accuracy would not be affected ??

 

For most reloaders better time would be spent not worrying about how shiny their brass is but concentrating on brass prep and getting their case necks to have the same tension and how much grip your chosen bullet requires in the neck - this is where the secret to accuracy starts.

 

Anyway for those that will not be swayed from what I have written and want to push the boat out to get shiny brass - have a look at this:

 

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/