Hey guys, years ago when I bought my tumbler I got a good amount of fine corn cob media and a bottle of polish, lasted me a long time. Then I decided to try the Lyman walnut stuff that had the rouge on it. Oh how I regret that (anybody willing to pay shipping can have the 50-60% left in the container), it doesn't get as bright/clean, the rouge is a mess (the cases before I just dumped out, the polish didn't leave residue and I didn't have to wipe them all down) and there's always a few cases I have to dig pieces of walnut out of the primer pocket.

I want to go back to corn, but am wondering if they're all fine grain (i.e. won't stick in primer pocket) and what polish to use? I see flitz makes a brass polish for tumblers, is it good?

Thanks guys.

Red

Yuck! That jeweler's rouge is horrible and sticks to your cases (and fingers) like glue.

If there's a Harbor Freight and Tool near you they sell untreated walnut in 25-lb boxes. I add a little of Lyman's white tumbling media to it (it's the same thing as white auto polishing compound). Like you, I thought that walnut shells were just nasty, but then I discovered it was the rouge that was the problem and the walnut shells are as clean as the corn cobs, but actually cut crud a little faster.

You can find ground corn cob at pet stores, sold as bedding material for some kind of little critter or another. The problem I've found with the pet store corn cob is that it is usually a bit on the coarse side for tumbling use. (Helpful hint: If you can find the right size screen you can screen out the larger particals and have pretty useful tumbling media. Save the screenings to fill "sand" bags in the place of sand and you'll have lightweight, portable, and very useful rifle rests.)

I bought some of that too and hated it until I mixed in the Lyman corn cob media (about 50/50). The cases came out without the residue and brite and shiny. I just used up the last of it that I had and I might just buy another to mix with the the corn cob media I have left.

I buy my walnut from Petsmart. Guinea pig litter. Very cheap.

I use walnut with 2 to 3 capsfull of mineral spirits and three tablespoons of Bon Ami cleaner. Cases come clean with no residue.

Jerry Liles

I have found Lizard Litter (ground walnt shells), found at most pet stores, with a couple of tbs of paint thinner (aka mineral spirits) to be the best brass cleaner around. I've tried about every brass cleaner sold, from the commercial brass cleaners to the various liquid car waxes and this combo beats them all. My cases shine btight on the outside and the inside and necks look like new brass. Even primer pockets come out clean if left an hour or so longer after the brass is bright and shiny. Since it is a solvent it evporates in a short period of time without a residue. Do not go overboard with the paint thinner. More is not always better. Just use enough to slightly darken the shade of the media. Try it, you guys will like the rssults.

If you have rouge sticking to the cases, you have too much in the media. That said, I've pretty much gone to stainless steel medial which gets the cases clean inside and out including primer pockets.

The media came impregnated with the rouge, I can't control the level.

why do you guys prefer the walnut? and is the petstore walnut small enough it isn't getting jammed in? I was happy with the corn and it seemed to clean fast but the walnut was reputed to be faster.

Would denatured alcohol work? I only ask because I already have a big thing of it, mineral spirits I'm running low (not that I can't get more, trying to work what I have on hand to get ready to shoot on Saturday). I can run by the pet store and be up and going tomorrow.

Thanks guys.

Red

I use the ground walnut shells that the abrasive cleaner guys (AKA sandblasters) use. It won't give you shiny cases, they come out sort of a shiny matt. The alcohol will probably evap too quickly, I'd go with the MS. I don't tumble deprimed brass 'cause the walnut gets stuck in the flash holes and the primer pockets don't get cleaned very well by tumbling anyway.

I haven't tried alcohol. It might work but I do know the mineral spirits and Bon Ami does work and work well. I prefer to tumble deprimed cases as it does get some of the residue out of the pockets and I can do a better job of inspecting before loading. It works well enough that I haven't been tempted to try ceramic or SS media. I've always used walnut and have never tried corncob.

Jerry Liles

Jerry Liles

Gee guys, media isn't that expensive. I buy a big bottle of corn cobs and use that a season and then dump it and go new.
I don't try for really shiney, just clean. Shiney doesn't score any extra points nor does it kill stuff deader.
Bits of corn cob in the flash hole is just something I have learned to live with.

I used to use the walnut+rouge but didn't like it because of the residue. When all of the walnut was gone I picked up a bottle of Lyman corn cob and it works fine, no crud left on the cases. It looks like it has something else in it, kind of greenish color, but no residue.
C.G.B.

Dillon makes a tumbling polish that works great with corn cob. Would work with walnut just as good I would think.

Plain ground walnut or conr cob or a mix & a cap of NuFinish car polish works for me. Fitz would too, but more expensive. I tried rouge walnut once only & hated it.

quote:

I buy my walnut from Petsmart. Guinea pig litter. Very cheap.

And very damn dusty too.
Paul b.