I got a tumbler for Christmas. I bought a bag of ground corn cobs from the pet shop. They polish the brass, but there are still small gobs of lube on the cases - I shoot cast. What do I add to the corn cobs to get the gunk off the cases? Something homemade and cheap would be good.
Thanks

I've never seen anything that will take sticky stuff off brass in a tumbler. I use Midway brand walnut hull media with a capful of Dillon's media additive. I like it a lot but it isn't going to get Goo off. I think you're going to have to wipe it off manually if it becomes a problem.

Good luck,
Ian

Max503,

I "wash" my cases by dropping them in a parts bucket of lacquer thinner, let them set while resizing the other cases, then remove them and blow out with compressed air--that eliminates lube issues. Also, lacquer thinner "kills" grease and makes the cases "squeaky" clean. Lube residue on a case is not something desirable considering a guy gonna subject it to 50-65K of pressure. Years ago, a friend of mine looked into the inside of his cases with a flashlight and thought he could see carbon build up. We sectioned a few and found small gobs of lube (Imperial Die Wax) covered with a carbon like coating. When we scraped off the coating, the wax looked perfectly servicable--this is AFTER being fired!

Moral: Get the lube off of your cases BEFORE throwing them in the tumbler (I would guess at least a dozen folks will disagree with me one this one ).

Casey

I use walnut hull and I buy it from the pet store---same stuff but cheaper as a litter than bought as media. I do tumble after sizing as getting the size lube off is main reason I tumble. I try to keep my brass clean so there is no need to tumble before sizing. Go to Lowes McCoys or some such and buy a bottle of GB(Gardner-Bender)wire aid. I'm told its same stuff as Lee sizing lube and it's a about the same price for a quart as a small bottle of the Lee. Anyways it's I'm pretty sure a soap base(maybe not)but it works good as sizing lube and tumbles off easily. I do use a lot of nickel cases and the walnut doesnt scratch it. I dont like corn cobb as it will stick in the primer pocket everytime---walnut runs out like sand. You can use the walnut until it turns black---then a whole lot more. Never tried washing it,but one guy said he put it in a bucket of soap and water,then let it dry on a newspaper for a few days and it was like new.

This is just one mans opinion, but I keep a rag in my lap when I do my resizing and wipe the lube off afterwards. Case lube will contaminate your media producing a dulling haze on your cases. Lately I've been using no additives at all. Lyman makes a product called "Tuf-Nut" that's terrific. It's walnut and impregnated with jewellers rouge.
I wrestled with tumbler cleaning problems for several years
before finding this product. Not using a liquid additive means a lot less clogged cases especially the primer pockets. Your media will last a lot longer also. I'd really recommend it. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Cal - Montreal

So, even though I've now got a tumbler after 30 years of not having one, I've still got to wash my cases off with solvent? I thought there was something you could add to the media to do that.
I tumbled some 44 cases that had been loaded with cast bullets and Lyman super moly lube. There was still spots of lube and patches of carbon on the cases. I used to wash with vinegar/salt/soap/hot water but that left carbon etc. on the cases.
If there's nothing I can get from under the kitchen sink, is there something I can get from Midway that would clean my grungy cases?

Max,

Never tried this myself, but I've heard of adding a capful or two of mineral spirits to the media.

jrh

I use A Thumblers vibrator and midway walnut media, and
from time to time add some midway polish. When one adds the polish to the running tumbler WITHOUT cases let it run till all the lumps disapear before adding brass. I usualy let it run over night and never had a lube problem. They come out
clean as can be.
BTW the Dillon case seperator is a number one tool.
Lyle

I have taken jewler's rouge on the stick, broken it up, and disolved it in solvent. I then poured it into the media and let it distribute for a couple of minuets. The brass then goes in. This works really well about as good as anything I have tried. If I had jewler's rouge handy I might mess with it. If I had to go out an buy something I would get the real deal form the gunshop.

If you could remove those gobs of sticky stuff during tumbling it has to go some where. Soon you will have little sticky gobs on every bit of media. Put your brass in a coffee can and swosh it around in a adequate solvent. Now get yourself some crushed walnut hulls, some Bon Ami and some Orange 409. Now tumble. roger

My jug of mineral spirits says it's flammable. I didn't let that stop me. I ran an extension cord out on the driveway. Then I plugged in the tumbler loaded with grungy cases and ground corn cobs from the pet store. Then I put in 2 capfuls of mineral spirits and let it run for a couple of hours. Cases came out nice and clean and no explosion or fire. Guess I'll use this for now.