i have walnut media that i bought believe it or not in a pet store. the first time i used it it worked like a dream. the brass came out almost to a mirrored finished. as i used it further it did not clean as well and as fast at first. what can i use to help polish the brass. i am spraying gun oil as a lubricated. my local stores are limited in supplies so i need a make shift alternatives to the common tools. can i use over the counter metal polish? any info will help thank you for your time

quote:

Originally posted by kicker:
i am spraying gun oil as a lubricated. my local stores are limited in supplies so i need a make shift alternatives to the common tools. can i use over the counter metal polish? any info will help thank you for your time

If you put oil in it ,just throw it away and start over.
The sharp edges get worn the more you use it ,and it doesnt work as well.You can use a coomercial bras polish,but use one made for rifle brass,not jewelry,or silverware.I use lymans,with good success.

http://www.midsouthshooterssup...asp?sku=000157631361

you can also use corncob media,it polishes better,but wont be at the pet store.

Take your cases after full length resizing or whatever you are doing. Run them through alcohol to remove the lube and then dry them out. I usually dry them outdoors for about an hour and they are then ready to tumble. Of course here an hour in the sun will dry them out as it was 114 F today!! I also will sometimes put in a 1/4 X 1/4 piece of jewler's rouge but I don't do that very often. Also as posted above if you put oil in it just throw it out as it is toast.

ok if i use new media what do i put in it to maximy cleaning?

Time.

quote:

Originally posted by kicker:
ok if i use new media what do i put in it to maximy cleaning?

I use Lyman Turbo Charger Media Reactivator. I works great and a little goes a long way.

If you like "cheap" - steal one of your wifes anti-static pads that she throws into the tumble drier to eliminate static-cling with her knickers...

Cut the pad into 2"x2" squares and toss a few of them into the case tumbler. The dirt will cling to the pads , keep the media cleaner longer and you can simply throw the pads away when they lose effectiveness.

quote:

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I add a couple tablespoons of denatured alcohol (the stuff you buy in the paint dept of Home Depot) to the corn cobb media.It collects the dust to the sides of the tumbler bowl and make the brass shiny. It also extends the life of the media.

Add a bit of Flitz to your media. Presto...

- mike

You can get the dust and some dirt out of your media by putting the tumbler outside, take the top off and then running it for a few hours on a windy day...

quote:

Originally posted by kicker:
ok if i use new media what do i put in it to maximy cleaning?

Any car wax. I use "Liquid Kit" because they claim it is 100% Carnuba.

If you look at the top of the page you will notice a Find Button. I just got through doing a Find on Ceramic Media about 5min ago before I spotted your thread. There is a huge amount of info on Media in the Files.

I do not mean that to Kill your thread, just letting you know that option is available.

Even lots of info on "Washing Walnut" which is was unaware of. But the oil probably killed that small amount of Walnut.

Best of luck to you.

Just how long is it taking your media to wear out? The stuff isn't that expensive.

The cheapest and best working solution I have found is to add a couple of table spoons of Nu Finish car polish to your media. Run the tumbler for about 30-60min without any brass to work the polish into the media and get rid of clumping. I have been on the same bottle of Nu Finish for years now.

quote:

Originally posted by kicker:
ok if i use new media what do i put in it to maximy cleaning?

Car wax....paste or liquid....just be sure it has NO amonia

Put Baking Soda in with Walnut or Corncob about 15% ratio .

http://www.armex.com/ ( It doesn't have to be Air or Water delivered for what your looking for ) .

http://www.kramerindustriesonl...ia/plastic-media.htm

http://www.thomasnet.com/nsear...09&navsec=prodsearch

When your ready for a nearly permanent media replacement try the above link !.

quote:

Originally posted by kicker:
ok if i use new media what do i put in it to maximy cleaning?

Bon Ami and inchling dryer sheets out side with lid off. Been using the same walnut for years. Just add more as needed. roger

I have some Brasso brass polish. Will that work or kill the media?

I would not recommend using any liquid other than formulated polish used sparingly on Walnut or Corn Cob.

Liquid defeats the intended purpose of sharp dry polishing media , when that media is porous and subject

to degrade from dampness or wet decomposition .

Brasso is fine for other purposes ( Not Cartridges ) pots pans ,silverware, jewelry just about any metal

which will be rinsed or neutralized after cleaning .

Brasso lists "Liquid Hydrocarbons 630g/L; Ammonia 5g/L", whereas the MSDS for Brasso in North America lists: isopropyl alcohol 3-5%, ammonia 5-10%, silica powder 15-20% and oxalic acid 0-3% as the ingredients.[2]

I like " Woods " method of making pretty brass and few if any do it better ,IMO !.

Don't use brasso....either get some polish from a loading supplier or use car wax.

DOC,
Which permanent media do you reccomend?

First de-cap then I recommend tumbling the brass in hot water with automatic dishwasher detergent (I use Cascade) about 30 minutes. I rinse with water, tumble in distilled White Vinegar to remove any detergent residue, and again rinse with water. Either air dry or put in oven for about an hour at temperature under 200 degrees F. I use 170 degrees F. I use the RCBS Sidewinder tumbler. Anneal after every two reloads. I partial neck size only. Cleanest brass possible.

Rusty ; Synthetic plastic or Plastic is very good . I use a combination because I'm lazy and have them .

I even keep some walnut shells in mine , nostalgia I think is the only reason they've got to be
10 years old !!!.

http://www.kramerindustriesonl...ia/plastic-media.htm

http://www.kramerindustriesonl...eramic-polishing.htm


There are other suppliers who sell smaller quantity's I used the above for illustration purposes .

Just remember Your POLISHING NOT DE BURRING or removing paint . If it works on Jewelry it works

on Brass !.

Shapes are kind of dependent on cartridges ( small balls get stuck in primer flash hole )

So I use triangles synthetic tumbling media tetrahedrons

Metal Hardness
The hardness of the metal (or plastic) to be finished is a critical factor in determining the ultimate surface finish in a tumbling or blasting process. Harder metals (steel, titanium, etc.) will typically require more aggressive media to remove burrs off an edge or machine marks on a surface. These types of metals are also much easier to polish and have a greater opportunity to finish close to a near mirror finish.

Softer metals (aluminum, copper, etc.) can be finished with the same aggressive media but the surface finish will be rougher and the edges will be more rounded. It is also much more difficult to get a high polish on soft metals without some amount of hand polishing.

While it is desirable from a operational standpoint to use one media for every part or process, efficiency, productivity and quality can be improved with changes of media. Sometimes just a minor change in procedure may be all it takes.

Here is what they recommend for Brass cartridges . click the links .

http://thefinishedpart.krameri...m/search/label/brass

http://www.kramerindustriesonl...a/aluminum-oxide.htm

Rusty ; As I said earlier I USE what I have as it works for me .