How many times is reasonable to re-use corn cob or walnut media? Do you guys use it until it really doesn't do the job and 'freshen it up' or just one tumble and toss?
Thanks

I've had my media in the tumbler for well over a year. I just run the thing for about two hours and the cases come out looking pretty good. Got a call from my shootin' buddy last night about some stuff he's got that supposedly rejuvenates the media. I've seen the cases that have been cleaned with this stuff. They look like little sticks of gold. Really shiny. Media is not to be thrown out after one use-- it's far too expensive to do that. I go to the pet store and buy reptile bedding, also known as crushed walnut hulls. A ten-pound bag is about eleven bucks. Your media will get dirty after you've used it for a while. Just remove the top of the tumbler, turn it on and set it outside on a windy day. The wind will blow the dust out. If it isn't windy, set up a 20-inch box fan in front of it and create your own wind. I haven't tried washing it because I don't have several large cookie sheets on which to dry it in my oven, but it's an interesting idea...

I really like the blue liquid that Dillon sells for an additive to media. Keeps the dust down almost completely, and the brass looks great with it. I run a cap full in my media everytime I use it......

Mac

I use the powdered additive with corncob. When it shows signs of not cleaning as well it throw it a second pack of additive. When it shows these signs again - I toss it!

I havn't changed mine in years....I just keep adding more car wax.

Ted, +1

Naaahhhh, life's too short to be screwing around with media. In the spring (late winter) when I start getting the fever, I get a new batch and use it all spring, summer and fall and dump it the next spring.

If you don't gunk it up with unnecessary chemicals, walnut media lasts practically forever. You have to pour it into a bucket from about 2 feet up every once in a while to get the dust out and add a bit from time to time to replace the bit that got turned to dust. This is also something you can do when returning the media to the tumbler from the bucket under your separator. All the brass needs to be is clean. If you want to shine it up a little add a couple teaspoons of scouring powder from time to time.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Naaahhhh, life's too short to be screwing around with media. In the spring (late winter) when I start getting the fever, I get a new batch and use it all spring, summer and fall and dump it the next spring.

+1

You should be abe to use it many many times.

But it does depend on how dirty your brass gets, baised on the powder used, firearm shot in and if it its the ground.

H&K 91's "dirty" up the brass.

So I will tumble for a couple of hours in
my "dirty" media, and then retumble in cleaner media.


Well actually I use a Dillon vibrator.
Same for some other semiauto brass.

For very dirty brass I use Iosso liquid cleaner for 5 minuets then rinse with water, air dry,
then tumble overnight in corn cob and wax......super shinny.

My corncob media is easily 5 years old, I put some strips of torn up paper towels in there which collects the gunk, and give it a shot of rejuvenator every once in a while.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark:
My corncob media is easily 5 years old, I put some strips of torn up paper towels in there which collects the gunk, and give it a shot of rejuvenator every once in a while.

Just use it until it gets too dirty to work. Then pitch it----the additives to be added to dirty media have abrasives that I do not in my bores or chambers.

Try this trick folks .... For those of you who use dryer sheets to soften your laundry, don't throw them away after your clothes are dry.

Instead, put one or two used dryer sheets in your tumbler filled with used media (with or without brass in it) and tumble like you normally would. Small particles of dirt, grime and burned powder residue cling to the dryer sheet. Over time, this will lengthen the life of your media.

quote:

Instead, put one or two used dryer sheets in your tumbler filled with used media (with or without brass in it) and tumble like you normally would.

I did this today. The two sheets turned a dark, dusty beige in just a few minutes. Now, I'm going to start looking for used dryer sheets wherever I can find 'em...

I use mine over and over until it doesn't do much after 4-6 hours of tumbling, then I throw it and pour new stuff in. over time the abrasive edges of the media grind down so it doesn't work as well. Havent tryed the rejuvinator liquid because I usually get at least 20 uses, full of cases, before I throw it out

I haven't changed the media in my tumbler for at least a year and I just tumbled a batch last nite and it came out looking as good as ever. I plan on changing it when it quits doing a good job.
Jason

lasts for years ...

I can get 50 pound bags of ground walnut shells from the feed store for less than $10. Fills my tumbler up at least 10 times. I pitch it every couple of months

quote:

I can get 50-pound bags of ground walnut shells from the feed store for less than $10.

That's great economy! Better than $11 for a ten-pound bag of reptile bedding at the pet store...

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
I havn't changed mine in years....I just keep adding more car wax.

Out of curiosity--- which car wax?

At this time I am using liquid Nu-Finish but have used many types....even from the tub paste. They all work good.

Interesting.

I have always just added a "media activator" from Midway , Graff's etc

(except , the time when I was about 10 and poured Dad's Brasso into the heap---Got two lectures-- one on ammonia's effect on weakening the brass and one on keeping my hands off other peoples things )

quote:

Originally posted by M4Finny:
Try this trick folks .... For those of you who use dryer sheets to soften your laundry, don't throw them away after your clothes are dry.

Instead, put one or two used dryer sheets in your tumbler filled with used media (with or without brass in it) and tumble like you normally would. Small particles of dirt, grime and burned powder residue cling to the dryer sheet. Over time, this will lengthen the life of your media.

Tried this, after reading your advice , and wasn't impressed, so I threw in a couple of new sheets, which did pick up a bunch of crap.
Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by M4Finny:
Try this trick folks .... For those of you who use dryer sheets to soften your laundry, don't throw them away after your clothes are dry.

I threw in eight sheets I saved up. I let the thing run for maybe half an hour. The sheets came out a very dark shade of gray. I can now run my tumbler for two hours and the clear plastic top has very little dust on it. The best way I've found to get the dust out is to run the thing outside on a windy day or put a fan in front of it and let it run a while. It works...

I have used the walnut hull media for several years before replacing it. It does take a little longer as the media ages, but it still works.

But lately, I discovered something even better.

I use a Thumler's tumbler, and I found that about 1.5 cups of water, and about 1.5 cups of steel BB's (about 1,500) and ONE DROP of dish soap and an hour in the tumbler and the cases look brand new.

quote:

Originally posted by homebrewer:

quote:

Originally posted by M4Finny:
Try this trick folks .... For those of you who use dryer sheets to soften your laundry, don't throw them away after your clothes are dry.

I threw in eight sheets I saved up. I let the thing run for maybe half an hour. The sheets came out a very dark shade of gray. I can now run my tumbler for two hours and the clear plastic top has very little dust on it. The best way I've found to get the dust out is to run the thing outside on a windy day or put a fan in front of it and let it run a while. It works...

I wash my clothes at the corner coin-op laundry. There are always lots of dryer sheets left in the dryers, in the trash and on the floor. I go home with a fistful every time. I pick up the ones that are pretty much clean and when I use them, I cut them into strips because putting them in whole does not allow them to circulate very well through the rolling media. I lay out and smooth out four or five of them, cut them in half across their width, then in half again, then cut the strip across its length into a square. I now have 32 pieces (40 pieces for five whole sheets) of approximately two inches square to flutter and flow between the granules, picking up that dust with every motion. Gotta love it, huh?

quote:

Posted 19 February 2010 08:43 Hide Post

quote:
Instead, put one or two used dryer sheets in your tumbler filled with used media (with or without brass in it) and tumble like you normally would.


I did this today. The two sheets turned a dark, dusty beige in just a few minutes. Now, I'm going to start looking for used dryer sheets wherever I can find 'em...

Does that mean we'll be seeing you lurking in the dark corners at the local laundromats?

thndrchiken asks,

quote:

Does that mean we'll be seeing you lurking in the dark corners at the local laundromats?

No. I usually wash my clothes during the early to middle afternoon. I try to be there when young mothers with screaming, uncontrollable kids are not...

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
At this time I am using liquid Nu-Finish but have used many types....even from the tub paste. They all work good.

Ted's got the right idea! Nu-Finish is great stuff and the MSDS says it has no ammonia. I occasionally poor the media from one bucket to another in a nice stiff Kansas breeze. Then another batch of brass.

Mort

Hey Mort,
I also feel strongly that the car wax protects the brass a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
Hey Mort,
I also feel strongly that the car wax protects the brass a bit.

Makes sense to me! ...also makes it nice and shiny!

I use walnut hulls and Nu Finish in my Dillon tumblers. I run them outside with the lids off. I also add a dryer sheet to each batch as the wife generates plenty of those. I just keep using it until it gets too black to stand.

Some weekends I might polish 5000 pieces or so and it does get a work out.

I payed $22.00 for the last 50 pound bag of walnut at the local feed store.

Greg