Best tumbler media?

I read a thread that talked about the ceramic media and tried it...WOW. :D After an hour and a half the cases are clean inside and out and shiny. I think if I left them in longer they would be shinier still, but the are very, very good. All I did was take the ceramic media (Lyman box $18 for 1.5 lbs) and add it to my bowl vibratory tumbler, water to the top of the media, a 1/2 cup vinegar and a spoonful of dish detergent. Afterwards I dump it into a mesh strainer in the sink and rinse off the brass. No ill effects from the vinegar or anything - it is pretty weak concentration anyway. Anyway, after screwing around with corn cob treated/untreated/additives/polish/tumbling for hours/dust/sifting/picking/prodding primer pockets, this is BY FAR the easiest, fastest and best results I have ever had. The ceramic media seems to last basically forever and doesn't seem to damage the bowl or anything.
 
Corn cob media mixed with some Lyman Tuff Nut polishing media (the stuff with the jewelers rouge on it) and cut up used dryer sheets works for me. If I'm feel like I need really, really shiny, I add a bit of Nu Finish car polish to the mix.

(E) :cool:
 
i use corn cob in my tumbler with peak paste, also i use a hair pin straightened out with a little hook made on the end to pik out the media and it also allows me to feel for case separation in the case head area,
 
Ceramic is fine but it is a wet media. You will have to punch the primer out or resize right after. You don't want water to sit in the primer pocket. I think it clean better than anything else but it is more aggressive on brass. I prefer dry media (corn cub or nuthshell) and use Dillon rapid polish. We don't need to scrub the case just to clean them as not to damage the dies and of course, for look !! :) With dry media there is no rush to process the brass to get water out of the primer pocket..you clean and store until ready to use the brass.
 
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Actually it is not that bad. If you rinse the stuff in hot water and dump it on a towel and jumble it around a bit, it is dry by the time you dump it into the box. Hot brass (from the hot water) dries very quickly. I have not had any issues at all with this - primed or unprimed. Anyway, glad dry media works for you. If you get a chance, though, give the ceramic a try - I am a convert!

Janeau said:
Ceramic is fine but it is a wet media. You will have to punch the primer out or resize right after. You don't want water to sit in the primer pocket. I think it clean better than anything else but it is more aggressive on brass. I prefer dry media (corn cub or nuthshell) and use Dillon rapid polish. We don't need to scrub the case just to clean them as not to damage the dies and of course, for look !! :) With dry media there is no rush to process the brass to get water out of the primer pocket..you clean and store until ready to use the brass.
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updatelee said:
I also use a sheet of fabric softner, I put it in for maybe 15min at the end, helps cleanup the dust. I found if I left it in too long it kinda gave the brass a waxy feel. I didnt know if that was good or bad, but felt it was probably more bad then good so I only do it at the end now.
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use a used sheet, or 3;)
 
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