I'm thinking there's a problem with my media. Using lyman tuffnut. When i first got it, i could throw some brass in for a couple hours and come back to a mirror finish on my brass, like really REALLY shiny and bright. For some reason, now, i'm getting a kind of a satin/sandblasted kind of finish on them? They're still clean, and they'll work, I just want to know why they're not shiny!
Strange finish out of tumbler
- Thread starter mwjones
- Start date
Could be some sand that was in one of your cases? Or it might just be time to replace the media, I use corn cob with some brasso poured in and I'v been on the same batch of media for months now, and I do quite a bit of tumbling
The same thing happens with the corncob media I use. I use the Lyman media rejuvenator, add a couple of caps and run it without brass for an hour, then leave the top open so it can dry out. You will likely find that a quick polish with a cloth will bring out the shine, its usually just dust thats stuck to the brass. Also the used dryer sheet trick works good to keep the dust from building up.
I've been putting 2 or 3 dryer sheets in per run, and they all come out totally caked with dust. I've tried adding nu-finish as well. Is there any way to clean media? it's only been run for maybe....30 hours? it can't be toast after so little use :O I was thinking about going outside during a brisk wind and pouring the media into a different bucket to try to get the dust to blow off.
It might be the nut media, thats what was in my tumbler when I got it and there was huge amounts of reddish dust. Switched to the treated corncob, takes a little longer to do the job but so what. Mine has hundreds of hours and is still working.
I just throw in a few bounce sheets(new or used), or bits of paper towel, or bore cleaning patches, or a bit of old rag that is haning around. They all help collect the dust and keep it clean, some work better than others though.
I also find that a cup full of rice added to the walnut helps keep the brass shinier and the media a little cleaner as well.
I also find that a cup full of rice added to the walnut helps keep the brass shinier and the media a little cleaner as well.
I found that with the new formula Brasso (white coloured in a plastic squeeze bottle) and plastic beads would result in cases that are clean, but have that dull, etched appearance. If I use walnut media with the Brasso (or Silvo), it comes out bright.
Silvo with the plastic beads comes out somewhat shiny, but not like with the walnut media. I wonder if the problem is that the beads aren't getting cleaned well enough when I wash them.
Silvo with the plastic beads comes out somewhat shiny, but not like with the walnut media. I wonder if the problem is that the beads aren't getting cleaned well enough when I wash them.
What you describe is exactly what happens if sand gets into the media.
If you can still make out the colour of your media, it's still good
When your media was red and is now a dark brown, odds maybe that your media is done finally.
As was said, Bounce sheets suck up enormous amounts of dust and dirt.
As for cleaning it... You can "revitalize it, but cleaning media? Why bother? I'm a cheap dutchman, but not that cheap
Go to a pet shop and ask for corn cob and/or walnut bedding. More like $8 for 5lbs.
Mine you the bedding is VERY large compared to branded tumbling media (2-3X) and doesn't work so well in small neck calibres.
If you shoot lead opposed to plated bullets, the residual lube fouls tumbling media much faster and can leave hard deposits in the tumbler (blackened hard ring along the top line of media).
MiltonBradly
CGN Regular
- Location
- Hamilton ON
I had the same thing happen with my tumbler using walnut media, I thought I had put too many cases in Vs. the amount of media in the bin... I wasn't paying attention to sand/dirt getting in there (didn't realize it mattered) 
You live... You learn...
MB
You live... You learn...
MB
As I said earlier I had the walnut media, my tumbler came with a bag of it "Bonus free bag o sh!t" I think they were giving it away cause nobody buys it. I used it a couple of times and the amount of dust was ridiculous and the brass was coated with it. I have had the same batch of Lyman corncob for 3 years now, have added the rejuvenator when it doesn't work very well and it still is doing fine. Leave the walnut for the squirrels
Tumblers and media...and some other stuff
On the subject of tumblers and media...I have been reading about the 'stainless steel' media used in the jewellery type of tumblers, and looking at the 'u-tube' type of videos out there, it seems to be amazing stuff. Expensive to start out but last forever, gets into the flash holes and cleans the inside of the case as nicely as the outside! No dust, no mess.
Anyone using this method? I am trying to decide which way to go...standard vibratory type, ultrasonic, or tumbler. Or a combination ( gasp ) of the above.
I am starting up again after a 15 year hiatus from shooting and need to get a 'work flow' organized for my brass. So far I have realized that the procedure should include the following:
1. Sort the brass, and weigh it if really, ( really ) picky.
2. Remove the primer without re-sizing, ( or not...)
3. Clean the brass ( not necessarily 'polish', but clean...well )
4. Confirm the flash hole dimensions.
5. Confirm the primer pocket dimensions.
6. Anneal the brass if necessary.
7. Resize the neck.
8. Trim the brass length.
9. Install the new primer and confirm seating depth.
10. Charge powder and seat the bullet using crimping die if necessary.
11. Confirm seating depth for specific chamber and bullet ogive.
12. I forgot, measure the case neck using a dial gauge for thickness and concentricity.
13. If you have time, fire the round and note accuracy.
So what am I forgetting...I figure once you take the brass out of the equation of variables as much as you can the formula for an accurate round is slighly smaller, and this must be 'step one' in the effort to improve the long range ability of your chosen round.
Jim
On the subject of tumblers and media...I have been reading about the 'stainless steel' media used in the jewellery type of tumblers, and looking at the 'u-tube' type of videos out there, it seems to be amazing stuff. Expensive to start out but last forever, gets into the flash holes and cleans the inside of the case as nicely as the outside! No dust, no mess.
Anyone using this method? I am trying to decide which way to go...standard vibratory type, ultrasonic, or tumbler. Or a combination ( gasp ) of the above.
I am starting up again after a 15 year hiatus from shooting and need to get a 'work flow' organized for my brass. So far I have realized that the procedure should include the following:
1. Sort the brass, and weigh it if really, ( really ) picky.
2. Remove the primer without re-sizing, ( or not...)
3. Clean the brass ( not necessarily 'polish', but clean...well )
4. Confirm the flash hole dimensions.
5. Confirm the primer pocket dimensions.
6. Anneal the brass if necessary.
7. Resize the neck.
8. Trim the brass length.
9. Install the new primer and confirm seating depth.
10. Charge powder and seat the bullet using crimping die if necessary.
11. Confirm seating depth for specific chamber and bullet ogive.
12. I forgot, measure the case neck using a dial gauge for thickness and concentricity.
13. If you have time, fire the round and note accuracy
. So what am I forgetting...I figure once you take the brass out of the equation of variables as much as you can the formula for an accurate round is slighly smaller, and this must be 'step one' in the effort to improve the long range ability of your chosen round.
Jim
GO to a sandblasting wholesaler. I picked up a 50lb bag of Medium Walnut from Manus Abrasives here in Edmonton for under $20. THis will last me years and I add just a bit of rice to every batch and it keeps things the way I like them.
I have been looking into the SS pin media. First I have to buy a Tumbler and the media. It does a great job with Liquid in the mix, no more cleaning primer pockets. My dilema is how much of a PITA is drying the brass and washing out the media everytime you run a batch through? seems to be trading one set of problems for another.
Hopefully someone doing the SS process can enlighten me??
Hopefully someone doing the SS process can enlighten me??
