weird problem...

[ruger22]

My tumbler has used and dirty media in it.
I have cleaned about 3500 38 special brass with it.
I throw a dryer towel in to remove some grime from time to time.
New to reloading I am not sure how dirty is throw away stuff.

2 months ago I shot 150 or so rounds and threw them in the tumbler but did not tumble.

Today I shot another 150 or so and threw them in and started tumbling.
After 2 hours I removed the brass.

Some brass has a soft black tar gunk stuck to it.
Some just a few spots, some just on 1 side, and some is clean.
The tar comes off with a scratch pad or fingernail.
A .5mm thick so it did not come out of the revolver that way.


Could the brass sitting in dirty media pick up grime???

 

[Janeau]

My guess is that the tumbler bowl as accumulated a coating of grit on the center post and around the edge. This is sticking ot your case as small particle dislodge and contaminate your media and stick to your brass. Dump the media and clean the bowl with Varsol and finish with soap. Change for new media.

This should solve it.

 

[ruger22]

thanks J...

You are right, the bowl is gummed up in spots with the same black tar.

Is it correct to assume that the tar is a mix of the soot on the dirty shells and my dillon 290 polish which is made for tumblers.

When the media cannot hold any more soot it gets stuck to the ridges of the bowl during tumbleing.

I guess use more dryer clothes and change media more often.

 

[hoochie]

throw it in the dishwasher like you would tupperware. I do it all the time. If you have any case lube left over or what have you, it will begin to gum up your media.

 

[joe-nwt]

Media is cheap. Replace it more often.