Does walnut shell media wear put?

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Catpop

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How many cases or batches of cases should one expect to get cleaned on one tub of polishing media? I've cleaned about 1000 cases so far and I have to add polish every three or four batches to keep it working. Is that normal?
Also, is there a better polish than the small packs pf RCBS white substance?
catpop
 
Yes. Walnut also generates a lot of powder, which is more than happy to pack into the case.
I prefer 20/40 corn. Go to Drillspot and get 40lbs and free shipping, last time I checked.
 
I tried washing my walnut media last year. Aside from the numerous warnings about lead poisoning and such from the board, I found it returned the media back to life but really wasn't worth the hassle.
 
Cut a USED dryer sheet into 1" strips and run that with the brass every other time and you will clean up the media a lot. The dryer sheet removes a ton of dirt from the media, really...
 
If they aren't coming out blinding bright after two hours in the tumbler, I toss the media and add new. Tumbling ~350 380, 38, 45, 357, 223 casings a week, the media lasts me about four months. I add nufinish every 3 or 4 runs as well
 
Make sure you run your tumbler for 15 or so minutes after adding the NuFinsh and before adding the brass, trust me on this one.

Sounds like you have experience in digging sticky nut shells out of brass.

In some other threads it has been mentioned to add a shot of mineral spirits or paint thinner to cut down the dust.
 
I use the dryer sheet trick for keeping down dust but I don't bother cutting the sheets into strips. I just add a sheet to the tumbler each time I tumble brass.

Paul
 
I thought Id herd of it, just not in this manner!! Does the Nufinish make the brass sticky or anything after being fired?? New to reloading thats why I ask!!
 
Nope it doesnt make it sticky. Add dryer sheets with Nu Finsh and the dryer sheets soak up the the dirt to. Just run the tumbler 15 min or so before brass or dryer sheets are added. Been using Nu Finish for years and never had a problem.
 
Your mileage may vary but I use Kaytee Walnut Bird Litter which I treat with a healthy squirt of Meguiars Cleaner wax (from the squirt bottle).

Before tumbling brass, I put fresh walnut in the tumbler and give a healthy squirt of cleaner wax around the top and then run the tumbler for 5 min or so. I usually have to reach in with my fingers and help mix up the wax and the media as the wax has a tendency to stick to the bottom of my tumbler. Once it's all mixed in the media is "treated" for quite some time and you are ready for brass.

Then when I go to tumble brass I add used dryer sheet cut up into three strips for each load of brass.

When the center cone of my tumbling bowl starts to show a dark ring, I junk the media and put new in. The amount of use I get really depends, indoor range pickup brass isn't bad. Outdoor range pickup is often super-filthy even if I've rinsed them well with water and let them dry.
 
I'm another one that uses dryer sheets and Nu Finish, works great. On dirty range brass, I've been known to run it through the dishwasher(no wife to worry about upsetting).
 
Why used dryer sheets, ecomonics?
I tried the nufinish from Advance Auto, works great! Thanks
 
Well, you use the dryer sheets in your dryer, then "recycle" them for use in the tumbler where they capture a LOT of the crap. I don't think a new dryer sheet would work as well actually.
 
What is NUftnish??

It's actually spelled, Nufinish - it's car polish

+1 on the used dryer sheets. I don't bother cuttin em up, just throw it in whole.
It takes a bunch of the carbon out so your tumbling media stays cleaner longer.
 
polish media

For those interested. Grangers both online and at the supply centers in major cities stock "BLAST MEDIA" ground cob 14/20 sized in 40 lb lots at approx $35 per box. Just picked up a new box/bag today and had several dozens in stock. Might take a little longer than walnut but ready available. Hope this helps. :eek:
 
Walnut media wears out and gets dusty. This means it is working. Adding a little h20 (1 tbsp or so) reguvenates it for a time, and keeps the dust down. It does this by creating more friction. The finer dust will collect under lid, where it can be cleaned off. Adding too much water craetes problems
 
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polish media


For those interested. Grangers both online and at the supply centers in major cities stock "BLAST MEDIA" ground cob 14/20 sized in 40 lb lots at approx $35 per box. Just picked up a new box/bag today and had several dozens in stock. Might take a little longer than walnut but ready available. Hope this helps.

Get it here with Free Shipping(and it is drop shipped from Grainger). My local did not keep it in stcok.
 
A buddy told me to go to the pet store and get my walnut media there as lizard bedding

That is what I do. $12 for a bag that will fill my vibratory tumbler about 4-5 times. I've only filled it once, and have done maybe 5000 cases.
 
Thanks for tip on lizard bedding. I bought 25 pounds at Pet Smart last night for $23. With the bottle of Nufinish from Advance, I'm (and all my buddies) are all set to vibrate for YEARS!
 
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