Cheap tumbling media - Petco Zilla Lizard Litter

[RugerOldArmy]

Are folks referring to Walnut, or Corncob?

The corncob looked like larger than ideal kernels. The Walnut smaller than I remember walnut.

I got a few bags of Walnut.

Any good source for corncob?

Otherwise, back to Lyman or Midway for corncob...it looks like.

I'd rather get JHPs, and use cheap media.

 

[rcmodel]

Zilla brand walnut lizard litter.

Smaller is good!

It doesn't get stuck in the flash-holes.

rc

 

[RugerOldArmy]

Thanks RC. This looks like it will do very nicely for Walnut.

Now, as a public service, let's identify a good source of cheap corncob. Walnut is great for really dirty brass. But we take pride in our work. We'll want corncob for bling.

Here is a picture of the cheap walnut media. 2 bags, $19 at PetCo.



OK..so has anybody tried this ( <- Link ) as a cheap corn cob media. Looks about right. 42lbs of 20-40 grit corncob, for $37.50. (Post if you've found a better deal.)

Buy it cheap, stack it deep, save cash for the important stuff.

 

[judgedelta]

Is there any difference in putting cleaner or polish in walnut shell as opposed to corncob? I've never used walnut.
Thanks...

 

[allaroundhunter]

I just use a cap full of Nu Finish car polish and tear up a paper towel and leave 2"x2" squares in the tumbler and change them out as needed.

(using the Zilla walnut lizard litter)

 

[Schwing]

I learned this one from RC. Just use a cap full of mineral spirits and your brass will look better than you have ever seen before. Any extra just evaporates off.

I like the lizard bedding though I would tumble outside since it is more dusty. If that bothers you, you can just leave the lid off and let the media tumble for a few minutes before you put your shells in. All of the really dusty stuff will find its way out of the tumbler.

 

[medalguy]

Walnut is harder so it does a better job of cleaning brass. Cob is much softer so it does better polishing. Add Nufinish car polish, just a capful per load, and a splash of mineral spirits for the best results. And used dryer sheets cut into small pieces do a great job of keeping dirt and dust out of your media.

 

[sauer1911]

walnut is super hard and just doesnt wear out. I use it over and over. I put a pillow case in a paint bucket as a liner, add dirty walnut shells a small amout of soap add water. stir it around and around, lift the pillow case out of the bucket and drain soapy dirty water. put pillow case back in to the bucket and rinse like that till clean. Take the pillow case, drained, and now lay it flat on the ground and spread out the shells to dry, flipping and tossing to help drying.

THe only time I need to replenish shells is when I lose them on the ground. I have cleaned and reloaded over 10k 9mm and .45 with the same shells.

be safe

 

[RugerOldArmy]

I use 1 cap of Nu-Finish, and about a tablespoon of mineral spirits in corncob media. Great for bling.

I've never gotten really bling brass with walnut, but it gets the cases CLEAN faster.

The ideal, is to do one, then the other. The walnut will pull most of the dirt.

 

[Dentite]

I only use walnut personally. Zilla brand as well. Still on my first pour from the bag and I've cleaned thousands of cases with it. I put half a thick paper towel in each time to collect dust. I want clean brass. Shiny brass is nice but I usually stop tumbling after 2-4hrs. This will get my brass clean. Sometimes I forget and leave it on for 8hrs or so and then I have shiny and bling brass. After tumbling I then wash my brass with soap and let it dry. That gets me some nice clean brass to bring inside for reloading. With the washing of the brass that I do I should someday just break down and get a Thumlers tumbler and SS media but I got my vibratory tumbler thrown in a deal and the media is cheap so I just keep using it.

 

[GP100man]

Here`s the fine grind on corn cob.

 

[gonoles_1980]

Zilla is walnut, I love it for my first tumble, gets the brass much cleaner than corncob. I use corncob with the polish to get the final shine. I use the old dryer sheets that I tear into three pieces to help keep the media clean.

 

[edleit]

For those who use polish or additives not specifically designed for reloading, be sure to pull the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the product to be sure it does not contain ammonia. Ammonia will react with and weaken the brass, perhaps leading to premature case failures.

FYI, the Nufinish MSDS from AutoZone's site, which seems to be ammonia-free: http://econtent.autozone.com:24999/znetcs/msds/en/US/556282

 

[Chisos]

Are folks referring to Walnut, or Corncob?

The corncob looked like larger than ideal kernels. The Walnut smaller than I remember walnut.

I got a few bags of Walnut.

Any good source for corncob?

Otherwise, back to Lyman or Midway for corncob...it looks like.

I'd rather get JHPs, and use cheap media.

Google up Drillspot. They have 40# bags of corncob media for $38.95 + shipping. I got mine when they had free shipping to your door on it. Also, if anyone is near Houston, Tx, go to Clemtex on the east side. They handle both corncob and walnut in different grades.

 

[nettlle]

They get pretty shiny just using Zilla and Nu-Finish if you tumble for 6 hours. Give it a try.