Cleaning Old Corn Cob Media.

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stchman

stchman

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I have a bunch of corn cob media that is dirty. I know that it stops doing what it is supposed to do when the brass comes out with a dull finish. I put new corn cob media in the tumbler and the brass comes out looking REALLY good.

My question is can you make the old media work like new media? I have rad some people vibrate their media with a dryer sheet and it works good as new. Some other folks have said that the media loses its "sharpness" and will no longer clean like new media will.

Is it worth cleaning the media or just pitch it.

Thanks.
 
There are additives which I guess give some pizzazz to the stuff and may stretch it's useful life. This is probably why many use the SS pins along with some type of cleaner solution. I just use hot soapy water in a plastic jug and shake the heck out of it as shiny is not important to me. Maybe hot soapy water would clean the walnut stuff a bit but that seems like a lot of trouble. The dryer sheet may keep the cases from clinging to each other and give them a fresh spring scent. There are a lot of products that did not use to exist when I started about 4.5 decades ago, much of it not needed but perhaps useful to those short on time. The less fancy stuff you buy is money saved for those expensive primers and other bits. Neither deer nor paper target can tell if it was hit with a bullet housed in a shiny case or a dull one.


I guess if it were up to me, I'd just buy some new media, less hassel and perhaps same or less cost.
 
MEK will dissolve the old polish and wax and put the lead, carbon and other dust in solution. Soak in MEK for a few minutes, agitate once or twice, dump into a big strainer over a bucket - make sure it's a strainer and bucket that won't melt when filled with MEK - and let the MEK effervesce from the corn cob media in open air. Lather, rinse, repeat, if necessary. That new fancy scented paint thinner they sell at the home improvement stores works almost as well and makes your corn media smell like a bouquet of flowers. ;)
 
Media is cheap enough just to replace when super dirty. I save it and use it to load into shotshells. I use the shells to remove paper wasps that infest a couple of my out buildings. The shells plays havoc on the wasps and their nests and doesn't really damage the rafters or timbers in the buildings.
 
Zygodactyl said:
Media is cheap enough just to replace when super dirty. I save it and use it to load into shotshells. I use the shells to remove paper wasps that infest a couple of my out buildings. The shells plays havoc on the wasps and their nests and doesn't really damage the rafters or timbers in the buildings.
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That is interesting
 
Bill_in_TR said:
I am as frugal as the next guy but it sure seems like if you have to buy some sort of cleaning solution you've kind eliminated any savings. I buy my corn cob in 40 or 50 lb sacks at the feed store and it just doesn't cost enough to be worth th effort of cleaning used corn cob.
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I also buy my corncob in large bags and just toss it when it quits working. Life is too short...............
 
I buy my corncob media at my reloading shop. I pay $13 + tax for 10 pounds, that's a little over $1.30 a pound. I gather that is a good price. I like this media as it is really dust free and it does a great job of cleaning the brass.

I was just wondering if there was a way to clean the media cheap and easy. I guess I'll just toss it.
 
stchman said:
I buy my corncob media at my reloading shop. I pay $13 + tax for 10 pounds, that's a little over $1.30 a pound. I gather that is a good price. I like this media as it is really dust free and it does a great job of cleaning the brass.

I was just wondering if there was a way to clean the media cheap and easy. I guess I'll just toss it.
Click to expand...

If you're buying corn cob at a reloading shop I would bet you're paying way too much for it. If there is a farmer's feed and supply shop available near you then they should have ground corn cob in 40 or 50 lb sacks. You can usually get it in two different grinds, a coarse and a fine grind. I buy the finer grind.
 
Bill_in_TR said:
If you're buying corn cob at a reloading shop I would bet you're paying way too much for it. If there is a farmer's feed and supply shop available near you then they should have ground corn cob in 40 or 50 lb sacks. You can usually get it in two different grinds, a coarse and a fine grind. I buy the finer grind.
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What do you pay for the fine grind bag of corn cob media at your place?

The stuff I get at the reloading shop is very dust free.
 
stchman said:
What do you pay for the fine grind bag of corn cob media at your place?

The stuff I get at the reloading shop is very dust free.
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It has been two or three years since I last bought it so I don't remember what I paid for it but I believe it was less than $20 at the time. We used to use it on the bottom of our parrot's cage as well and I would steal some for my tumbler when I needed it. I honestly never had a dust problem with it. It may not be quite as dust free as the stuff the reloading shop sells. But the parrot cage is in our living room and if dust had been a problem my wife would have been very unhappy.
 
Bill_in_TR said:
It has been two or three years since I last bought it so I don't remember what I paid for it but I believe it was less than $20 at the time. We used to use it on the bottom of our parrot's cage as well and I would steal some for my tumbler when I needed it. I honestly never had a dust problem with it. It may not be quite as dust free as the stuff the reloading shop sells. But the parrot cage is in our living room and if dust had been a problem my wife would have been very unhappy.
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The resellers caught onto that trick. Tractor Supply sells bird and pet bedding for $13/10lb sack now. It's clean and dry but kinda pricey. Can't buy the ground corn cob feed supplement without maltose, barley and other crud in it. No good for brass. $1/lb seems to be the going price for plain, untreated, dry chipped corn cob around here.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
The resellers caught onto that trick. Tractor Supply sells bird and pet bedding for $13/10lb sack now. It's clean and dry but kinda pricey. Can't buy the ground corn cob feed supplement without maltose, barley and other crud in it. No good for brass. $1/lb seems to be the going price for plain, untreated, dry chipped corn cob around here.
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I never bought it from Tractor Supply. Any time anyone labels it as pet supplies or other specialty purpose the price gets jacked up. They put it in nice pretty packaging to make it look worth the price. I bought it in big paper sacks and it wasn't a feed supplement. It worked fine on my brass. If I remember this weekend I will check the latest availability and price. We probably need some chicken feed anyway.
 
James Petti said:
Super expensive, super nasty.

https://www.grainger.com/product/19...ZvifId_wD5jrWIVv_IYaAgOVEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/methyl-ethyl-ketone
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I was wondering if anyone was going to post something. Lol
We handle several different flammable/ volatile/ explosive type liquids in 55g drums and 5g pails at work. That stuff is the only thing in 10yrs that I've seen the owner say "no" to breaking down a 55g drum into 11 5g pails.
 
I would think cleaning it in a wet tumbler with the magic lemi shine solution would make it like new!:what:

I have my bags from Zoro as well, bought a long time ago and I change my media often.

If someone wants bulk walnut, Harbor Freight has it, I like corn better.
 
You mean like this LC 7.62 brass?
IMG-1604.jpg

Or this .9mm?

IMG-3407.jpg

My stash of corncob will last me two lifetimes, because of my Thumblers Tumbler and s.s. pins......but I still use it mainly to remove lube after loading....in a 15 minute tumble. Much less dd than the corncob. (dangerous dust) If you were local I'd give you a bucket of cc, since I'd still have enough for one lifetime...;)
 
GW Staar said:
You mean like this LC 7.62 brass?
View attachment 1096863

Or this .9mm?

View attachment 1096864

My stash of corncob will last me two lifetimes, because of my Thumblers Tumbler and s.s. pins......but I still use it mainly to remove lube after loading....in a 15 minute tumble. Much less dd than the corncob. (dangerous dust) If you were local I'd give you a bucket of cc, since I'd still have enough for one lifetime...;)
Click to expand...


Maybe you didn't get my sarcasm? I was suggesting they clean their dirty corn media in a wet tumbler!:)

I use a a secret blend (mix) for Zorro corn cob grades (it is made from the cobs of Orville Redenbacker corn!
I would post pictures of my brass but viewers would need to wear special sunglasses!
 
I use my walnut media way longer than I should. I add Dillon case prep to the media when my cases don't come out shiny enough. I was buying it for gun stores and finally bought some at a feed store. It lasts forever.
 
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