How often do you replace your tumbling media?

[Walkalong]

but so is getting a fresh batch of corncob right where am want it with polish.

I know that feeling.

 

[Damon555]

I never though about that. Oh, well, I seldom have a day with a slight breeze anyway. I would be changing media every time I did that because there would be little or none left.

Yeah, it's tough to do in a gale force wind.

Another consideration is where you do this.....obviously there are contaminants in the dust so one needs to be careful about allowing it to go anyplace that you don't want it to go.

You can also accomplish the same thing with a small fan placed in such a way that it provides the needed air movement.

 

[clearcut]

I use walnut with some car wax and mineral spirits .I change it about once a year.

CC

 

[doubleh]

Yeah, it's tough to do in a gale force wind.

Another consideration is where you do this.....obviously there are contaminants in the dust so one needs to be careful about allowing it to go anyplace that you don't want it to go.

You can also accomplish the same thing with a small fan placed in such a way that it provides the needed air movement.

I believe I'll pass on the fan as it would have to be used inside. Mother Nature provides me with more than enough dust on eyerything everwhere than I can keep cleaned up. I'm not going to add to my work load.

 

[jmorris]

I'm finding that light loads aren't as appealing for this reason alone, keeping my brass clean.

If you want light loads that are clean you need to use the fastest powders. N310 is some of the cleanest I have loaded with.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

If you want light loads that are clean you need to use the fastest powders. N310 is some of the cleanest I have loaded with.

Roger that. I like my home loads a bit warm. I like to practice with a recoil impulse that is similar to my carry ammo. Good tip though, regardless.

Thanks

 

[Varminterror]

White rice, no dust. When it looks more black than gray, I replace it. Under $5 for 10lbs, I’d guess there’s 2.5lbs in the bowl at a time, lasts a very, very long time. I tumble too often and too high of volume to say it lasts years, but it’s more thousands of rifle cases than I would care to keep track of counting, even in my reloading batch spreadsheet.

 

[bikemutt]

I switched to wet tumbling. It replaces primer pocket cleaning duty with drying the brass. Dryers are basically food desiccators so it's easy to justify to the boss

 

[jmorris]

I like my home loads a bit warm. I like to practice with a recoil impulse that is similar to my carry ammo.

That’s not a problem, the dirtiest ammo I have fired was light loads or slower powders. They can’t devlop enough pressure to seal the case against the chamber and they get the blow back.

 

[someguy2800]

White rice, no dust. When it looks more black than gray, I replace it. Under $5 for 10lbs, I’d guess there’s 2.5lbs in the bowl at a time, lasts a very, very long time. I tumble too often and too high of volume to say it lasts years, but it’s more thousands of rifle cases than I would care to keep track of counting, even in my reloading batch spreadsheet.

That’s an interesting idea. When I lived in the city Costco had 40 lb bags of rice for $12. How well does it polish?

 

[beag_nut]

I use a 50/50 mix of walnut and corncob. I have tumbled approximately 5500 cases, and the brass is coming out clean, and the media doesn't appear darkened much.

Just wondering how often people throw away their media and use fresh.

NEVER! I don't waste my time on tumbling. I couldn't care less how shiny the brass is. Ultrasonic cleaner gets it much cleaner, with less time, and less labor.

 

[Varminterror]

That’s an interesting idea. When I lived in the city Costco had 40 lb bags of rice for $12. How well does it polish?

As good as hulls or cobs has ever done for me, without the dust.

 

[fotheringill]

BTW-

For those thinking of cleaning .223 brass with corn cob media, you WILL encounter some pieces getting stuck in the small rifle primer pocket. It is no big deal. Insert a tine Allen wrench or small eyeglass screwdriver into the primer pocket and it dislodges instantly.

 

[fotheringill]

Verminterror-

I would not be real happy about foodstuff particles here and there in my reloading room.
Then again, what are corncob and walnut shell particles?

 

[Nordeste]

I live in an apartment and can't do the media separation outdoors, so concerned as I am about lead residues, I deprime all my cases, give them a good soak in hot soapy water, and when they are dry they hit the tumbler, whose media is the corn cob media used for pet bedding. It's cheap, so I don't see the point in spreading dangerous residues into my place.