Media gone bad!

[brainwake]

How do you know when your media has gone bad?

I was going to leave that open ended and see what kind of sarcasm it would generate. But lets just assume that all of the "news" type media is always bad. And lets talk specifically about tumbling media.

I am actually using the RCBS corn cob media. But how do I know when to toss it and replace it with some....much cheaper media from Drillspot.

 

[Sensai]

When it starts getting real dusty and doesn't seem to work too well any more.

 

[TNBilly]

Just to add to what's been said - I just fired my Thumblers back up after not using it for MANY years. The cleaning was poor and dusty. I figured to replace it and purchased some walnut shells but thought "what the heck, I'll see if I can rejuvenate the media." I added a couple tore up sheets of dryer softener sheets and a cap-full of rejuvenator. Stuff works fine, cases are clean and shiny, so I guess it worn out only when you can no longer rejuvenate it! The dryer sheets BTW pick up a lot of the dust from the media itself and the "cleanings".

Ron

 

[rcmodel]

I use mostly Zila brand Lizard Litter walnut media for faster cleaning then corn-cob.
Walnut cleans, corn-cob puts a high polish on but doesn't do much of anything to remove stains.

New walnut media will polish brass in 1-1 1/2 hours.

When all the sharp edges wear down, it takes twice that long, or more, and I replace it.

Pretty much the same with corn-cob, but because it was non-agressive to start with, it seems it finally gets loaded with case polish additive before wearing out, and doesn't work as well or fast as new stuff.

rc

 

[dagger dog]

Media that has seen it's last legs is extremley dusty, the brass will be red with dust from static cling and need a good wiping, that's if it's worn out walnut media.

If you use second hand fabric softener sheets, they'll come out VERY RED because it stops the static cling on the brass and it accumulates on the sheet.

Corn cob, like RC mentioned is better for that HIGH shine but the lighter shade of color makes it harder to tell if it has too much dust,but well worn corn cob media when sifted will give off quite a bit of airborne dust.

Probably not a bad idea to wear a particulate mask when sifting,changing, your media, espcially if you shoot a lot of cast lead non jacketed bullets!

 

[brainwake]

I was pretty much using the dryer sheets from the beginning. And its always seemed a little dusty to me.

I am thinking I should switch to walnut for a better cleaning. I also think I clean more than necassary. I decap. Then clean. Mainly cause I wanted them cleaner while handeling them (brushing etc)

Then I do the primer pockets, resize, trimming all that.

Then before I prime and load, I was clean again. just to get all my finger oil, burrs, etc off

Would it just be over the top to do an initial clean with walnut...then to a final clean (post prep) with cob for the shine?

and of course checking the pockets for lodged media.

 

[jcwit]

the brass will be red with dust from static cling and need a good wiping

Never seen that. I find when my media is dirty it looks dirty as in dirt and no longer has the surface feel as new media, in other words its lost its edges.

 

[wy child]

add a table spoon of new finish car polish ( it does not have ammonia in it) I have used this in mine for about 2 years and have polished thousands of cases. as has been said you will have to clean out the primer pockets on some cases.

 

[meadmkr]

+1 on the spent dryer sheets. I've found that cutting one into small squares/strips and adding it to cleaner has cut the dust down to near nil... When the sheet pieces get dark/dingy pull 'em out of the separator put in fresh ones.

Leaves the brass with a nice summer-breeze scent too

 

[Hondo 60]

As the media gets used it takes longer & longer for the brass to come out all spiffy.
When it's "bad" depends on how long you want to tumble your brass.

If it ain't lookin great after 4 hrs or so, I toss it.
I have a 40 lb bag of corn cob from drillspot so I have enough to last a loooong time

 

[capreppy]

I use walnut & dryer sheets for initial cleaning (depending on how bad it is, usually a few hours to overnight for really bad range brass).

I use corn cob w/Flitz (will move to NuFinish when I run out) to polish (a couple of hours).

My media hasn't been changed and I've cleaned / polished probably 10k pieces of brass, but I've only had it since January.

 

[788Ham]

brainwake,

Get yourself some of those cheap nitrile gloves from Harbor Freight, then when you handle the shiny cases, when you start loading, just wear one that holds the powdered case, works like a charm

 

[evan price]

I toss it when it starts looking like a dust storm when you dump it out. When the cases come out with a matte finish. When you get black dust all over your hands when you sort the cases out. It's done.

I have been using lately the KayTee bulk walnut 25# sacks at PetSmart and wound up switching back to the Zilla brand in the plastic bag. Zilla is more consistent in size, finer grained, and a LOT less dusty- Zilla looks like fine sand instead of chips like the bulk stuff.
The bulk stuff was so full of dust and fines that I'd clog my dryer sheets in the first load. It would be like a dust devil over my tumbler!

With the Zilla stuff I am getting 2-3 loads on a set of dryer sheets and the brass is shiny like a mirror. Price is close, and I like Zilla better. THey sell the Zilla in 25# bags but nobody local carries it and I don't want to pay $20 per bag in shipping.