Brass tumbling, polish, and mixed cases...

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I'm fairly new to reloading. Buying things here and there to get going more. Recently I bought a brass tumbler from Cabela's (Cabela's Case Tumbler Kit 400 TUMBLER KIT). Overall I think it was a good deal and I like it. Questions below.

Every time I use the polish I find the brass nice a shiny afterward. But... I end up with 1/2 dozen cases caked with the polish inside. I need to use a screw driver to get the crap out. The directions say to use 2 cap fulls. Is that normal? Am I using too much or just need to deal with this side effect?

Also, right now I'm reloading 9MM, 38 Special, 357, and 45 ACP. The first 3 seem to tumble fine together. When I added the 45 ACP things didn't turn out so well. Lots of polish, corn media and cases stuck inside each other. Do folks here tumble different case sizes separately?
 
It's a good idea to separate calibers. As you found, you can get away with mixing similar diameter cases, but once you mix cases that can possibly get wedged together, they will.

Personally, I sort all of my brass by caliber before I tumble it, and then only tumble one caliber at a time.

Two caps full of polish seems to be about twice what you need. Try to 'drizzle' it in slowly, and run the tumbler with no cases for a few minutes after you add the polish. Once it gets mixed around a bit, add the cases.
 
You shouldn't need to add polish every time you tumble. It lasts a while. Also, did you add it to the media while the tumbler was running without any cases in the bowl? That will distribute the polish and keep it from clumping. And yes, .45 cases need to be tumbled by themselves or you'll find other cases stuck inside them. The time spent seperating them before tumbling is worth it.

yeah - what he said
 
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i cant answer for all but i found out that 9 mm and 40 s&w tend to get inside of the 45s. combined with media they tend to stick so i do 38/357 with the 45s and have no problems other than having some media stuck in the case once in a while. regarding the polish i only use about a cap full of new pro polish i believe it is (im at the computer now and not near my bench). i have found out over the years that i didnt need a lot of polish in the media as i only tumble 2 to 3 hundred at a time.
 
I thin my polish with an equal part of mineral spirits and add it to the tumbler as it's running with media only, as I find it distributes a bit more evenly. Other than that, what everyone else said applies as well.
 
The 2 cap fulls you used should be plenty for many uses. If it's new media, You might need more at first, then less as time goes on.
I find the polish has a strong odor when I add some. When the smells gone, it's time for a little.
Just my rule of thumb.
 
Thanks guys. I'll separate the 45 cases in the future.

When I added the polish I did it while the tumbler was *NOT* running. I'll get in running add polish and slowly add cases. Also, I'll try 1 cap instead of two. Thanks.

I thin my polish with an equal part of mineral spirits and add it to the tumbler as it's running with media only, as I find it distributes a bit more evenly. Other than that, what everyone else said applies as well.

I assume the mineral spirits simply thin the polish out and allow it to mix better.

One more thing. I've read on other forums people adding other things. A few people suggest adding a used drier sheet. Folks are saying it helps "remove dirt and dust and makes media last longer." Do any other folks on NES do that? If so does it work?
 
Forget the stoopid (my opinion) dryer sheets. They are a waste of time. Urban myth, and all like that. People get excited when they see the sheets getting grungy, but overall, they do not really CLEAN the media much at all.

Put the mineral spirits and polish in BEFORE adding any brass. Allow the polish/mineral spirits to vibrate without any brass for about 20 minutes to disperse the liquids in the media. Then, you can add brass.

Remember that it's not just the media pressing against the brass that makes it shiny. It's the brass pressing the media into the brass that makes it go better. So, I always empty the media from the tumbler, add brass, and then re-ad the media on top of the brass. You'll find that you can get more brass and more media in that way.

Oh, and when you run out of the expensive polish that they give you with the tumbler, get yourself some NuFinish liquid car polish, and use a capful of that from time to time.

base_media
 
Forget the stoopid (my opinion) dryer sheets. They are a waste of time. Urban myth, and all like that. People get excited when they see the sheets getting grungy, but overall, they do not really CLEAN the media much at all.

Put the mineral spirits and polish in BEFORE adding any brass. Allow the polish/mineral spirits to vibrate without any brass for about 20 minutes to disperse the liquids in the media. Then, you can add brass.

Remember that it's not just the media pressing against the brass that makes it shiny. It's the brass pressing the media into the brass that makes it go better. So, I always empty the media from the tumbler, add brass, and then re-ad the media on top of the brass. You'll find that you can get more brass and more media in that way.

Oh, and when you run out of the expensive polish that they give you with the tumbler, get yourself some NuFinish liquid car polish, and use a capful of that from time to time.

base_media

Thank you sir. I've been set straight by the NES community once again.
 
I disagree with Duke on the used dryer sheets. They definitely help to keep the media cleaner longer. I've tested it.

Likewise. I admit to having been quite skeptical when I first heard about this, but I tried it and noticed a big difference.
 
Forget the stoopid (my opinion) dryer sheets. They are a waste of time. Urban myth, and all like that. People get excited when they see the sheets getting grungy, but overall, they do not really CLEAN the media much at all.

Drivel. I suggest you:

1. "Forget the stoopid opinion."' USED dryer sheets, cut into strips, do keep your media cleaner, longer. What do you think makes the strips look "grungy?" It is particularly good at accumulating the lead primer residue, which makes used media dust an issue.

2. Make sure your media is dry. Wet media clumps. Wet media does not flow as well as dry and it is the friction of the media passing over the brass which cleans your brass. I let my media run for 30+ minutes with the cover off when I add polish. The fact that you have clumped media in your brass is proof that you added too much polish and/or did not let the carrier dissipate before adding the cases.
 
One one hand, I have a minuscule piece of dryer sheet. Barely much surface area.

On the other hand, I have bazillions of particles of media, with amazing surface area by comparison.

Dryer sheet cleans up how much media????

OMG, sorry EC, but we have to agree to disagree on this one........

Oh, and the mineral spirits keep the dust at bay, COMPLETELY. No loose dust flying around in my workshop.
 
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I use a rotary tumbler, corn cob media, Dillon polish, and used dryer sheets.
The used dryer sheets do not completely clean the media, but get rid of a large amount of dust.
When I add polish I run the tumbler with media only for about an hour before adding brass.
Damn! Forced to agree with Scriv........[grin]
 
One one hand, I have a minuscule piece of dryer sheet. Barely much surface area.

On the other hand, I have bazillions of particles of media, with amazing surface area by comparison.

Dryer sheet cleans up how much media????

Quite a bit, judging by the posts to that effect on this and other forums.

By your failed attempt at logic, we don't need filters on furnaces, AC systems, or all those gas and diesel engines we operate..........

OMG, sorry DIM, but we have to disagree on this one.....
 
I assume this means I've been Scriv'ed. Not sure I like it. But I will admit to the good information and grudgingly appreciate it.

You assume incorrectly. Note that I specifically quoted DIM.

Reading comprehension - it's a beautiful thing.

NOW you've "been Scriv'ed!"[wink]
 
You assume incorrectly. Note that I specifically quoted DIM.

Reading comprehension - it's a beautiful thing.

NOW you've "been Scriv'ed!"[wink]
scriv along with your always useful information you always manage to leave me smiling. i finally broke down (remembered) the used dryer sheets last week and tried one. i was pleasantly pleased with the results.
 
I only use half a dryer sheet, and a new one at that, with new corncob media for a few bowl fulls of brass. It definitely reduces static induced media dweebs. The sheet gets pretty cruddy after a few bowls of brass too.

I dunk heavily tarnished brass in a plastic bag with a little polish in it and let the polish dry before tossing them in the tumbler. It make them purty again.

If you have a couple hundred 9mm cases to polish and maybe a dozen or so 45s (or visa versa) put the 45s in a sandwich sized zip lock and dump some treated media in and put them in the tumbler. The baggie will get abused but the 45s will polish up without any 9mms stuck inside.


they also definitely reduce static charge with corncob media.
 
I finally broke down (remembered) the used dryer sheets last week and tried one. i was pleasantly pleased with the results.

Shhhhhhhhhhh. The Downeaster will declare you deluded.


I only use half a dryer sheet, and a new one at that, with new corncob media for a few bowl fulls of brass.

NEW dryer sheets tend to leave lots of residue which gums up the bowl. Moreover, it is the spaces where the chemicals were which filters and traps the contaminants in the media.

USED sheets are recommended for a reason.
 
hahahahahaha


I'll mail you all my old dryer sheets......

Oh wait! I complained when my ex wife used to use them, and the would find their way out of my shirt sleeves during the business meetings I attended.......
Haven't even had any of them around in decades! Sorry, you'll have to use your own. hahaha
 
If you have a couple hundred 9mm cases to polish and maybe a dozen or so 45s (or visa versa) put the 45s in a sandwich sized zip lock and dump some treated media in and put them in the tumbler. The baggie will get abused but the 45s will polish up without any 9mms stuck inside.

I really like this idea. Thanks. I'll give that a try sometime.
 
I'll mail you all my old dryer sheets......

Oh wait! I complained when my ex wife used to use them, and the would find their way out of my shirt sleeves during the business meetings I attended...

Actually, they were aces when he was playing cards - he just tried to TELL people they were only old dryer sheets.....
 
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