Reconditioning tumbling media

Yes used ones it takes the dirty stuff out. I cut them into 1 in strips. Tried a new one and it put a residue on the cases
 
Ive been tossing in a full sheet and it always seems to just get wrapped around the piece of threaded rod in the middle of the bowl. Kind of feel like it gets wrapped around the first minute or two and then just hangs out there the rest of the time. Are the strips less likely to do this?
 
Ive been tossing in a full sheet and it always seems to just get wrapped around the piece of threaded rod in the middle of the bowl. Kind of feel like it gets wrapped around the first minute or two and then just hangs out there the rest of the time. Are the strips less likely to do this?
Never had them wrap around the shaft. Have had to dig them out of a few cases though
 
i toss a used sheet in as often as i think to. Im not sure how well it works. i really did not see any change when i started.
Before that I would use a 50/50 mix of NuFinish and oderless mineral spirits
i mix up tue spirits and nufinsh in a larger container - IIRC jumbo shampoo bottle with the flip top lid. i put a healthy tablespoons worth and let it run for 20min or so. Tumble my brass.... i usually do my brass in large lots of 5000+
By the time I need to tumble more the media needs a dose of NuF/spirit's.
I might pick up a small tumbler for my small batch cmp reloads for things like 7.5 swiss, 7.7 jap , 8mm as i tend to load that in 50 round batches.
Now the fun part
Several years ago I scored over 50lbs of critter/litter walnut shell from the pet store. Between the bogo deal and also ng if they had damaged bags out back i got just over 50#s for about $1.25/#
You can get walnut blasting media at harbor frieght for about the same.
If your near a good Grain and seed or Hay and Feed store they have crushed walnut in #25 and #50 bags right around $1/# also. SO with that said.
I have enough walnut media to not worry and just change it out when it either stops cleaning with in a few hours or looks shitty. Im a CFSFMF, but this is one thing i dont bother trying to CFSF.
 
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Dryer sheet cut in 4 pieces picks up a lot of stuff. Never did a comparison without the sheets. I also add a little less than a capful of Nufinish every third or fourth batch.
 
I’ve never compared with or without used dryer sheets. But anything to help cut down on that nasty ass lead ladened dust, is good. I just rip the sheets by hand lol. Also tumble outside.
 
I’ve never compared with or without used dryer sheets. But anything to help cut down on that nasty ass lead ladened dust, is good. I just rip the sheets by hand lol. Also tumble outside.

Are you using walnut Andrew? I switched to corncob a while ago and I see almost no dust from that. Way better than walnut was and it seems to polish better and faster.
 
I put a rubber gasket on the lid of my tumbler to keep the dust out of the air, i just use a dash of cheap liquid car wax in my media, nu finish or whatever i've got laying around. Banana wax smells awesome. I tried the dryer sheet thing for a while, didn't seem to do much.
 
Are you using walnut Andrew? I switched to corncob a while ago and I see almost no dust from that. Way better than walnut was and it seems to polish better and faster.
Yup corncob
 
I do a drizzle of NuFinish/denatured alcohol in the media and rip a dryer sheet into thirds. The dryer sheet grabs the dust and comes out pretty black. I can't say for sure but I think it makes it quieter, too. I run it in my garage to keep the junk/noise out of the house.
 
I’ve never compared with or without used dryer sheets. But anything to help cut down on that nasty ass lead ladened dust, is good. I just rip the sheets by hand lol. Also tumble outside.

Three or four tablespoons of odorless mineral spirits every couple of tumblings will keep the dusting down and help the dryer sheets pick it up and contain it.

I tumble and sift outside too, weather permitting.
 
not like it isn't cheap enough. i bought a 55 gal drum of media from brownells several years ago. cost like 55 bucks delivered. it's stored in my down stairs bathroom. but worth it for a lifetime supply.
 
Stainless steel pins dont need reconditioning. And no dust.

If you can switch to wet tumbling, do it.
Try wet tumbling without the pins. It saves having to decap first. Also, no offense, but your sig line sucks. It takes up half a page (the quotes aren't that good either, especially the 1000th time you see them. I especially like the burn quote on Dench who's banned and won't see it. You showed him and continue to do so, uselessly). I wish I could turn them off like everyone else.

To the OP: The dryer sheets (used ones, and cut into 1/4's the long way) come out filthy, and remove some of the harmful shit (lead styphnate) in the media. It doesn't make it last longer, but it helps to remove some of the harmful compunds. The media wears out when the sharp edges break off. When it's worn, you could put silk scarves in it and it won't help. It's like using worn out sandpaper.
 
Try wet tumbling without the pins. It saves having to decap first. Also, no offense, but your sig line sucks. It takes up half a page (the quotes aren't that good either, especially the 1000th time you see them. I especially like the burn quote on Dench who's banned and won't see it. You showed him and continue to do so, uselessly). I wish I could turn them off like everyone else.

To the OP: The dryer sheets (used ones, and cut into 1/4's the long way) come out filthy, and remove some of the harmful shit (lead styphnate) in the media. It doesn't make it last longer, but it helps to remove some of the harmful compunds. The media wears out when the sharp edges break off. When it's worn, you could put silk scarves in it and it won't help. It's like using worn out sandpaper.
Someone doesnt like wet tumbling.
 
not like it isn't cheap enough. i bought a 55 gal drum of media from brownells several years ago. cost like 55 bucks delivered. it's stored in my down stairs bathroom. but worth it for a lifetime supply.
just wanted to be clearer...it was shipped in a plastic lined cardboard drum, not a steel, lets add 35 pounds to shipping, drum.
 
How do you dry the cases after wet tumbling?
I throw them on a tinfoil tray and in the oven for 20 min at the lowest temp, mine goes down to 170. Done. They come out nice and dry.

I also dont decap before cleaning them, only because I dont want my decap die to be a mess. I clean them, dry them in the oven, then decap as part of the reloading process.

Stainless steel pins last forever.
Cleaning solution is a few drops of dawn and a teaspoon of lemi shine. You can find both at the dollar store.

The only part that is a little bit of a pain, but it takes 5min, is dumping all the brass and the pins into a media separator and making sure you dont have any pins in the brass. In a batch of 400 rounds, after drying, I usually find 3 or 4 pins still inside some brass. But its not that much a pain because I inspect each piece to make sure they are not cracked.

Some companies sell a magnet to do this. I have read that it works, but I never tried it, it is not that big of a pain for me.

Edit: spelling.
 
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I wet tumble all of my pistol caliber brass without pins. Gets the cases way more than clean enough and still sparkle if you let them tumble long enough. I use ArmorAll Car Wash & Wax, and a dash of Lemishine. Cases come out perfect and the wax component helps keep the cases from tarnishing as well and it may just be me but I feel that they resize smoother too, not as good as lubed cases but it's noticable.

If the batch of range brass is REALLY NASTY off of a muddy range and trampled on I'll run it through the tumbler for 15 minutes with some dawn, they come out probably clean enough that way too for reloading, before running it with the wash and wax.
 
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