When to retire tumbling media?

clearwater

Handloader
Feb 5, 2005
388
123
New to tumbling cases. Have been using walnut media and it seem like it is no longer cleaning up the neck of cases. Does the media eventually get so rounded it doesn't work well? When do you replace the media?
 
I seldom use the dry media any longer, opting instead to use stainless steel pins and liquid media in a Thumler's tumbler. However, I changed media (and still change media) when dust becomes problematic.
 
I use liquid case polish with my walnut shell and it helps keep the dust down and clean the out side of the case necks.
Can't seem to wear it out.
 
a lot of the commercial walnut specifically for case cleaning has been treated with a polish or some type of cleaning agent. It does loose its ability to help clean after a while. Lyman sells a "recharge" product, but I usually just ad a little Lemi-Shine or case polish to boost it back. Walnut does wear out, I usually get about 6 months out of it, but I do a BUNCH of 223 and pistol cases.
 
I use a couple of sheets of Bounce dryer sheets laid on top of the tumbler bowl, one sheet across and the other sheet criscrossed, make sure you press the sheets down on the stud and let it punch through to add the lid and nut, make sure a portion of the sheets are sticking out before putting the lid to hold them in place. Tighten nut and tumble, and you can see it absorb all that dust once you turn tumbler off and lift the lid. Carefully remove the dirty sheets and discard. I use new Bounce sheets every time I tumble to eliminate most of the dust and it helps a lot.
 
TackDriver284":2ow4ay3a said:
I use a couple of sheets of Bounce dryer sheets laid on top of the tumbler bowl, one sheet across and the other sheet criscrossed, make sure you press the sheets down on the stud and let it punch through to add the lid and nut, make sure a portion of the sheets are sticking out before putting the lid to hold them in place. Tighten nut and tumble, and you can see it absorb all that dust once you turn tumbler off and lift the lid. Carefully remove the dirty sheets and discard. I use new Bounce sheets every time I tumble to eliminate most of the dust and it helps a lot.
TackDriver284 I like your Idea, I had just been cutting up the sheats in about 1"×3" strips and letting them tumble in the media. I think I will try your method instead. Thanks for the tip and sharing [emoji106]

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dd.payson1018":2kydx32l said:
TackDriver284":2kydx32l said:
I use a couple of sheets of Bounce dryer sheets laid on top of the tumbler bowl, one sheet across and the other sheet criscrossed, make sure you press the sheets down on the stud and let it punch through to add the lid and nut, make sure a portion of the sheets are sticking out before putting the lid to hold them in place. Tighten nut and tumble, and you can see it absorb all that dust once you turn tumbler off and lift the lid. Carefully remove the dirty sheets and discard. I use new Bounce sheets every time I tumble to eliminate most of the dust and it helps a lot.
TackDriver284 I like your Idea, I had just been cutting up the sheats in about 1"×3" strips and letting them tumble in the media. I think I will try your method instead. Thanks for the tip and sharing [emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Don't put them in the media, it tears them up to little pieces. I had a bounce sheet get loose once and it mixed in with the brass and media for 8 hours and it was torn up to small pieces.
 
I quit using the Walnut media because of the red dust. I went to Lyman treated corncob media and it is MUCH cleaner. When it starts to not polish the bass as shinny as I like I add a little New Finish car polish to the media. I turn the vibratory cleaner on and then add about 2 table spoons of the polish and it mixes well. If you just pour it in without turning it on it make clumps. This media does not wear out it just gets dirty. I go to new media when it starts to leave black on the cases that needs to be wiped off. I keep this dirty media in a bucket to use to pre-clean any brass that is muddy or dirty. The range that I shoot on is the sheriff department range and many don't police their brass so I get it. I will run the cases in this dirty media before I put it with cleaner media to polish. I usually run the dirty brass in the dirty media then lube and size the cases then put them in for a polish and lube removing before loading.
 
I am not having troubles with dust.Each time I cut a used dryer sheet in 1/4 and let tumble with the brass and it collects the dust just fine. The dryer sheets don't fall apart either.

I used the Lyman media so maybe the polishing agent is used up.

What is in polish? Is it something like diatomaceous earth that could be found cheaply? Flitz?
 
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