another tumbling media?

[pcmacd]

I've generally used 1/4" corn cob media for tumbling, with Iosso polish (Polish?) as my best bet.

I moved from The People's Socialist Republik of Kalifornia to Arizona (Where Free men live!) in the East PHX Valley, and cannot find a single supplier for either the cob nor ANY kind of brass Polish at any firearms entity I have encountered? None? Zilch?

What the WHAT>?>?>????

I thought AZ was a GUN CRAZY place? Apparently not. The North OC in Kalifornia was much better for a reloader? How can this be? Hello? Hello? Hello?

Earth to Arizona?

At any rat, I found some "rice hulls" at a very modest price at a local feed store, used for "litter" on pet cages (as is the 1/8" corn cob that I could not find?)

I had some tired cob brought with from the PSROK, recharged with Turtle Wax Metal Polish and a bit of mineral spirits (REPEAT: cannot find brass polish in the East PHX Valley? So saaad... I had a half dozen places w/in five miles of my OC CA home where I could find such? Hello? Arizona?)

I digress. At any rat, the tired cob and fresh Turtle Wax was giving me very dull, albeit clean brass.

So, I filled up me Lyman Magnum Tumbler with NEW! rice husk, added an ounce or two of mineral spirits (to keep the freaking primer dust down! It's POISON you know???), and perhaps a liquid ounce or less of T. Wax metal polish. One hour later, these 30-30 cases that would not previously shine (over six hours previously?) look like gold nuggets.

My images are sufficiently small to fit here, but don't seem to want to upload?

So, until I can figure this out, find my stuff @Link below, please.

The only minus I find here is that the rice husks are very light and tend to stick to everthing, thus, making a very big mess.

There is an image of the clean brass, and an image of the leftovers in my Dillon media separator. A picture of the HUGE bag of husks, and a picture of the Turtle Wax Metal Polish, which seems to be the very same as the recent T. Wax "Premium All Metal Polish". Same stuff, I'd wager.

The rice husk cost about $14 for 50 pounds. About a five or ten year supply. Seems to work pretty good. Time will tell?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fns2al1311finmo/AACbVf6RxnVUyW8oEl1Ha8twa?dl=0

 

[Uncle Ed]

I use untreated crushed walnut lizard litter found in pet stores and Nu-Finnish polish.
You must have kids with pet lizards in Arizona.
And if you catch your own lizard you can recycle the media to the lizard cage.
And in a short time your pet lizard will have polished nails and his belly will be water proof.
And if your lizard dies of lead poisoning just switch to lead free primers.
P.S. Rice husks contain arsenic
Questions & Answers: Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products
https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborneillnesscontaminants/metals/ucm319948.htm

What Tumbling Media is the Best?

 

[MN50Shooter]

When I don't wet tumble, I too use the Lizard Bedding (finely ground walnut shells) with Nu Finish Car Polish. Works great, and never have to worry about walnut shells sticking in flash hole.

 

[JRS]

Use the corncob media (treated or untreated) just as it is. The so-called polishes, Nu-Finish and such, are actually not polishes, and don't polish anything.

 

[NorCalMikie]

IMHO, "untreated" media is the best. Nothing left on your brass. I prefer corn cob or walnut shell. Walnut will stick in the flash holes because of it's smaller size. BUT, picking it out of the flash holes gives you another chance to inspect your brass for defects BEFORE it gets sized, primed and powdered. Plane white rice in the tumbler works well also.

 

[Delfuego]

Zilla lizard walnut stuff from the pet store

 

[thekriebles]

Zilla lizard walnut stuff from the pet store

Same here... lizard litter in crushed walnut works extremely well in my rotary tumbler for my cases. It hardly has any dust to it, and it holds up great, use after use.

 

[Bob L.]

Use the corncob media (treated or untreated) just as it is. The so-called polishes, Nu-Finish and such, are actually not polishes, and don't polish anything.

I use untreated corn cob, but always thought Nu-finish, etc., were polishes. If they are not, what do they do? Are the simply waxes? Just curious.

 

[JRS]

I use untreated corn cob, but always thought Nu-finish, etc., were polishes. If they are not, what do they do? Are the simply waxes? Just curious.

Nu-Finish is a paint protectant. It is neither polish, or wax.

Edit: When using corncob media or walnut media, the larger and coarser the grit, the faster it works.

 

[Uncle Ed]

I'm not a chemist and have read the articles about Nu-Finish, "BUT" a lot of people use it when case tumbling.

When I put Nu-Finish on my car it cleans the surface of the paint and removes paint oxidation and makes the paint shine.

And when I put it on my untreated walnut media the Nu-Finish helps clean the brass, makes it shine and keeps it from tarnishing.

The Nu-Finish also helps keep the dust down when its added at each tumbling.

Nu-Finish may be neither fish nor fowl but it does help when tumbling brass no matter the negative comments.

Below, for not being a polish or a wax it does something, and a lot of people use it.

 

[JRS]

I'm not a chemist and have read the articles about Nu-Finish, "BUT" a lot of people use it when case tumbling.

When I put Nu-Finish on my car it cleans the surface of the paint and removes paint oxidation and makes the paint shine.

And when I put it on my untreated walnut media the Nu-Finish helps clean the brass, makes it shine and keeps it from tarnishing.

The Nu-Finish also helps keep the dust down when its added at each tumbling.

Nu-Finish may be neither fish nor fowl but it does help when tumbling brass no matter the negative comments.

Below, for not being a polish or a wax it does something, and a lot of people use it.

It does in fact do something. It protects the paint. You can wipe on diesel fuel onto oxidized paint and get the same type of shine. Like Nu-Finish, diesel fuel will protect the paint.

The 5 steps to a shine:
1 - Wash
2 - Surface prep (removes contaminates)
3 - Polish (produces the shine)
4 - Protect (this is what Nu-Finish provides)
5 - Maintain

Nu-Finish doesn't remove the oxidation, it covers it.

 

[Uncle Ed]

How many reloaders add diesel fuel to their tumbling media???

And how many reloaders are there that switched to Nu-Finish because they did not like the red abrasive dust from treated media.

I can tell you this, I use untreated lizard litter walnut media and Nu-Finish, it helps and it makes me happy.

And the best part about reloading is the person pulling the press handle decides how to do it.

 

[JRS]

How many reloaders add diesel fuel to their tumbling media???

And how many reloaders are there that switched to Nu-Finish because they did not like the red abrasive dust from treated media.

I can tell you this, I use untreated lizard litter walnut media and Nu-Finish, it helps and it makes me happy.

And the best part about reloading is the person pulling the press handle decides how to do it.

Our mind is a powerful tool, as is good advertising. Krazy Kloth will provide the same shiny finish.

 

[Ccrider]

Our mind is a powerful tool, as is good advertising. Krazy Kloth will provide the same shiny finish.

Not my experience with krazy cloth. It left a dull residue after sitting over night.

 

[Uncle Ed]

JRS

Have you ever used untreated lizard litter or added Nu-Finish to untreated media.

 

[Just Say Moe]

Good Idea I hope it keeps working and for $14, it was worth a try. Maybe you can go outside and blast them and the separator off with compressed air?

 

[claybuster]

I use Nu-Finish in corn cob, seems to work

 

[KMart]

Any industrial supply should have corn cob media or crushed walnut hulls. It is used as blasting media.
For a polishing additive, I use the old school 3M car polish.

 

[JRS]

JRS

Have you ever used untreated lizard litter or added Nu-Finish to untreated media.

Yes, I have. The lizard litter is too fine to work in a reasonable length of time. The only thing I noticed when using Nu-Finish is that it causes the media to clump and reduces the little bit of dust created in the bowl. A couple of the custom bowyers I have build bows for me wipe on Nu-Finish over the clear coat they spray on the finished bow. It protects the finish, not shine it. They use it because it is the least expensive of the protectants/sealants. I owned a mobile detailing business for a number of years and know which products work and what they provide.

 

[Uncle Ed]

They say you can't teach old dogs new tricks, but last year I tried the crushed walnut lizard litter in a new Lyman 1500 tumbler. Then I asked myself why so many reloaders with vibratory tumblers use Nu-finish.

So the slow to change old dog tried it, and it works better than just the plain lizard litter. And the cases do not tarnish if they sit for a while, and none of these cases have red abrasive dust inside them.

And the best part is I can fall asleep and let the cases tumble all night and not peen the heck out of the case mouths.

Below, falling asleep and wet tumbling with stainless steel media. The case on the left was over wet tumbled and the case on the right is a new Winchester case right out of the bag.

Below a happy lizard playing "Leaf me alone".................