Cleaning Tumbling Media

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Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Colohunter » Wed Oct 05, 2011 2:11 am

I don't know about the rest of you, but I like to be as frugal as possible when it comes to items that aren't necessities in reloading. I would much rather spend a little less on tumbling media and buy some extra bullets or powder. Check out my guide on cleaning your media to extend the life:

http://theblackrifle.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-clean-brass-tumbling-media.html

This is the second time I've cleaned this batch and I think I will get quite a few more clean cases out of it, let me know what you think.
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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Stealthshooter » Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:53 pm

That's a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing!
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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Colohunter » Wed Oct 05, 2011 6:19 pm

No problem, I know that tumbling media isn't real expensive, but it is nice to have some options.
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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Hoot » Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:23 pm

Stealthshooter wrote:That's a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing!


+1

I have wondered if that was possible. I only use walnut shell media from Harbor Freight and even then it's still not cheap. Being a natural hoarder, I've keep all the old stuff and you can bet I'll be picking up some of those bags, or raiding my wife's panty hose. Then I'll get some of those bags... Image

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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Colohunter » Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:22 pm

Go for it Hoot! For all the great tips I've received from you, it would be nice to actually give you something new to try!
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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Jim in Houston » Thu Oct 06, 2011 4:32 am

Phew! Thought for a moment the tutorial was going to suggest throwing the laundry bag into the washing machine. Tried that once with rags I use to clean the car. Wife's reaction was not something I want to repeat.
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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby BD1 » Thu Oct 06, 2011 11:16 am

The most effective single thing you can do to protect your own health, and make your tumbling media last longer, is to wash your brass in soap and water, and rinse it, prior to tumbling it. A large part of the fine dust you see coming off of your media is Lead Styphanate from the primers. This is readily dissolved in water, so it can be absorbed directly through your mucus membranes, but that also means it is readily washed off. If you do not shoot indoors, this is likely your most significant source of lead exposure, even more than casting lead boolits. Whatever you do, do not mix any washing of brass with clothes or dishes.
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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby commander faschisto » Thu Oct 06, 2011 3:05 pm

Slight hijack alert!...The stuff you learn off of this website never ceases to amaze... :ugeek:

Note to Hoot: You'd better be careful what you go swiping out of the house...you might wind up with more crushed walnuts than you started with... :lol:
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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Hoot » Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:53 pm

I finally got around to collecting the tall coffee cans of dirty media I had stashed around the shop. I took a different tack (naturally) in that I put all of it in a canning kettle added hot water a squirt of dish detergent and a chug of rubbing alcohol to help displace the waxes left behind from the dryer sheet pieces I add to pick up the dust. Stirred the mix up good. Let it settle and poured off the dirty water on top. I repeated, but just added additional hot water, stirring, settling and pouring off, until it came out clear for two passes. IIRC, it took 5 or 6 cycles total. After pouring off as much as possible without the media coming out with the water (not hard), I dumped the wet mash into the middle of a fine weave, piece of silk big enough to hold the pile and gathered it up to form a bag around the mash. I took it outside and swung it like the hammer throw to draw off as much water as possible. Noticed the neighbor peeking out his curtain at me with a puzzled look on his face, but then he's seen me do weirder things... Once I could not sling out any more water, I divided the moist mash into three big cookie trays and placed them in the oven, which I had already heated to 200. After it regained its temperature setpoint, I turned it off and let the temperature coast down to room temp. The wife and daughter complained about the smell, which was somewhere between scented dryer sheet and musty basement, that had filled the entire house. My argument about the free humidifier effect was a lost cause. When it had cooled to room temp, I opened the oven and it was like I had not even tried to dry it. Still wet with only a fine layer on top looking remotely like drying. I stirred the three trays, spilling a little media here and there and suffering Missy Bimbo's scorn. After three hours of dickin' with it, it was much dryer than when I started, so I ran the oven up to 200 yet one last time, turned it off and went to bed. In the morning, it was almost totally dry. I ran the temp up once again and let it cool down. Finally it was very dry to the touch, but I left it sit until this morning for good measure. Loaded up the tumbler and ran a load comprised of .30-06, .308 and Grendel brass, without any additive or dryer sheets. It cleaned the brass as much as I expected, considering it is old media and I didn't put any additive in it.

For the amount of time it all took and the gas I used, I won't be cleaning any more. I can get another 25lb box of walnut media from Harbor Freight for $25.00 and believe me, that venture was easily worth four times that in my free time, gas and familial disdain. :roll:

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Re: Cleaning Tumbling Media

Postby Colohunter » Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:38 pm

Thanks for the write up Hoot, at least you gave it a shot.
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