Tumbling brass?

[crittrgittr]

I'm just wondering how long you all tumble your brass? I am using corn cob in mine and have been keeping my rounds in about 2-3 hours. They are clean, but not over clean. The other night I accidently left my tumbler on over night, about 9 hours, and my brass were nice and clean and shiny. Will that damage the cases in any way if in a tumbler that long?

 

[dig]

I find with conventional corn Cobb in a vibration tumbler my pistol brass is brite and shinny in abut 3-4 hours. I use stainless media on rifle, that process takes 2.5-3.5 hours. Shorter on the bigger cases longer on the small stuff (.223). Really depends on your tumbler, age of media and polish being used. New media and very old media take longer in my experience. Have to fine that sweet spot.

 

[Rick Richard]

I have a Harbor Freight Vibration cleaner using crushed walnut shells. I drop a a cup full of Nu Finish(?) with the brass and it usually cleans them to a shine within 3 to 4 hours. The only thing it does not do well is the primer pockets.

 

[thatguyshm]

Not to high jack, but has anyone tried the small granules of polishing additive that you add to corncob/walnut media? I picked some up, and am going to give it a go once it arrives. From what I can tell, it looks like small grains of wax type material, friction much cause it to break down? I'm not sure how it will work, but I can't imagine for ten bucks its that awful. Instructions look like you need to add a teaspoon or so to it.

Back to topic, I generally just tumble until clean. If I'm making 300 black brass, I cut dirty mil spec brass, tumble some to initially clean and get some of the brass trimmings out, form, trim to length, tumble until clean and polished. 9mm brass? Just tumble til clean. Straight walled cases always clean up better inside.

Biggest thing is to ensure that when the media gets dirty, chuck it. Media is cheap. Check eBay, you can find it dirt cheap, works well enough. Tumblers can be a bit more expensive. Less stress on them is always good, right?

Just my thoughts.. Make it shiney, load it, shoot it, repeat.

 

[Bill Johnson]

Short answer, no. I've left them running days before.

 

[Mikecr]

+1 Bill

 

[Wachsmann]

I use the Lymans red turbo media (walnut) and usually tumble for about 4 hours. But if I forget and it runs 2 days like it has once or twice then I just have very shinny brass that got a little cleaner on the inside. I personally want a wet stainless media device but the price is up there and right now what I have works ok.

 

[Sully2]

Biggest thing is to ensure that when the media gets dirty, chuck it. Media is cheap. Check eBay, you can find it dirt cheap, works well enough. Tumblers can be a bit more expensive. Less stress on them is always good, right?

Just my thoughts.. Make it shiney, load it, shoot it, repeat.

Reptile bedding from the pet store work fine...and if ya want to add a dollop of that white polishing "goo" gets them super bright

 

[Madpap]

I use 50/50 lizard litter and corn cob with a little nu-finish. Works great.

 

[Dosh]

Gittr, I use the lizard litter with IOSSO polish, works great. Use the sonic bath to clean the insides before tumbling. The sonic bath makes the tumble time shorter and cleans the primer pockets as well. Want to get the stainless media to save steps.

 

[Mikecr]

Dosh, you're going further & further from saving steps.

 

[crittrgittr]

Thanx a lot guys for all the responses. Sounds like my brass should b fine maybe I'll try some lizard litter. I probably have about 700 rounds through this media. I do put some charger in about every 200 rounds.

 

[maninthemaze]

Not to hijack the thread or anything but I use a homemade stainless steel wet media tumbler with great results. Inside, outside and primer pockets are all shiney. Very cheap and easy to build. And it does a ton of brass at one time, or small batches, if you need it to. Mine is similar in design to this. Biggdawg Tumblers stainless wet tumblers

 

[MudRunner2005]

I deprime them and ultrasonic clean them first, as hot as the machine can go, for about 1.5 hours. Then I let them dry overnight. Then I tumble them in corn cob for 5 hours. They come out looking better than new.

I can turn nasty old discolored range-pickup brass that I find at the ranges for free...

Into beautiful shiny and useable brass...

Yes, these are both real pictures of the SAME pile of brass before and after I cleaned them.