BEWARE: Tumbler media residue

Rsim
[subject]
Monday, March 25, 2019, 10:14 (2718 days ago)

Before leaving Ohio for good, bought some reloading supplies at a locally owned shooting warehouse. They didn't have my favorite brand of tumbler media so I grabbed a jug of "Lyman's Turbo Media". Noticed the grains were smaller, didn't give it any thought. I've never had this kind of aggravation with tumbler media.

Yesterday, almost a year later, had a cardboard box of old 44M spent brass that were in dire need of a good cleaning. Ran it in the Hornady tumbler during the night in the garage and this morning deprimed and sized. That's when the aggravation started.

I shake out newly cleaned brass two or three times to get all the media dislodged. But this Lyman smaller size media stuck like glue in the flash holes. Primer pin punched it out but there was a lot of residue. Had to hand inspect every piece, clean out primer pockets and about half of them had to be run through the deprimer die again or my flash hole tool to get all the junk out.

After reading the posts about squibs, have a strong feeling that media residue in the flash hole might be a possible cause. I'm going shopping for a better way to clean old brass.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but am curious if any Misfits have had this kind of aggravation.

I have had several

Grover Sr
[subject]
Monday, March 25, 2019, 10:18 (2718 days ago) @ Rsim

Batches of media that did that. I am saving for an ultrasonic cleaner.

Try white rice

Mike Casselton
[subject]
Monday, March 25, 2019, 11:04 (2718 days ago) @ Grover Sr

It's cheap and cleans well

Dumped the media and went to rice, works great

Rsim
[subject]
Monday, March 25, 2019, 14:41 (2718 days ago) @ Mike Casselton

have been wanting to try rice, but bought the new media. Aggravation can change one's mind quickly.

My tumbler is a dust magnet

Sid R
[subject]
Monday, March 25, 2019, 11:55 (2718 days ago) @ Rsim

since getting an ultrasonic cleaner.

Experienced that too, so now inspect all.

SPB
[subject]
Monday, March 25, 2019, 12:24 (2718 days ago) @ Rsim

- No text -

Try a dryer sheet

Damon A
[subject]
Thursday, March 28, 2019, 06:26 (2715 days ago) @ Rsim

I usually use stainless media these days. That said, I occasionally do still use my vibratory tumbler. What I've always done that helps cut down on the dust and helps keep the media clean is to use dryer sheets in the tumbler. I keep a couple used dryer sheets and cut one up into maybe a dozen squares. Toss them in the media and it really cuts down on the dust and dirty residue. The squares are easy to fish out and throw away when I separate the brass from the media.

That doesn't help with the media getting stuck in primer holes, but it helps with the dust.

powered by my little forum