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Posted: 12/28/2008 5:29:06 PM EDT
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I missed ordering some sort of solution for tumbling and I'm curious as to what good brand can be found at Cabelas or elsewhere. I'd like to get started with my new 550 kit, but this seems to be the only hold up. I found this thread speaking of specific medias, so I'll be hunting those tomorrow.
Could I tumble some 45acp without the additional solution, or is it a lost cause without? Thanks. |
| If you want to save money go to Wal-Mart and look in the Pet supply section, they sale a corn cob bedding material, then go to the atuo section and pick up one bottle of Nu-Finish car polish. Place the cor cob media in your tumbler, add two caps of Nu-Finish and let it run for about 30 miniutes. Then add brass, tumble until they are as clean as you like. Otherwise you can buy approved media from Lyman or Midway it does the same thing it just costs more. Midway also sales a brass polish that works very well their catalog number 198-878 works about the same as the Nu-Finish. |
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What do you mean by "solution"?
If you're talking about a polishing additive, forget it and get on with the program. Tumble your brass in crushed walnut for an hour. That will make it clean. It might not shine like diamonds, but it's ready to size. Unless the brass is old and dirty or tarnished, it will come out of the tumbler with 90% of the shine it's ever going to have. |
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Quoted:
I missed ordering some sort of solution for tumbling and I'm curious as to what good brand can be found at Cabala's or elsewhere. I'd like to get started with my new 550 kit, but this seems to be the only hold up. I found this thread speaking of specific medias, so I'll be hunting those tomorrow. Could I tumble some 45acp without the additional solution, or is it a lost cause without? Thanks. Do you mean a polishing liquid? Look at my post in the thread you linked, I posted a pic of the polish I use. Got it from Midway. You don't need polish to get brass clean. You do need polish to get the brass to shine. Warning, DO NOT buy Lyman polishing media with the red rouge. It can damage your sizing die. |
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Trust these guys i did three hundred rounds of 30-06 yesterday
one hour in walnut shells i bought at pet store one hour in corn cob with two caps of new finish and it shines better than new! oh yea and i bought the corn cob at pet store also just be sure to get the real fine stuff! i didnt and it takes a long time to dig it all out with a pick 
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I got the walnut (lizzard) and some corn cob today. The only corn cob they had was the "larger" i presume, as it doesn't state "mini cob" on the package. Its about the same size as non crushed black pepper. I'm only doing 45acp right now, I'll use this and get the smaller stuff for the 223 brass I plan to kick start in a few weeks.
eta, thinking back on it, i'll just return and find the smaller stuff. I'll use the walnut for now and see how it goes. Then hit 'em with the corn cob. |
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Picked this little trick up for the guys here on the site that have been doing reloading for longer than most people have been alive.
By yourself a little Brasso in the squeeze type bottles and give your media a a couple squirts. 
Cuts the tunbling time down dramatically and the brass comes out looking like brand new. Wish I had a tumbler when I was in the Army. 
Tj |
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Quoted:
Picked this little trick up for the guys here on the site that have been doing reloading for longer than most people have been alive. By yourself a little Brasso in the squeeze type bottles and give your media a a couple squirts. 
Cuts the tunbling time down dramatically and the brass comes out looking like brand new. Wish I had a tumbler when I was in the Army.
Tj Doesn't Brasso contain ammonia which would weaken the brass? |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Picked this little trick up for the guys here on the site that have been doing reloading for longer than most people have been alive. By yourself a little Brasso in the squeeze type bottles and give your media a a couple squirts.
Cuts the tunbling time down dramatically and the brass comes out looking like brand new. Wish I had a tumbler when I was in the Army.
Tj Doesn't Brasso contain ammonia which would weaken the brass? Most certainly in an aqueous environment ammonia sure would, any brass, through intergranular corrosion. In fact, most yellow metals. Tumbling brass for example in pure Brasso or hydrous ammonia would be disastrous, however once you put a couple squirts of Brasso into your media it becomes anything but aqueous. What little amonia is there evaporates quickly as the water/moisture is absorbed by the media and then vibrated. The boiling point of amonia is ridiculously low, below zero. Of course, it doesn't clean as well (quickly) as Brasso on a rag. What is left is the abrasive properties of the Brasso which coats your media. That's a good question and being involved in metal forming as an engineer for a living was tops on my list the first time I had someone recommend this. Designing car thermostats an often contaminant was people using window cleaner when they had a radiator leak. The stats would fail in a matter of hours, but then we're talking no water in our application and ammonia is not found naturally in nature without water. BTW, Since you brought it up. Brass exposed to enough corrosive material to cause intergranular attack is actually quite visible to the naked eye. Instead of a smooth finish it will have a granular looking one. We use acids to clean metals all the time and boy you over clean (start etching) and you can see it right off and it will fail prematurely. I haven't seen any indication of this at all in tumbling ammunition brass. Tj |
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