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Posted: 10/4/2014 10:22:21 AM EDT
I have been reloading for quite awhile but have been using the wet method to clean the brass.  

Now I have been researching and found out that I need vibrating tumbler, walnut media, nu Finish, paint thinner, and used dryer sheets.

I have an inexpensive Frankford Arsenal Quick-n-Ez Case Tumbler that can tumble 350 .223 brass. I am filling 2/3 of the tumbler with the walnut media.   I am searching high and low to figure out how much I need to put the nu Finish and paint thinner (mineral spirit).  I have heard from people saying anything from a cap full to 2 cap full to several splash.  I just don't want to over/under use the polish and the paint thinner.

I would like to know the measurement in either teaspoon or tablespoon.  

Thanks in advance.
Link Posted: 10/4/2014 11:09:21 AM EDT
[#1]

Well it depends.

If the walnut media has been treated you will not need to do anything till it does not clean as it should. In my case its after the tumbler runs for 45 minutes and the brass is not coming clean. Then I add a cap full of wax and a cap full of mineral spirits.

On the other hand if you are starting out with Lizard bedding which is dry and dusty. I have to add two cap fulls of wax and two cap fulls of mineral spirits before loading in brass

I have read that you should add a cap full of each with every batch. That did not work for me the media gets too wet after two or three batches. But if you do get it too wet and it sticks to the inside of the brass. Just leave the top off for a couple of days and it drys out on it own.

hope that helps
Link Posted: 10/4/2014 11:38:34 AM EDT
[#2]
Unfortunately , it depends is the correct answer. How dirty and how many pieces of brass. How many times the media was used and size/type of walnuts. How long it it ran for etc...
That said I run three hours with fine crushed walnuts from harbor freight in my Lyman vibratory tumbler with 6 pounds of brass.
One dryer sheet cut into 2x2 inch squares. One table spoon of oder less mineral sprits with unit on and no brass for 10 minutes to mix and use every batch.
Two teaspoons of Nufinish used every other batch with unit on and no brass for 10 minutes to mix.
Works for me.
Link Posted: 10/4/2014 1:28:31 PM EDT
[#3]
I'm curious what you researched and why you need a vibratory tumbler.  I mostly wet tumble and i do have a vibratory tumbler also. I use the dry method with plain walnut on dirty brass just to get it clean enough to resize and deprime because i like to do it in one step sometimes.  I also touch up loaded rounds sometimes and use corn cob with nu finish.  I think walnut works best for knocking off heavy stuff and treated corn cob works best for getting a final shine.
Link Posted: 10/4/2014 2:04:57 PM EDT
[#4]
Interesting. What is the purpose of the thinner? Reason I ask is because I only use a capful of the NuFinish. I haven't had a reason to add anything else...yet.
Link Posted: 10/4/2014 2:14:51 PM EDT
[#5]

Keeps the media from getting too dry and not cleaning as well.
Link Posted: 10/4/2014 4:13:20 PM EDT
[#6]
The paint thinner is redundant to the dryer sheet.  Both eliminate the dust from the media.

I use paint thinner.  I would say, start with one capful in the media and let it vibrate for a while (~15 minutes) to distribute itself.  The worst thing you can do is put the brass in media that's soaking wet.  

I would also say to not bother with NuFinish, at least, not at first.  See if the walnut media gets your brass adequately clean.  When you use your media to remove the sizing lubricant, the media and thinner will pick up and retain enough wax (lanolin) to provide a microscopically thin protective layer on your clean brass.

Link Posted: 10/4/2014 6:25:05 PM EDT
[#7]
If you have a wet tumbling system it will give you the cleanest brass period. Walnut is quick and easy and doesn't NEED any additives. If you have grungy brass use the SS/wet method. If you just want to knock a little powder residue and carbon off some recently fired cases walnut gets the job done. I think vibratory tumblers work better than rotary tumblers when using dry media.

I cap full of new finish is better than adding mineral spirits and will leave the cases really clean and polished. Corn cob media works great for removing case lube.
Link Posted: 10/4/2014 10:58:39 PM EDT
[#8]
If you don't add the mineral spirits to DRY media, the brass will get a white-ish look to it. With the MS, it will come out nice and shiny. It keeps the lead dust down so you will not inhale it. That is the most important thing to adding the MS.
Link Posted: 10/5/2014 11:14:59 AM EDT
[#9]
^
This
And for me the odorless mineral sprits second main function is to chemically break down sooty carbon to aid the nuts.
Link Posted: 10/5/2014 1:43:57 PM EDT
[#10]
I've never tried Nu finish or mineral spirits in walnut media....yet. Always used the Lyman brass polish and had good results.

Mineral spirits is a solvent. Removing old wax from furniture, either mineral spirits or kerosene can be used. I suspect when adding the mineral spirits to the walnut media (call it the furniture), you are lifting the wax it from the walnut and the walnut becomes more abrasive to the brass and there becomes more unbound wax to coat the brass. Not sure how much equilibrium of wax there is between the brass and walnut media after tumbling, but every time you tumble, the wax is distributed between both. Mineral spirits releases the wax from the walnut media.        

I've washed brass in dish soap/water and put it in the tumbler before it was 100% dry and tumbled with the top off. It clumped some at first, then evened out. The moisture seemed to clean the brass even better than when dry brass was added. I'm not recommending it,...I've just done it in the past. No walnut was stuck in the cases any more than when dry brass was used either. I suspected the walnut absorbs the moisture and re-energizes (for lack of a better word) the conditioner. For this reason, I don't need to dry the brass all the way if I'm going to tumble it immediately. If I'm storing it in plastic bags I make sure it's 100% dry.
Link Posted: 10/6/2014 12:28:59 AM EDT
[#11]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Unfortunately , it depends is the correct answer. How dirty and how many pieces of brass. How many times the media was used and size/type of walnuts. How long it it ran for etc...
That said I run three hours with fine crushed walnuts from harbor freight in my Lyman vibratory tumbler with 6 pounds of brass.
One dryer sheet cut into 2x2 inch squares. One table spoon of oder less mineral sprits with unit on and no brass for 10 minutes to mix and use every batch.
Two teaspoons of Nufinish used every other batch with unit on and no brass for 10 minutes to mix.
Works for me.
View Quote



Well, personally using untreated walnut media (lizard bedding) with Nu Finish + paint thinner not only cleans but also polishes the brass shiny new.  Also I don't necessarily have to deprime first to clean the brass.  The switch from wet method to dry is more for convenience and saving time.
Link Posted: 10/6/2014 12:36:30 AM EDT
[#12]
So I am suppose to put Nufinish and paint thinner every time I tumble? or every other time I tumble?  I heard people say that they only add when they notice that the brass does not come out polished and shiny.  
Link Posted: 10/6/2014 12:37:41 AM EDT
[#13]
So I am suppose to put Nufinish and paint thinner every time I tumble? or every other time I tumble?  I heard people say that they only add when they notice that the brass does not come out polished and shiny.  
Link Posted: 10/6/2014 1:02:36 AM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
So I am suppose to put Nufinish and paint thinner every time I tumble? or every other time I tumble?  I heard people say that they only add when they notice that the brass does not come out polished and shiny.  
View Quote


It's all personal preference. I don't use spirits in my media and I put a cap of NuFinish in every time I tumble.
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