Forgive me if this has already been posted, but I'm sure most of you are like me and are always looking for a way to save money.

Several years ago I got a couple of parakeets for my nephew. When I was in the pet store I noticed they had ground walnut hulls that you put in the bottom of bird cages.

You have all seen how expensive walnut media is for tumbling brass. Well, you can get the exact same thing in a pet store for much less. I personally get mine at PetsMart in a 25 pound bag for around $23.00. This is the cheapest I have found unless you buy in much larger quantities.

They also have corn cob media, but I have never used it.

Several years ago when I stumbled onto this, the same bag was less than $10.

If anyone has a cheaper source, please let us know.

The last crushed walnut shell I bought, was from a local industrial sandblasting supply store. Big bag, & cheap. Got so much, I had to put it in 5 gal buckets for storage - even use it to stuff my bench rest bags.

Don't remember the price, as it was quite a while back. Still got a good bit left...

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Regards - GCF

Drillspot is the place you want.

corn media

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Still Running Against the Wind

I buy it at Graingers, around $25 for 40 lbs. I am able to pick it up in Dallas so no shipping charges. That link to Drillspot didn't look too bad since it included shipping. If you are near a Graingers that will be hard to beat.

Just be careful about the size of the particles. I got some corncob critter litter that works GREAT for .38 and .45 cases. Then I made the mistake of tumbling some .223 cases in it. It took me a long time with a paper clip to dig the cleaning media out of those cases.

Agree 100%. I have standardized on the 20/40 grit size. It doesn't hang up in the flash hole as bad as the 12/20 does and it is much quieter in your tumbler. Much quieter. I have found the various sizes make no difference in cleaning. It is all in the additives you incorporate.

I have looked at the pet stores and never found the same deals I see listed on the forums. But I do read about lots of folks that wind up with problems due to excessively large particle size. I have seen corn cob pet bedding that is larger in diameter than the neck diameter of 223 rounds.

I buy my corn cob from DrillSpot and my walnut from Harbor Freight.

The Drillspot media is drop shipped from Grainger, it is the same econoline media. They deliver fast, like a few days.

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Still Running Against the Wind

What about using sand or salt?

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Lt. Dan, what R U doing here?

MP22: Offhand, I'm pretty sure sand or salt would be far too abrasive/corrosive. As far as sources, I also found drillspot to be a good deal.

Often the Corn Cob Pet Litter in stores, supermarkets or pet stores isn't the same as corn cob for blasting/tumbling. I've seen "flakes" of corn cob sold as litter and it definately won't work for tumbling. FWIW I've tried a bunch of stuff for cleaning brass and one item that works fairly well and can be found anywhere is rice. Not as good as corn cob or walnut shells, but in a pinch it'll work.

Farm stores often carry (or can order0 ground corn cob as pig food. Last I checked it was something like $12/50#.

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Dave

I also bought mine as blast media from the local welding supply years ago. 40 pound bag, inexpensive enough that I can't remember the price. As a bonus, blast media has much less dust in it than sources like pet bedding.

I may be...I thought tumbling time would just be less.

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Lt. Dan, what R U doing here?

I buy from the pet store or Harbor Freight.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Best place to get corn cob and walnut is at a welding shop that sells blasting media. My buddy got two bags of corn cob for $24 and two bags of walnut also for the same price. Still have about half a bag of each. sometimes when polishing military brass you look at it and its a deep dark green. To me it means its doing its job. Frank

As would usable case life.

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Dave

I'd not like to subject my dies to that recipe either....

and for crushed 'medium' walnut shell, I got nearly a lifetime supply at HF about 10 years ago for $9. Probably is a bit higher now.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

I've also used the 'alternate' sources for walnut and corncob.
Always wondered about using rice - just have never tried it.
Anybody here ever tried it?

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Been there, done that. It sucked the big one. It is now part used as stuffing for my shooting bags. I went out and bought some Lyman's green corn cob, but won't be doing it again once I use it up. Too much green dust all over my cases.

Thanks to jepp2 for suggesting the 20/40 grit size blasting media. I had started to go that route but was unsure of which gritt to get, so I bought the Lyman's.

Does anyone add a polishing compound to the media. I have used the Dillon brass polish but am wondering if there is a better product.

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Dick

I give a small squirt of Nufinish to the fresh media and then let it tumble mix for a few hours. Make sure to check for clumps and break them up to mix evenly. And don't forget the used dryer sheet trick.

I'm new so tell me about the used dryer sheet trick.

Thanks,

Tear up a used dryer sheet into 4 parts and put it in the tumbler while tumbling your brass. It will absorb the dirty dust, keep the media cleaner, and help it last longer.

I use new dryer sheets, about half a sheet per cycle. Corn cob media lasts forever using this. Can't stand the smell imparted on/in my clothes so haven't had the opportunity to try the used sheets.

Good info in this thread. I like the dryer sheet trick for the tumbler.
What other polishes/products do some of you guys add to the media that you like?

The Nufinish liquid car polish works great.

I've successfully used rice for a couple years. I buy the cheapest I can find. Obviously one does not want to get it wet. The only other shortcoming I've experienced is that sometimes it interacts with powder fouling on the case exterior to leave spots of gummy schmutz--I'm wondering if it's the starch in the rice. This is easily wiped off with a rag after tumbling when I check for split mouths and sort by headstamp.

I like corn cob for the media as it absorbs case lube. I use spray case lube and then polish in a mixture of corn cobs with Dillon case polish.
I know that you DO NOT want to use Brasso as it will weaken the cases.

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Dick

The CHEAPEST,

BORROW SOME FROM A FRIEND, who probably

Has WAY TOO MUCH from the deal he got by reading

this thread.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

I use crushed Walnut shells that I bought from Dillon when I bought my set up 30+ years ago. I have only changed the media one time and I used the same out of the same original bag when I did. I find that if I put a cap-full of Dillon liquid polish in the tumbler the brass comes out nice & shinny. I reload quite a bit and I have found that the efficiency of the media has not declined so I have had no reason to change it often.

Chief38

If you think corn cob sticks in primer holes or 223 cases, wait until you try removing case lube from resized cases using rice. 97% of the cases will have plugged primer flash holes and 77% of the primer pockets will be packed full of rice.

This is the Reloading Section, so numbers have to be precise, none of this "close enough" stuff .

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S&WHF 366

What kind of rice?

Just kidding

Sort of

Do not, repeat do not try clay kitty litter ... makes a dusty mess and doesn't work well either. Somebody else can try Fresh Step kitty litter I'm sticking to treated ground wallnut.

gary

On a tip from another forum, I just bought some Lizard Litter at a local pet store chain. Turns out it's pure ground walnut shells. Looks like just the right size and texture ( maybe just a hair coarser than the Midway blend.) I haven't shopped for the cheapest lizard litter price yet but am happy. I got 10 qts ( maybe 20+#?) for $11. That's 1-2 years worth of tumbling for me andIi don't have to trip on a 50# bag to save a few bucks.
On a related topic, NuFinish car polish seems to be a cheap and great substitute for brass polish! Just a dab goes a long way too.

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Dave

There is new FDA warning out now that rice contains arsenic! Better not use it

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Still Running Against the Wind

Where is the guy that puts his brass in a bag and washes it in the family washing machine?? That sounds cheap to me

As said a million times before, tumbling media is the cheapest, cheapest stuff of any part of reloading. Why is is such a issue??

Buy a bag from Drillspot and you are set for life. Geez

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Still Running Against the Wind

I have to edit the above, I actually think it was someone who washed the media in a bag in the washer.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Wow, I'm cheap but even that one is beyond me. Washing media? Dang.

That should be good to help create some more brain damaged folks.

They say to wash your RANGE CLOTHES separate from the family wash,

but I've never heard anyone EXPOUND on washing their tumbling media.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

I am not kidding It's here somewhere, I am not going to search for it as I do not wish to embarrass any one. I am frugal, mayb even cheap but not that bad

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Still Running Against the Wind