Request diagnostic help on tumbling issue

[snowman]

Hello, friends.

I tumbled my .357 cases recently, and they didn't clean up as well or as readily as in the past. They took about twice as long to tumble, and some still have some faint stains on them. It seems to me that this could have resulted from one or more of the following:

1)I had about run out of my Flitz Tumbler/Media Additive(which always did an outstanding job) and so I substituted part of an old bottle of Frankford Arsenal brass polish, which had separated and had to be shaken up real well.

2)I dipped into a new package of crushed walnut shells, which are finer than the previous ones I used. This was the only size the pet store carried. I may have put a little too much of it in the tumbler, also.

3)I think I put more brass in at a time than I had in the past -around 250-300+ cases. They didn't seem to move as quickly as before. The tumbler bowl is one of the smaller ones made, I believe -it's a Frankford Arsenal label, from Midway.

4)I wonder if the motor on the tumbler might be wearing out; it sounded a bit differently and seemed to run the bowl a tad more slowly -might be my imagination. It's not had much use at all.


Well, what do you fellows/ladies think?

Thank you as always for taking the time to respond.
Andy

 

[SMSgt]

I go with overloaded. I use walnut shell only, no additives, and it does a good job--as long as I don't overfill the bowl with media or brass. The more the mixture can move, the faster and better it works.

Once in a while I'll add a few drops of liquid auto wax to put a little extra buff on the cases if they're going into storage.

 

[Rule3]

I vote overload also. You might want to get some corn media also, it shines more betterer. Walnut cleans gooder.

I mix corn and walnut 50:50.

 

[Hawker Man]

SMSgt and Rule3 are both completely off base, You have defective 357 brass. Send it all to me and any others you might have laying around and I'll get rid of it for you.

 

[OKFC05]

Overloaded the tumbler and also probably did not allow the Frankford brass polish enough run time empty for the polish to completely dry.

 

[H Richard]

When adding any "brightner" to the media, you need to run it without any brass in it for 5-10 minutes to distribute it and soak the liquid in. I only use corn cob media.

 

[snowman]

Thanks, fellas.

It can be only one or more of the items I've mentioned, since I've tumbled brass without this problem many times, and those are the only things that were different on this occasion. I always have used walnut shells, and they always have worked well. I've always given the polish plenty of run time(usually ten minutes or so).

The overload theory seems reasonable; maybe I'll run them through again and not crowd the tumbler this time.

Thanks again for your assistance.
Andy

 

[MbWolf]

Overloaded... had the same results once when I did tried to save time on a big batch of brass, just run 'em through again or shoot them as is (they are still clean..just not as shiny).

 

[parabarbarian]

I agree that overloaded is the most probable cause. I find that my tumbler can handle about a coffee can full of cases. Much more than that and it takes three times as long to get clean and shiny. I use corncob media and Dillon polish.

One coffee can is about

200 357 cases
250 38 spl cases
300 45 ACP

 

[VAdoublegunner]

Was your media already dirty? Did you use all new media or just add more to what was there? I may have misunderstood that from your OP.

Besides the overload, you may want to consider cleaning your media if it was already dirty. The ol' worn out dryer sheet thrown in and tumbled for a while does work to clean it up. My media gets so bad sometimes I have to use a handful!

 

[snowman]

Was your media already dirty? Did you use all new media or just add more to what was there? I may have misunderstood that from your OP.

Besides the overload, you may want to consider cleaning your media if it was already dirty. The ol' worn out dryer sheet thrown in and tumbled for a while does work to clean it up. My media gets so bad sometimes I have to use a handful!

The first batch was old, and I cleaned it with the dryer sheet trick. The second batch was all new.

Andy

 

[Lee Jones]

Put some mineral spirit in the media. 2-3 tablespoons is plenty, run a little while without brass. Polish away. Brass will blind you.

Lee Jones(Celtgun)