Walnut Hull Media

[smoothshooter]

Are there different granulation sizes, or grits, available in walnut hull media?
I need some that is finer. Am getting tired of digging stuck pieces out of primer pockets.
Are the stainless pins better?
I am trying to avoid having to use any wet methods so I don’t have to deal with the drying time.

 

[Kodiakco]

I buy from the pet store and it is pretty fine. I recently switched to SS pins and wet tumbling. I only use my media tumbler for small stuff now.

Living the Tech Life

 

[Liftrat]

Yes, there are different grits. I use the crushed walnut for terrariums, too, though mine's sort of coarse. Never tried the pins, not wanting to invest in another process at the moment either. I also resize my brass after tumbling, so there's that. I think it's better for the dies to resize clean brass.

 

[schutzen-jager]

I do not deprime until after sizing + tumbling -

 

[Rule3]

Yes there are different grits but Coarse corn corn works better anyway.


The Walnut can be bought at Harbor Freight in large bag,

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The smaller the size on corncob and walnut shell media, the less "Cutting edges" you have to do the cleaning.

I switched to SS pins 9 years ago and am still on the original 5 pounds the kit came with (fresh water rinse after every 2 pound batch of brass). When I lived in the farm house, I heated with a wood stove so about 1/2 hour on top of the wood stove and they were dry, in warm weather, about 1.5-2 hours in direct sunlight and they were dry.

Except on batches of several thousand, I size, deprime, and wet tumble the day before (on the big batches, I start a week or more in advance).

My pins are from SSM (StainlessSteelMedia.Com) but the Frankfort arsenal pins are the same size, I know Harbor Freight has pins also, But I never saw size they are.

As in all things of importance: Size really does matter!

Ivan

 

[mikld]

Look for walnut blast media. The grit size is noted in the product description and the higher the number the smaller the grit. "Fine grit" is about 24 and coarse is 12. Google for vendors (a bunch from Harbor Freight, Amazon, to Home Depot, and a bunch of industrial supply houses). Blast media is better quality controlled for hardness and consistent size. Pet litter is designed to contain pet poop...

Info on blast media; Walnut Shell Blasting - Composition Materials Co.

 

[arjay]

I’ve been using lizard litter from petsmart. It’s walnut that’s fine enough that it doesn’t clog the flash hole. Add a bit of nu finish and it works quite well.

 

[1sailor]

Why do you deprime before polishing? For years I have tumbled my cases (all straight wall cases) with the primer in and in many thousands of rounds it has never caused a problem. The stainless pins do a great job of cleaning but I have had some problems with cases cleaned that way. It may not make any difference with lubed cases (I don't know) but with pistol cases it has caused sticking die issues with sizing and flaring. I suspect they're just not as smooth as those polished with other media. Maybe nobody else in the world has had these issues but I won't even buy cases cleaned with pins.

 

[max]

I gave up on walnut years ago and went to fine corncobs. Not as dusty and does a real good job with a bit of car polish in the media.

 

[tlawler]

I went to wet tumbling a few months ago. Depriming/sizing allows the pins to clean out the primer pockets. I still run them through the vibratory tumbler after with nu-finish just to lube them a bit so they’re not so squeaky clean. Easier on the press and dies that way.

 

[gwpercle]

Midway sells it's own brand , treated crushed walnut shell that is the correct size for brass polishing and treated with the correct brass polishing compound . Kitty litter , snake litter , lizzard bedding anything made for animals isn't going to do a proper job . Lyman media has too much polish in it ... it is wet and tends to clump .
Most times the clogging inside cases comes from the wrong size and too much liquid additives people use ....Buy the stuff Midway (Frankford Arsenal Brass Cleaning Media - Treated Walnut Hull) sells and do not add any car wax or car polish or any liquid to it . It's NOT dusty either .
Also ...do not deprime ... polish them then size and deprime .
I like to make my own stuff ...but this is one product I buy...it does a good job, dust free and doesn't clog .
I know what I'm talking about on this one , I've tried it all .
Gary

 

[mikld]

Why do you deprime before polishing? For years I have tumbled my cases (all straight wall cases) with the primer in and in many thousands of rounds it has never caused a problem. The stainless pins do a great job of cleaning but I have had some problems with cases cleaned that way. It may not make any difference with lubed cases (I don't know) but with pistol cases it has caused sticking die issues with sizing and flaring. I suspect they're just not as smooth as those polished with other media. Maybe nobody else in the world has had these issues but I won't even buy cases cleaned with pins.

Brass can be too clean and cause "grabbing and chattering". Clean, oil free bare brass will get stuck even in carbide dies and this is often experienced by newer users of wet/SS pin tumbling and some sort of coating/lube is needed. I've read of a second rinse with a "wash and wax" auto polish/cleanser helps, just like a bit of auto wax/polish added to dry tumbling media...

 

[buckshotshorty]

I bought a box at Harbor Freight for under $5 and the box weighs 25 lbs. it’s called coarse #12 grit and it works great.

I always add a cap full of NuFinish car polish.

 

[wheelgun28]

I like corn cob better also.

Brass has a lot more shine when done. I do add some Dillon polish to the lot as well.

The cob I have, I am not sure what it is exactly, its stuff a friend uses at work in commercial tumblers. He buys pallets of it in sacks.

I deprime after cleaning

 

[prairieviper]

I have used Zilla Desert Blend Ground English Walnut Shell Reptile Bedding for a long time. It is inexpensive, easy to find and does a good job. There may be better products out there for making your brass shinier but I am very satisfied with the job Zilla does on cleaning cases.

 

[Igiveup]

I switched to Pet Smart reptile bedding several years ago and am happy with it. I thought about trying Harbor Freight, but don't presently need and walnut media.

 

[Skeet 028]

Never tried it but since I am out of polishing additive. Could we use a bit of Comet or Bartenders friend to make the ground up walnut bedding clean a little quicker? I just never thought of getting more Dillon or any other kind of additive....oh just thought too. I do have some old tin of valve grinding compound too Cheep cheep!

 

[gwpercle]

Never tried it but since I am out of polishing additive. Could we use a bit of Comet or Bartenders friend to make the ground up walnut bedding clean a little quicker? I just never thought of getting more Dillon or any other kind of additive....oh just thought too. I do have some old tin of valve grinding compound too Cheep cheep!

Beach sand is free .... Cheep Cheep Too !

 

[max]

If you have a bit of liquid car polish, just add a half of a capfull into your medium and run it for at least 15 minutes before you put any brass in.

Never tried it but since I am out of polishing additive. Could we use a bit of Comet or Bartenders friend to make the ground up walnut bedding clean a little quicker? I just never thought of getting more Dillon or any other kind of additive....oh just thought too. I do have some old tin of valve grinding compound too Cheep cheep!