Want a tumbling media that won't wear out? Check it out!

Stainless steel tumbling media,who would have thought...

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

I looked at the stainless steal and was thinking about getting some. I didn't get any because of the following. First I think it has to be used with detergent and second it cannot be used in a vibratory cleaner. I opted for going to the local PetSmart and buying a bag of lizard bedding. It is a mix of walnut shell and sand. Add a couple of tablespoons of brass cleaner and the brass comes out sparkling on the outside. The inside is still dull but at 5 to 7 dollars a 10lb bag its affordable. Also it is ground down to a size that does not get stuck in the primer pocket.

It figures it can only be used on a rotary tumbler....makes sense why they only sell rotary tumblers.

I guess I'll stick with my crushed walnut for now.

This has been out for several years now. Forum member algunjunkie uses it and has had great success I believe.

I personally prefer my UltraSonic cleaner.

i use corn cob from the pet store! that stuff is crazy expensive pretty cool though

I would think that using stainless steel could/would work harden the brass cases and shorten their life.

The corn cob and walnut setup that I use does pretty good for me. It's paid for so the only expense is making a trip to the pet store from time to time

Thats cool. Looks like you can use their tumbler as a ball mill too!

Lets dis-spell a few myths here.

I have used this process myself. I made the media from stainless steel welding rod that I cut to size. Used a glass jar that I set on a set of wheels and used an old drill press laid on its side for power.

Similar set up as to what you can buy but I had everything here except the wire and I bought 10 pounds of it. It took a long time to cut the wire to size and if I had to do over, I would buy it PRECUT.

Warm water (I filtered mine), dish detergent and a little lemi-shine is all that I used. It cleans very very very very very well. Brand new looking inside and out and it does not work harden the brass. It rubs it just like tumbling media and it gets into the grooves and crevasses but does not get compacted in there like corn cob or walnut. which is one reason it cleans the inside better. You can take some of the most god awful looking brass and make it look brad new. The longest I have ever had to use was 4 hours and the brass was tarnished black when I started, brand new looking when I finished. Honestly I could not tell the difference when held side by side.

Once done, pour out the dirty water and rinse in COLD water and allow to air dry. You will not be disappointing in this method.

It is pricey to get started which is why I made my set up. I used a glass jar cause I wanted to see the process first hand and see what it did and how. My set up is noisy but it can be damped with a rubber spray inside the jar. Unless you just want to make something like this at home I would buy the stuff and be done with it.

As a side not you can do the same thing with ceramic media and if you have a bowl that can hold water, you can use a standard vibratory tumbler. Just use a media that will not get stuck in the case and go for it. It will do a better job on the outside of the case than corn cob or walnut but does nothing for the insides. But then again most folks don't care about the inside which is why they use corn cob and walnut.

Case in point:


If you read the comments on youtube, you will see the same recommendations.

What exzactely is that media they use in that tumbler? And are they putting in once fired brass or new brass?