Tumbler media question

[kbuc nw]

When does tumbler media need to be replaced?

I bought a used set up and it still had walnut media in it. I have never used a dry tumbler (have had a stainless media for years) and started wondering if it is still good. He gave me a bag of new media and it definitely looks brighter.
I went ahead and tumbled a batch of 300BLK and 9mm in it. Turned out OK, but had around ten pieces with media stuck in the flash hole. Most of the primer pockets weren't as clean as using stainless media.

Is there a certain sign that it should be replaced? Color? Dirty brass? Boredom?

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[DizzyJ]

When it takes forever for the brass to get shiny and clean.

 

[Alexx1401]

I have not used mine in a good while but, I just ran it till it seemed to stop working well. I would "refresh it" with some polish stuff. Bottle has been around so long can't make it out any more, I bought it at Midway. About a teaspoon and stuff works great again.
If you go to replace walnut shell works great. I used to buy it from pet shops. Sold as animal bedding at about 25% of the cost of what looks like the same stuff when sold and "tumbling medium".

 

[Throckmorton]

WALNUT will never clean like pin/wet methods, I stopped de capping before tumbling in walnut he 1st time i tried it.
what is in the tumbler looks ok, add a cap full of NuFinish liquid and let it run ten minutes THEN add the brass.
I replace when it looks dingy and dirty and has no 'gritty' feel left.
harbor freight sells a ..25 lb box ?? for cheap, it'll last a long time

 

[RVTECH]

When does tumbler media need to be replaced?

When you give up dry tumbling and transition to wet.

None of the 'greasy' polish stuff needed etc. A little Dawn, lemon juice and SS pins and in a couple hours it is blindingly bright!

 

[Mono1]

Really great question that I have been wondering about myself as a new hand loader myself. I saw a Youtube by a guy named Mike at Texas Precision that said too much wet/pin is not good for Precision Rifle (Long Range) accuracy because you are peening the mouth of cases (when looked at under a microscope). Anyway, I don't have much else to offer here but I do greatly appreciate the comments made here by the more experienced folks. Thanks, and please know that you are helping many more others than you are aware of.

 

[HighlandLofts]

Dry tumbling is prehistoric.
Why would you go from wet tumbling to dry tumbling?

 

[flashpan]

wet is real purdy yes .... a pain to dry out and this breaking news...it is not more accurate or dependable. JMHO

 

[Mono1]

Really great question that I have been wondering about myself as a new hand loader myself. I saw a Youtube by a guy named Mike at Texas Precision that said too much wet/pin is not good for Precision Rifle (Long Range) accuracy because you are peening the mouth of cases (when looked at under a microscope). Anyway, I don't have much else to offer here but I do greatly appreciate the comments made here by the more experienced folks. Thanks, and please know that you are helping many more others than you are aware of.

I guess a lot too, depends on what type of cartridge you are reloading for...I imagine pistol ammo works great with wet. and maybe shorter range rifle. But I am looking at longer range rifle accuracy, so maybe limit the wet for that. I dunno.

 

[RVTECH]

a pain to dry out and this breaking news...it is not more accurate or dependable.

LOL ! What does 'accuracy or dependability have to do with liquid tumbling?

Oh, and its EASY to dry out and results in beautiful brass!

This was forest pickup a while back that was BLACK.

 

[kbuc nw]

I haven't heard the peening issue with wet tumbling until recently. Will have to do more research on that.
Thought I'd try the dry media since I got a good deal on the set up. Figured if I didn't like it, I'd just sell it. It came with new media and about 2/3 bottle of Dillon polish.
I do like not having to dry the brass when I am done. I'd dont like how many pieces had media stuck in the primer holes.

 

[RVTECH]

I haven't heard the peening issue with wet tumbling until recently. Will have to do more research on that.

Peening issue with wet tumbling ? - pure BS - there is none.

I do like not having to dry the brass when I am done. I'd dont like how many pieces had media stuck in the primer holes

Do you like reloading at all ? Tumbling is just a part of it - its fun !

 

[Mono1]

Peening issue with wet tumbling ? - pure BS - there is none.

Do you like reloading at all ? Tumbling is just a part of it - its fun !

Again, I am thinking there may be no issue on Pistol ammo and maybe even regular hunting rifle ammo. The peening issue seems to come into play with precision ammo at seriously long ranges when you are shooting for score.

 

[RVTECH]

Again, I am thinking there may be no issue on Pistol ammo and maybe even regular hunting rifle ammo. The peening issue seems to come into play with precision ammo at seriously long ranges when you are shooting for score.

Most likely just BS from trolls who do not reload, shoot, or even own guns at all. They are easy to spot with their responses or posts that make no sense with regard to the subject being discussed.

I have been wet tumbling for years and love it! Create a system to separate your brass and pins and to dry it and its easy !

 

[RogerJ]

Dry tumbling is prehistoric.
Why would you go from wet tumbling to dry tumbling?

If you live in the South just set set the cases out in the sun for an hour. the pins may take two or three hours.

LOL ! What does 'accuracy or dependability have to do with liquid tumbling?

Oh, and its EASY to dry out and results in beautiful brass!

This was forest pickup a while back that was BLACK.

View attachment 985668

I live in the South. In an hour or so out in the sun the brass is dry. The pins a little longer.

 

[deadeye]

Again, I am thinking there may be no issue on Pistol ammo and maybe even regular hunting rifle ammo. The peening issue seems to come into play with precision ammo at seriously long ranges when you are shooting for score.

Not an issue with what I do for long range. I dont see a peening issue maybe the person who saw this is not tumbling correctly. The amount of water, pins,brass and speed of the tumble can differ per person. I wouldnt think even with a "peening" issue that the effect would be much even @1,000yrds. Maybe over time, if even, after cleaning a few times but most rifle brass doesnt have a long shelf life.

I wet tumble after using a universal decapper so the primer pockets get clean, never had pins get stuck in the flash hole. A RCBS media separator works to get 99% of the pins out and then I put the brass on a towel (in the winter I lay it in front of a furnace vent) to dry. The towel lets me pick them up and agitate/tumble them to get any remaining pins/water to settle out. I am never in such a hurry to get it dry for reloading that I need to do it faster so an oven or food dehydrator/brass dryer isnt needed. My tumbler started life as a Lortone 12# rock tumbler with the rubber drum but has been modified alot. A different motor and pulley setup along with pillow bearings on the rollers will make this thing last forever. I used to dry tumble with walnut and the RCBS media but you just cant get the same results IMO.

 

[oremike]

If there is any peening wouldn't neck sizing remove it? If work hardening is the percived issue then annealing would fix that.

 

[DizzyJ]

If there is any peening wouldn't neck sizing remove it? If work hardening is the percived issue then annealing would fix that.

I think work hardening is the main concern. People have reported cracked necks after tumbling in SS media. AMP annealing did some tests on this and feels it's a non-issue.

I dare say the majority of reloaders don't anneal their brass.

I've never had an issue with cracked necks occurring because I use wet tumbling, but it doesn't mean there's not something to it.
I also anneal my rifle brass pretty much each time it's been fired.

Im probably also a little bit more anal about my process than most. Possibly to the point some of the things I do don't matter on paper.

But it makes me more confident in my reloads and process.

 

[thorborg]

I like and use both methods. walnuts and rouge can produce a sweet mirror finish, will not clean inside, or primer pockets but if that's important, use wet and pins or a pocket cleaner. cleaning first will extend dry media life, but walnuts and rouge are cheap depending where you look for it. I buy mine separately not pre packaged. Yah, stuff gets stuck in primer holes but pop out easily with a dental pick while I'm inspecting the brass. I throw the media out when it blackens and starts taking longer to bring up the shine. if tumbling or vibratory is stressing your brass in any way you have too much brass to the media ratio or you may be tumbling things with a different size or mass, albeit I have never has any deleterious tumbling effects on any of my brass in over fifty years.
Pins will impressively thoroughly clean, but micro scratch so will not get beyond bright finish though a rouge polish after will help lift the aesthetics some.. No, my mirror finish brass will not shoot better than your tarnished brass, but laying side by side, everyone will reach out and pick up my cartridge to look at before they reach for yours just like looking at the polished car sitting next to the dirty car.
Mechanically, I am of the opinion that the smoother and brighter the finish, the longer the aesthetic storage life before brass starts to darken. Fact or fiction, it seems so to me, so it is this reason I dry polish and reload new fired brass until the primer pockets look discouraging avoiding the micro scratches as long as possible, then, liquid pin clean but still followed by rouge polish.
All in all, the quality of the finish and the tools you use to achieve it is only as important as needed to please you, not someone else, and certainly not to make it the right or wrong thing to do.
Personally, I always felt my truck ran better when it was clean.

 

[RVTECH]

If you live in the South just set set the cases out in the sun for an hour.

The sun works pretty well, in the North, East and West as well!