[45silverback]

Hi guys, just a quick question. On average, how long to you leave your brass in a vibratory tumbler?

I’ve always left mine in for several hours, up to 24 on occasion, with good results.

I’ve seen discussions on Youtube and the S&W forum that indicate some aren’t happy if it takes longer than 2 hours.

Can one tumble too long? Am I just wasting time and putting undue wear and tear on my tumbler?

VR,
Harold


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[k4swb]

I use lizard litter and NuFinish polish and about 2 hours is all it needs to look about new. Any longer and I can't really tell any difference.

 

[45silverback]

I use lizard litter and NuFinish polish and about 2 hours is all it needs to look about new. Any longer and I can't really tell any difference.

Lizard litter is crushed walnut shell, right?


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[MJY]

In my experience, 2 hours gets you about 90+ percent of what's possible. 3-4 might make a difference on really cruddy brass. After 4 hours, it's just rolling around in there and won't get any better.

 

[Nitro.45]

4 hours with a mix of green corn cob (treated) and lizard litter from Petco (walnut). A squirt of Nufinish and call it good. If your media is somewhat clean, 4 hours Is plenty! 24 hours and there is too much banging of brass and peening for my liking!

 

[liggett]

I only use corncob and sometimes forget about it for 24 hrs. Seems fine, but ya need to dump that corncob for sure. Sometimes I'll take my sorted by headstamp "major match" brass and run it a 2nd time for a couple hours with some Flitz. Comes out nice and new looking.

 

[45silverback]

Thanks guys. I just replaced my media, so should be good to go there.
I use walnut with about a cup of rice thrown in. I treat with Frankfort Arsenal brass polish every ten batches or so.

Gonna run the next batch for 3 hrs and see what happens.


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[EL Perdido]

Walnut+a little cob+Dillon polish+Thumler's vibrating tumbler= 2 hours

 

[TRSOtto]

40 yr old Lyman Turbo 1200 tumbler, walnut shells and some Hornady metal polish...forget the name of it.. 2 hours......but if there's a bottle of EH Taylor involved....it might run overnight.....

 

[markm]

I usually run it for 6-8 hours but sometimes forget cause it's out in the shop and run it all night. I use walnut with some corn cob but no additives.

 

[45silverback]

40 yr old Lyman Turbo 1200 tumbler, walnut shells and some Hornady metal polish...forget the name of it.. 2 hours......but if there's a bottle of EH Taylor involved....it might run overnight.....

TRSOtto,
We have very similar set-ups going....

Substitute the EH Taylor with Makers46 and my Lyman 1200 is only about 15 years old...

VR,
Harold


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[thomas15]

One hour, fifty five minutes and six seconds.

 

[k4swb]

Lizard litter is crushed walnut shell, right?


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I believe so.

 

[45silverback]

One hour, fifty five minutes and six seconds.

Can I round up?


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[jjfitch]

Why do people mix corn cob with walnut media?

The walnut is much harder and is like peening corn cob with a hammer until it's pulverized!

Walnut media is used in industry for all sorts of cleaning. Research your area to find it in 10-20-40 pound bags. Much cheaper than lizard litter by the pound!

How long? Until the brass clean enough!

Cheers,

 

[Alland]

I use the Harbor Freight fine walnut blast media.
https://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-fine-grade-walnut-shell-blast-media-92155.html

 

[Black Jack]

I generally try to leave the vibratory tumbler going for 6+ hours, but am willing to accept anything over 3.

The "gotcha" on a vibratory tumbler is that it doesn't really do that good a job on the inside, at least not that i can tell. The longer it runs, the better the outside looks, but it just seems like the media gets so packed inside the brass that it just doesn't tumble around enough on the inside to really get all of the "crud" out. Even on 45 ACP, which is probably the largest diameter case I reload, I can look into the case after tumbling overnight and still see a tremendous amount of black residue on the inside walls and bottom of the case. Now, I have never seen any issues, and really do not want to deal with the whole drying thing, so I don't really worry about it too much. But, if I was worried about extreme accuracy I would go to a wet tumbler with steel media (these are the only ones that I have ever really seen to do a good job on the inside of a case).

 

[Black Jack]

Why do people mix corn cob with walnut media?

Corn cob has a reputation for doing a better job of polishing, although I have not noticed this. The only real difference I have seen is that when I do use corn cob, I have to change the media more often.

 

[nypd3765]

I tumble in a Dillon CV-750 with walnut for about one hour just to clean up the range dust and the carbon crud. Two hours if I really want it clean and shiny. If I want to show off than 3-4 hours and it comes out spectacular.

 

[BillD]

Overnight.