Walnut Media: 12 grit or 24 grit?

Vigilante · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:02 pm Post subject: Walnut Media: 12 grit or 24 grit?

I will be buying some Walnut Media from Harbor Freight. They have 12 grit (fine) and 24 grit (coarse). Which will work better for tumbling brass? They also sell a 5 lb. Tumbler for around $49 if any of you are in the market for a new tumbler.

Vince

Welcome to HuntingNut Vigilante. Grab a beer mate, pull up a stump and sit awhile. Someone with the requisite knowledge will be along directly to assist.

Personally, I have never used walnut media...always corncob media so I can't say. However, I will be looking for the answer so that I too can gain a bit more knowledge.

Cheers, Vince

Pumpkinslinger

I use walnut for the initial cleaning of fired cases and corncob for removing the lube after sizing. However I have no idea what size walnut it is. I've had it a long time and got it from Midway.

jeclif · Rookie Member Joined: Nov 21, 2005 Posts: 17

I just buy a bag of shell litter from the pet shop and add car polish
litter $5 to $6 for 5lbs car polish for $3 or $4
that is for 5 lbs and it last a long time

Vince

Gidday jeclif. Wouldn't the shell grit be a bit abrasive mate?

I've heard of guys putting Brasso in with their media, but never car polish, it has canauba wax in it.

Cheers, Vince

Bushmaster · Last edited by Bushmaster on Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:44 am; edited 1 time in total

Vigilante...Welcome to this fine site. Pull up a stump to the fire after you have made a trip to the cooler to get a beer. Very Happy

I,also, don't use walnut, but if I was to buy walnut I'd go with the 12 grit and add a cap full of Nu-Finish in with it.

I use finely ground corncob with chromium-oxide that I buy from a vender in the USSR of C. If I'm going to store the cases after tumbling I add some polish so they won't tarnish as fast. If I'm going to reload them right away, I don't bother.

PaulS

Corn cob seems to be more abrasive to me than the walnut I use. I buy it from the feed and grain and it is very cheap. I don't get the fine polish that cob gives but I also don't have problems with media stuck in the flash holes and primer pockets that I had with cob.

jeclif · Rookie Member Joined: Nov 21, 2005 Posts: 17

no wax just polish(rubbing compound)
and I haven't had a problem with with grit .It is a little dusty out of the bag but
once the polish is added that takes care of it.
after you use it for a spell I use dryer sheets(used) cut in small squares and soaked with polish to clean and add polish.
has been working for me for a long time

res45

The 12 grit works best for bottle neck cases such as .17 to .22 cal,it want stick inside the case necks like the 24 grit will which is best used for straight wall rifle and pistol cases.

Take a couple used dryer sheets and cut them up into 2" strips and throw them into you tumbler, they will collect allot of the dust associated with the walnut media.

You can also get the cob media in small dia. it usually rated as 14/20 for the small pellets. I use pet bedding from my local PetSmart in the walnut & cob since I only load 30 Cal. rifle's and 38/357 cases it works fine for me.

Good source of both media types at a reasonable price,also read there FAQ section some good info. www.championsbrand.com...talog.html

Bushmaster

Vigilante...Where are you?...He never came back...

twofifty

I don't have a tumbler, so cases are cleaned by:

1. brush inside neck with nylon RCBS brush.
2. Lee primer pocket cleaner - quick turn removes encrusted primer grit.
3. Q-tip with Isopropyl Alcohol to the primer pocket (this will ease later primer insertion). One Q-tip is good for approx.30 to 40 cases.
4. quick swipe to body and outside neck with paper towel wetted with isopropyl alcohol to remove dust/dirt and any neck soot.

Nice thing about alcohol is that it cleans good, dries quickly, and leaves no residue.

Case has been eyeballed and handled several times by now (i.e. inspected), and is ready to partial FL size or neck size, then trim to length if needed, and prime.