I was using a two step process - walnut media to clean/scrub, then corn cob with Frankford Arsenal polish to, well, polish. After reading about the walnut + paint thinner/mineral spirits trick I tried that. I must say that it turns what I was doing into a one step process and the brass looks better both inside and out. The paint thinner I used definitely has an odor - get the odorless mineral spirits if you can. I use a Lyman turbo vibratory tumbler and was concerned about the petroleum based PT attacking the plastic bowl. I haven't seen any negative signs yet.

Our pet store also sells bird cage fool covering walnut, its all I've used and works great with bounce sheet cut up and a polish

I know a lot of folks will think this is heresy, but....

Got to a chinese grocery store and buy a bag of their cheapest short-grain rice. Add a little brass polish to it, and it will clean at least as well as walnut shells, be cheaper, and not raise ANY dust.

When the rice turns black, it's time for fresh rice.

tk

Corn cob with a cap or two of liquid auto polish has always done just fine for me. I buy my corn cob at the feed store in 40 pound bags. I think I paid about $16 or $17 for the last bag I bought. Beats the pet store prices in my area any day.

DWS

quote:

I might try rice next time

I tried it and didn't like it. The rice wears down quickly. I went back to the pet shop walnut.

I use lizard litter from my local pet store. I tumble my brass before resizing. The first time I tumbled bottlenecked shells (7mm-08 Rem), they went through the FL sizing die so easily that I thought I had the wrong die in my press.

I've learned that brass must be squeaky clean both for ease of reloading and to avoid scratching the dies. Only downside to lizard litter is that individual kernels tend to get caught in the flash holes and must be removed prior to loading.

quote:

Originally posted by TM226:
Picked up 25lbs of walnut shells at harbor Freight today. $24.99. buck a pound + government cut.

Also picked up 5 lb vib tumbler for smaller jobs $54.99.

Harbor Freights' got some good stuff.

TM:

I hate to be a pain...but....if you had to estimate the volume of that the 25lbs of ground walnut shells, what would you guess it to be (i.e. in quarts or gallons)?

Thanks.

quote:

(i.e. in quarts or gallons)?

25 lbs comes close to filling a 5 gallon bucket. Closer to 4 1/2 gallons in my opinion.

Walnut shells sold as Lizard litter at Walmart.

quote:

Originally posted by Alcapone396:

quote:

(i.e. in quarts or gallons)?

25 lbs comes close to filling a 5 gallon bucket. Closer to 4 1/2 gallons in my opinion.

Thanks Al...I was doing some price comparisons -- the pet stuff is priced by volume (5 qts for $4.79 at petco.com) and the bulk stuff is priced by weight (25lbs for $25 at Harbor Freight).

So...Petco Walnut Lizard bedding is $.96 per quart and Harbor Freight 24grit Walnut Blaster Media is $1.39 per quart).