hi guys,

i'm new to the forum and new to reloading. i went to wally world yesterday to get some crushed walnut for my case tumbler. they were out. went to the local pet shop and they had a 10lb. bag for $ 12.00, but it was real fine like sand. i didn't know if this would work or not so i didn't buy it. i,m sure one of you guys out there must have tried this before. does it work. if so, does it take longer to clean the brass where its so fine. how coarse should it be. saw some corn cob at wally world but it was pretty good size little pieces. didn't know if this wood work alright for polishing or not. is the stuff you buy in the gun shop or at midway u.s.a. different from the pet shop version or is it all the same. also any good mixes you guys have come up with for cleaning and polishing brass. any help would be appreciated.

thanx guys

I got some from harbor freight. Is it safe to use? Or do I need a specific grit or?

Basically, crushed walnut is crushed walnut whether it comes from a shooting supply house or a pet shop. But, some can have additives like jewelers rouge, brass polish, etc. If it is fine like sand, it sounds like the same size walnut that I bought from Midway USA for a hefty price due to shipping weight and it will be fine for tumbling. Your biggest concern over size is whether the walnut will lodge in flash holes and need to be dislodged prior to priming. For $12, I'd say go for it as the shipping has already been included in the price. If you have a problem with walnut in the flash holes, next time, get a finer size but remember too fine a walnut is prone to creating dust. If you want a brilliant finish to your brass, just add some ammonia free brass polish available at the shooting supply houses or locally at your favorite gun store. I use either Dillon's Rapid Polish 290 or Flitz with great results. Hope this helps.

The stuff you get from the pet store( Lizzard Litter) works great and is low cost. I clean the flash hole(which is rarely) with a large paper clip bent accordingly to push the grain thru/out. The old/used litter works great for traction sand on the sidewalk/driveway.

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35 Caliber Rocks!!!!

"... it was real fine like sand. i didn't know if this would work or not..."

It will work fine. In fact, I find that it works as well as the larger grits sold for tumbling and is MUCH less likely to clog flash holes. There is no practical difference between using nut or cob so get what's least expensive.

Add a couple caps full of cheap auto polish for the first load and let it tumble an hour or so to mix well before you add brass, otherwise you may get clumps of damp media clogged in your cases. Add a little more polish maybe every ten loads but be gentle. Excess polish is the primary source of tumbler dust. And don't get frantic about tumbler dust, mostly it's harmless polish and nut dust, there is very little of the lead contamination that sends some tender hearts into palpations!

For dust control, cut some old dryer sheets into 2" squares and add a couple squares to every third or fouth load, much of the loose dust will get trapped in the loose weave of the paper and you can toss it out. Just don't lick your tumbler, the brass or your fingers clean after tumbling and you will have no lead problems. In addition to the dryer sheet squares, adding a couple ounces of mineral spirits, aka "oderless paint thinner", to the media will spead things up by helping to cut some of the crud off the brass. It also helps hold down any dusting. You will have to add the M.S. to each day's tumbling tho, it evaporates over night.

I use the pet store crushed walnut too. It's a little finer than cob media, but still doesn't make any problems for me. I can't remember the brand I use, but it comes in about 10 lb plastic bags, and has a picture of a canary on the package. Works just fine.

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Dean,
from Idaho

The stuff from Harbor Freight works pretty well. It does have some dust in it. I leave the lid off, or use the mesh top while blowing a table fan across it for the first hour or so. That gets rid of most of the dust. If you live where oil or gas drilling goes on, you can usually purchase 50 pound bags of shell in three screen sizes pretty cheaply from drilling fluid dealers. I find that a fairly fine grind is prefered. It means more surface area, and a finer finish.

I think its kind of funny that walnut shells are actually more valuable than the walnuts themselves.

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Buy American, it may be your own job you are saving.
UTU, TY&E Service, BNSF

thanx guys for all the good info, it was very helpful. keep em in the black.

bulldog1 new hampshire

I've used isopropal (sp) rubbing alcohol to clean out the dust and degrease the cases.
The dust from the walnut hulls and the cases get stuck to the bowl of the tumbler. After cleaning dump the cases and media in the separater and wipe the bowl out.

Jim

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