[1972]

I've got my vibrating cleaner and the crushed walnut shells so I'm ready to start cleaning brass. I've been told it helps to add a bit of a cleaning agent to the polishing media. One that was suggested was a product called "PEEK"

Does anybody know if this is a good idea or not? I understand that putting the wrong thing in there could damage the brass - but I don't know what's acceptable and what is not.

Maybe it's best to just use the crushed walnut shell media and nothing else?

 

[al_sway]

Why not try with the crushed walnuts? I don't add anything and the walnuts clean the brass just fine. Some of the commercial mixes add in polishing agents to really shine the brass.

 

[Rocky Raab]

I used to use additives - until I started getting an awful gray "fungus" on my cases that I had to then scrub off by hand. It came (I am convinced) from the residue of the polishing additive.

I threw out all that media and started over with clean walnut or corncob. My cases are clean, my media lasts almost forever, and no gray crud.

Clean is good; shiny is superfluous.

 

[unclenick]

1972,

Just FYI, look for ammonia in the ingredients (or smell it). That's the main ingredient to avoid in that it can weaken brass.

 

[broom_jm]

Some will tell you that walnut is for cleaning and corncob is for polishing. Both will make your cases "serviceable", which is all you really need. Reload long enough and that's all you'll care about, like Rocky said.

 

[zb338]

I have used the Lyman ground corn cob with the polishing
ingredient added at the factory. It works great. Really cleans
and polishes the brass and I have used the same jug for
years. The media is green in color.

Zeke

 

[miestro_jerry]

I use crush walnut shells, I think it is Lizard Litter from the pet store, with a little bit of Flitz. For my small Dillon timbler, I use an inch from the tube, for my big Dillon tumbler, I use 2 1/2 inches from the tube. I let it run 2 to 3 hours.

This has worked for me for many years, I am looking at other combinations, this method seems to work well.

If you want really bright brass, I use 100,000 grit diamond polish. Really bright and shiney and not that expensive.

Jerry

 

[HardBall]

Maybe it's best to just use the crushed walnut shell media and nothing else?

That's my recipe...


I've had some corn-cob "treated" media that liked to clump until it had been reused several times. i could have saved myself a lot of time if I had just gone with untreated media to start with. I have no idea what that corn-cob stuff was treated with.

Another good thing about untreated walnut media is that it's much less likely to stick within the case and not fall free during your brass/media separation phase. Corncob, even untreated, can stick within the primer pocket and sprinkle your press during the sizing/de-priming sequence if you tumble before sizing/de-priming.


My .02