Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Sand as tumbling media

    won't sand make a better tumbling media compared to corn or walnut cause it's harder therefor a better scrubbing action?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    Quote Originally Posted by dunsho View Post
    won't sand make a better tumbling media compared to corn or walnut cause it's harder therefor a better scrubbing action?
    Just my opinion but it is too fine (not aggressive enough) and it holds moisture something fierce. We just threw out a lot of super fine corncob because it wouldn't take off the carbon blowback on revolver ammo.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    You would ruin your dies and guns in no time flat were you to use sand. Silica will imbed in your brass, every case would act as a piece of sand paper. You would be scratching your dies and chamber every time you ran a case in and out.

    The goal of tumbling brass is to clean it. What part of adding sand to the tumbler is cleaning?

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    I'll give it a try once i get a hold of some sand.

    didn't see richbug's post. i guess i won't be giving it a try.
    Last edited by dunsho; May 18th, 2010 at 03:36 PM. Reason: opps

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    I am sure that the folks who have been reloading forever have tried every product out there. Why re-invent the wheel? Corn cob and walnut work very well and are "just abrasive enough". Your goal is to gently clean them, not sand blast them.

    It is a bit funny that you asked for advice; two folks give advice against trying it and then you say "I'll give it a try". Not trying to be overly critical but why bother asking in the first place?

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    If you want something more aggressive use white ceramic media. You run it wet in a rotary tumbler like an RCBS sidewinder. It will make even the ugliest brass clean.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    What you are supposed to be doing is "POLISHING" the brass, not "ABRADING" it. Smoothing it, taking off the dirt and coating, not removing brass itself.

    The rouge in the corncob or on the walnut is what does the polishing, not the walnut itself.

    If serious changing color or removing a coating is what you are after, there are chemical washes and dips and stuff that will do that for you, but they do alter the chemistry of the case-metal somewhat, removing copper and weakening the case in the process. It is all a trade-off of sorts.

    Letting the cases in the tumbler somewhat longer with a little more polish added is a surer way of not violating the cases' integrity.

    Flash
    "The life unexamined is not worth living." ....... Socrates

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    Sand for many reasons is a bad idea, How ever a couple years back I had a case of Mil, surplus 3006 that would not clean, I Tumbled it in Black Diamond blasting media for an hour, and then threw it in walnut shells with Flitz, it came out looking like new Brass, but this is only something I would do with a real problem brass, Some of the older Mil, stuff has a coating that can be tuff to get clean.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    Quote Originally Posted by richbug View Post
    You would ruin your dies and guns in no time flat were you to use sand. Silica will imbed in your brass, every case would act as a piece of sand paper. You would be scratching your dies and chamber every time you ran a case in and out.

    The goal of tumbling brass is to clean it. What part of adding sand to the tumbler is cleaning?
    ^^^This^^^

    I use a mix of white rice and corncob media and a capful of polishing agent and my brass comes out great.
    loose≠lose; you're=you are; 'your' shows possession.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Sand as tumbling media

    I have been using "Rice" for over 30 years. Buy a bag of Hard Grain, 5lb
    bag. Try it and you will use nothing else. Just be sure to tumble your brass
    before depriming the shell cases. A grain of rice can become lodged in the
    flash hole. The hard grain rice I have been using has gone from white in
    color to gray in color in the past year, no big deal, still cleans the brass to
    where it still looks like new. Try it, you will like it.
    FUNDAMENTALS

    "All that is needed for Evil to Prevail is for Good Men to
    do Nothing"

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