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Has any one tried altenatives to tumbling media you buy via your dealer ?
I have seen an idea on youtube that uses Ground walnut shells or corn cob which are supplied to the pet trade for reptile bedding in vivariums . The guy says the shine isnt as good as what we are used to but its perfectly adequate .
I have done a quick search and found walnut shell in a 2.5 Kg pack for £5.99 .
How long would tumbling media last , I bought my tumbler second hand a few years ago and I am still using the same media , I just add some car polish each time and it seems to work OK so I have never changed it .

Dave

Dave, i've had my tumbler for three years,and am still using the same media (walnut shells),and it's still cleaning as good as the day I first used it.Like you,I add a small drop of dried salvo-autosol every now and again.I've thought about some new media,but,is it worth it at the moment?


Alan :)

I've just received a supply of stainless steel tumbling media but not tried it yet - I have heard good reports of this so I'll let you know how it works.

I get my walnut media from shot blasting suppliers.

You can keep it fresh by adding white spirit to it.

Chopped up dryer sheets helps keep the dust down, nasty stuff.

I got some of those stainles steel pins for my wet tumblers for black powder cases and it is very good indeed but to be honest it was no better than the ceramic media I'm using.

I used rice for a few years (cheepest I could get) - which did the job on .357. But when I started on rifle calibers I got some proper corn cob media...works very well, especially with a tad of polish added now and again.

dromia wrote:

I got some of those stainles steel pins for my wet tumblers for black powder cases and it is very good indeed but to be honest it was no better than the ceramic media I'm using.

Whats the ceramic media you are using Adam?

I got it from Buffalo Arms years ago and is angled cut cylinders, if that makes sense. :-P

Well I never did - Thats a well kept secret.
http://www.jakescustomrods.co.uk/index. ... t&catId=59

A find indeed sir!

I don't need any but I'm tempted to get a couple of bags just because of the price.

With the stuff at that price available here in the UK I wouldn't bother spending the £60 plus for bringing in the steel rods from the states. All the steel media they sell in the UK seems to be mixed shapes which are worse than useless as they get jammed on primer pockets and inside the cases.

Nice find think I will have a portion of that and I will have some of the once fired 7.62x54 nagant cases as well at £12 a hundred a bargain.