Removing "gunk" from the tumbler bin

[UpTheIrons]

The thread on walnut media got me thinking. Back when I started, I got a bucket of Lyman's media with rouge (the reddish colored one you see at the store). Now that it is almost gone and I'm switching to something not so messy, I'm wondering if I need to do anything to remove the rouge buildup in my vibratory tumbler's bin.

Will it work its way off with the new media, or should I scrape as much of it off as I can to keep it from "contaminating" my new media? I plan on going to the walnut + NuFinish solution next, if that influences your answer.

Thanks!

[MoJo]

I wouldn't worry about it the gunk will eventually come off adding a bit of jewelers rouge to the mecdia. If it really bothers you some mineral spirits paint thinner on a rag should wipe it out. Be sure all the thinner is evaporated before using the tumbler the fumes are volatile.

[Don2]

The thread on walnut media got me thinking. Back when I started, I got a bucket of Lyman's media with rouge (the reddish colored one you see at the store). Now that it is almost gone and I'm switching to something not so messy, I'm wondering if I need to do anything to remove the rouge buildup in my vibratory tumbler's bin.

Will it work its way off with the new media, or should I scrape as much of it off as I can to keep it from "contaminating" my new media? I plan on going to the walnut + NuFinish solution next, if that influences your answer.

Thanks!

I've never used that stuff, I've always heard its messy !
If its not a thick build up, I'd just add your plain walnut media to it and let it rip.
Or like already said, just remove it and start fresh.
If it were me...I think I would remove as much as I could without going overboard. Some might just help ??

I really like walnut media with Nu-Finish...I have used it for many years and works well with very tarnished brass and clean brass as well....No harm has ever been noticed by me on my brass using this combo.
But I do use a Burr-King commercial vibrating tumbler that works great and removes tarnish and other stuff from brass better than my smaller RCBS tumbler in half the time.
I use to use corn cob media and nu-finish but needed a little extra cleaning walnut media provides and just never went back to corn cob.....Seems like walnut media lasts longer and makes my brass shine just as good.

Thats my 2¢

Don2

[UpTheIrons]

Thanks for the tips. It is caked on pretty good in a few spots, so I think I'll carefully scrape the biggest layers of it out and let the walnut do the rest.

[sublevel]

Just using a frankford arsenal kit with corn cob and Nu-Finish and a few hours or tumbling here are my results, I also chop dyer sheets and add them while running and wipe the bowl after each use with blue towels

All was new once fired brass

BEFORE:


AFTER:

[smoothoperator]

+1 for used dryer sheets

[UpTheIrons]

Sounds good so far...NOW...

I've scraped a good bit of that gunk out, what if i dumped some play sand in the bin and ran it for a bit. Would that work like sandpaper and remove the rouge, or would it scar the bin too much? I'm not trying to get it super clean, its just my OCD trying to keep the contaminants out!

[Don2]

Sounds good so far...NOW...

I've scraped a good bit of that gunk out, what if i dumped some play sand in the bin and ran it for a bit. Would that work like sandpaper and remove the rouge, or would it scar the bin too much? I'm not trying to get it super clean, its just my OCD trying to keep the contaminants out!

Let me tell you what I know about sand in your vibrating tumbler.

Where I live we have a lot of what we call fine sugar sand...Its pretty fine. I ran a load of this sand with some very tarnished 30-06 brass that I really did not care about just to see what it would do.
Most of the brass came out OK, but it was very DULL( like being sand blasted)...And the inside of the tumbler did not look any different than before???
So...I do not think it would hurt your tumbler and may just remove the unwanted "crud" ?

Just keep an eye on it every now and then...Y M M V ????

Don2

Ps...NOTE: Don't use sand for media with your brass...it does not work
BUT...It may be just the look you would want with other items, just not Cartridge brass !
I run all sorts of parts through my tumbler to either take a finish off or clean etc.....I keep my Cartridge brass media separate from other media for other jobs.

[UpTheIrons]

Thanks, Don2. I'll give it a go and see what happens.

[Gyrogearhead]

In the "For What It's Worth" dept.: the last time I ran a load of field brass trough my vibratory tumbler I tossed in a couple of plain ole paper towels, the fluffy high adsorbancy kind, and they soaked up a lot of gunk, dirt & etc from the media and cases. Seemed to me they were nearly as good or maybe a bit better than the dryer sheets. Got to be a lot cheaper!!

Gerry

[Jumping Frog]

Got to be a lot cheaper!!

My used dryer sheets are essentially free. They are going in the trash when I don't snag them for the man cave. With the laundry that having a family of five entails, we generate far more used dryer sheets than I've ever use in the tumbler.

[Don2]

In the "For What It's Worth" dept.: the last time I ran a load of field brass trough my vibratory tumbler I tossed in a couple of plain ole paper towels, the fluffy high adsorbancy kind, and they soaked up a lot of gunk, dirt & etc from the media and cases. Seemed to me they were nearly as good or maybe a bit better than the dryer sheets. Got to be a lot cheaper!!

Gerry

A long while back we quit using the dryer sheets...That lead me to use paper towels like you mentioned. I just tear them up into something smaller, about a 1/4 sheet size...They seem to work ok.
I also found out that a material that my wife was using to sew with worked also. I think its called backing?
Like the material that the dryer sheets are made of..This works too and is very cheap.
I've tried several other items that all worked OK.

Just thought I'm mention this "stuff"

Don2