Ceramic Media in Smaller Diameter ?

[August]

Howdy the Camp?

Alright.  I've got into a corner on shootin' the HB and find myself with .38s in hand. 

I really, really, really want some smaller diameter media for tumbling brass.  The angle-cut cylinders work great on my 45-70 brass, but the often hang up in the 38-40 and I won't even try a batch of .38s 'cause it's obvious a disaster would ensue.

Where, oh where, can I get a quantity of the smaller spheres (or other shape) without having to purchase huge quantities.

Oh, and a reasonable price would be nice too.

Thanks.

[Noz]

When you find it let me know. The best I can find is at Harbor Freight and they want to sell 35# of the stuff.

[Dick Dastardly]

I just tumbled a batch of 38 Special brass in DD CP media with only one piece that had media in it.  It shook out easily.

DD-DLoS

[Blackpowder Burn]

Dick,

What kind of tumbler do you recommend for ceramic media?  My ancient dry tumbler is nearing the end of its days and I'm faced with the decision of what to replace it with.  I'm considering the wet ceramic method, but the tumblers I've found are extremely expensive.

[john boy]

I really, really, really want some smaller diameter media for tumbling brass.  The angle-cut cylinders work great on my 45-70 brass, but the often hang up in the 38-40 and I won't even try a batch of .38s 'cause it's obvious a disaster would ensue.

August, I am of the firm conviction that cylinder media should be avoided.  Instead, use either 2mm or 3mm ceramic triangles that are for polishing only - not cutting.

When I went to Kramer Industries here in NJ, talked with the Manager and informed him I shoot 25-20's up to 50-70's, he recommended the 2 mm triangles.  A few of the BPCR guys are using the 3mm triangles for their 45 calibers and are having excellent results.  The 2mm and 3mm's will form a triangle of 3 locking pieces in the primer pocket but can be easily picked out.

As for where to buy?  Good question.  I bought 20 lbs of the 2mm's that were previously used in Kramer's lab and got a deal on the price ... but the price for 20 lbs Used was not cheap.
So, there are 2 options:
1.  Someone buys the small triangles and then sells them at a profit, plus shipping
2.  Someone starts a group buy and is the honcho
Kramer's minimum purchase is 50 lbs

I would gladly share some of my 2mm's but I have already given 12 lbs away for free and am going to keep the remaining 8 lbs for a long time.

[Dick Dastardly]

There's a triangle involved here.  Quality, quantity and price.  For the money, you can't beat DD Ceramic Porcelain Media.  For the quantity you need, each kit ships with Eight pounds of DD CP media.  For the price, you can't touch DD CP media.

Yes, my supplier does supply the finer star/triangle shaped media.  It costs a LOT more than the angle cut rod media and it does the same work.  Should anybody wish to buy an 8 lb. kit of fine triangle shaped or star shaped media, I'd be happy to sell it to them.  Simply take the price of DD CP media and multiply by Three.  Any takers?

DD-DLoS

[john boy]

Dick, I can't believe anyone's dirty brass looks like yours after a match.  My educated belief is those cases were left in the rinse bucket for a long time.  Because the stain on the cases is a heavy coating potassium sulfide - not normal foul when shot at a match.  If your spent cases look like this after a match - you've got some other serious problems irrespective having to clean them for 3 hours

Here's what a fired case looks like left in the gun cart for over a couple of months after a match... the 45 Colt in the middle

[Dick Dastardly]

That dirty brass sat in water with dish soap for a couple of days.  It was really ugly.  I'm now tumbling my brass from my last match.  See the post about it's cleanliness, as in "clean match". . . .  Maybe I'll post some pictures for you to "review".

I'll tumble it Three hours, dry it and photograph it.  I'll have plenty more batches to run, both long range rifle and pistol caliber.  I load for myself and others.

FWIW, JB, I brought home paper from that long range match.  Says my bullets shoot real good. . .  That's another story tho.

I'm a happy camper tonight.

DD-DLoS

[Capt. Montgomery Little]

Have any of you heard of or used a brass cleaner called  Case Shine? It is a media enhancer, cleaner and polishing compound for brass. I have been using it on "NASTY" brass and it cleans to a beautiful shine in an hour. Had some black 30-06 cases that now look new.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy JB,

Here's another look at dirty brass vs clean brass from last weekend's shoot.  Please note that both 38-55 and 45-70 brass were tumbled together.  There was NO stuck media in the cases.  Tumbling time was Three hours in a wet load of DD Ceramic Porcelain 1/8"x11/32" angle cut ceramic rod.  This is typical of what I've been seeing from my tumbling results.  What more could you want?

DD-DLoS

[john boy]

What more could you want?

Dick, from your photography, I see dragon blood on the inside of the cases with the mouths facing the camera.  Meaning the insides are not as clean as the out sides.  Three hours, well I can clean both the insides and the outsides in an hour to 1 1/2 hours.  I know that we are only paying the electricity but there is a strong indication that your burnishing solution is not working as well as the Strat-O-Sheen stuff.  Plus you have a few cases in the picture that didn't wash behind their ears, as Mom used to tell me.  They are still dirty.

I just came up from the basement with seventy five 45-70 cases that have been working for about 40 minutes, while I cleaned 3 rifles.  Checked one barrel and my guess is they are about 90% done (outside AND inside).  What more could you want?  

Please note that both 38-55 and 45-70 brass were tumbled together.

But sure had to be nested 38-55's inside the 45's!  Dick, that's No No mixing larger and smaller calibers in the same wash.  I know you know better too.

BTW, must compliment you on the quality of the 2 pictures.  Either your skills are coming back after retirement from the photography business or you bought a new camera.  Cause these pictures are real quality pictures v that target you posted of your MK III marksmanship  

[Wagon Box Willy]

I use a cheap Frankfort Arsenal vibratory tumbler with walnut media and most of the time 1.5hrs is all that is needed to get the brass looking like new.  Occasionally I'll have to let it run longer especially if I don't add a squirt the Frankfort Arsenal metal polish to the media. 

I'm pretty happy with this inexpensive setup.

  -Willy

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy JB,

What you see inside those cases is left over walnut media I used for drying them.  The walnut media is old and very powdery.  It clings some and I didn't bother to clean it out of the inside of the cases.  The cases are clean inside and out.

As to the photos, they are my usual work.  Nothing special.  The target board photo you dragged up has a reverse side.  I'll photograph the reverse side, flip it and post it for you to paste over the front side.  That way you will know that the photo is very real after all.

The point I was trying to make about the media is that there is a trade off between availability, price and effectiveness.  We are too small a market for the CP media makers to notice.  We have to go with what they make at a price pards can afford.  It has to be readily available on a continuing basis and very consistent from batch to batch.  I have finer media in the form of stars and triangles available to me.  It's a LOT more expensive.  If there's enough interest, I'll buy a 50 lb box and parcel it out for pards that want to get together for a "group buy".  I won't be stocking this smaller size media because it simply costs too much for most Cowboys to buy.  I'll call tomorrow (Monday) and get a price if anyone is interested.  Please contact me by email, address available under my avatar on each post.

Thanks,

DD-DLoS

[Fairshake]

John Boy, I use a mix of angle cut and 3mm balls for all my cleaning. I also use Dawn W/Oxy in the mix for clean cases. Those cases that DD was showing is how mine look if left in the precleaning mix for 2 or 3 days before cleaning. Take Care my friend David

[john boy]

Those cases that DD was showing is how mine look if left in the precleaning mix for 2 or 3 days before cleaning.

David, it's the potassium sulfide in the rinse water that turns the cases black.  Also, if one uses the solution in their rotary tumbler, note the color of the burnishing solution  - Black!

I thought I would try to use a few cleanings using the same burnishing solution one time.  The 38-55 cases were stained a medium black.  So I change the solution every couple of times now

As for the angle cut aluminum oxide cylinders ... I sifted out all the corn cob media for the mixture of cylinders and rice that I had in my vibratory shaker.  Put in a 100 or so 45 Colts and ran the shaker for about 5 hours.  The cases were clean on the outside though the insides were still dirty.  What I did notice comparing the out side of the cases to some 45-70's that I cleaned in the wet rotary with the ceramic triangles ... the 45 Colts had a scratches on the outside of the cases.  The 45-70's had no scratches
Conclusion:  The aluminum oxide cylinders are cutting media and the ceramic triangles are polishing media