TexasCHLforum.com

Just cleaned my first batch of shells. What does everyone use to get the walnut powder off the shells?

Thanks,

Tim

What powder? I put a dab of Turtle Wax in my media and run the tumbler for a few minutes to mix it all up before adding brass. Never have had any dust from my media.

Were you using untreated walnut shell?

Yes, unteated.
A dab of turtlewax? Tell me more.

Tim

Liquid automobile polish will "treat" your media. It keeps the dust down and puts a thin coating of wax on your brass that helps to keep tarnish down and aids re-sizing, even with carbide dies. Put a generous glop of polish in with your walnut hulls and tumble until it's mixed well (15-20 minutes) then add your brass. You can add polish to the media when it starts to take too long to clean. A dryer sheet in with the media/brass will help keep the media clean longer.

I use Turtle Wax because it's the cheapest wax/polish available. I can't remember the brand but, there is another polish sold at Walmart in an orange bottle with black printing that's highly recommended. There are commercial media additives you can buy from Midway etc that work well but $$$. Get some Flitz liquid polish and put a cap full in with the TW. Your brass will look like jewelry! Do not use Brasso - - - the ammonia in Brasso is why it cleans so well but ammonia is the active ingredient in many copper solvents. Brass is an alloy of copper so ammonia isn't a good thing.

The polish in the orange bottle is Nu Finish (http://www.nufinish.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).
I have yet to try Turtlewax, so I couldn't tell you which works better.

AFAmmo wrote:The polish in the orange bottle is Nu Finish (http://www.nufinish.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

That is also what I use.

I use a good squirt of Meguiar's liquid car wax. Just squirt it in when I load the brass in the tumbler and let it go for about 4 hours. Comes out looking great.

many types of polishing compounds will work to aid in polishing. to reduce the dust you can try the ol dryer sheet trick. seems to attract some of it. use new or used sheets. reality is, after a little usage. your media won't leave a residue or dust on the brass. the walnut lasts a loooooong time so most people don't really have to deal with it much.

Jumping Frog wrote:

AFAmmo wrote:The polish in the orange bottle is Nu Finish (http://www.nufinish.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

That is also what I use.

Good stuff. Also, Lemonshine.

Shot of NuFiinsh, mixed with a shot of low odor mineral spirits to dilute it.

I add a dryer sheet as well

Yep! Nu-Finish and a scent-free dryer sheet.

The black dust was building up in my media until I started using the dryer sheet! It also cleaned the inside of my tumbler!

Thanks for the tips-n-tricks. Brass going back in the tumbler for more cleaning.

Tim

Just as I seat bullets and crimp as separate steps, I also clean and polish as separate steps.

First

I tumble for 2 hours using walnut hull media (pet store, reptile bedding) with jewlers rouge (auto parts store)

then

I tumble for 2 hours using corncob media (pet store, bedding) with NuFinish car polish/wax (wally world or auto parts store) and 2 dryer sheets torn into strips (I prefer my brass have the Mountain fresh scent over the ocean breeze)