How Often Do You Change Your Media?

[NHshtr]

I just dumped my tumbler full of media and replenished it. Got to wondering what schedule others use to do the same.
I tumble my spent brass with the spent primer still aboard to keep the flash hole open. Still a lot of unburned powder and primer compounds end up in the media, so it's has to go before it gets toxic!!!
I clean the flash hole on the case prepper. Lots of nasty stuff from that.
Sometimes I load the heck out of the tumbler and other times not so much. So I play it by ear and when I think it's too contaminated to keep using, out it goes.
So how often do you dump your tumbler? Same, or do you have a schedule?

[Grunt67]

I got rid of my dry tumbler years ago, & went wet tumbling. Decap before cleaning & the little SS pins take care of every thing.
No need to change out media. Unless you lose some, you'll never have to worry about media again. Brass like new inside & out.

[Vaquero]

I just changed it when it seemed to be pretty dirty, but last year I went the way of Grunt.
Just run the brass through the universal decapper and into the container. Couple hrs. later new lookin brass.
So much better to me.

RP

[Headhog]

It's hard to say how long my media last. It depends on how much brass I clean and how much shooting I do. I usually judge by the color and amount of dust within the media before decide to change it. Also the type of brass seems to impact how dirty the media gets. I did a lot os pistol shooting and cleaned 9mm and 45 ACP brass. I cleaned thousands of rounds before my media got dirty. On the other hand cleaning rifle brass dirties up the media fast.

What I have started doing is tossing in a dryer anti-static sheet in the media. These things are cheap and collect a lot of dust and dirt. After 4-5 batches I throw out the old sheet and put in a new one. This seems to keep the media from getting dirty as fast.

Paul

[BigAl52]

Change mine when it gets real dirty but cant tell you how often. I have a thumblers tumbler but it needs a new rubber in the drum and lid seal. Just havent ever ordered one.

[RanchRoper]

I use crushed walnut, and change them when I can't tell it from black powder....


kidding aside, it lasts quite a while it seems, I put a little brass polish in with them when tumbling brass.

[Grunt67]

Change mine when it gets real dirty but cant tell you how often. I have a thumblers tumbler but it needs a new rubber in the drum and lid seal. Just havent ever ordered one.

They usually have the parts, but in today's world, who knows. Haven't been on their site lately.

[JEBar]

What I have started doing is tossing in a dryer anti-static sheet in the media. These things are cheap and collect a lot of dust and dirt. After 4-5 batches I throw out the old sheet and put in a new one. This seems to keep the media from getting dirty as fast.

Paul

while our son has liquid, sonic and steel pin tumblers .... I still use use crushed walnut .... if I have a dryer sheet handy I'll throw one in .... if not a couple of pieces of paper towel .... I don't replace the media very often, more or less, if I can tell is isn't doing as good of a job

[Hatchdog]

Lyman used to make a media Re-juvinater (spelling?) which is a liquid you can add to your media to refresh it a bit. Never tried the dryer sheet idea but that sounds great. Like some others have mentioned I went to steel pin wet tumbling a couple of years ago. Nice to be able to decap and clean the primer pockets. I didn’t do that with the media unit as it made the media so much dirtier so much quicker. I did get tired of cleaning primer pockets with a brush.

Not sure if Lyman still makes the product but if they still make the vibratory type cleaners I bet they do.

[NHshtr]

Sounds like the media users follow the same process of judging when to discard it by color or effectiveness (and maybe a little gut feel).
I also throw in a bit of brass polish to spiffy them up a bit.
But since after a while, the toxic residues build up, I don't like to have it hang around too long. So I just plastic bag it all and dump it.

[Rifletom]

I'll change it when starts looking funky. A little Turtle Wax spray or a couple caps of Brasso into the media and presto! clean, fairly shiny brass in about 1.5 hours.

[ol'pole]

I change my when it doesn't polish any longer but mine lasts for years. I'll soak my brass in a solution of a big tablespoon of Lemi-shine a small squirt of Dawn in about 1 qt. of very warm water, soak 5 min. stir, soak 5 min., rinse in cool water, spread on towel for a couple min. into the buzz bucket for about 1 1/2 hrs. or so, very clean & shiny. The Lemi-shine/Dawn soak cuts powder/carbon & shines the brass. When the media doesn't shine like I like it to I add some Fritz media additive brings it back to almost new. I use walnut media

[Hatchdog]

^^^^^^^

“Buzz bucket”. I like that!

[NHshtr]

Yeah! I might just have to start calling mine a "buzz bucket" too!

[JVogler]

My corn cob media was very dark after over two years of weekly use.My brother has been giving me all his once fired brass. I tumble brass 200-300 shells with a shot of nu car polish for 2 to 3 hours still comes out shiny. After reading first post about toxins i dumped out and started fresh.

[RanchRoper]

I tried the cat litter when they were done with it but got crappy results.

[NHshtr]

I tried the cat litter when they were done with it but got crappy results.

That's understandable, because It's recommended to use litter that was used by no more than 5 cats! I think that's in the manual.

[Shakey Jake]

I just add some semi-chrome or wenol to mine whenever necessary. Just squirt some in and run it for about 30 min. before tumbling. Seems to work for me. I haven't actually changed it in a long time.
Jake

[NHshtr]

One of the prime concerns I have for dumping the media after a lot of use, is contamination. I'm probably neurotic, but unless the primers are lead free primers (usually listed on box) there is most likely lead styphnate residue along with antimony on the fired cases along with the burned powder. When the cases get cleaned, that goes into the media. Granted it's nano or micro amounts per case, but 1000s of cases seems to me, to make that media a bit sketchy, no?

Perhaps a member more knowledgeable than me on this, could clarify.