Lee Loader

My mountains of trouble came using Lyman media...it's the only name brand I tried. Probably chose the incorrect product for my application. The fine walnut I got in bulk (non-branded) was way lower on dust and didn't plug flash holes like the Lyman media but was more dusty than the Lyman. Here is what NOT to get.

Not the product I bought or referenced...

Ranch Dog wrote:I spent a lot of time researching media when I left steel pins and the Lyman's Corn Cob Plus has made me very happy.

When I use my Dry Media Tumbler, I use reptile bedding, which is comprised of crushed walnut shells. I, too, use the used dryer softener sheets that I cut up into strips to improve their effectiveness at removing the dust. I also added a small funnel to the bottom of my Frankford Arsenal Tumbler to increase the rate of the media turning over. Now while I am not unhappy at all with the performance of the media, it is my understanding that walnut shells are more abrasive then corn cob and are used for cleaning where corn cob does a better job polishing. That said, if Ranch Dog says in his experience that Lyman's Corn Cob Plus works great, then I will definitely have to buy some and give it a try. I just need to work through my existing supply.

Currently I still use wet tumbling to clean my .223/5.56 brass and .300 AAC Blackout, but all my handgun cases get dry tumbled. The truth is, imho, dry tumbling is just easier and when I use the FA dry media separator with a few more added used dryer softener sheets, they come out ready to go to the press just like Ranch Dog indicated. There's no double rinsing, no SS pins to pickup with a magnet, and no drying in a brass case dryer or similar. Just don't breathe deeply any lead contaminated dust when dry tumbling.

Case prepping like the rest of reloading is pretty much a matter of personal preference, but since you asked, this is just how I do it today. That could change tomorrow.

Maybe the stuff I have will absorb garage floor spills.

GasGuzzler wrote:Maybe the stuff I have will absorb garage floor spills.

That's an idea. The "Plus" was previously labeled "Green"; this must be what is added to the cob.



While poking around on the Lyman site, I saw that they offer these mesh bags to keep different brass segregated in the tumble, great idea. I bought a pack from an eBay seller.

Ranch Dog wrote: While poking around on the Lyman site, I saw that they offer these mesh bags to keep different brass segregated in the tumble, great idea. I bought a pack from an eBay seller.

Any testimonials as to how this works and the size of the buzz bucket ot tumbler required? Links? Didn't find these on Lyman's site.

Opps never mind. Still interested in how well this works??????

I'll be interested to see how well these Brass Baggies work as well. The first two things that come to mind is that 1. you would think they would would impede the natural movement of the media over the cases and 2. If using a dry media separator, it would be more difficult if not impossible to separate the media from cases while they are still in the baggies.

On the other hand if they were used in a sonic cleaner, they could work really well. I could even see using them for parts from multiple guns to keep them separate.

IIRC; the mesh/net bags do work, but if they worked well there would be more talk about them in forums, which there ain't. I would think the bags might require a bit more time in the tumbler (would they work in a wobbler?) to get the same effect, and all it would take to separate the media from the brass would be a few shakes of the bag. I remember seeing these several years ago in a vendor's catalog, but if they do work, they aren't popular. Some fellers reported they use them for cleaning brass in their clothes washers, put some brass in the bags, and toss them in with some old Levis and wash...

Sorting/inspection is a primary part of my reloading so I very rarely mix brass in a tumbler, so no cases get stuck together.

A posted a report about the Lyman Brass Baggies.