MAKING YOUR WALNUT MEDIA LAST FOREVER

[COZINATOR]

YAHOO!


I'm sure y'all have heard of using dryer sheets in the tumbler, right?

I found something that works even better:"LYSOL DISINFECTING WIPES".

The media was black as night after 2 runs so I figured what the hey.

Amazing!

Cleaned it and cases are shiny; all the gunk ends up on the towlette.


COZ

[paulosantos]

Sweet. Got ta try it.

[Forest]

Neat idea, I'll give it a try!

[marinesg1012]

SO just throw one of those sheets in while your running your brass or do you do it after the brass?

[Empty Brass]

sweet I'll try it.

[Jamesb74]

SO just throw one of those sheets in while your running your brass or do you do it after the brass?

Throw it in with the brass. I had heard of the dryer shees before but not the Lysol sheets. Will have to try it now. :)

[COZINATOR]

MARINESG,

I use 2, during the tumble, with the brass, the media comes out clean but the wipe is nasty!


Works like a charm!





COZ

[Mark21]

I keep my brass away from any and all ammonia because it weakens brass.

The main ingredient in these wipes is Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chlorides. Don't know if that is the same as stright-up ammonia. Anyone with a chemistry background?

Walnut media is cheap enough I want to make sure that I'm not damaging my brass just so I can save on $10 once a year...

[dlance13]

I wouldn't continue this practice due to the ammonium in the wipes. Ammonium and ammonia have the same effects on brass. Here is an article discussing the effects on brass clocks. Note that the chloride in the wipe makes an ammonium salt.

http://www.geocities.com/mvhw/polish2.html?200926

Stress Corrosion Cracking:
A much more serious form of stress cracking could occur if the brass were exposed to an oxidizing agent or an acidic environment with the presence of ammonia or ammonium salts, because they form complex ions with zinc and copper, namely tetraaminezinc [Zn(NH3)4]++ and tetraaminecopper [Cu(NH3)4(H2O)2]++ ions (which gives the acqueous solution a blue colour).
The protective layers of zinc and copper oxides, which protect the metal underneath because they are insoluble in water, become soluble with the formation of the complex ions and are removed from the surface of the metal, exposing fresh metal to be oxidized. The oxidation continues unimpeded until the metal dissolves. If a stress is applied to the brass (such as hanging a weight from a brass hook), the brass will crack at the points of greatest stress when enough metal is oxidized to cause the lattice structure of the metal to fail. For example, if you hang a lamp from a brass hook in a barn (where there is plenty of moist air, carbon dioxide and ammonia produced by the animals), the moist air results in the formation of a layer of electrolyte (weak carbonic acid from carbon dioxide dissolved in water) and the right conditions are created for corrosion to take place, unimpeded by any protective layers of insoluble oxides or hydroxides as the ammonia makes the metal ions soluble. The warmth that rises from the lamp below accelerates the corrosion, the hook cracks and breaks, allowing the lamp to fall.

[Equalizer_2]

For example, if you hang a lamp from a brass hook in a barn (where there is plenty of moist air, carbon dioxide and ammonia produced by the animals), the moist air results in the formation of a layer of electrolyte (weak carbonic acid from carbon dioxide dissolved in water) and the right conditions are created for corrosion to take place, unimpeded by any protective layers of insoluble oxides or hydroxides as the ammonia makes the metal ions soluble. The warmth that rises from the lamp below accelerates the corrosion, the hook cracks and breaks, allowing the lamp to fall.
So! Mrs. O'Leary's cow didn't do it.

[COZINATOR]

Penny wise, pound foolish, huh?

Too bad, they come out REALLY shiny!

No problem, I'll just add a rinse cycle as if it were corrosive primers or blackpowder.

Thanks for the chemistry lesson!


COZ

[Colohunter]

I have a laundry bag that has a fine enough mesh that I was able to put my media in it and rinse it in the sink. Just used lots of water and then let it dry for a couple weeks, shaking it up in the bucket every so often to expose more area to the air. Worked pretty well.

[fireguy]

I have a laundry bag that has a fine enough mesh that I was able to put my media in it and rinse it in the sink. Just used lots of water and then let it dry for a couple weeks, shaking it up in the bucket every so often to expose more area to the air. Worked pretty well.


If you're a real chemistry geek (or concerned about the dissolved salts from your water altering the powder burn, if you're making super-match handloads), you might want to make your last rinse distilled water. Just a thought--you could get as crazy as you want, getting concerned about dust and the like.

Good catch on the ammonia though--I think I already saw a thread on ar15.com about stocking up on wipes.

[COZINATOR]

How about cloth-like paper towels like "VIVA" and mineral spirits?






COZ

[TackDriver68]

I keep my brass away from any and all ammonia because it weakens brass.

The main ingredient in these wipes is Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chlorides. Don't know if that is the same as stright-up ammonia. Anyone with a chemistry background?

Walnut media is cheap enough I want to make sure that I'm not damaging my brass just so I can save on $10 once a year...


I agree. Ammonia has absolutely no place in the reloading process in my opinion, especially if you run hot loads.

[MrJohnC]

How about cloth-like paper towels like "VIVA" and mineral spirits?

COZ

I don't know about adding mineral spirits, but I've been using torn-up paper towels for a couple of years. I'll take one or two sheets, tear them into 2X2 squares (give or take a couple inches - no precision needed!) and throw them into the tumbler with the brass. Then the towels separate out easily - looking like crap, and the media is much less dirty when I throw it back for the next go. Mineral spirits (or a light coating of mineral oil) might help pick up more gunk - and lube the cases to boot; though before I started adding different stuff to the brass, I'd probably try the dryer sheets: already somewhat stickey, and readily available in the laundry room. (although... WHAT makes them stickey!?!? :shock: :shock: :shock: )

Another handy thing I've found is mesh plastic bags for brass. I line my coffee cans with the bag, once it's full - tie it off and toss it in the tumbler. You can just pick the bag out and do minor separation without so much muss and fuss. I don't remember where I got them, but it's about time to find some more...

John

[COZINATOR]

How about this:



http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/inde ... -2939.html (http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-2939.html)




COZ

[COZINATOR]

Or this:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?threadid=838


MMM...cleaning patches!


We DO need steenking patches! LOL! :lol:


COZ

[Equalizer_2]

I wonder if the guy over on THR that used TP used fresh stuff or used :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:








Sorry about that but I couldn't resist.