Washing tumble media.

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chris in va

New member
Being the cheapskate that I am (or is it simply efficient?) I had the idea that the dirty walnut media can simply be rinsed off and re-used.

Essentially I just dumped it all in a 5 gallon bucket, hit it with the garden hose to agitate out all the dirt, and while everything was still suspended, tip it over so the water runs out the top, leaving the media at the bottom. Kinda like panning for gold.

Spread it out on a large cookie sheet, have a fan over it for a couple days (turning it over once) and voila.

So now I have fresh, new media ready to go and it didn't cost me a thing.:p
 
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brickeyee

New member
Being the cheapskate that I am (or is it simply efficient?) I had the idea that the dirty walnut media can simply be rinsed off and re-used.
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Given the low cost of the media, it is rather inefficient to wast time, effort, or materials trying to clean the stuff.

Not everything you can do is worth doing.
 
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jepp2

New member
When I get to the point of changing out my walnut media, and I look at the old media and see the new media, I am always shocked. It is very dark when compared to the new media.

A lot of the darkness is due to staining from contaminants being absorbed into the walnut hull. I use paper towel strips when tumbling, so I don't have much free tumbling media dust in it. If I washed my old media as you suggest, and was able to dry it, I believe it would still be nearly as dirty. At least with my media, I just wouldn't expect the improvement you are expecting.

+ the walnut media is going to float in water, have you considered that?
 
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briandg

New member
It's going to be pretty inefficient after washing. The rouge is gone, and the sharp edges are eroded.

but, if it takes a little longer, and it still works, and you are happy with your results, what business is it of mine to criticize your choice? :confused:

What you're doing is good old american inginuity. When I was repairing my deck 20 years ago, I had a small anvil, and I straightened and reused most of the nails. When I re roofed a garage a while back, I also tore down a badly damaged fence, and used the top quality pine fence rails as decking.

What's wrong with being creative and frugal?
 
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FrankenMauser

New member
Given the low cost of the media, it is rather inefficient to wast time, effort, or materials trying to clean the stuff.

Not everything you can do is worth doing.
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That depends on what you think YOUR time is worth. ...not what you think HIS time is worth.

If it isn't worth it to you, then don't bother with it. But, don't tell other people what their time is worth.
 
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chris in va

New member
What the heck are you guys talking about?

The media came out the same color as new, a light brown. It doesn't float. There's no 'rouge' on walnut, at least the stuff I got from Harbor Freight. It cleaned my brass good as new after the usual two hours. Nothing got 'absorbed' into the walnut shells.

$25/box isn't expensive, but I wanted to see if all the junk could be washed out...and it did.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
$25/box isn't expensive, but I wanted to see if all the junk could be washed out...and it did.
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Washed a bit of lead down the drain, too. Al Gore will get you for that.

I paid $16 for 50 lbs of walnut hull blasting media at the air compressor - sandblaster dealer recently. Packaged tumbler mix charges you for the name like gun oils bought by the barrel and sold by the ounce.
 
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StrawDog

New member
cheaper still

The cheapest and easiest is to add used dryer sheets to the walnut shells in layers - three layers, about 5 sheets per layer. Then add brass & tumble. Dryer sheets gather the dirt as the brass is cleaned. No water needed.
 
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PA-Joe

New member
You must also remember that the dirt in the media is highly toxic. Combination of fine lead and in some cases mecury. If you make it more soluable in water then you are exposing yourself to these toxins.
 
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PawPaw

New member
I use old media for sandbags. After I've got all the "good" out of it, I'll sew it up in old jeans legs and make sandbags out of it. I keep a couple in my range bag, I've given away several, and I've got one in my deer stand. It's a cheap, easy way to recycle crushed walnut media.

Oh, and I buy my media at PetSmart in 10 quart bags. They call it lizard litter.
 
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brickeyee

New member
If it isn't worth it to you, then don't bother with it. But, don't tell other people what their time is worth.
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Care to address materials?

Hitting on a single item from a list is pretty dumb.
 
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