Polishing Alum etc.

A post was here, can’t find it now. verslagen1, Did a neat thing, by, Encasing the rim/spokes, and rotating it, with a, ‘media’ in it. With the goal of, cleaning, then polishing, the rim/spokes.

Here are some thoughts on doing that, coming from 40+ years of ‘polishing’, brass, for firearm re-loading.

First, ’Tumbling’, rotating ,a media, to polish something takes longer that, ‘vibrating’, it.

Next, the two very common, dry, ‘medias’, are, Crushed ‘Walnut hulls’, or ‘Corn Cob’, bits.
Not so common, are ‘ceramic’, pieces, in MANY, different shapes and sizes.
And sometimes, very hard, ’steel’ pieces, the same.
(Ceramic & Steel, work best wet, with some very small amount of, “dish soap”, to cary away the, ‘ground’ metal)

Walnut hulls, Ceramic, Steel, will,  NOT,  ‘Polish’, they ‘Clean’.
They will leave a, clean, but rather, matt, finish.

Ground, ‘Corn Cob’, ‘polishes’.
Brass shells, (after ‘cleaned’), come out shiny new looking.
Had a old Alum Chair, cut some ovals, in the tubing,, small hole in top & bottom,
(To use in ice fishing, Line on top, hook on bottom)
‘Cleaned’ them in the Walnut hulls, then put them in the corn cob,
and they were like a mirror.

Purchases. Small amounts. Yea a Gun shop, the, ‘polishing’ agent, is already in their, (in the dry media),
BUT it is expensive.   Go to a, Pet Mart type of store, and look for, ‘Lizard/Reptile’, bedding.
Look to see what it is made of. Much Cheeper, MUCH.
To use that, then add a bit of, ‘polishing’ agent to it.

A good, ‘polishing’ agent, for, ‘Corn Cob’, media, is the Lyman (gun) brand, (green).

Also have done the, ‘Clover’,  jewelers grit, ’Stick’ polishing agent, (for buffing wheel),
but the ‘Lyman’ brand worked the best, (with, ‘Corn Cob’, media, for, ‘Polishing’)

Also, have done several, inside rusted, ’steel’, small gas tanks, with ‘Walnut Hulls’, (Pet Bedding),
Wrapped up, and in a elect cement mixer.
Never tried a  Laundromat dryer, (no heat), but thinking a gas tank,
wrapped up tightly in some, blankets/quilts/etc, A BUNCH of quarters,
then head to the bar, may work just as good.