| Posted: Fri Sep 23rd, 2005 08:01 PM |
|
1st Post |
Pete E
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | Sat Sep 10th, 2005 |
| Location: | North Wales, United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 33 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Gents,
I am looking for a little help/advice with regards tumbler media. I can't get "proper" tumbler media local to me and would have to buy it mail order. As it is imported from the US and because I would need to pay further postage, it soon gets very expensive for what it is...
I notice a few people saying that pet stores carry similar products so I called at one today to have a browse.
I found a "maize substrate" which was meant for the bottom of parrot cages...From what I could see in the packet, It looked almost like tiny "seeds" perhaps a little bigger than a pin head, but smaller than a grain of rice...Would this be the same stuff as your corn cob media?
None of the packets contained ground walnut shells and the assistant did not seem to know of this...Instead she pointed me to some beech chips. These were small almost square (flat not cube) chips of beech about 1/4" square...I suspect they would be too big for use in a tumbler?
A third opition I have seen mentioned would be plain white rice...
Any thoughts or comments on which would be best would be much appreciated..If it makes any difference, it would be used to clean cases from .233rem to 30-06 in size rather than straight walled handgun cases...
Regards,
Pete
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 23rd, 2005 09:35 PM |
|
2nd Post |
Charley
Board Founder

| Joined: | Fri Sep 9th, 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 6143 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | all of them |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
I suspect the "maize substrate" is pretty close to ground corncob. You might do a 'net search of bird specialty shops for the walnut hulls. I can't imagine them not being available somewhere for "serious" bird people. I haven't bought genuine cleaning media in years, just the petshop equivalents.
____________________ STOP OBAMUNISM NOW!
|
| Posted: Sat Sep 24th, 2005 10:18 AM |
|
3rd Post |
billt
Guest
| Joined: | |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Pete,
All I use is ground corn cob, which is avaliable here quite cheap. But that doesn't help you. Ground corn cob is quite light, but bulky. How much shipping would there be approx. from the states to the U.K.? If it isn't too bad there are several places that carry it you could order from. Another option would be for someone to purchase it here for you, then send it on. A lot of places profit from shipping. billt.
|
| Posted: Sat Sep 24th, 2005 11:03 AM |
|
4th Post |
Pete E
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | Sat Sep 10th, 2005 |
| Location: | North Wales, United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 33 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Gents,
Thanks for the advice..Like i said, I can get the"proper" stuff here via mail order, both corn cob and walnut shell, but I would like to find a source locally mostly for convenience but also to save on the postage and mark up...
If anybody could post a couple of pictures of both corn cob and walnut media I would be very grateful...
Regards,
Pete
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 25th, 2005 03:27 AM |
|
5th Post |
Timberghozt
Board Founder

| Joined: | Fri Feb 11th, 2005 |
| Location: | Texas USA |
| Posts: | 7040 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | 300 Winchester Magnum ... |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Hey Pete...I think Charley is right.You can get ground walnut hulls for use with small critters from pet shops.I have a good article somewhere Ill try to find for you...
____________________ "He who fights with monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster; For if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - F.Nietzche
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 25th, 2005 06:04 PM |
|
6th Post |
Gunrunner
Super Moderator

| Joined: | Thu Feb 3rd, 2005 |
| Location: | Burkina Faso |
| Posts: | 1470 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I shoot factory ammo | | My favorite chambering is:: | Whatever I'm shooting that day |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Don't know if you can tell much by this picture but here goes. Corn on the left. Walnut on right. Both are pretty dirty as I've been using them a long time.

____________________ "Get off your computer and go load some ammo"
Welcome to California. Press 2 for English.
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 26th, 2005 12:00 AM |
|
7th Post |
Pete E
HB Pro Staff
| Joined: | Sat Sep 10th, 2005 |
| Location: | North Wales, United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 33 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | | | My favorite chambering is:: | |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Gunrunner,
Thanks for that, those pictures are actually a big help.
They confirm the "maize substrate" I can get localy is essentially the same as your corncob media and that the beech "flakes" sold in the same store are way too course/big to use in a tumbler...
Thanks again,
Pete
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 26th, 2005 01:17 AM |
|
8th Post |
Gunrunner
Super Moderator

| Joined: | Thu Feb 3rd, 2005 |
| Location: | Burkina Faso |
| Posts: | 1470 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I shoot factory ammo | | My favorite chambering is:: | Whatever I'm shooting that day |
| Status: |
Offline
|
back to top
|
Glad I could help out, Pete.
____________________ "Get off your computer and go load some ammo"
Welcome to California. Press 2 for English.
|
|