pecan to clean brass

[hawk44]

This may have all ready be discussed but a search didn't turn any thing up.
I was shelling pecan today and thought about the sack of shells sitting here, and couldn't think of a reason not to use them to clean brass. So is there any reason the they are not used as media?
thanks for your input.

[jocat54]

Thanks for asking that. We will have a lot of peacan shells this year(trees are loaded) never thought to use them as media.

[powerboatr]

Back in the day we used crushed pecan shells to clean turbine engines
will be watching to see what folks say

[Jumping Frog]

You would want to grind them fine enough so that the shells don't stick in the cases.

[troglodyte]

Pecan shells, and walnut, can be used as tumbling media. I don't tumble so I don't know the characteristics.

[MoJo]

Many years ago my father used pecan shells to tumble brass. It worked but wasn't as effective as walnut or corn cob nor did it put a high polish on the brass. Like Jumping Frog said they need to be ground very fine. Walnut and corn cob are cheap and plentiful.

[Jim Beaux]

Agriculture blasting media is used to clean machined items with close tolerances, or for removing finish from fine wood (antique furniture, etc) Commonly used ag media are rice hulls, walnut/pecan shells and corn cob. Blasting with pecan & walnut leaves an oily residue and I would expect it would as a tumbling media. Rice hulls or hard wood saw dust may be a good alternative if the residue is too much. Note that walnut dust is toxic for humans and pets and can be dangerous when the inhaled.

[Don2]

WHY NOT ?

I have seen all sorts of items used as cleaning / polishing media. Even saw crushed up peanut shells used in a rotary tumbler, forget the use right now.
If one could build a cheap "Ball Mill " you could crush anything like that to any size you wanted it. A simple ball mill could be any rotary tumbler with steel balls of unknown size to me, but shouldn't be hard to find on Google..!! ( Look it up )

I do not have pecan trees any more since I moved 15 or so years ago..Use to have about 12 LARGE ones in Houston..!!!
Had many bags of pecans...also used shells for the BBQ and wood also...it adds a very mild flavor if done right.

I feel walnut and pecan shells are about the same hardness...walnut may be harder. But should work fine for media if crushed like commercial walnut media.
I do not have first hand info.

Over&Out
Don2

[Jumping Frog]

As for me, my last bag of walnut media was less than $20 shipped for 25 quarts (filled about one and a half 5 gallon buckets).

Grinding up my own from any type of shell holds little appeal.

[MoJo]

A cheap tumbling media substitute is short grain rice. You don't need the expensive long grain. It cleans OK with no cleaner added but, with a little turtle wax it's almost as good as walnut. Don't forget a wonderful source of walnut hull and corncob is the pet store. I've found both in the pet dept of Wally world and at PetSMart.

[J Wilson]

For walnut media,you mite check with a sand blasting supply place.There is or used to be a place in Dallas called Clemtex.

[wally775]

+1 for the pet store for walnut.

[Jumping Frog]

+1 for the pet store for walnut.

Amazon.com

Find me a pet store that beats 25 quarts of walnut media for less that $20.

[Don2]

Far be it from me to critique pet store type media, but once I bought a big bag of it that was being pushed by others as a great cleaning media a few years ago.
It did OK, but really did not clean very well for me.
NOW looking "Back'ards" , I bet if I used some Nu-Finish, it would have worked just fine...!!

Is that how yall are using it, or some other brand polish?

Just wondering.

Don2