Tumbling Media | McMaster-Carr

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178 Products

Tumbling Media for Steel, Stainless Steel, and Hard Metals

V-Cylinder

Cylinder

Triangle

Ball

Made of a hard material, this tumbling media is tough enough to finish steel, stainless steel, and other hard metal parts. Choose the shape that best matches the contours of your part and a size that’s large enough not to get stuck in recesses and holes. You can also mix shapes and sizes to tailor the finish to your part.

For Smooth Finish—Aggressively remove burrs and blend grind lines. This media leaves a matte finish and typically needs a follow-up for final smoothing.

For Extra-Smooth Finish—Common for general use, this media deburrs and rounds edges while preserving surface details. It removes a moderate amount of material to leave behind a matte finish.

For Ultra Smooth Finish—Gently deburr and blend with minimal edge rounding. This media lightly removes material for a sleek, satin finish.

For Polished Finish—Rub your parts without wearing them down—this media creates a shiny finish. It doesn’t remove surface material, so your parts retain their shape and sharp edges.

For Mirror Finish—Use this media as the final step in your finishing process to create a reflective finish. Ideal for fragile parts, it rubs the surface without removing material.

V-Cylinder—A good all-around choice for flat surfaces, slots, corners, grooves, and holes. V-cylinders are a hybrid between cylinders and triangles.

Cylinder—Best for large, open surfaces such as cube faces, and flat parts with holes such as washers.

Triangle—Reach into slots, corners, grooves, and holes without getting stuck.

Ball—Best for gentle finishing. Balls are less aggressive than other shapes, so they smooth your workpiece without flattening any details.

Wet Tumbling Condition—Use this media with liquid cleaners.

									5 lb.		10 lb.		25 lb.		50 lb.
	Lg.	Wd.	Dia., mm	Density, lb/ft³	Recommended Media to Parts Ratio	Abrasion Type	Tumbling Condition	Material		Pkg.		Pkg.		Pkg.		Pkg.
For Smooth Finish







				V-Cylinder

				7/16"	7/16"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A111	000000	4918A911	000000	4918A55	0000000	4918A43	0000000


				5/8"	5/8"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A121	00000	4918A912	00000	4918A58	000000	4918A13	000000
				1"	1"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A131	00000	4918A913	00000	4918A62	000000	4918A16	000000




						Cylinder

						3/8"	3/16"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A141	00000	4918A914	000000	4918A65	000000	4918A46	000000


						5/8"	5/16"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A151	00000	4918A915	00000	4918A68	000000	4918A19	000000
						5/8"	3/8"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A161	00000	4918A916	00000	4918A72	000000	4918A23	000000




								Triangle

								1/4"	3/8"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A171	00000	4918A917	00000	4918A75	000000	4918A49	000000


								5/16"	7/8"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A181	00000	4918A918	00000	4918A78	000000	4918A26	000000
								3/8"	3/8"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A211	00000	4918A921	00000	4918A85	000000	4918A53	000000
								3/8"	5/8"	—	90	3:1	Heavy	Wet	Ceramic	4918A191	00000	4918A919	00000	4918A82	000000	4918A29	000000


								For Extra-Smooth Finish







												V-Cylinder

												7/16"	7/16"	—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A112	00000	4918A931	00000	4918A54	000000	4918A42	000000


												5/8"	5/8"	—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A122	00000	4918A932	00000	4918A57	000000	4918A12	000000
												1"	1"	—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A132	00000	4918A933	00000	4918A61	000000	4918A15	000000




														Cylinder

														3/8"	3/16"	—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A142	00000	4918A934	00000	4918A64	000000	4918A45	000000


														5/8"	5/16"	—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A152	00000	4918A935	00000	4918A67	000000	4918A18	000000
5/8"														3/8"	—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A162	00000	4918A936	00000	4918A71	000000	4918A22	000000




		Triangle

		1/4"	3/8"											—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A172	00000	4918A937	00000	4918A74	000000	4918A48	000000


		5/16"	7/8"											—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A182	00000	4918A938	00000	4918A77	000000	4918A25	000000
		3/8"	3/8"											—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A212	00000	4918A941	00000	4918A84	000000	4918A52	000000
		3/8"	5/8"											—	90	3:1	Medium	Wet	Ceramic	4918A192	00000	4918A939	00000	4918A81	000000	4918A28	000000


		For Ultra Smooth Finish







														V-Cylinder

														7/16"	7/16"	—	90	3:1	Light	Wet	Ceramic	47755A28	00000	47755A29	00000	47755A41	000000	47755A45	000000


														5/8"	5/8"	—	90	3:1	Light	Wet	Ceramic	47755A35	00000	47755A36	00000	47755A42	000000	47755A46	000000




														Triangle

														1/4"	1/4"	—	90	3:1	Light	Wet	Ceramic	47755A37	00000	47755A38	00000	47755A43	000000	47755A47	000000


														5/16"	7/8"	—	90	3:1	Light	Wet	Ceramic	47755A39	00000	47755A49	00000	47755A44	000000	47755A48	000000


														For Polished Finish







														V-Cylinder

														7/16"	7/16"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A113	00000	4918A951	00000	4918A35	000000	4918A41	000000


														5/8"	5/8"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A123	00000	4918A952	00000	4918A56	000000	4918A11	000000
														1"	1"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A133	00000	4918A953	00000	4918A59	000000	4918A14	000000




														Cylinder

														3/8"	3/16"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A143	00000	4918A954	00000	4918A63	000000	4918A44	000000


														5/8"	5/16"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A153	00000	4918A955	00000	4918A66	000000	4918A17	000000
														5/8"	3/8"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A163	00000	4918A956	00000	4918A69	000000	4918A21	000000




														Triangle

														1/4"	3/8"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A173	00000	4918A957	00000	4918A73	000000	4918A47	000000


														5/16"	7/8"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A183	00000	4918A958	00000	4918A76	000000	4918A24	000000
														3/8"	3/8"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A213	00000	4918A961	00000	4918A83	000000	4918A51	000000
														3/8"	5/8"	—	90	3:1	None	Wet	Ceramic	4918A193	00000	4918A959	00000	4918A79	000000	4918A27	000000


		For Mirror Finish







														Cylinder

														3 mm	1 mm	—	140	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A41	000000	———	0	———	0	———	0


														5 mm	2 mm	—	140	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A42	000000	———	0	———	0	———	0
														8 mm	3 mm	—	140	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A43	000000	———	0	———	0	———	0
						10 mm								3 mm	—	140	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A44	000000	———	0	———	0	———	0
						14 mm	5 mm							—	140	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A45	000000	———	0	———	0	———	0
						23 mm	7 mm							—	140	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A46	000000	———	0	———	0	———	0




														Ball

														—	—	1	125	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A31	00000	———	0	———	0	———	0


								—	—					2	125	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A32	00000	———	0	———	0	———	0
								—	—					3	125	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A33	00000	———	0	———	0	———	0
								—	—					4	125	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A34	00000	———	0	———	0	———	0
								—	—					6	125	3:1	None	Wet	Porcelain	4334A35	00000	———	0	———	0	———	0

Tumbling Media for Aluminum, Brass, and Soft Metals

V-Cylinder

Triangle

Pyramid

Granule

Made of soft material, this tumbling media gently finishes aluminum, brass, and other soft metal parts without distorting them. Choose the shape that best matches the contours of your part and a size that’s large enough not to get stuck in recesses and holes. You can also mix shapes and sizes to tailor the finish to your part.

For Extra-Smooth Finish—Common for general use, this media deburrs and rounds edges while preserving surface details. It removes a moderate amount of material to leave behind a matte finish.

For Ultra Smooth Finish—Remove tarnish, oxidation, and light scratches to make your parts shine. Ideal for detailed or engraved parts, this media rubs the surface without wearing it down to preserve the shape and sharp edges.

For Polished Finish—Often used as the final step in finishing, this media brightens your part’s surface with an extremely shiny finish. It rubs the surface without wearing it down to preserve the shape and sharp edges.

V-Cylinder—A good all-around choice for flat surfaces, slots, corners, grooves, and holes. V-cylinders are a hybrid between cylinders and triangles.

Triangle—Reach into slots, corners, grooves, and holes without getting stuck.

Pyramid—Reach into even tighter crevices on your workpiece than with triangular media.

Wet Tumbling Condition—Use this media with liquid cleaners.

Dry Tumbling Condition—Run this media dry and it won't stick to your parts. Dry media simplifies setup and cleanup, but it takes longer to finish your parts than wet media.

Corn Cob—These corn cobs have larger particles than those used for abrasive blasting. They’re cleaned and treated for use in tumblers.

Walnut Shell—These walnut shells have larger particles than those used for abrasive blasting. They’re cleaned and treated for use in tumblers.

								5 lb.		10 lb.		15 lb.		25 lb.		50 lb.
	Lg.	Wd.	Density, lb/ft³	Recommended Media to Parts Ratio	Abrasion Type	Tumbling Condition	Material		Pkg.		Pkg.		Pkg.		Pkg.		Pkg.
For Extra-Smooth Finish







				V-Cylinder

				5/8"	1/2"	60	3:1	Medium	Wet	Plastic	47755A19	000000	47755A21	0000000	———	0	47755A31	0000000	47755A11	0000000


				3/4"	3/4"	60	3:1	Medium	Wet	Plastic	47755A22	00000	47755A23	000000	———	0	47755A32	000000	47755A12	000000




						Triangle

						5/8"	1/2"	60	3:1	Medium	Wet	Plastic	47755A26	00000	47755A27	000000	———	0	47755A34	000000	47755A18	000000




								Pyramid

								1/4"	1/4"	60	3:1	Medium	Wet	Plastic	47755A24	00000	47755A25	000000	———	0	47755A72	000000	47755A73	000000


								For Ultra Smooth Finish







												Granule

												—	—	40	4:1	None	Dry	Walnut Shell	———	0	4947A21	00000	———	0	———	0	———	0


												For Polished Finish







																Granule

																—	—	32	4:1	None	Dry	Corn Cob	———	0	———	0	47575A81	000000	———	0	———	0

Cleaners for Tumbling

Remove oil, grease, and other contaminants from your workpieces while tumbling. These cleaners trap debris as it’s removed so it won’t deposit onto your workpieces. They also act as a lubricant to improve media rolling and prevent scratches. Dilute with water, then add the solution to your media.

For Rotating, Vibrating, and Centrifugal Tumblers


Bottle	Box	Jug	Pail

Rust Inhibitor—Prevent rust from generating on metal workpieces during the tumbling process.

					1 lb. Box		5 lb. Pail		1 qt. Bottle		1 gal. Jug		5 gal. Pail
	Form	For Use On	Harshness	Features		Each		Each		Each		Each		Each
For Ceramic, Porcelain, and Plastic Media



		Liquid	Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Iron, Nickel, Stainless Steel, Steel, Titanium	Moderate	Rust Inhibitor	———	0	———	0	4918A901	000000	4918A902	000000	4918A903	0000000


		For Steel and Stainless Steel Media



				Liquid	Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Iron, Nickel, Stainless Steel, Steel, Titanium, Zinc	Moderate	—	———	0	———	0	4918A97	00000	4918A96	00000	4918A33	000000


				Powder	Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Silver, Steel, Tin, Zinc	Moderate	—	2148N21	000000	2148N22	000000	———	0	———	0	———	0

For Magnetic Tumblers

Image of Product. Front orientation. Cleaners for Tumbling. Jug.

Jug

				1 gal. Jug
	Form	For Use On	Harshness		Each
For Stainless Steel Media



		Liquid	Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Gold, Silver	Moderate	2148N11	000000

Tumbling Media for Magnetic Tumblers

Finish parts inside magnetic tumblers. These pins are made of magnetic stainless steel, so they move around tumblers in a chaotic, scrubbing motion. They’re nonabrasive, so they burnish parts rather than abrade to create a bright finish. They also harden surfaces to resist future tarnish.

Pin—Finish small workpieces with intricate shapes. This media fits into the hardest-to-reach spots of your workpiece, such as inside threads, undercuts, and recessed slots.

Wet Tumbling Condition—Use this media with liquid cleaners.

								1 lb.
	Lg.	Dia.	Density, lb/ft³	Recommended Media to Parts Ratio	Abrasion Type	Tumbling Condition	Material		Pkg.
For Polished Finish







				Pin

				3/8"	1/8"	280	3:1	None	Wet	Stainless Steel	2252N11	000000

Accessories for Tumbling Media

Magnets

Separate media from your workpieces and remove it from the bowl. Once removed, pull the trigger to drop the pins from the magnet.

Wt. Cap., lb.	Overall Dia.	Overall Ht.		Each
16	3 1/2"	8 1/2"	3614N11	000000

Cleaners for Tumbling

Remove oil, grease, and other contaminants from your workpieces while tumbling. They also catch debris and act as a lubricant in the tumbler.

				1 gal. Jug
Form	Harshness	For Media Material	For Use On		Each
Liquid	Moderate	Stainless Steel	Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Gold, Silver	2148N11	000000

Long-Life Tumbling Media for Steel, Stainless Steel, and Hard Metals

Clipped Ball

Ballcone

Made of stainless steel, this media lasts up to 20 times longer than ceramic and porcelain media. Also known as burnishing media, it’s nonabrasive and finishes parts by burnishing rather than abrading. It creates a bright finish and hardens surfaces to resist future tarnish.

Choose the shape that best matches the contours of your part. Mix shapes in different ratios to tailor the finish to your part.

Clipped Ball—For delicate finishing, this media combines surface contact with rolling action.

Ballcone—More aggressive than clipped ball media. The ball hits flat, open surfaces while the cone reaches into small holes, corners, and grooves.

Wet Tumbling Condition—Use this media with liquid cleaners.

								5 lb.
	Lg.	Wd.	Density, lb/ft³	Recommended Media to Parts Ratio	Abrasion Type	Tumbling Condition	Material		Pkg.
For Polished Finish







				Clipped Ball

				1/8"	1/8"	250	3:1	None	Wet	Stainless Steel	9225N12	0000000




						Ballcone

						3/16"	3/16"	250	3:1	None	Wet	Stainless Steel	9225N11	000000