On Sat, 15 Nov 2014 15:18:37 -0800 (PST), Gerry
wrote:

On Saturday, November 15, 2014 3:14:49 PM UTC-6, Gerry wrote:
I rebuild MGB steering columns as a sideline. These columns use alloy spacers where the column bolts to the dash. These spacers are usually a pain to clean up to reuse. I've tried tumbling them with green pyramid media without satisfactory results. On a lark, I replaced the plastic media with a box of 5/16" zinc coated steel nuts, and low and behold, the nuts worked better than any media I have tried in the past. Aluminum comes out shiny and clean, kind of burnished in a couple of hours in my small HF vibratory tumbler.

In the past I would have bead blasted the parts but at this point I no longer have an air comp to feed my blast cabinet. Being retired I try to get along with what I can do on the cheap and the nuts opened my eyes to another possible solution. Maybe not the best but it was an improvement over what I had been using to clean up rusty hardware, the green triangles

It's damned creative, in any case.

--
Ed Huntress