Raytech Green Pyramid Light Cut Plastic Media, 1/4 in, 5 lb and 50 lb

Raytech Green Pyramid media is a 1/4 in plastic pyramid abrasive that Raytech grades as light cut. It is made for vibratory tumblers and gives a smooth, matte surface on soft metals such as copper, brass and aluminum. Raytech describes the result as a smooth finish with little shine, so this is the smoothing stage before a burnish, not the polish itself. Sold in a 5 lb bag (41119R) or a 50 lb box (41125R).

Who the green pyramid media is for

Choose green pyramid media if you want to take casting texture, light corrosion or machining marks off brass, copper or aluminum parts, and off dug brass buttons, buckles and copper coins you intend to keep rather than grade. If you want shine, this media alone will not give it; follow it with a burnishing run in stainless steel shot and a liquid burnishing compound from our tumblers and cleaning supplies collection. If you need a finer surface with less cutting action, Raytech's Very Fine Cut pyramid (light green, 41131R and 41135R) is the next step down; for heavier stock removal the Medium Cut pyramid (brown, 41141R and 41145R) is the step up.

Key features and what they mean in use

• Light cut grade: Raytech specifies it for light cut surface conditioning. In practice that means it evens out a surface and knocks off fine burrs without rounding edges or removing detail from a coin or button.
• 1/4 in pyramid shape: the points reach into recesses, lettering and threads that round or cylinder media skate over, and the shape keeps the mass moving in the bowl instead of locking together.
• Plastic, not ceramic: plastic media is lighter and less aggressive than ceramic, which is what makes it safe on soft metals and on thin items that ceramic would dent or over-cut.
• Runs wet with Compound B: Raytech pairs this media with its Compound B deburring solution. Running it dry or with plain water gives a slower, less even cut and lets fines build up on the parts.

What is in the box

• 5 lb bag of Raytech green 1/4 in light cut pyramid media (41119R), or
• 50 lb box of Raytech green 1/4 in light cut pyramid media (41125R)

No compound is included. Compound B is sold separately.

Compatibility

Works in any vibratory tumbler, including the Raytech TV-5, TV-10, Adjusta-Vibe and Tumble-Dump machines in our Raytech collection. Rotary tumblers also run it, but with less cutting action because the media only tumbles instead of vibrating against the parts. Raytech uses the same green pyramid media in its Twin Tumbler and Pro Mag kits. Use a strainer or a 1/4 in or finer classifier to separate media from small finds at the end of a run; see tumbler parts and accessories.

Where it works well and where it does not

It does its best work on copper, brass and aluminum, which is why Raytech names those metals and the precision metals industry for it. On clad coins and steel relics it is slow; those respond better to ceramic media or to a burnish in stainless shot. On silver coins it will dull the surface rather than brighten it, so keep collectible silver out of this media. It will not remove heavy rust or thick crust on iron relics; that is a job for coarser ceramic or a dry abrasive step first.

How it differs from Raytech's other pyramid media

Raytech makes three plastic pyramid grades. Very Fine Cut (light green) leaves the smoothest surface with the least material removal. Light Cut (this green media) is the general