Imperial sizing die wax vs. hydrous lanolin

[joeb33050]

IMPERIAL SIZING DIE WAX VS. HYDROUS LANOLIN
I just finished preparing 240 once-fired 308 Winchester cases; uniformed the primer pockets, de-burred the flash holes and full-length sized them using Imperial Sizing Die Wax as the case lubricant. I got two cans of the Imperial a while back in a trade, and have been using the first can for a few years. Prior to that I used hydrous lanolin that always worked fine.
After sizing the cases I put them in the sink with some dish soap, trying to wash them. No hope. The Imperial got on my hands and on the sink and on a couple of pans and showed no sign of being cleaned up in the water-it's just plain waterproof.
After the required words and cleaning up, I got out the hydrous lanolin and smeared some on my hands. Hot water and dish soap made it go away in short order. (And now my hands are so smooth and soft!)
I'm back to the lanolin for big lots of cases that I want to wash.
And since I have the cases ready, I have to buy a 308 Winchester rifle.

[sundog]

Joe, I like lanolin. A while back there was a thread about home made boolit loob, and if I premember correctly, it was Beeman who suggested Iso-Heet with anhydrous lanolin (we all have some of that around for making felixloob). I've got both but have not made a batch yet. I'm sure it will more than likely turn out like some of the non aerosol (plastic pump bottle type) spray lube, some of which is okay. When I use it, I simply wipe each case with a paper towel as it comes from the sizing die.

Wire pull lube (electrical department of you favorite home improvement center) is pretty good, too. Washes or wipes off easily after sizing.

No .308, huh? You need to fix that. I opted for a 700 VS for a couple reasons. One, I got the southpaw model, and b) came with a 12 twist. Both of those features met my requirements, and last it is aluminium bedding blocked in a pretty good stock. It's a good rifle. Haven't done anything to it other than scope and trigger adjustment. Oh, and shoot it. A lot.

[felix]

Soak the ink pad with mineral oil, or, my favorite, Jojoba oil. Rub felix lube or straight lanolin into the pad, letting the oil melt the lube. Slightly roll cases over that; don't do the bottle neck or the slanting shoulder. Just touch the neck, if necessary, with a damp towel with Jojoba. This is for a serious job. For a light job, I just do WD40 or any spray lube on the damp towel where the case is going to be sized. For large lots, I wash in paint thinner. Small lots get trichloroethane for a quick reload. ... felix

[imashooter2]

My tumbler takes the Imperial off with no muss or fuss. A half an hour with 2 or 3 used dryer softener sheets and its good to continue processing.

[Tom-n8ies]

I made some sizing lube from 1 part anhydrous lanolin and 4 or 5 parts 99% isopropyl alcohol.
(iso-heet) dry gas you can get from any auto parts store.

I got the lanolin from eBay. I got the idea here http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

He says to use lanolin oil (I guess I missed that part) how ever mine turned out great.

I put it in a little pump hair spray bottle and just a few spritzes to a cookie sheet of pistol cases works great.

It also works great for patch lube for swabbing muzzle loaders between shots.


tom

[garandsrus]

I use the same recipe from frfrogspad and it works great. I believe it is exactly the same lube as what Dillon sells under their label.

John

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Once upon a time in a galaxy (that now seems) far away, I started to load my own. One of the things I bought was a small can of case lube that Lyman sold under the name of E-Z lube. The tin was/is about 3-4 inches in diameter and an inch in depth. It turned out to be anhydrous lanolin and it has always worked well for whatever I sized or tried to form or reform. A pharmacist once told me that it is also known by some folks as "sheep fat" and that he uses /used it as a base for some of the prescriptions that involve balms, salves and ointments. Whatever! I'm still on that original can/tin and there is still quite a bit of the stuff left to go. A little goes a very long way. A half of a teaspoon spread evenly over the top of an RCBS case lube pad lasts for a very long time....seemingly forever. If and when it runs out I may try some of the interesting recipes mentioned above or else just stick with another jar/can of the anhydrous lanolin. Amidst the years I did try a tube of Lee's resizing loob and it worked really well. So did a tube of whilte lthiulm grease. Both cleaned up off of the cases ok with little effort. Good shooting. LLS

[454PB]

I use boot waterproofing, it's called "Smiling Mink". Works as well or better than Imperial, costs far less, and wipes off easily with a paper towel. Also smells good!

I've use it for forming fired .22 cases into bullet jackets, swaging jacketed bullets, and reforming brass. I've never had a case stick in a die with it.

[ra_balke]

The two best lcase lubes ube I have ever used were ;

1. lee bullet lube in the stick.

2. A mix of 60% bee wax and 40% neets foot oil. I use #2 all the time.
Way way....better than imperial.

Not kidding !

#2 is the standard formula for black powder lube.

[floodgate]

Anhydrous lanolin is refined from the "grease" in sheep wool (not fat from the meat), melts around 100F, and is a SUPERB extreme pressure lubricant. I have been levelling the frame and joists of our 100+-year-old farmhouse with a couple dozen "Tel-O-Post" semi-permanent screw jacks and dope the 1" threads with it; works easily and no sign of rusting over several wet winters. "Anhydrous" just means all the H2O has been evaporated out of it, and the pharmaceutical grade is labelled "USP" (for US Pharmacopeia = OK'd for medicinal use). Technically speaking, it is a wax, but anyone who raises sheep refers to it as "grease", and un-washed wool as "grease-wool". Easy on the skin, too, as noted above

[Ed Barrett]

I've heard some unnamed Texans keep a sheep tied up next to their reloading benches to get the lanolin directly off the sheep. At least that's the story they gave when they got caught with the sheep in the basement. <G>

[carpetman]

454PB---If you think that Smiling Mink is good you should try some smiling lanolin---Scroungers sheep is the place to get it--all his ewes always smiling. Well I'm not sure if smiling or outright laughing.

[bruce drake]

I use Imperial and Hornady's Unique Case Lube that comes in the little white tub. I personally think that Hornady's is just Lee's Case Lube allowed to harden up. No complaints about either product but I save my Imperial for the tough jobs like reforming 6.5 Jap from 35 Remington cases.

Bruce

No Sheep were harmed in the production of this post...

[Treeman]

FWIW my life got easier when I started using soap for case lube. It works. It is cheap. It cleans. It wipes off with a damp rag.

[357maximum]

I use pure lanolin straight from the "NOW" brand purple tub...wipe small amount on my paws and lube all cases to be sized...size...then wipe off on clean rag that has had a few shots of DE_SOLV_IT. Works for case crunching too...threw my lube pads out long ago..this method is waaaay faster.

[Lloyd Smale]

i do it the same way but instead of cleaning them i just toss them in the tumbler for a couple hours. I use nothing but anhydrous lanoling for sizing anymore. I havent found a thing that works better.
I use pure lanolin straight from the "NOW" brand purple tub...wipe small amount on my paws and lube all cases to be sized...size...then wipe off on clean rag that has had a few shots of DE_SOLV_IT. Works for case crunching too...threw my lube pads out long ago..this method is waaaay faster.

[eka]

I use Imperial myself. I bought a couple of tins several years ago and have barely made a dent in one. It's pretty cheap in comparison to other things in the reloading process. It lasts so long, I've never had any reason to search for a cheaper product. I just wipe my sized cases down with a paper towel when done and haven't had any issues.

As a side note, in a pinch I used Inperial for dubbing wax when tying flies. It worked and the fish didn't complain either.

[357maximum]

I use Imperial myself. I bought a couple of tins several years ago and have barely made a dent in one. It's pretty cheap in comparison to other things in the reloading process. It lasts so long, I've never had any reason to search for a cheaper product. I just wipe my sized cases down with a paper towel when done and haven't had any issues.

As a side note, in a pinch I used Inperial for dubbing wax when tying flies. It worked and the fish didn't complain either.

Did the sizing wax make the trout smaller [smilie=1: :drinks:

[454PB]

454PB---If you think that Smiling Mink is good you should try some smiling lanolin---Scroungers sheep is the place to get it--all his ewes always smiling. Well I'm not sure if smiling or outright laughing.

I'm from Montana where men are men and sheep are lying little bit##es!

[stocker]

brucedrake: Note on the Hornady Unique container the reference to use on leather. It's the same stuff as Smiling Mink in a different labeled container as far as I'm concerned. Smells the same, feels the same, works the same. I've used them interchangeably for years for sizing and leather. The Smiling Mink usually costs less here.

I also use Imperial but reserve it for case reforming as it seems to do that best with no lube dimples and least effort.

[Randy in Arizona]

The man that taught me reloading, used Crisco. It works OK, but toss it when it starts to turn rancid.

Lately I grab the Pam cooking spray when the can is almost empty, and use it.

Both work well, wipe off easily, clean off in either a wet or dry tumbler, are biodegradable, and non toxic.

Besides I already have them, that said - if I find some Imperial sizing die wax, I'll try it.


41

[EDG]

I use Imperial and rinse my cases in 90% isopropyl alcohol to remove it.