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Thread: My Homemade Case Lube

  1. #1
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    GRUMPA's Avatar
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    Cool My Homemade Case Lube

    Figure I would put this here since this is a case forming section. And from time to time get PM's on how it's made.

    I realize folks seem to have a variety of lubes they use for there own uses, and this is just mine that I use for everything.

    All I use is a 50/50 mix of Anhydrous Lanolin and Vaseline. I got this mixture somewhere off this site when I got my swaging dies and decided to roll my own j-words from spent brass, but that's another story.

    I wanted something that worked for me, and something that the ingredients were easy to obtain and didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

    The Anhydrous Lanolin I got from a member on the site by the name of randyrat. This Lanolin has had the moisture removed from it so don't get confused with other types of Lanolin.

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ydrous-Lanolin

    And the Vaseline can be found at your local $1 store.

    I use a small Mason jar and just melt the Lanolin while it's sitting in a pot of hot water. When it's melted to 50% by volume in the jar I'll add the Vaseline the remainder of the way. I'll keep stirring gently while the Vaseline is dissolving to keep it well mixed, and it will resemble a watery tea in appearance when done. Just let it cool down a few hours out of the hot water till it solidifies. In my climate I take no special care of the lube, I just leave the lid off and have the jar sitting on my table.

    When I use it I use it very sparingly, on that stuff a little does go a long way. I just dip my finger in it and smear it on my fingertip rather gently and put some on the base of the case and roll the case between my fingers. I always stay away from the shoulder/neck area to prevent dimples, which can and will happen.

    Removing the lube is simple for me, I use the stainless media and after about 20min it's all washed off.

    With all the conversions I do in an average month, at times 20K that mason jar will last me at least 6 months before I need to make more. I know it's a darn site cheaper to make my own and this way I'm never really out of lube. Just a Lb of the Lanolin goes a long way.

    I've tried to use the alcohol Lanolin mix, and other lubes on the market at some point in time, but the stuff I make for myself still out performs what I've used, and I've used a lot of them.

    Hope that helps some folks out....
    Last edited by GRUMPA; 12-02-2015 at 01:07 PM.
    Click to see what I'm doing and have available, this takes you to the VS (Vendor Sponsor) section of the site. Currently..25Rem,30Rem, 32Rem, 35Rem, 257Roberts, 358Win, 338Fed, 357 Herrett, 30 Herrett, 401 Winchester, 300Sav, 221 Fireball, 260Rem, 222Rem, 250 Savage, 8mm Mauser (AKA 8x57), 25-20WCF

    Annealing Services

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...php?117-Grumpa






  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Thank you for the info. I just started using imp. Wax a cuppel years ago and thought it was great so this should be real great .just sent a PM to randyrat .this is a nice bunch of fellas on this sight. Thanks agan

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy LaPoint's Avatar
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    Grumpa, I use that lube also. My reloading mentor recommended it. He has been reloading for over 65 years and said that was by far the best lube he has used.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have some 223 brass I was waiting to convert to 222. One of my winter projects. I do search a lot of Grumpa's threads for reforming advice and had already read about his lube recipe. Figured I'd get around to trying it someday. Well last nite I was bored and had read his latest thread about making this stuff and thought I'd mix some up and give it a try. I'd been using some RCBS lube I had for years. It works but not great.

    I have to admit I was utterly amazed how easy this new mix works. I sat down and did 60 cases in about an hour with only one that I won't use. I could use it but all the others turned out so nice I didn't want to keep one with creases. I know forming 222 from 223 isn't a hard change to make but this stuff works great.

    If you haven't tried it you definitely need to.

    Thanks Grumpa......Floyd

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Just sent out to randyrat for some of the fixens to mix some up myself. I have not been around but a year as a member and while as a lurker ,but I pay attention whean I see a post from Grumpa and a lot of the members hear .if I am lucky enough to learn as much as thay don't think about anymore I'll be a wise caster. Thanks to all.

  6. #6
    In Remembrance
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    Figure I would add something before I get asked or someone does something a bit different than I do.

    SPARINGLY: Ever clean a mirror super clean, no streaks, no imperfections or anything?

    Now take your finger and run it down the mirror and notice the smear that you just created. Now that's what I mean by sparingly, just put enough on the case to have it look just like that, don't over do it with the lube. Like I said a little does go a long way with that lube.

    Even if folks use it to size 1x fired 308mil brass, it doesn't take much lube.
    Last edited by GRUMPA; 12-14-2015 at 09:41 AM.
    Click to see what I'm doing and have available, this takes you to the VS (Vendor Sponsor) section of the site. Currently..25Rem,30Rem, 32Rem, 35Rem, 257Roberts, 358Win, 338Fed, 357 Herrett, 30 Herrett, 401 Winchester, 300Sav, 221 Fireball, 260Rem, 222Rem, 250 Savage, 8mm Mauser (AKA 8x57), 25-20WCF

    Annealing Services

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...php?117-Grumpa






  7. #7
    Le Loup Solitaire
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    I agree that the vaseline would add to the slippery-ness of the lube. Back in the day when I knew no better I just bought a 1 pound jar of anhydrous lanolin and have used it ever since...it has lasted forever and I still have half the jar. I suppose that I could add some vaseline, but it then would last more than forever. I wipe the cases with a rag dipped in a solvent to clean the lanolin off even though the coating is very thin. LLS

  8. #8
    Boolit Master marlinman93's Avatar
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    I like spray lube, but it gets spendy. I found a recipe for making your own on youtube, so gave it a try. Very simple, and it works great! I can make up enough to do about 8,000 cases for under $20.
    Purchased a 4 oz. bottle of liquid lanolin for $8 delivered off Fleabay. Then went to Walmart today and bought a 4 pack of Iso Heet from the automotive section for $6.84 for all 4 bottles. That's under $15 for what ends up being 52 oz. of case lube!
    I measured the bottle of lanolin, and put marks on the side of the bottle, so I can pour out 1 oz. at a time. Poured the ounce in the spray bottle, and added one 12 oz. bottle of Iso Heet. Shook it up well to mix it, and sprayed a small batch of .32-40 cases. Let them dry (happens very quickly!) and then ran them through the dies. Worked as well as any case lube I've used, and only took a few pumps of the spray bottle to give them a good coating. Labeled the bottle, and put it on the shelf. Put the other 3 bottles of IH, and lanolin aside, so I can mix it up as I run out.
    7 oz. of Hornady is about $10, so this is about 7.5 bottles. $75 of case lube for under $15

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    I been using Randyrat's lanolin mixed with 91% rubbing alcohol for several years: one heaping tbsp. of the lanolin to an 8 oz. spray bottle of warmed alcohol. Lanolin will tend to precipitate out as alcohol cools to room temp but 15-20 seconds in the microwave and it redissolves completely. (If it doesn't redissolve, you've got the mix too "rich" on the lanolin and need to up the alcohol content.)

    Bill
    "I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."

    Jimmy Buffett
    "Scarlet Begonias"

  10. #10
    Boolit Mold
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    hello everyone new member here, never made any homemade lube but i may give it a try after reading these post. Always used rcbs lube very good info here. thanks Rich.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Well this thread inspired me to order some lanolin and mix up some lube.

    It is in my opinion a match for imperial sizing wax, but you get a lot more for your dollars.

    Thank you Grumpa!

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
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    Got a pail years ago from a chemical warehouse in urban cowboy country... caint beat it for boolit lube recipes and case forming.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master


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    GRUMPA's the man, that recipe works great! especially for the heavy stuff, like new brass.

    For the everyday variety I use the Iso Heet mixed with Lanolin in a small spritzer bottle.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    No way I am wiping off lube or tumbling loaded rounds to get them clean after reloading them. Can you leave the Iso-heet and lanolin mix on the cases and shoot?

    Note: I do not reform cases. Just reloading pistol and rifle cases. Using One Shot now but looking for something less expensive.

    Thanks,
    Don

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy

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    Well I've got two tins of Imperial left (that stuff lasts forever), I'll have to try that; I've got a boatload of Anhydrous Lanolin, and probably what amounts to a lifetime supply of boolit lube made up...
    If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.

    Thomas Jefferson

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I can't help myself , at first I used the lee case lube so I got a lot of it , then the rcbs , so I got a lot of it . Tried imperial a couple cans still have it " and love it " , but I am going to mix up some with randyrats lanolin and Vaseline as grumpas post . Funny thing is I don't use much case lube . I'm trying to control myself , I mixed up a couple pound of beas wax and crisco with a little oil for bullet lube and have been trying to use it all up , before trying another lube . I don't know if I will be able to stand it. Randyrats sent me a pound of lanolin and I can't stand it I want to mix up some more lube.

  17. #17
    Boolit Bub
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    I guess I am going to have to try it.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy

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    I whipped up the 50/50 Lanolin Vaseline mix the other day. Good Stuff.
    If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.

    Thomas Jefferson

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy paul edward's Avatar
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    Has this case lube been compared to Mystic JT-6?

  20. #20
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    there are variations on the lanolin lubes but they all have one thing in common LANOLIN.
    I make case and swaging lube by mixing lanolin and castor oil 2 to 1 then add in an additional 10% on neets foot oil.
    mink oil works too.
    I started making it for just swaging then when I had to make some argie cases from 0-6 I gave it a go since it was right there.
    the trick like Grumpa say's is to use a minimal amount.
    I put 100 cases in a gallon sized zip lock bag and add a swipe on a Q-tip worth, small glob, or about 1/3 a pea sized piece.
    then just mash everything around in the baggie until it's coated.
    that's all you need.
    I have even used it to lightly coat boolits [same method as above] I shoot in some 38 special loads at target velocity's and it works there too.
    add some bees-wax and it makes pretty good lip balm or use it to keep your boots water proofed.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
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GC Gas Check