Whats a cheap lube to use with Lee sizers?

[sheepdog]

Did my first sizings the other day, just used 3 in 1 oil with mixed results.

[carpetman]

Sheepdog-- We are talking cases here and not bullets I'm guessing. If so, I use GB Wire Aide which can be bought at places like Lowes in the electrical section. I'm told it's same stuff as Lee sizing lube except buying it as wire pulling lube it's much cheaper---a qt is about what you pay for I think 4 oz. I put it on my hands and as I handle the cases they get lubed. This is for straight walled cases. Dale53 dilutes it with alcohol and submerges bottleneck cases and lets them dry overnight that eliminates the expander ball scronch. I haven't tried that yet but if Dale says it works--IT WORKS. I tumble mine after sizing and it removes the lube. Be much easier to remove than the 3 in one and probably much cheaper.

[Bullshop]

The best lube to use for sizing in a Lee die is the lube you will use to lube the boolits for shooting. Using oils or something other such as molly or graphite may cause the boolit lube to not stick to the boolits so cause problems when lubbing and the lube to come off easily in handling, loading ect..
One method I use when pre sizing boolits that are not yet lubbed is to place a small amount of boolit lube on the top of the push through punch. Just a small bit about the size of a match head. When the next boolit is pushed through the lube will be pushed out to the sides of the punch so it will put just a touch of lube in the die for the next several boolits. With each application to the punch you are good for about 20 boolits.
The way I apply the lube quickly and easily is to smear some lube on a paper plate and when the die needs more lube just drag the base of a boolit through the lube and go.
You will feel the differance between a lubbed die and a dry die right away and develope a feel for when its needed. Simple easy and fast and will not interfear with lube staying on the boolit since it is the same lube.
Blessings
BIC/BS
BIC/BS

[405]

Are you talking case or bullet push thru? For Lee push thru bullet sizing I just roll the bullets on my case sizing lube pad. The pad has a light amount of whatever case sizing lube I have had since I started reloading.... 40 some odd years ago. I think one little 2 oz bottle of the stuff has lasted most of that 40 years... I must have 3-4 bottles of the stuff accumulated thru trades... whatever over the years.

Almost ANY lube suitable for case sizing will work fine for bullet push thru sizing- lanolin, STP, motor oil, vaseline,mineral oil, Imperial Die Sizing wax, ATF, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Some here use sprayed on dish soap. I know that STP works but is messy
Since I pan lube 90% of my CBs I have no issues with the oil type sizing lube residue keeping the bullet lube from sticking to the bullet.

[Bullshop]

OOPS ! I thought we were talking boolits. I will leave up the post as it may help someone in that reguard
BIC/BS

[sheepdog]

Sheepdog-- We are talking cases here and not bullets I'm guessing.

Negative. Lee sizers ie bullet sizing.

[Dale53]

Carpetman;
I dilute Lee's case lube with WATER (not alcohol) 10/1 water/Lee's lube for case sizing. Deprime first, then dip in the diluted lube, shake excess off and roll out on newspaper to dry overnight. This lubes the case inside and out with a water soluble wax. After it dries it is inert and will NOT damage powder. It works beautifully for both pistol and rifle cases (I don't lube pistol cases that carbide sizers are available for). It, as you say, totally eliminates expander "scrunch" prevents pulling the case necks out when you drag the expander ball through the case necks and you can do large batches, fast!

Thanks for the kind words, Carpetman.

Dale53

[Ricochet]

Murphy's Oil Soap works great when I need to lube them and rinse them off for oven treating.

[Shiloh]

I would think that oil would prevent lube from adhering to th boolit. Not to mention th possibility of contaminating the powder charge.

SHiloh

[mdi]

I use Mink Oil Boot Dressing. Less than $4.00 at Walgreen's for enought to last thousands of cases. When I set gaschecks and/or size in my Lee boolit sizing die I still use Mink Oil most of the time; it's easy and not real messy, jus roll rge case or boolit between my fingers after I drag them across the Mink Oil tin. ( you didn't say and most pistol sizing is done with carbide dies???). Need more info; caliber, bullet or brass, type of die, etc...

[markinalpine]

Negative. Lee sizers ie bullet sizing.

...I go with the GB wire pulling lube (same thing as the Lee Case Sizing Lube)mentioned above by Carpetman and Dale53. It is a wax based product, and so little remains on the boolits I have had no problems with lubing the boolits properly afterward. I dump the boolits in a plastic tub, squirt in the GB, and swirl away.

Mark

[Ricochet]

I would think that oil would prevent lube from adhering to th boolit. Not to mention th possibility of contaminating the powder charge.

If that was in reply to the Murphy's Oil Soap, that stuff doesn't have any oil in it, as far as I can tell. It's a water-alcohol solution of soft potassium soap made from vegetable oil. It dries and leaves surfaces just a little sticky if you don't rinse it off. Wouldn't contaminate anything. I use it when I want to lube, rinse off, heat treat and then lube. Someone else recently mentioned using it to size, leaving it on, then lubing with the main lube. And StarMetal Joe mixes it with beeswax for a blackpowder boolit lube.

[Shooter6br]

A little STP oil treatment works for caselube

[Dale53]

I pan lube all of my large BPCR bullets (for 40/65, 45/70, and 45/90). I pan lube them as cast then run them through my Lee Sizers. When you pan lube, the grease grooves are FULL and you do NOT have to re-lube them to shoot. I use a Modified Emmert's lube for pan lubing. It pan lubes beautifully and does and EXCELLENT job on the range (great accuracy and no leading whatsoever).

Dale53

[Edubya]

Cheap? how about toe jam?
EW

[Edubya]

Apology, I just couldn't pass up a funny (stupid) thought.

[sheepdog]

So sounds like anything is fine as long as I consider it might rust my die (ie needs to be cleaned after use).

[Char-Gar]

99% of my bullets don't need lube to be sized in a top of the press push through sizer. If the sizer is new I might use a little Breakfree or bullet lube on the first two or three.

It needs to be said, I use an old all steel RCBS A2 press to hold the dies and it has great leverage and strength. Might be a different story with some other pot metal presses.

[Ricochet]

It's not simply a matter of applying enough force to push them through. A stuck boolit will deform under the pressure. The part that hasn't yet entered the die will bulge, and then be sized back down. I've pushed them on through and found the lube grooves completely obliterated and gas checks bulged, swaged back down with fins on the back. I've also cracked the top of my loading bench pushing hard on the press handle. A little lube saves a lot of trouble.

[StarMetal]

It's not simply a matter of applying enough force to push them through. A stuck boolit will deform under the pressure. The part that hasn't yet entered the die will bulge, and then be sized back down. I've pushed them on through and found the lube grooves completely obliterated and gas checks bulged, swaged back down with fins on the back. I've also cracked the top of my loading bench pushing hard on the press handle. A little lube saves a lot of trouble.

Excellent point John.

Joe