Reloading EverythingRepackboxTitan ReloadingRotoMetals2
Lee PrecisionWidenersInline FabricationMidSouth Shooters Supply
Load Data
Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 69

Thread: Case Lube Types Chapter and Verse

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Mentone, Alabama
    Posts
    1,139
    Flax soap.

    Sherwin Williams used to sell this to clean hardwood floors. I've no idea where it could be bought today. My dad picked up 9 cans of the stuff on a clearance rack years ago. I've been using one can for over 8 years now. Easy to use. Wet a wash cloth and squeeze out to damp. dip a smidge on your finger and rub into rag. Roll cases on rag and size. A little goes a long way. Have a second damp rag at hand to wipe cases clean after sizing. Leaves brass nice and clean. damp a Qtip with it to lube inside of case mouth.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
    Shooter6br's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Warminster Pa. ( North of Filthydelphia)
    Posts
    1,806
    I use a members reciepe ( Junior ) Beeswax and vegtable shorting . Either by hand of on an RCBS lube pad. Seems to be as good as Imperial sizing wax for my useages.

  3. #23
    Boolit Man
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    80
    Early in this tomb it was mentioned that Kroil was used to clean dies with. I use Kroil for a variety of reason. Great product. However, it is NOT a lubricant. It may act as one if used in a air system for powered tools, but in and by itself, it is NOT a lubricant. I was told this by an engineer that I have the utmost respect for.
    35 year NRA Life Member
    Cast Bullet Fan
    Single shot Rifle Fan
    Long term Rifle and Handloader subcriber

  4. #24
    Boolit Master


    David2011's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Baytown Texas
    Posts
    4,106
    Quote Originally Posted by Franklin Zeman View Post
    Early in this tomb it was mentioned that Kroil was used to clean dies with. I use Kroil for a variety of reason. Great product. However, it is NOT a lubricant. It may act as one if used in a air system for powered tools, but in and by itself, it is NOT a lubricant. I was told this by an engineer that I have the utmost respect for.
    A couple of years ago and for some reason that has now escaped me, I put some Kroil on a boolit that was going through my Star sizer. BIG MISTAKE! The boolit was STUCK and I had a really tough time removing it. Not only is it not a lubricant but it seemed to have cleaned the boolit lube out of the die on contact.

    David
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  5. #25
    Boolit Bub -D-'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    THE LOST HIGHWAY
    Posts
    35
    No talk of lubes for neck sizing using dies with an expander ball?

    I've been using RCBS dry lube but when I run out of that I'll be trying graphite or motor mica unless I hear about something better.

  6. #26
    Boolit Mold josleynrm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Southeastern NC
    Posts
    9
    I dry tumble my 5.56 cases to get the range boogers off and use Ballistol and denatured alcohol to lube. I mix about 2 tablespoons of Ballistol to 1 pint of alcohol, shake it up and spray it into a large plastic bowl or the bottom of a bucket with 300-500 cases and mix them around with my hands to distribute. I repeat this a few times and let the alcohol evaporate for a while. It leaves a light slick film on the cases. I have sized maybe 10,000 cases this way without sticking one...so far. Hey, Ballistol is non-carcinogenic and biodegradable. Reckon that makes my operation green!

    I intend to try lanolin too like some guys have done if I come across it for cheap.

    Robert
    Last edited by josleynrm; 12-16-2012 at 07:52 PM. Reason: Error in "non toxicity" It is non carcinogenic.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    4,612
    Some of these threads can have inadvertenly misleading posts because of the difference in force required for sizing different cases. Lubing and sizing pistol brass barely requires much lube or effort.
    I really like cases with large heavy rims (45-70 and similar) to prevent stuck cases. However these large rims can pull the top off of a standard shell holder. RCBS made some 1" diameter shell holders that work great for 45-70, 43 Spanish and 50-70.
    For heavy forming work I have used the various mineral oils and the Imperial Lube and managed to get by. One of the worst sizing projects I have worked on was a large lot of nickel 6mm Rem brass that was fired in a rifle with a generous chamber. It seemed that I was on the knife edge between sticking cases and creating lube dents while sizing the first few. I finally tried some Mystik JT6 chassis grease. This is a common water proof chassis lube used on autos and heavy equipment. It is about $2 for a tube that fits a standard grease gun. I use this grease on my 4X4 because it supposed to resist mositure so it was just what I had on hand. While kind of messy for normal use, it worked great for this heavy duty application. When the press handle is pulled back from the over center position, the friction is so low between the die and case that the ram is actually pushed back by the case. The cases will actually try to push themselves back out of the die if they have any taper.
    This grease is cheap and works great. I am sure there are similar greases that will work too.
    The only draw back is cleaning the cases. The grease is very persistent and tends to be solvent proof.
    The best way to remove it is to wipe off all you can and rinse the cases in 99% isoproply alcohol.
    EDG

  8. #28
    Boolit Bub march41's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Eastern PA
    Posts
    37
    KISS use rcbs pad and lube,wipe in a few drops and roll rife cases (5) across afew times and resize.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy o6Patient's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    N.H.
    Posts
    384
    The lanolin/alcohol mix seems to make the most sense to me for a replacement lube. I have had good luck with
    the commercial stuff form either rcbs or lyman over the years..the water soluble stuff like the rcbs lube 2
    always seems cleaner to work with than the home made lubes. (mho

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    New York, the empire State
    Posts
    1,595
    I have been Loading for a very long Time. I;v been using 2 products exclusively . For case forming and general sizing (50 cases or under) "PANEF'S white stick sillicon lube. Works great on all loading equipment , Die threads ,rams, press arms ,etc
    For quantity , an old time product called WHITS PROTECTION OIL . This is an solvent based product that air dries and turns to a wax film. Great as an anti rust for gun as well . Wipe off , but I tumble it on and off . This is no longer may . The same product was sold under another name for gun products called "ANTI-RUST "
    Never had stuck case
    NRA Endowment Member
    International Ammunition Association
    New York, the Empire State Where Empires were Won and Lost

  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Northwest Ohio
    Posts
    14,455
    I have used the Imperial sizing lube for years a tin lasts forever. When lubing large quantities of case I put them on a dedicated bath towel with a few fingers full of lube. Grab the corners of the towel each end in each hand pick up and rotate cases by lifting lowering end of towel. a couple thousand 308 cases can be sized in just a few minutes. By dedicating a towel to this as the towel becomes impregnated less lube is needed for each batch. This has worked for me for many years. I have lubed .243 .223 .308 using this method. Its fast easy and efficent. I bought a couple large tins of Imperial wax years ago on commercial row at Camp Perry and am still using from the last one.

  12. #32
    Beekeeper
    Guest
    In the early 50's I bought a tube of RCBS case lube and used some on an ink pad.
    Worked great.
    My Dad looked at it and said STP to which I said RCBS and he laughed.
    Told me it was STP .
    When I needed more I bought STP and have never used anything else since.
    I use it when sizing and for case forming.
    Since the 50's I have only lost 2 cases.
    One a 577/450 and the other a 43 Mauser.
    I wipe it on the neck and shoulder with my fingers when resizing and roll the case on the pad when forming.


    beekeeper

  13. #33
    Boolit Buddy
    Ozarklongshot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    NW Arkansas
    Posts
    193
    For the most part I'm a big fan of imperial, but years ago, loading large volumes of 5.56 another volume loader showed me this. Dump up to 500 tumbled cases in a brown paper bag and spray "pam" non-stick cooking spray liberally into the bag, roll the top down a bit and shake it up good. Never had a stuck case and seems to have no ill effect on loaded rounds.
    Compromise is giving up something you are unwilling to fight for! ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ www.concealedcarryofarkansas.com

  14. #34
    Boolit Master Bayou52's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    SE Louisiana
    Posts
    927
    I find, in my experience especially with large rifle cases, that imperial does a great job. But so does Hornady Unique case lube that comes comes in a little tub, and at a much cheaper cost.

    Bayou52
    Bayou52
    NRA Life Member
    "Keep Calm and Reload"

  15. #35
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    45
    This is an old thread, but if anybody sees this, I've had excellent luck with regular 3in1 oil on an RCBS case lube pad. It doesn't take much, I just used it to lube over 1000 .223 cases, and I only "dosed" the pad once with 25 or so drops of oil. Not one stuck case in the lot, and I generally only lube every other case. The cases end up with a VERY thin film of oil on them which I find rather pleasant. It's inexpensive, I always have the oil around, and it works!

  16. #36
    Boolit Master



    w5pv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Orange,TX
    Posts
    2,672
    I haven't used STP in years but it is good ,I tried the VO5,some pure soaps.lanolin and few other products and then Marvel Mystery Oil and have been using it on all of my rifle dies.Just a small amount between thumb and fore finger.Seems to have less drag than the others I have tried

  17. #37
    Boolit Man ridurall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    SW Oklahoma
    Posts
    76
    I've used just about every kind of lube on the market and ran into a problem with trying to run some 50 BMG API surplus pulled bullets through a Lee .510 sizer die. I almost screwed up my RCBS Rockchucker press because I had to pound on it to get the bullets through. In the process I went to H&H guns in OKC to see what they had. They steered me towards the Imperial Sizing Wax and wow I discovered it's the slickest stuff I've ever been around. I couldn't even hold on to the bullets before running them through the die. Great stuff and I also used it to lube parts on my AR-15 and AR-10. I like the way it stays put and especially like using it on my AR triggers.
    Life member NRA since 1983

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imag...113199d940.png

    "I'll cling to my God and my guns, and you can keep the "Change".

  18. #38
    Boolit Buddy enfieldphile's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    441
    I think I'm the one who first discovered GB Wire Pulling Lube as a case lube.

    It was around 1994. I was in an Ace Hardware, walking down an idle and smelled Lee case lube!

    I looked up to see a quart container of GB. I put some from the container on a paper napkin I had in my pocket. I walked out to my vehicle and lubed a .308 case. Back @ home, the case resized like it had Lee lube.

    A Q-Tip wet w/ GB is great for inside the case neck. It seems to reduce safe neck stretch.

    I first wrote it up on the 'net in about 2000 on the old shooterstalk.com site. I still use GB!

  19. #39
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Northwestern Wyoming
    Posts
    185
    Well I've been loading metallics since 1959 or so.. I have only stuck one case in that whole time. luckily. And hopefully it is the last. I have bought many sets of dies with stuck cases in 'em..usually at porn..I mean pawn shops etc. I do reloading stuff at some local gun shows and always take a stuck case remover with me. Put up a little sign..stuck cases removed 5 bucks. It takes a whole 5 minutes to do..Most I ever did was 17 in one day..then sold the stuck case remover.. Almost every one was stuck with NO lube on 'em at all.. I have even had a few that were brought to me where the die was completely ruined..For my rifle ammo I use Imperial Sizing Die wax. For my 223 I use Dillon spray on..or in a pinch Hornady spray. I also use them when doing the pistol stuff in my Dillon Super 1050's. They have carbide dies of course but.. Makes it so much easier to load with..but ya gotta wait till they dry.

  20. #40
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    7
    i like the bag balm idea. so much that in the middle of reading the thread i jumped up ran to the loading bench lubed 5 30-06 cases and ran them threw. worked like a dream.
    i have found the 'new' case lube.

Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check