Case lube problems

[parrott1969]

Yesterday I mixed up some of the lanolin case lube and had some strange problems occur. After mixing at a ratio of 2.5 fl oz to 20 oz of 99% isopropol alcohol it seemed to percipitate a white fatty looking substance. I decided to strain it with a coffee filter. This yeilded a clear solution and a filter full of crud.Well about a hour later it started to percipitate again. This time it was more of a milky looking substance.

Any ideas as to what is happening? The lanolin came from Randyrat so the quality is of the lanolin is not in question. :brokenima

[Calamity Jake]

It's just impuraties in the lanolin, I don't worry about it and It doesn't hurt anything.

I mix mine a little thinner, 1tb lanolin to 1 cup alcohol, both are heated then poured together.

When using the lube I shake it up first.

[BABore]

You used 99% iso-alcohol. That 1% missing is water which doesn't play well with anhydrous lanolin. The lower the alcohol content, the more haze and settling you will get. You can still use it, but will need to shake it up before each use. Next time use Iso-Heet gas tank dryer. It's 100% isopropanol alcohol and the lanolin will stay in solution.

[44man]

I have brass that will stick in the die with normal case lube. I use lanolin to cure it but I do not mix it. I use it straight. Why do you need alcohol?

[parrott1969]

I have been using 99% alcohol for years and have never had a problem before. So I so not think its in the alcohol, but it could be. It has on effect on the mix, just have give it a shake to keep sediment from clogging the nozzle. Not a big deal. 44man, by mixing with alcohol you are making a spray on lube. It works very well.

[44man]

I have been using 99% alcohol for years and have never had a problem before. So I so not think its in the alcohol, but it could be. It has on effect on the mix, just have give it a shake to keep sediment from clogging the nozzle. Not a big deal. 44man, by mixing with alcohol you are making a spray on lube. It works very well.
Fingers also work fine! :drinks: All I can say is lanolin is fantastic.

[BABore]

If you like smelling like a sheep's ****. :holysheep

Must be a popular cologne in West Virginia. [smilie=w:[smilie=1:

Bet you have the softest nostrils and ears in the county. :bigsmyl2::kidding:

[John Boy]

Parrott, gonna slide of topic a tad about case lubes:
I resize and reform cases is many calibers. I was a user of 99% isopropanol and lanolin for many years until I tried Bag Balm. It is primarily lanolin and is viscous. A swipe with a finger in the can and a fast invisible wipe on the case is all that is needed. I won't use anything else anymore for a case lube
http://www.bagbalm.com/ ... Drug stores stock it

[XWrench3]

bag balm?! i like the sounds of that. i have some in the cuboard. i will have to give it a try. thanks for the tip. you just never know what you are going to run across here!

[303Guy]

Lanolin is better than STP? Now STP is good ....

[Lizard333]

Dillon case lube works for me. I dump a bunch of brass in a plastic bin and after a few minutes after a couple of sprays works great!

[parrott1969]

Lizzard, the only difference is that you pay $8.50 plus shipping for an 8 oz bottle. I can make 24 oz for the same money after paying shipping and buying a new bottle. Think penny pincher.

[44man]

If you like smelling like a sheep's ****. :holysheep

Must be a popular cologne in West Virginia. [smilie=w:[smilie=1:

Bet you have the softest nostrils and ears in the county. :bigsmyl2::kidding:
OOOOH, your going to get it! :bigsmyl2:
I do avoid scratching my butt! [smilie=p:

[Dale53]

A lot of newbies that may be watching and ones that I have personally talked with have just a bit of trouble understanding what is needed in a case lube. Some think any old oil should work well. Then, they wonder why they stuck a case in the die when full length sizing.

The answer of course, is whatever case lube you use DEMANDS "film strength". Straight lanolin was THE recommended product by the NRA and others for many, many years. Lanolin was used as a "drawing" lubricant when making cases, etc, for many, many years simply due to it's "film strength" properties. It is also easy to remove from cases with a damp cloth.

STP has even greater film strength, if possible, and has the advantages of availability (any auto parts store) and low cost. The downside is that it really needs a solvent coated rag to remove from the cases after sizing. Failure to remove it greatly increases bolt thrust in high intensity calibers (think full house jacketed bullet loads in high power rifles) due again, to it's tenacity and film strength.

Do NOT try to use light oils for sizing. It will definitely lead to a stuck case when "all of the planets go out of alighnment". Then, if you don't have a case remover, your die is out of business until you rig one up. Many a full length die has been ruined by someone trying to remove a stuck cases (the night before an expensive big game hunt, etc).

I suggest if you are going to make your own spray case lube with lanolin, to use denatured alcohol instead of rubbing alcohol. You might like the results better.

Frankly, in recent years I have used commercial products as well as STP with excellent results. I save dirty tumbling media in a separate container. When I want to remove case lube in a batch of ammo (several hundred rounds at a time) I simply put the dirty case media in my vibratory tumbler (large Dillon) with a couple of caps full of odorless mineral spirits and tumble for NO LONGER than fifteen minutes. ALL manufacturers of loaded ammo briefly tumble their ammunition after loading. If you limit the time of tumbling to fifteen minutes, it will give you completely clean "purty" loaded rounds with NO danger of damaging the powder from that brief time in the tumbler. I also remove the loaded rounds as soon as they are finished (to eliminate the remote possibility that the solvent fumes might damage the primers from extended exposure).

Note: I use the finger method of application with one of the better case lubes. It only takes a smidgen, but it DOES require a good lube for best results. I find that I am faster and apply lube in exactly the amount that I prefer as opposed to using other methods such as an ink pad, etc (when doing a small number of cases in a session).

However, when I was competing in big bore competition and needed large quantities of sized cases, I used another lube and another method entirely. Ed Harris published this tip. Use Lee case lube (in the tube) and mix it with water. I discovered a .50 caliber machine gun ammo box would fit a particular french fry basket I found at a flea market. I would mix up enough case lube solution to about half fill the box. Shake the box, put the decapped CLEAN cases in the basket, lower into the solution. Then pull out of the solution, shake off the excess and spread out on newspapers and let dry overnight. Your cases are now lubed inside and out with a film of WAX. You get easy sizing, absolutely NO expansion plug drag, and the wax is inert (will NOT damage your powder). It is easily removed with a damp cloth or by tumbling. When doing volume, nothing beats this. I could do a thousand at a time (in basket size batches) in no time. You DO have to manage your time to allow over night drying but that is easy. You DO have to shake the can to put the wax back into solution just before use.

As I remember, the ratio of water to wax was about 10-1 by volume (ounces to ounces) and it took several tubes to make up the solution. However, the solution can be stored in the ammo can nearly FOREVER without a problem. The cost is low over time and MAN is it fast and effective.

FWIW
Dale53

[44man]

Great Dale.
I am sure RCBS case lube is plain old STP. Works great for cylinder pin lube too. EXPENSIVE over a can of STP that lasts for years.

[GabbyM]

You can buy 100% alcohol at any paint store. Right next to it will be acetone for one of the ingredients in Ed's Red bore cleaner.