Idea For Case Lubrication

[Saint]

I have been kicking around this idea for a while and i am curious if anyone else has tried it. I hate lubing cases before sizing because i never know if its too much or too little. Has anyone ever tried impregnating their tumbling media with a lubricant. If so what type of lube and media did you use and what were your results?

[Bwana]

Well, you will end up with cases coated with tumbling media. So, no I have not done this.

[Saint]

I would think that with the right lube and right media it would not stick. So maybe a heavier media with a light weight lube.

[edler7]

I don't think I would want lube of any kind inside the case due to powder contamination possibilities.

What kind of lube are you using ? There seems to be quite a bit of room between getting a case stuck in the die and getting lube dents on the shoulder of the case...it shouldn't be that big of a problem.

Imperial sizing wax is the best stuff I've found for bottle neck cases.

[Saint]

I always tumble after sizing anyway so that should get the lube out of the inside of the case. I usually lube with a spray on mix of castor oil and alcohol mixed 1:8 and it works fine but its a bit messy. I know there are other options but this is fast and insanely cheap. Any spray on lube would get inside the case as well though.

[canyon-ghost]

You'll think I'm crazy but, I asked Ed Harris what they used in the depression era for case lube. I got real tired of reordering it, year after year.
He suggested Alberto VO5 hairdressing gel, and it works! It outperforms more case lubes than you'd think. I use a little smear on a lube pad, just roll the mouth of the case in it very lightly. It takes an extremely small amount due to the fact it contains lanolin.

Very slick stuff and it's available in a lot of stores.

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx228/3rdshooter/contenders/22Hornetcases005.jpg

[Bullet Caster]

Wow. I learn something new here daily. BC

[Saint]

You'll think I'm crazy but, I asked Ed Harris what they used in the depression era for case lube. I got real tired of reordering it, year after year.
He suggested Alberto VO5 hairdressing gel, and it works! It outperforms more case lubes than you'd think. I use a little smear on a lube pad, just roll the mouth of the case in it very lightly. It takes an extremely small amount due to the fact it contains lanolin.

Very slick stuff and it's available in a lot of stores.]

Do I have to lather rinse and repeat?

[LaPoint]

My reloading & shooting mentor, who has been reloading for over 65 yrs, told me to use a 50/50 mixture of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and anhydrous lanolin. It works great. I made a 1/2 cup batch and it lasted me for many years. My local pharmacist had to order the anhydrous lanolin.

[Huntducks]

You need to try the lube in the mix then post up how long it took to wipe the media off your cases.

Some of you make me:veryconfu you will spend a dollar to save a nickel.

I shoot about 4000 rifle rds a year bottle neck cases a tin of imperial sizing lube will last me several years at a wopping $5.95.

All my straight walled cases are done with a carbide sizer.

So lets see i'll spend the time mixing this potion together and i'll bet it proably cost more then the Imperial[smilie=s: by the time your done.

[stubshaft]

+1 - On the Imperial Sizing Wax, I can feel when I need to take another swipe of it with my fingers.

[Saint]

I prefer to use spray on lubes as I find it much faster than lubing each individual case. Imperial wax may be cheap but one tin goes much further than a can of spray on lube. I can use nearly an entire can of spray in one good reloading session. This can add up really fast. I can mix up a bottle that is about 5 times larger than the commercial cans for about half the cost. There are a few reasons I am thinking about using the tumbler to lube the cases. First I have an extra bowl already so I can do it without gumming up my own bowl. Also If it works I should be able to use the same media repeatedly and just refresh the lubricant. I would imagine that the right type of media would not stick to the cases and if I did it right I think I may be able to get just the right amount of lubricant on the case. I have even considered looking at the possibility of a powdered lubricant of some sort which would eliminate the sticking all together but I am not sure if that would be cost effective.

[DLCTEX]

Steel BBs? that would spread the lube without sticking to the cases. You could probably just swirl them in a bowl as in lubing boolits with LLA.

[Doc_Stihl]

An entire can of spray in a loading session!?!?

What kind of spray are you using?

I've done 1k 223 and 1k 308 recently on a new can of one shot and I can't tell the difference between that one and a full one.

[Saint]

You are right. I should be fair in saying that it only happened once when I was given what looked like a 50 cal ammo can full to the top with .223 cases. Hornady spray lube btw.

[hk33ka1]

For my rifle loading I found the spray on lubes I tried to be kinda crappy.

I did like the RCBS Case Lube 2 on a pad, Imperial Sizing die Wax from Redding, and Amsoil motor oil.

Most of the time I use Imperial Sizing Wax.

If doing a few I lube size and wipe off. If doing a lot I tumble again after sizing to remove lube.

I would think mixing stuff with the tumbler media might cause it to bunch up in the cases. This happened once with old media and too much Flitz.

[canyon-ghost]

50/50 mixture of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and anhydrous lanolin. It works great.

That VO5 is petroleum jelly, lanolin, and parfum (the smell purty) @ $3.79 a tube that lasts a very long time.

I doubt you need to rinse, lather and repeat!

RCBS pump spray was kinda sticky to me, and the Hornady One Shot was wonderful stuff. One Shot was pretty costly and reordering it every few months was like a vicious circle. Now, I just buy a tube of VO5 at a small grocery store and call myself lucky.

[Sonnypie]

If you neck size, you won't have to lube.
Unless you need to FL resize.

I've always just used a pad and rolled for FL sizing.

[DCM]

I have gone to using the homade version of Dillon case lube. $1 spray bottle, anhydrous lanolin from the health nut store and alcohol 10:1 by volume. works great.

[DukeInFlorida]

I buy the anhydrous lanolin from our own Randy Rat, and mix with 99% isopropyl alcohol (also know as gas line anti-freeze, cheap at your local auto parts discount store. Read the label to confirm the contents) in the same 1 part lanolin to 10 parts alcohol ratio, and spray with a $1 store spray bottle. Allow to air dry before sizing, otherwise the alcohol will hydraulically ruin the cases, and you risk getting brass stuck in the die.

If I'm doing lots and lots of brass, I will lay out the brass inside of one of those white trash can liner bags, single layer, on the bench, and spray inside the bag, covering the brass. Close the end of the bag, and give it a tumble to spread the lube, and then open the bag, and allow to air dry. I use a small fan to speed up the evaporation of the alcohol.

Fast, and CHEAP!

Randy Rat has a great price on lanolin:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=96820

[dauntlessdave]

I buy the anhydrous lanolin from our own Randy Rat, and mix with 99% isopropyl alcohol (also know as gas line anti-freeze, cheap at your local auto parts discount store. Read the label to confirm the contents) in the same 1 part lanolin to 10 parts alcohol ratio, and spray with a $1 store spray bottle. Allow to air dry before sizing, otherwise the alcohol will hydraulically ruin the cases, and you risk getting brass stuck in the die.

If I'm doing lots and lots of brass, I will lay out the brass inside of one of those white trash can liner bags, single layer, on the bench, and spray inside the bag, covering the brass. Close the end of the bag, and give it a tumble to spread the lube, and then open the bag, and allow to air dry. I use a small fan to speed up the evaporation of the alcohol.

Fast, and CHEAP!

Randy Rat has a great price on lanolin:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=96820


........and get a litte buzz doing it!!!! An added benefit.