Castor Oil and boolit "swaging"

[Marlin Junky]

I've got about 15 pounds of water dropped 44-340's with .52" of bearing surface (sans GC) that I need to size from about .434-.435" to .432" which are getting harder by the hour and am wondering if lubing them with castor oil before sizing through my .432" push through would save wear and tear on my bench top and press. Assuming I can apply the Castor Oil sparingly (meaning so it doesn't collect in the lube grooves) I wouldn't need to bother removing it before the lubing and checking operations since good ol' Castor Oil is a pretty fine boolit lube ingredient.

Thanks for your opinions,
MJ

[Wingnutt]

MJ
I tried a handful of oils for bullet away and none would hold to. Once the point was reached where tension overcame oil's ability, the cb would stick. I just roll cb lube between my fingers and roll the bullet to get enough of coating which works great. You may have to pull out and relube if sizing is too hard using one stroke.......

[Marlin Junky]

I just roll cb lube between my fingers and roll the bullet to get enough of coating which works great.

Yeah, I could do that... it'll take a whole lot longer though.

How 'bout I thicken up some castor oil with lanolin to more or less the viscosity of RCBS case lube and apply it to a clean ink pad?

BTW, I don't want to use my RCBS case lube 'cause it stained a batch of cartridge cases that I left it on. I don't know what the heck is in the RCBS sizing lube... perhaps it's just water.

MJ

[btroj]

I have used many different lubes for the same purpose.

It is also quite easy to keep a few sized and lubed bullets handy, run one of them thru every 5th bullet or so. This leaves a light film of lube and it works well.

a light spritz with lanolin/alcohol works very well too.

[RobS]

I have used many different lubes for the same purpose.

It is also quite easy to keep a few sized and lubed bullets handy, run one of them thru every 5th bullet or so. This leaves a light film of lube and it works well.
a light spritz with lanolin/alcohol works very well too.

This has worked well for me as well.

[geargnasher]

Roll 'em on a case lubing pad with whatever you'd use for sizing brass as a lube.

Gear

[44man]

Roll 'em on a case lubing pad with whatever you'd use for sizing brass as a lube.

Gear
Yes. But I lube all of my boolits first. Dry boolits will lead a die.
If you lube after sizing, watch what you use because it can keep the real lube from sticking.

[geargnasher]

That's why you just roll them on a case lube pad, such as the nice one that RCBS has been selling since the invention of Neoprene. Only the bands get a very light film of lube on them, enough for sizing in a push-through but not enough to weep into the empty grooves and keep the real lube from sticking later. I take .457 boolits down to .448" for paper-patching in .45 Colt using RCBS case lube II and doing it in two stages, .452" first.

Gear

[Marlin Junky]

Gear and 44...

Yes, yes, yes and yes again for good measure.

I'm going with the Castor Oil and Lanolin mix 'cause it won't contaminate the boolit lube as I don't have the time or the patience to wipe the film of "sizing lube" from each and every boolit. I'll just thicken the Castor oil to the point where it'll soak into the ink pad but still tends to sit on top; i.e., just a tad thicker than that nasty RCBS stuff.

Thanks,
MJ

[utk]

One of the recipes for case sizing lube is castor oil and lanolin, approx 50/50 to make it firm enough for using the fingers to rub it onto the case before sizing.

[runfiverun]

50-50 works well
i use 2 parts lanolin to 1 part castor oil for swaging.
it's a great case lube too.
i make case lube with 90 sumthin % rubbing alcohol and melted lanolin at 4/5-1 and spray it on the cases.
this is a handy boolit prelube too if you let it dry.
the 2-1 takes just a light smear between the thumb and forefinger then i swipe them down the case,turn it 90* and swipe again.

[geargnasher]

Gear and 44...

Yes, yes, yes and yes again for good measure.

I'm going with the Castor Oil and Lanolin mix 'cause it won't contaminate the boolit lube as I don't have the time or the patience to wipe the film of "sizing lube" from each and every boolit. I'll just thicken the Castor oil to the point where it'll soak into the ink pad but still tends to sit on top; i.e., just a tad thicker than that nasty RCBS stuff.

Thanks,
MJ

Ok, one more: If you use a case sizing lube (lanolin and castor will work), and just put on the slightest film which is all you need to size them, you won't have to clean them before lubeing. If you use Lanolin dissolved in high-concentration rubbing (isopropyl or however the heck it's spelled, NOT denatured alcohol IOW) and let them dry before sizing your lube will stick fine afterward with no cleaning required. Tryin' to make this easy on you, bud!

Gear

[Marlin Junky]

Gear,

Thanks... job's done.

I went the Castor Oil/Lanolin route and it worked out beautifully. Good thing too, because my boolits were already at 27 BHN after only a day of "aging".

MJ

[44man]

Gear,

Thanks... job's done.

I went the Castor Oil/Lanolin route and it worked out beautifully. Good thing too, because my boolits were already at 27 BHN after only a day of "aging".

MJ
Gear hits the nail on the head again, both a good mix with lubes.

[Lead pot]

I use 1 part lanolin 3 parts caster oil for swaging bullets and forming brass. A very light coating on a lube pad like the RCBS pad. The pad should almost be dry when you roll your brass or bullet over it.
I'm pretty sure this is what Corbin uses