Care and Feeding of the Lee Classic Loader and Other Hand Reloaders

[cloakndagger]

Got to noticing that some of the components in my .38 sp Lee classic loader were showing slight surface rust the other day, so I gave them a wipe with my oil cloth. This led me to check the inside of the die body, and boy was it grungy in there..... What methods do y'all suggest as far as cleaning and preserving hand loaders, or dies and equipment in general? Oil cloth?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I bet some Hoppes and an old bronze or nylon bore brush wouldn't hurt a thing.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The brush idea is good, I would follow it with some fine steel wool. AS far as any kind of light rust on guns or anything made of steel, Fine Steel Wool is the answer.

When you see rust on your guns on the blued surfaces it won't hurt anything to use fine 000-0000 steel wool to buff the surface rust off. Bluing is nothing more than blue colored rust.

I have a book that has the recipies for virtually every bluing solution known to man. The colors range from light sky blue down to black up thru browns, and plum colors up to red!

They are all just different colored rust.

Nearly all of them use steel wool as a final finish to remove the surface oxidation and remove the high spots on the surface, and then oil to stop the rusting process.

Your reloading tools would surely benefit from this treatment.

Randy

[TNsailorman]

I clean all my dies, Lee Loaders encluded just like I clean my rifles. Hoppe's bore cleaner, dry, and lightly oil. It takes the same equipment you clean the rifle with, bronze bore brush of the appropriate size, old tooth brushes, I have several wooden dowels of different diameter cut to proper length and tapered to correct shape in a electric drill and sandpaper or file, I have even been known to soak dies overnight in a jar of Hoppe's. I do this after several uses or 1 or 2 times a year( or whenever the mood strikes). I tear down my reloading presses at least once a year for the same cleaning treatment. I may be overdoing it to some, but I like my equipment clean and I hate rust. my way anyway, james

[mdi]

I keep a gallon of my "soak" on my bench. It consists of mineral spirits, Marvel's Mystery Oil, and Kroil (about 50/40/10. Sometimes a bit more MMO.). I'll drop a tool or die in the soak for a day or two, drain and wipe (not dry, just leave a film on the surfaces). This cleans away any grease/oil/dirt and leaves a fine coat for keeping rust at bay. I also clean my guns with this soak; field strip and remove grips for my 1911s, drop gun in, soak for a while, drain, wipe, and run a patch through the bore and if needed clean the bore regularily (not often though, the soak loosens up any lead, and grease, soot, gunk are disolved). Doesn't need a lot of lube when reassembled as the light coat left on the parts provide lube. Works fo me...

[Dave Bulla]

Best care for dyes is to not let them rust in the first place but that's not always an option. Lots of us have our reloading setups in the basement and not all basements are nice and dry or fully climate controlled. My own basement seems pretty good but if things are left near the concrete floor, they will develop rust.

My preferred solution for removing light to medium rust is a solution called Evapo-rust available in most auto parts stores. Rather than explain it all here, I'll post a link to a product review I did on another forum. Bottom line is it's a nearly zero effort rust removal solution that's reasonably fast, requires no PPE like gloves or masks because it is ecologically safe, has nearly zero odor and it flat works!

Here's the link.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/hunting-gear-shooting-gear-accessories/74858-evapo-rust-review-dave-bulla.html

[goofyoldfart]

Dave---Darned good report. followed the link and read it all. that stuff seems to work!! I will definately have to get some. Thank you for the report. God Bless to all and theirs and have a happy New Year to all. (tomorrows my B-Day--Yeesh--68 years)