Bag Balm as case lube

[376Steyr]

After many years of use, my old tin of Imperial Sizing Die Wax was getting low, so I bought a new tin, now packaged by Redding. New tin is about half the size of the old one, so it will probably only last me five years or so.:) Got me thinking, so I got out my ten ounce can of "Vermont's Original Bag Balm". It's meant for use on dairy cow udders, and is sold at my local hardware store in the vet supply section, but it is commonly used as hand cream by humans. Ingredients are "B-hydroxy quinoline sulfate 0.3% in a petroleum lanolin base."
I smeared a very light coating on some fired .308 Winchester cases I was forming into 7-08 Remington and did some full length sizing. It worked just fine, and cleaned up okay with my usual squirt of lighter fluid and an old sock. I think it's a pretty good case lube, and furthermore my sized brass is no longer sore and chapped.8-) Anybody else use this as a case lube?

[jimkim]

I have used it for several years now. It works great. I have a tight 30-06 die that used ti eat brass, but I haven't stuck a case since I started using it.

[1hole]

"Vermont's Original Bag Balm".... Ingredients are "B-hydroxy quinoline sulfate 0.3% in a petroleum lanolin base."

Waxes and lanolin oil are great sizing lubes; V.O. Bag Balm includes both. So does Kiwi "Mink Oil" boot treatment.

[Floydster]

Dr. Myles teat dilating salve works great!,

Smokeyloads

[Guesser]

I've also used it in formulating boolit loob, as well as case loob.

[hiram1]

lighter fluid.Is known to case cancer in lab rats in California.so don't let your rats use it.

[leadhead]

I've been using bag balm for a couple years now aqnd it works great.
Good for your hands too.
Denny

[Hardcast416taylor]

Bag Balm is also used by home nurses on patients that are confined to a bed. The balm helps prevents bed sores and rashes.Robert

[BCB]

It smells terrible...

BCB

[John Boy]

Bag Balm and ... Thumb and forefinger lite rub will even provide sufficient case lube to reform the hardest-thick wall parent cases with no creases on the cases. Example - 348's to 45-75's

[Pooch]

Bag Balm is great stuff. Being one that has worked out in the elements for years, I found Bag Balm being used to heal chapped hands & split flesh a mainstay in my medicine cabinet. I've never used it for case lube but understand why it works well. Must be the lanolin. I have some Hornaday case lube in the tub and was told that it's primary ingredient is lanolin and it works very well.

[abunaitoo]

I've never seen or heard of Bag Balm before.
I've been using Kiwi Mink oil for a while.
As far as I can tell, it's the same thing as Imperial wax.

[Maven]

Take a look at this, abunaitoo: http://bagbalm.com/

[Bullwolf]

I am a big fan of Bag Balm.

http://www.bagbalm.com/

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FdukGXInL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Bag Balm is pretty much mostly Hydroxy Quinoline Sulfate, in a Petrolatum Lanolin base.

I used Bag Balm on the Ranch a for many years, but I never thought about using the little green can as a case lubricant before. Then one day I read a suggestion about doing so here on Cast Boolits. Since I already had it on hand, and used it for so many other things I decided to give it a cautious try. I found out I really liked it as a case lube, more so than anything else I had previously tried.

There are many possible uses for Bag Balm, from make up remover - to a treatment for diaper rash.

I have used Bag Balm on animals, burns, calluses, chapped lips, dogs foot pads, dry chapped skin, feet, hands, healing wounds, horses, hooves, udders, and well...most recently as a case lube.

Bag Balm does not seem to corrode cartridge brass when it's left on for extended periods of time. I have left sized brass in containers with Bag Balm residue still on the brass with no ill effects. Cartridge brass doesn't oxidize, or discolor when using Bag Balm as a lube when it's not cleaned or tumbled off the cases after.

Brass sure turned green on me quickly if I left a water based case lubricant on the brass, like the old RCBS white lube bottle and pad.

I have actually had a few die sets start to rust on both the outside, and the insides while using other alcohol, soap, or water based case lubes. Now I clean/lube my dies a bit more often, and I only use Bag Balm as a case lubricant.

I've been using it as a case lube for about 3+ years now, and I have not stuck a case with it. (yet?) Even my usual worst offenders for case sticking, or sizing effort like .223, 30 carbine, 30'06, and 44 Magnum, etc. It simply works great with all of em. It's relatively inexpensive, likely found at a convenience store near you, and the little green can will last you darn near forever.

The best part is that unlike soap based case lubricants, Bag Balm does not dry my hands out when I use it. Now my hands are actually softer, and my skin feels better after sizing a large batch of brass.



- Bullwolf

[Green Frog]

Bag Balm is udderly fantastic! :mrgreen: It's a good thing there are so many uses for it... it comes in such a big can and so little goes so far in most applications. I'm wondering about the Hydroxy Quinoline Sulfate as a bullet lube component. I guess there would be so little in it %-agewise that it wouldn't matter, though. If you've priced anhydrous lanolin lately, (or even tried to find it locally) Bag Balm looks even better. :)

Froggie