How to Remove Lube from Sizing Dies?

[Bill Vernon]

I have a number of sizing dies that a covered with cold and hot lube. Wondering anyone has a quick way to remove the lube. I melt it off nos, but it is difficult and takes a lot of time. Thanks[smilie=b:

[dilly]

You could just boil the dies all in one batch.

[billyb]

a soak in mineral sprits

[mattw]

I hold them with pliers in front of the shop heater, lube gone in 45 seconds flat. If they are not the type with an o-ring, I do it with a propane torch.

[Nueces]

Put 'em in the freezer to make the lube brittle. Take 'em out and put 'em in your little brother's armpit. The hollerin' will shatter the lube. :mrgreen:

[pworley1]

Ed's Red

[retread]

The best solvent I have found for lube is WD-40. Really cleans the stuff off quick.

[Dusty1234]

I had to clean my dies a few days ago, I put them in some diesel fuel. That did the trick for me.

[Vulcan Bob]

I used a hair dryer to melt the lube out of a lubrisizer cant see why that wouldn't work here.

[Bill Vernon]

Thanks, everyone for some good ideas! Bill

[theperfessor]

Hi Bill - Welcome to the forum.

If I can't get the ejector pin out (the "I" part) I throw the die into a bucket of kerosene and let it soak for a few days. (I have used a hydraulic press sometimes to speed up the process!) Use a toothpick to poke out the dried schmutz in the lube holes. A brass toothbrush and a brass borebrush for the outside and inside, sometime a little steel wool helps.

Stay away from abrasives unless you WANT to change the size and/or surface finish.

[1Shirt]

I have boiled out dies for many years because it works well for me.
1Shirt!

[DeadWoodDan]

ok, this may be a rookie question but why would you want to remove the lube? should be good to go for next use..

[EdS]

I place the die(s) in a clean, empty soup and cover them in water. Place the soup can in a pot and add water to match the height of the water in the soup can. Place on stove and bring pot to a low boil. Heat will transfer to the water in the soup can, melting the old lube. Remove die(s), dry and oil. Discard water in the soup can, and the can. Wife remains happy that her pot was not "soiled". Works for me! -Ed

[rodsvet]

I just use pliers and a cheap Harbor Freight heat gun. Just be careful and you won't even damage the O ring. Takes 1 minute, then wipe off die and put away.

[Bill Vernon]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm going to try a few different ideas. I have about 60 dies that need to have the lube removed. I'll post my findings on here. Thanks again! Bill

[Garyshome]

Auto Brake cleaner

[WALLNUTT]

Boil em outside in some kind of old pot or bucket.

[zuke]

Freeze,tap to chip off lube then place into solvent

[downwind]

Put 'em in the freezer to make the lube brittle. Take 'em out and put 'em in your little brother's armpit. The hollerin' will shatter the lube. :mrgreen:

As someone with two brothers, I totally get it!! That's funny

[Mark Daiute]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm going to try a few different ideas. I have about 60 dies that need to have the lube removed. I'll post my findings on here. Thanks again! Bill

60 dies!! howinhell does someone come up with 60 dies? Do I smell a sale in the near future?

[rbt50]

boiling water works the best

[bruce drake]

Someone asked why a person would want to clean a sizing die from the old lube. There are several possible reasons.

a. For possible sale
b. For a gift to someone
c: You just want to get them clean
d: You want to change lube recipes.

I usually clean them up just to keep them neat in the storage boxes when I don't have them in the sizer.

Bruce

[FLHTC]

ok, this may be a rookie question but why would you want to remove the lube? should be good to go for next use..

some lubes require no heat and others up to 150°. The holes become clogged from hard lubes. I boil mine

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Boil in a cheap Harbor Freight stainless steel pot. Works for me and is easy. Use extremely hot water, dry off afterwards and oil up. You're done.

[1bluehorse]

The best solvent I have found for lube is WD-40. Really cleans the stuff off quick.

this is exactly the way I do it also.....spray with wd40, wipe off with a rag...easy, quick...

[dragonrider]

Someone asked why a person would want to clean a sizing die from the old lube. There are several possible reasons.

a. For possible sale
b. For a gift to someone
c: You just want to get them clean
d: You want to change lube recipes.

I usually clean them up just to keep them neat in the storage boxes when I don't have them in the sizer.

Bruce

For A, B, & D, I agree, but for C there is no way I would clean my size dies just because I think they should be clean between uses. That is just a waste of lube.

[MtGun44]

My first thought is - Why? It protects the die and keeps the pin from getting lost.

I guess if polishing it out to a larger diam, but otherwise - leave it alone.

I store mine in a plastic ammo box sized for 12 guage. Holds 25 in one box and
keeps them clean even though covered in lube.

Bill

[Savage99]

as dilly says, boil in water, wax floats to the top and you have spiffy clean dies. Let dry and you
are ready to go. for me it is the easiest for any of my tools that have wax in/on them.

[Savage99]

hey theperfessor
I have found that boiling in water works very well on my 45 and Saeco. From time to time, I take them down and
boil it in an old turkey pan then dry. Try it, you will find it is easier than the kerosene. By the way I
use a coleman stove outside on one of my benches. Just my preference.

[theperfessor]

No doubt that using boiling water is a viable way to clean most dies most of the time. It works best when the lube is still a liquid or gel. Really old dies with dried on lube take a little longer. I don't have a camp stove, but I do have a wash tank full of K1 in the shop. I just throw anything that needs cleaning in there and give it a little time and all is well.

Different strokes, etc...

[Doggonekid]

I just use Rem oil and a rag does a great job. A tooth pick is a good idea for the holes. Let us know what works best for you. Cleaning 60 dies you will have cleaned more than I have in a life time. I might just change my process to yours.

[squid1230]

I plunk the die in a pill bottle filled with wax remover from a pottery supply place. I go have lunch and come back in an hour and the wax is all removed and sitting in clumps at the bottom of the bottle. I slowly pour the wax remover back into it's container and then dump the wax blobs in the garbage. The die is squeeky clean with no effort or heat.

[oldfart1956]

As has been mentioned...mineral spirits. And just to show ya how cheap I am I let the mineral spirits set for a day after taking the dies out and all the "stuff" settles to the bottom and I pour it back in the jug. I've been using this gallon for about a year now. :) Audie...the frugal Oldfart..

[257]

I just hold them in a pan of boiling water works well for me have also taken apart old 450's to clean up and boiled the part's

[Bill Vernon]

I want to thank most everbody for their ideas. A couple just had to reply without any help. My dad said there is always someone, who just has to talk to hear their head rattle! Diesel fuel worked best. Thanks again! Bill

[SSGOldfart]

I have a number of sizing dies that a covered with cold and hot lube. Wondering anyone has a quick way to remove the lube. I melt it off nos, but it is difficult and takes a lot of time. Thanks[smilie=b:
I just set them in a double boiler and let the old lube melt out them. takes just a few minutes each. they got to hot to touch but not too hot for the o-ring to melt.

[rbt50]

hot water works the best.