Cleaning Sizer Dies when taking them out

[DonMountain]

Do most of you clean off your sizer dies when you take them out of your sizer and put them away so you can see the numbers on them? Or do you just put them back in the box and worry about it when you want to find the right one again? I was doing some painting using polyurethane and cleaning my brush with plain old cheap paint thinner. I was looking for a particular sizer die which had been put away with lube all over it concealing the size numbers on it. So I soaked a small rag in the paint thinner and discovered that it cleaned the old lube off the die real fast. I am going to wipe off all of my dies from now on. :mrgreen:

[Yodogsandman]

I see no problems from cleaning them each time they're used. That said, I don't bother because I'll probably use the same lube the next time. I do wipe them off sometimes to see the numbers. I place the sizer dies in small zip lock bags with the size number written on the bag for identification and to keep them clean. Then they're put away in an old, divided, small parts storage box with the slide out trays that are marked with the size, too.

[Ed_Shot]

I have one sizer, a Lyman 450, and I envy every body her who has 5 sizers and 7 presses etc. I'm forever changing sizing dies and I keep the dies in plastic prescription pill bottles with the size written on the top with a sharpie. I never clean my sizing dies.

I would clean the dies if I changed lubes but as long as I can get White Label 2500+ I never changing.

[Walks]

I just wipe most of the crud off the outside so they"ll come backout of the little LYMAN storage tubes. The RCBS boxes are a lot easier

[PaulG67]

Cleaning sizing dies is a waste of lube, mark your dies somehow so you easily identify them.

[dragon813gt]

All of mine are etched on the top. No lube should ever be on that area. I don't clean them. The lube help prevents them from rusting.

[John Boy]

Do most of you clean off your sizer dies when you take them out of your sizer and put them away so you can see the numbers on them?Yeb, about a dozen or so 3 years ago. They haven't moved since - been using the Lee Lube/Sizer and pan lubing instead

[s mac]

I don't usually clean them but when I do a little spray carb cleaner or brake clean on a rag and presto.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I store them, without cleaning the lube off, in a plastic 12 ga ammo box like this:
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/images/1342514.jpg

[runfiverun]

All of mine are etched on the top. No lube should ever be on that area. I don't clean them. The lube help prevents them from rusting.

saving some typing.

[Wayne Smith]

I have mine in one of the Plano boxes and labled on top of the box area. No, I don't clean them.

[floydboy]

I usually clean mine but I'm a neat freak with OCD. Not as bad as I used to be but some habits are hard to break. Do I see a benefit with cleaning? No I can't think of one. Can I stand to put a die up with lube on it? No I can't so I clean mine. I don't seem to have a problem shooting less than perfect brass thank God or that would be another problem. We each have our quirks I guess.

By the way I really like JonB and Waynes ideas for die storage. Can't believe I never thought of that.

Floyd

[gwpercle]

I clean mine off , Ed's Red Bore cleaner works great, store them in plastic medicine bottles with label as to size.
Gary