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Thread: Case lube

  1. #41
    Boolit Master

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    Empty and cleaned mixed nut container with screw on lid. Place brass in container, drizzle a small amount of vegetable oil, shake until you see the oil coating the inside of the plastic nut container. To ensure the expander ball receives some lube, I swipe my finger across the case mouth. About every 5 cases usually does fine, but if you can feel resistance increase, it's time to swipe the next case mouth. I have not had stuck cases or hydrolic shoulder dents while loading about 15k of .223, 300 BO, .308W, and 30-06 Rem.

    Sized brass gets two hot soapy (Dawn) rinses, first one to remove the vegetable oil, the second is Dawn and lemon juice. Once strained, I put my brass straight into the vibratory cleaner with ground walnut. I reuse the solution from the second rinse.

    I treat the ground walnut with a table spoon of Turtle Zip Wash every 1k cases or so. The wet brass causes the zip wash to 're-activate' and the ground walnut to swell and become more like new, no longer 'polished smooth.' The brass is shiny like new, and the media dry, in about an hour.

    I have cases that were prepped but not loaded, and many rounds loaded, that are still shiny like new 10 years later. Zip Wash leaves a very thin coat of wax that seals the pores of the brass from oxidization.
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  2. #42
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by dougader View Post
    I started with the Lee case lube in the tube, applying it with a small dab between my thumb and forefinger case by case by case...
    Try the same method using Hornady's Unique.

    An occasional touch of three finger tips in a jar of that soft case lube and I can easily cover several cases as I pick them up to be sized; it takes less than 2 seconds to lube each one. Done right, it's very fast and I get no shoulder dents or stuck cases.

  3. #43
    Boolit Grand Master

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    If you ever need a heavy duty case lube , like for resizing 303 British cases that had been fired in a WWII Machine Gun ... it was like re-forming brass not resizing ... the only thing that got the job done was STP Oil Treatment , it comes in a screw top bottle now and a lifetime supply is $2.88 at wally world . Downside ... it's GREASY and SLICK !
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  4. #44
    Boolit Master
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    Don’t leave LEE Case Lube in your sizing die, that water based lube will rust your die.
    I thought I could use the lube as an anti rust protectant, 1 week later I when to use the die again and the lube had turned was orange with rust.
    Lucky me it was just one week the die was left with splotches of gray mottling colour but no deep pits. That was 15 years ago on the first die set I purchased. Have haven’t used the LEE Lube since.
    I use Imperial Sizing Wax it’s cheap and it works.
    Last edited by greenjoytj; 04-18-2021 at 07:14 AM.

  5. #45
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
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  6. #46
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by greenjoytj View Post
    Don’t leave LEE Case Lube in your sizing die, that water based lube will rust your die.
    Lee's case lube is excellent when used properly. It's base is a soap. The water is only a thinner and when the water dries the soap film is left.

    I thought I could use the lube as an anti rust protectant, 1 week later I when to use the die again and the lube had turned was orange with rust.
    Now you know it's only a lube, not a rust protector. Storing a water-wetted die in a plastic die box before it dries is a mistake.

    I use Imperial Sizing Wax it’s cheap and it works.
    ISW works well, I like it; it's clean and the lube really is a soft wax. But cheap? Well ... compared to what?

  7. #47
    Boolit Buddy


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    Quote Originally Posted by Conditor22 View Post
    You need 100% pure liquid lanolin for it to stay in solution

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=liquid+la..._ts-doa-p_1_23


    You also need at least 92% alcohol so it dries in a reasonable length of time
    98%
    https://www.amazon.com/ISO-HEET-2820...%2C234&sr=8-10
    I prefer the higher % straight Isopropyl rather than ISO-HEET which contains Ethylbenzene.

    and +1 for the Imperial Sizing Die Wax, not inexpensive, but it lasts a long, long time and works very well.

  8. #48
    Boolit Buddy
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    Hornady Unique lube here too. So little needed and goes on so thin. I'll often rub the first couple cases instead of dipping again and what's on your fingers is good for another 4-5 cases. The tub I've had for at least 15yrs and looks to be about 4 oz is still 2/3 full will last the rest of my life. Can't beat it!

  9. #49
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I believe the lee lube is a repackaged drawing lube. We used it in the can plant for cupping and drawing 2 piece cans smelled the same looked the same and felt the same. We diluted it with water and it was a flood sprayed application right at the dies.

    I think it could be diluted down and sprayed on allowed to dry and work fine. Had a friend who had a dedicated drum for his tumbler that added lube and cases no media and tumbled for 10 mins with Imperial sizing die wax

  10. #50
    Boolit Buddy
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    True - Lemon Pledge The real brand, not no name kind. Been using it for years. 1st can lasted about 6 years.
    If I have issues with inside the neck I use a Q-tip with Lees sizing lube on every 5th case. That just me. It's not complicated. Lot of stuff will work, just keep petroleum based lubes or solvents out of your cases.
    Attachment 281548Attachment 281549Attachment 281550
    Last edited by Polymath; 04-19-2021 at 07:01 PM. Reason: added photo

  11. #51
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    I have used Imperial Wax for years now and I don't see using anything else in my future.

  12. #52
    Boolit Buddy
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    i just bought some STP at wally world to try....man its thick !. would someone please tell me what i can cut it with ?

  13. #53
    Boolit Bub
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    Anybody here ever use canola oil? IT seems to work pretty good on both dies and the moving parts of firearms. Dont know of any long term effects fur time will tell. Give me your thoughts

  14. #54
    Boolit Master
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    gwpercle makes the "STP Oil Treatment" (auto shops) point GONRA has been yelling about!
    (Can substitute Tri-Flow Synthetic Grease (bike shops) too.)
    These 2 are yer GO TO CASE LUBES for the most difficult sizing jobs,
    diagnosing stuck case issues, etc.

    Figger on resizing 1200 SCRAP DEALER .50 BMG cases with a 3 oz. tube of tri-flow.

    STP easily handles STEEL CASE 14.5mm Soviet (Chicom mfg.) cases.....

    Try that with the crap you get at the LGS.

  15. #55
    Boolit Buddy Landy88's Avatar
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    Wire pulling lube from the hardware store is equivalent to the Lee case lube and is very inexpensive per ounce, but comes in quarts or gallons. Those big jugs are likely multiple lifetimes of case lube if it is shelf stable.
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  16. #56
    Boolit Bub
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    Truth be told, I have been reloading for 20years and have not found anything better than Lee’s sizing lubricant. I use it for everything and no you don’t have to lube each case by hand unless your doing rifle rounds. Put a small glop into a bowl, dump your pistol brass and tumble then by hand before it dries. Works for me and it won’t contaminate the powder. Works the same for sizing powder coated bullets, surprisingly works very well. It also makes my brass more consistent when FL resizing, meaning bumping the shoulders back 0.002. Don’t know why but it does.

  17. #57
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by NEKVT View Post
    Hornady Unique lube here too. So little needed and goes on so thin. I'll often rub the first couple cases instead of dipping again and what's on your fingers is good for another 4-5 cases. The tub I've had for at least 15yrs and looks to be about 4 oz is still 2/3 full will last the rest of my life. Can't beat it!
    I prefer this lube as well. It goes much farther than Imperial for the money and stays firmer than that lube unless it gets real warm. My tub did get too warm last summer and it is more difficult keeping the application as sparingly as when the wax was new.

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    “There is more to this than dumping lead in a hole.”

  18. #58
    Boolit Master



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    I'm an Imperial fan also, but with large batches of brass the application gets tiring. I tried a 1:7 mix of castor oil/denatured alcohol in a small spray bottle and it works quite well, but leaves an oily residue that has to be washed/boiled off. Big hassle and time waster.

    In this thread, I suddenly learn that Lee case lube can be thinned with alcohol and used the same way, but leaves no residue. Perfect! A spray that lubes and still leaves the cases dry afterwards.........I'm sold.

  19. #59
    Boolit Master trails4u's Avatar
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    Tell ya what.... I love Imperial like I love my momma, my wife, my kids and my guns..... Check my past posts on the issue, it's been forever my only recommendation. BUT....I might be trying this lanolin thing for bulk plinking 5.56, the only thing I load in volume that might require 'fast and easy' lube. All my pistol dies are carbide, so no worries. All my bigger rifle stuff is pretty much for hunting or BPCR, so loaded with extreme care, and the time to lube with Imperial is insignificant in the process. Most of that is necksized anyway, so not relevant. I'm a bit, uh....obsessive about brass prep, so my process is painful on a good day. Hhhmmmm.... Might be checking this out, albeit for a niche in my needs.
    "Do not follow where the path might lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" Ralph Waldo Emerson

  20. #60
    Boolit Buddy
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    Trails4u, I am using the lanolin in a 8 parts alcohol with 1 part liquid lanolin on a bulk pile of .223 right now. My mind is blown, I'll never go back. I suppose your really could load rifle on a progressive press if you don't mind wiping them off when done.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check