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Thread: What to use to remove case lubricant

  1. #21
    Boolit Master hoodat's Avatar
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    I've gotta say this --- When I started reloading, almost NOBODY even had a tumbler, or ever even cleaned their brass. Now about half of the "how to" threads on reloading forums have to do with various tumbling techniques.

    No real point to my post, I just think it's kind of interesting. jd
    It seems that people who do almost nothing, often complain loudly when it's time to do it.

  2. #22
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    Using the lanolin/alcohol mix to spray on case lube is great because it gets inside the case necks and the expander ball pulls out smoother. It's quicker than rolling the cases on a lube pad. Everything about it is convenient except for removing it after it's done it's job. I tried the Dawn & hot water wash, and also the Woolite too. There's still a slight residue on the cases. For a couple of reasons, tumbling both before and after sizing isn't that great either. What I did find that works really well is to boil the brass in a solution of water and about a teaspoon of trisodium phosphate, then rinse with hot water. This works well, and removes all of the lanolin residue, but is also a lot of extra work. The RCBS case lube is water soluble and completely cleans off with the Dawn & hot water wash. Because of this I've decided that for reloading batches of 100 rounds or less I'll use the RCBS lube and a pad, and for batches above 100 cases I use the lanolin/alcohol spray.

    Here's a tip (for what it's worth); I looked up the properties of annealing brass. Documents and phase change diagrams show that the properties of brass don't begin to be altered until the temperatures start to go above 400 degrees F. Water boils at 212 degrees F. After washing my brass I toss them into a pan and place them into the same toaster oven that I use for powder coating bullets. I set the temperature to about 225 degrees F, and all the moisture turns to steam and dries off. In about 15 minutes all the brass is dry and ready to process. I know that some people are going to be leery of cooking the brass, and will think that heating the brass will soften it or have an effect on the annealing. If you feel uneasy about it, don't do it: the sun will dry it just as well (except in winter maybe). But so long as I keep the temperature below 250 degrees there is no possibility that there will be any change in the brass whatsoever. I have reloaded thousands of rounds doing this, and never had any problems. If you want to try this or not it's up to you, but remember; if you accidentally over heat the brass to 400 degrees or more you'll have to throw out that whole batch of brass.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    Use the alcohol/lanolin spray and after sizing lay the brass on an old T-shirt and hit it with a few squirts of Brake-Kleen. Roll it around and give a quick wipe with the shirt and then tumble with walnut hulls with some mineral spirits and pieces of dryer sheet. After tumbling, checking flash holes and a quick wipe with a dry cloth to remove any walnut dust.

  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy DAVIDMAGNUM's Avatar
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    I throw them in the vibratory case cleaner with Lyman corn cobb media. The Imperial case lube and treated corn cobb media polish the brass to a like new finish. I just set the timer and walk away, easy.

  5. #25
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    Marty ... forget about all the proposed gyrations. Just wipe the cases with a shop rag coated with pure mineral spirits. And you don’t have to drown the cases with the spirit wipe.
    After reloading, all rounds are wiped down when putting them in the ammo box
    Regards
    John

  6. #26
    Boolit Master Randy Bohannon's Avatar
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    Sharpshooter lube easily wipes off with a paper towel still clean and bright,it is the best case lube I have ever used. Minimal amount makes it easy to remove and very pleasant to use.

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
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    Wipe it off with a clean rag .
    Lee case lube is water soluble ... the dry waxy film wipes off easily ... helps protect the brass case .
    Gary
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
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    I've tried both alcohol and mineral spirits on a paper towel. They worked OK. Now I use WD40. Just very lightly spritz one end of a half sheet of paper towel with WD40 keeping the other end dry. Wipe the lube off with one end and the WD40 with the other end. You have a clean, dry boolet and no WD40 to oxidize and get sticky.
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  9. #29
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by hoodat View Post
    I've gotta say this --- When I started reloading, almost NOBODY even had a tumbler, or ever even cleaned their brass. Now about half of the "how to" threads on reloading forums have to do with various tumbling techniques.

    No real point to my post, I just think it's kind of interesting. jd
    and now thanks to covid you can't even buy a tumbler.......

  10. #30
    Boolit Bub


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    Quote Originally Posted by RickinTN View Post
    A shot of starting fluid then wiping them down with a cotton cloth always did the trick for me way back when. I would be it would still work very well today.
    Rick
    I do something similar. A shot of hexane-isopropanol and a bit of manual "tumbling" in a shop rag.
    (Yes, I read Birchwood's disclaimer but, used in moderation, it works a charm.)

  11. #31
    Boolit Master brassrat's Avatar
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    I don't wanna clean the coating that is on my shiny brass from the extensive tumbling in walnut and car polish, so no brake cleaner, which does the job.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master Sprue's Avatar
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    Wow...it's been years since my last visit/post on this site. As for cleaning I use Lacquer Thinner
    Sprue ™

  13. #33
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use the homemade lanolin/alcohol mix and have never had a problem with sticky or lube left on the brass, you might be using too much, when you're done you should hardly tell there's lube on it after sizing, try using less paying attention to how the force needed to size changes.
    "People in Arizona carry guns," said Detective David Ramer, a Chandler police spokesman. You better be careful about who you are picking on...

  14. #34
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    I've been tumbling lubed, sized cases in sawdust for years to remove either Dillon's or my own alcohol/lanolin case lube. Takes 15 - 20 minutes in a "Thumbler". I use sawdust I use sawdust I make with a chainsaw from well dried out lodgepole or Tamerac. Other works well as long as it is dried out and "seasoned" and pitch free.
    May want to steer clear of lumber that have lots of tannin in also, oaks for one. They will tarnish brass if left in contact for too long.

    Like when you forget them in the polisher for a couple of days(or weeks). I've heard rumor of people doing such a thing, I certainly would never do such a thing.

    When I first started reloading I made my own loading blocks because I didn't like the little short blocks that were commercially available. I made mine ~ 1-1/2" deep. Cases CANNOT be tipped over and you can put the cases in upside down. My cases are always in the loading blocks upside down until I put powder in them. Every other step they are upside down.

    The first blocks I made were made out of white oak from a tree I had sawn into lumber. They were gorgeous. Until I left cases in them for a couple of days. Top portion that was out of the block was nice and clean and shinny. Portion down in the block was well tarnished and took several load/tumble cycles to get the two tone finish off them.

    Current load blocks are made from what is called Mahogany Perfect Plank. Patternmakers laminated stock that is awesome. Got it years ago, I don't know if it is even still made. Not many wood patterns made anymore with the direct CAD to tool stuff.
    Last edited by 15meter; 09-20-2021 at 11:54 AM.

  15. #35
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    This is a good thread to bring up again, as I didn't see it the first time.

    Thanks, Larry.
    I never would have thought of using chainsaw chips. I guess it's one of those things that's just so inexpensive and simple, I wouldn't think of it. I have some bushel baskets of Pine and Maple aging in my garage attic, that I use for another purpose.
    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    I've been tumbling lubed, sized cases in sawdust for years to remove either Dillon's or my own alcohol/lanolin case lube. Takes 15 - 20 minutes in a "Thumbler". I use sawdust I use sawdust I make with a chainsaw from well dried out lodgepole or Tamerac. Other works well as long as it is dried out and "seasoned" and pitch free.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  16. #36
    Boolit Master Jim22's Avatar
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    I just went through this today. I tried tumbling in a vibrating tumbler with new walnut shell media. Let it run for two hours. Took the cases out and the media had stuck to the one shot case lube. So I tried using a cotton cloth - no good. Put some laquer thinner on the cloth - still no. Then paint thinner. That worked. The red shop towel was stained when finished. I think the lube comes off easier when it is fressh. In my case It had been on the brass a couple of days.

    Jim

  17. #37
    Boolit Master
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    I put Mean Green or Purple Power in a spray bottle. Get a bath towel dump 30 or so cases out, spritz 'em down, fold the towel over and give 'em a good rub down. FWIW I use Dillon Case Lube and this gets 'em clean. Both these cleaners are an alcohol base cleaner so it works really good.

  18. #38
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    Wiped down with a shop rag wetted with Eezox…. Been doing each reload for years before they are put in ammo cases
    I use Bag Balm for all my case lubing … no alcohol
    Regards
    John

  19. #39
    Boolit Buddy DAVIDMAGNUM's Avatar
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    Another vote for dry tumbling/vibratory case cleaner. I clean my brass in my Thumlers Tumbler with crushed walnut shells. I will not shove dirty brass into any of my reloading dies. After sizing using Imperial Sizing Wax I put them back in the Thumlers Tumbler with corn cobb media. They come out shiny and dry. This method works well and is easy. Pour in the brass and media, turn it on, walk away.

  20. #40
    Boolit Buddy
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    For years I've used an old bath towel, dumped a layer of lubed/sized shells on half and folded the other half over the top. Splash on some denatured alcohol (sold by the gallon in the paint aisle as stove fuel), and rub back and forth a bit. Cases come out de-lubed and dry.

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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