[Historian]

What do you use to lube your press and how often do you lube it?

Historian

[R.W.Dale]

Very seldome do I clean and lube my press prolly not even yearly. When I do I clean the ram and re grease it with good old red Mystic JT6 "military grease"

[Ben Shepherd]

I unbolt it from the bench, stand it in a 5 gallon bucket, and hose it off with gunscrubber or similar and allow to dry.

Relube is a few drops of 50 weight oil on the hinge pins, and a little marine grease on the ram. The rest of the exposed metal(handle shaft, machined flats where the die screws in, die threads, etc) just get wiped quickly with a patch that has a small amount of oil on it for rust prevention.

Basically I take a less is more approach.

Edit: Not on a time schedule either. When it starts feeling dry or getting really dirty I'll do it. Depending on how much I use it, sometimes it's once a week during the winter when I'm loading lik crazy, and sometimes it doesn't need touched for months.

I also keep it covered when not in use so it won't attract dust.

[AMBASSADOR]

I spray it with WD 40 wipe it down then apply a little silicon slick-N-slide grease.

[dubbleA]

Have one that's 30 yrs old now, I'll spray it down with a penetrating oil and let it sit awhile and then go back and use 10wt oil or something like rem oil, 3 in one etc. on the pivots and ram. I'll do this monthly.

[GW Staar]

For the last 38 years, I have used a tube of Gunslick on the ram. (graphite in a greasy binder that you wipe on and wipe off, a graphite film stays). For the pivot joints I spray from a can of white lithium grease.

How often? When I can "feel" the ram go up and down it needs Gunslick. I lube the pivots then too.

[Hesenwine]

CLP every now & then.

[ranger335v]

"What do you use to lube your press and how often do you lube it?"

I clean the ram with a rag and mineral spirits and then lube it with any kind of light oil - not grease! - such as ATF, when it needs it. ?? Use what ever, it's not critical. It's hard to get enough grease in the toggle pins to do the job.

I don't do primers on that press - hate getting them all over the floor and don't want the grit on the ram so occasional cleaning and lubing isn't really a problem.

[wild willy]

Just took mine completly apart for the first time 31 yrs old I had taken the ram out a couple time before spray the linkage with breakfree and wipe the ram with 90w gear oil

[Maj Dad]

I use 30 wt to lube my Dillon 550 (factory recommendation) so I use it on my Rockchucker ram, too. I took it completely apart a couple of years ago & cleaned it all with Prestone Brake Cleaner, then oiled the hinge/link pins with CLP and the ram with 30 wt (Castrol, for the high speed/high heat generated when I get cranked up ;) ) I frequently put a little on a small cloth & wipe the ram until I get the black crud off. I'm a little less anal with my Herter's U3, but I use 30 wt on it, too.

[Friendly, Don't Fire!]

A bit of Tetra expensive gun grease on the ram and a drop or two of break-Free on moving pins, parts, etc.

[fireman 9731]

I use the red mystic grease on the ram too... CLP on the pivot points.

[sonier]

my secret recipe for lubing cases as well. i keep my press lubed very well, i like my handle falling down on its own.

now too tell or not too tell. whats my secret recipe you ask?
well its about a 35/65 too 50/50 mix off. my favorite two things chrysler full synthetic transmission fluid, and marvels mystery oil. this ive used in lubricated black powder, it also breaks black powder residue free. i use it in shell cases for sizing, i only have to size 1 out of every 3 rounds i run threw my full length sizing die for 30/06

good luck have fun

[Ridgerunner665]

I just spray the ram with CLP once in a while...(or any other type of oil that is handy)

[FROGO207]

I spray it with carb cleaner then with PB Blaster,let it drip into a 5 gal bucket. then lube ram and pivot points with Mobil 1 synthetic oil. I do it when it starts to drag,after processing 5K or so rounds on average. The carb cleaner has not hurt the finish yet after years of use.:D

[Maj Dad]

that all the lubes we use work. Some are exotic, some are mundane, and some evoke memories of bygone days, like Sonier's Marvel Mystery Oil that we used to have in gallon cans 40-50 years ago, useful for everything up to and including the epizootas. Top Oil, they called it - but mostly it smelled good enough to use for cologne. Laissez-les bons temps roulez, mon cher ami Sonier... :D

[Drail]

Dexron.

[Lonely Raven]

I wonder, for those of you using grease on your ram...My RCBS Pro 2000 is so tight, I can't imagine anything betting between the ram and the frame besides a thin liquid oil!

I use the Mystery Oil as well. I had some surface rust on the unpainted portions of my Pro2000 after having been in storage for 5 years...the Mystery Oil helped clean that up and not an issue since. Love the stuff.

[R.W.Dale]

I wonder, for those of you using grease on your ram...My RCBS Pro 2000 is so tight, I can't imagine anything betting between the ram and the frame besides a thin liquid oil!


grease will get pulled into the bore for the ram all the way to the bottom of its travel after only a few cycles. Oil is thin and eventually gravity will have it's way with it.

[something vague]

As krochus said, grease will actually kind of rub itself into the metal (to the naked eye anyway). It will be such a tiny film on the metal after a while of use that it will have no choice but to go down into the bore of the ram.

Myself, I use a degreaser to clean my press. Then lube the ram with a light coat of Mobil 1. Then I'll use a spray of CLP in the linkage. I'm actually kind of anal when it comes to maintaining anything to do with my reloading tools. I'm the same way with all my guns as well.

[hydraulicman]

i've had mine for a year or so. i put a drop of gun lube on the pivots and lube the ram with the same.

Rockchucker is the king of single stage presses

[R.W.Dale]

This topic has got me thinking about a spin off thread.

[ReloaderFred]

I now use Machine Gunner's Lube, from sprinco.com. Just put a drop or two on a Q-Tip and put it on the cleaned ram. The handle will fall of it's own weight for thousands of rounds. I use the same lube on the pivot points.

Prior to discovering Machine Gunner's Lube, I used RemOil. The Machine Gunner's Lube holds up better and I don't have to use it near as often.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Rugg_Ed]

Lubriplate vary old can

[243winxb]

From RCBS This press was lubricated at the factory. However, it is necessary to lubricate all moving parts from time to time with gun oil. If rust spots appear , swab lightly with gun oil and wipe dry. Care should be taken not to apply oil where it could come in contact with primer pockets or primers. Oil will deactivate primers. It is a goood practice to clean the press prior to lubrication to remove grit and other residue. You will note the ease at which the epoxy enamel paint wipes clean. This finish is impervious to oil and is extremely chip and fade resistant. I use Break Free CLP. But now i must start cleaning the press before lubing.:uhoh:

[longdayjake]

I unbolt it from the bench, stand it in a 5 gallon bucket, and hose it off with gunscrubber or similar and allow to dry.

Do not do this unless you are wanting to clean the green paint off as well.

Any lube works well on the rockchucker. I just use silicone spray as i have a ton of it and it works.