[Cast of One]

I've been using RCBS case lube for awhile now. Tonight after it exploded on me, I started to wonder if I could use other types of lubes that aren't made by reloading companies. Is there an alternative?

[cfullgraf]

Exploded?

[Cast of One]

I squeezed the bottle too hard and the nipple on the bottle flew off and lube got all over me.

[res7s]

You can make your own. Here's the recipe.
http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

There are a lot of things you can use.
http://www.castbulletassoc.org/forum/view_topic.php?id=4733&forum_id=37

I use Bag Balm. It's a mix of lanolin and petroleum jelly.

[AK_Maine_iac]

The only thing i use is KIWI mink oil. (paste) 2 5/8 oz. can will last a long time. Plus it smells good.

[NeuseRvrRat]

i took a tiny drill bit and enlarged the hole in the RCBS case lube nipple and i don't have to squeeze on it so hard anymore.

[gamestalker]

I started out using RCBS case lube 30+ years ago and quickly decided I didn't like using a messy sticky lube, for obvious reasons. So the next stuff I tried was Lee dry case lube. I liked it, but it was really causing me some tarnishing problems and hard on my tumbling media. After a good 15 or 20 yrs. of using it I decided to try a spray on, Dillon. I don't think I'll ever use anything else, except maybe another brand of spray on if I'm unable to find Dillon. I like the fact that I don't have to deal with lube dents any more, and my media doesn't get all crapped up. So far as stuck cases, I've never had it happen.

[Arkansas Paul]

I squeezed the bottle too hard and the nipple on the bottle flew off and lube got all over me.


I hate when that happens. :uhoh:

Get yourself some Imperial sizing wax and be done with it. I don't know how I loaded before trying it. All of the other methods just suck IMO. Others still like the lube pad, or spray though. To each his own I guess.

[FROGO207]

The Imperial works great when needing a lot of pressure on the press like when case forming or for doing small amounts of casings but is a PITA when processing 500-1000 rounds at a time. I use a home made lube using 98% isopropyl alcohol and liquid lanolin. Spray it on thick and let it dry until sticky and it works great for me. I have tried several types of lube/wax/grease/silicone/oil and most work well as a lube on brass but removing it completely after is the biggest problem IMHO. The lanolin will just wipe off with a towel so I like that aspect best.

[Arkansas Paul]

Yeah FROG, I don't ever process more than 100-200 rounds at a time. I can see where it wouldn't be ideal for 1k in one sitting. I reckon a spray would be better for that. I just mainly hate the lube pads. There are others that love em though. I guess the companies love it. They get to charge for several different kinds.

[Kevin Rohrer]

http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv29/KevinRohrer/Reloading/IMG_0689.jpg

[ranger335v]

"I started to wonder if I could use other types of lubes that aren't made by reloading companies. Is there an alternative?"

Case lube isn't rocket science, a lot of things work. So far as I know, no reloading company 'makes' any lubes at all, commerical lubes are all based on common products. The sellers either buy an existing lube and repackage it or, sometimes, mix a few things to achieve the qualities they like but it's not rocket science, almost any high film strength lube will do nicely.

Many soaps (sold as water soluable case lubes), oil softened carnaba waxes, some oils such as lanolin (used in most spray case lubes) and, least attractive, some nasty auto oil additives (such as STP, etc.). They all work fine if used correctly, nothing works well if it's not used correctly. I dispise oily case lube pads, much too grittty and sticky for me. For smallish volumes and case reforming I prefer to finger apply a soft wax like Imperial or Unique. For larger volumes I go to a good spray like Dillon's.

Excellant case lube substitues for Imperial are the various paste type floor/funiture waxes and any Neutral Shoe Polish-wax/Kiwi Mink Oil/Sno-Proff, etc., boot treatments from Walmart; they can be used just as they come. Home made spray lubes can be made from lanolin mixed with denatured alcohol. Or make a spay of mixed soap and denatured alcohol based on one of the common electical cable pulling soft soap lubes like Gardner-Denver's; it's easily found in Lowe's/H'dept electrical departments.

[dagger dog]

It's not my idea and was posted before here on the high road, neutral shoe polish-wax,Johnson's paste wax, either works as well as Imperial.
Guess you could use colored shoe polish, don't think the brass would absorb the dye, you could wipe it off after sizing.

[ranger335v]

"...you could use colored shoe polish, don't think the brass would absorb the dye,"

That's true, IF you mean a shoe wax and not a liquid polish, but your fingers will absorb the dye and that makes some lousy looking fingers.