My dies are rusting!

[Action_Can_Do]

Hello everyone. I was looking at my 45 auto dies not too long ago and noticed they are getting a light coat of rust... I:banghead:haterust being on anything I own. The instructions that came with the dies suggest using Outers tri-lube to keep rust at bay, but I can't find it anywhere at the moment. Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[Sport45]

CLP will protect them the same as it protects firearms.

 

[BacSi67]

rusting dies

Try some dessicants in the die box.
BacSi

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

If its on the outside you can try a copper brush with some light solvent ie. Hoppe's #9. If the rust is on the inside, use a pinch of 4 OOOO steel wool with some light solvent. With a little elbow grease they should look brand new.

 

[Walkalong]

Spin some 0000 steel wool or 600 or finer grit sandpaper inside them if there is rust inside. Tumbling them will also work. Clean thoroughly afterwards. Then keep them lubed after every use. Back when I had to load out back in the shed, rust prevention was a full time job. (Al. = HUMID!!!!)

 

[WNTFW]

You can use scotch brite, fine wet dry paper with oil, crocus cloth and that sort of thing. You can also disassemble the die & tumble just the body in a tumbler. Just clean it out after.

I hear some case lubes are water based.

 

[WNTFW]

Looks like Walkalong said it first.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Once you have the dies cleaned of rust use what ever oil you use on your guns. Just saturate a T-shirt and wipe them on ocasion just like you do with your guns... Rust problem eliminated...

 

[fguffey]

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/zinc/

I had a set of micrometers that did not have a finish, I had three choices, clear wax/polish, oil-um or paint, friends in Dulac LA gave me can of spray on zinc, I used it up and and purchased another can from Lowe's.

Have not decided yet but I am thinking about putting an Earl Scheib type paint job on a rifle using zinc. Zinc is not for all dies but with salt from handling and moisture in humid areas it could be a consideration.



F. Guffey

 

[Ol` Joe]

I use Birchwood Casey "Sheath" on mine, but any rust preventative will work. Be sure to wipe with a solvent and/or "dry patch well" the inside before useing. The oil can cause problem at times.

 

[Otto]

Sheath is called Barricade now.

One moth ball will keep an entire tool chest from rusting.

 

[bunnielab]

I have never heard the moth ball thing before?

How does that work? My father is fighting a losing battle with rusting tools and I would love to be able to offer him an idea.

 

[aplehr]

polygunbags

after the rust is cleaned off, nothing is easier or works better than vci bags. you can buy them at polygunbag.com. i've used them for years, it's what the military uses.

 

[fguffey]

After the tool is Rusty and before I sand, scrape, grind, wire brush I use vinegar, 2 or 3 gallons of 4+% in a large plastic bucket, dump the tools in for 4 hours and check, if the rust is still there, I add time, all I want to remove is the rust, not patina, edges or markings. I then wash the tool with water, dry then paint, oil or wax, again the zinc works in the and around the Gulf and I clean the inside of my dies with a towel on a dowel.



F. Guffey

 

[SquirrelNuts]

I would tumble them too.

 

[jinxer3006]

To remove rust you can use 0000 steel wool or a small BRASS wire wheel on a dremel tool.

To keep rust away, I like to wipe dies with a silicone gun rag. Less messy than oil, and I've had better results with it.

 

[Maj Dad]

Elbow Grease Is Best

I've used the majority of items listed above (didn't know about spray on zinc, though - filed that one) and the one thing that is consistenly effective is elbow grease along with any one of them. I really enjoyed my AF tours in west Texas and New Mexico, though. I almost cried when I got transferred to Shaw AFB SC and rediscovered the humidity I grew up with and thought nothing of until I moved from Lousiana in 1973. But I have gotten back into the habit of checking things more than once every 2-3 years and keeping rust and grunge at bay. I will say I most often used Birchwood Casey Sheath (or whatever it's called now) because it was on hand in a big spray can and seemed to work better than the old standard WD-40. But I also spent a year in Korea with my guns wiped wet with WD and allowed to dry before wrapping in kraft paper and stashing in a safe. When I got back there was zero rust, this in Alabama and a house with only window AC units.

One that I didn't see mentioned is RIG (I believe stood for Rust Inhibitory Grease) that was the mainstay of gun show displayers in years past. It had a very good reputation 20-30 years ago; I would probably pick some up if I ran across it.

Cheers,
Maj Dad

 

[ranger335v]

I've used a soft 6" (steel) wire wheel on my bench grinder to remove external rust from dies and hand tools for years. Does a good job, does NOT change any dimensions.

Oil bare metal with any good, low evaporating type machine oil. I have found nothing better than Automatic Transmission Oil from Walmart's auto department; cheap too.

 

[Dark Skies]

I sometimes got this when using Lee resizer lube - it's water based. These days after a reloading session I take the decapper pin out and give them a good clean with a small bottle brush and some methelated spirits. Any rust comes off easy with some Autosol metal polish.

 

[Maj Dad]

A Carpenter's Trick

Bunnielab, when I lived is St. Bernard, LA (before Katrina spit-shined the parish) I had a friend who was a finish carpenter, and he kept his tools in a couple of old upright refrigerators with a 40 watt light bulb inside (on, obviously). No refrigeration, just the heat of the bulb, and his tools stayed generally rust free. I have noted that you can get a similar item for gun safes - Golden Rod I think is the brand -that emits heat and thus keeps relative humidity low. Maybe your dad could adapt either.

HTH,
Maj Dad

 

[Black Dime]

Action can do,
You have, as they said, a humidity problem. Or they are stored in an unstable environment. If the temperature goes up and down slight condensate will form. The old fridge is a great idea.

 

[redneckdan]

Here in michigan we get rusting problems in the summer from humidty in the basement. I buy Mobil 1 5qt jugs for oil changes and usually end up with a quart or so left after an oil change in my toyota. I use the left over oil for coating reloading dies. I have a little tray to dunk the dies in and then let them set on a wire mesh for the excess to run back into the tray. After a half an hour or so for the excess to run off they get put back into the die box. When I need to use them again I spray them off with brake cleaner.

 

[EMC45]

Kroil, wire brush and 0000 steel wool. Then wipe them off and dry them and then a nice light coating of CLP. I had some die sets that were quite rusty and have cleaned them up nicely this same way. It may leave a bit of discoloration, but the rust will be gone and a protective layer will be on them.