Protecting my dies

I'd spray them with WD-40 or if you keep them in their original plastic boxes when not in use, just spray a little into each box or do as I do, spray some WD40 on a cleaning patch and put it in the die box. Never have had rust on my own dies.

Ballistol.

Put a couple of dessicant packs in each die box.

WD40 is not a rust preventative.

mbogo

What's wrong with a little oil on the dies? My lee dies came with a thin film of oil on the external surfaces. Possibly the internal too. But the external surfaces are at the greatest risk of corrosion, since my grimy finger-prints are the major cause of oxidation.

Eezox is by far the best rust preventative around. Once dry it leaves no oily finish. It is used in museums to protect all kinds of metal protects.
My tools and dies are in the garage, I use it on all of them.

Here is a link but it it also sold by Midway USA. I have nothing to do with the company.
It is the preferred cleaner/lube of Seecamp owners. I have tested it myself in Florida with salt water , it does work,

Also as Mr Palermo mentioned Ballistoil is also great, it is mainly mineral oil. None toxic and prevents rust almost as well

http://www.eezox.com/

After use I clean mine with brake cleaner and when dry I spray on Rem oil. Never had a problem.

After use I clean mine with brake cleaner and when dry I spray on Rem oil. Never had a problem.

Click to expand...

x2

I usually clean mine with whatever I have on hand. Then sit the dies on a rag and spray down with remington oil. I haven't had a problem with rust yet.

I spray clean mine with a can of ether(starting fluid), then spray them down good with Break Free CLP. The ether will take all the grime and built up oils/wax off, be sure to lube well after using it... outside away from anything that can spark.

Jimmy K

Boeshield

Developed by Boeing - no cost spared, I'm sure - for this very job.

I use it here in rainy Oregon with great results.

Where are you storing them? If your reloading bench is in the garage and your dies are rusting, store the dies inside your house and bring the ones you need out when you are reloading.

" The reason I bring this up is because I'm not happy with using oil on my dies."

Steel that's not painted, plated, greased or oiled will rust. Oil your dies just as you oil your guns. It's both quick and simple to spray clean them before use with cheap carborator or brake cleaner.

WD-40 is great for what it's made to do and that is to lift water off wet steel so it can be wiped or evaporated dry without the surface rusting. It is NOT meant to be a long-term rust protector nor is it much of a lubricant. I spray guns down with WD-40 if it rains while I'm out but I follow up with a through cleaning and proper oiling when I get home.

WD-40 will leave a hard brown residue when it evaporates, only a few weeks at most. That thin 'varnish' actually impedes mechanical movement so it should NOT be used as a gun oil, especially on triggers. Nor on small motors such as those used in tumblers.

I think RCBS just came out with a die cleaner and a die storage protectant.

Not saying it is superior or inferior, just saying they came out with it.

Hornady One Shot Cleaner and Lube

I clean every set of die I buy with one shot cleaner/lube and leave the film on the dies for storage. And that works great.

It doesn't work so well for press components that get touched during use. Haven't figured out what to do with that yet. Think I'll try that Boeshield T9 stuff. Thanks for the tip!

Scott

What would be the problem with hitting them with a little gun oil? It's good enough for your guns why not your dies?

mallc said:

Hornady One Shot Cleaner and Lube
I clean every set of die I buy with one shot cleaner/lube and leave the film on the dies for storage. And that works great.

It doesn't work so well for press components that get touched during use. Haven't figured out what to do with that yet. Think I'll try that Boeshield T9 stuff. Thanks for the tip!

Scott

Click to expand...

Works for me too, but the can doesn't seem to last long. Gonna look at Corrosion-x

How long are they being stored for, and where? I keep mine inside and have had no issues with rust (only reloading for 7 or so years). I simply use powder blast as a cleaner, and on occasion have used Butch's bore shine and that's it. They've been with me in L.A., Virginia, and Connecticut-- I'm in the military. Perhaps if they are kept in the garage with temp changes/condenstation?

What was designed as another bedroom is my computer room/reloading room. I don't oil my dies, but it's inside so the air is very controlled.

The only set of dies that have any rust on them was my very first set.
I bought 'em used & the sizing/decapping die had a spot of rust when I bought 'em.

I store mine in the boxes they came in on my loading bench in the garage. I have never put anything on them.Some of them have been there since the '70s and none have any rust at all. We do have a bunch of days when the humidity is single digits but we do get 12-13" of rain a year----most years. If I were to have rust I would use a spray wax on them. Pledge or even one of the spray lubes for resizing would work. They are just wax in a thin carrier like alcohol that evaporates quickly.

The reason I bring this up is because I'm not happy with using oil on my dies. Does anyone have any suggestions for something I could use in it's place?

Click to expand...

Action_Can_Do, in industrial settings, vibratory tumblers are used to deburr/finish/polish metal parts/components. If the rusting is not too bad, take apart your dies and toss them in your vibratory tumbler with walnut media/polish until they come out shiny and rust free. Walnut won't hurt brass and it certainly won't hurt the dies.

I mean, we all invested money in our fine brass cleaning/polishing tumblers ...

I am lazy too.

I'm trying to figure out the "I'm lazy" comments. Is it more work to prevent the rust than it is to remove it? Anything that will prevent O2 from reaching the surface will do just fine. Spray with gun oil, drop the dies, in their box in a ziplock bag, suck as much of the air out as you can and finish the sealing. Save dessicant bags from whatever source and toss them in the bag as well.

It's not rocket science.

I'm trying to figure out the "I'm lazy" comments.

Click to expand...

I used to scrub and wipe down my dies. Now, I just toss them in the tumbler with walnut/polish and walk away to do something else. When I return, shiny dies!

I'm not happy with using oil on my dies

Click to expand...

- no more scrubbing
- no more wiping
- no more wire brush
- no more wire wheel
- no more steel wool
- no more WD40
- no more oily hands
- no more oily dies

Try some Kroil for removal of the rust. I clean my dies when needed (usually lube buildup from all those lead SASS bullets) in naphtha (from the big box hardware store in 32 oz can), or sometimes sold in squeeze bottle as Lighter Fluid/Ronsonol for $$. Then they get Kroiled, wiped down and stored. Minor cleanup of oil prior to use is preferable to me than rusty dies.

I use Break Free and a pad when I'm sizing, so rust hasn't been a problem for me. (Yet!) Not even in the high humidity down here in FL.