Another die experiment fail

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FROGO207

FROGO207

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I tried another experiment that did not work so well.:( I used straight Dawn to lube my brass and that worked well with the 3006 so was encouraged to continue. I just put the sizing die away when done with a wipe on the bottom as I always do. Two weeks later I went to use the die and stuck the first case hard. So I get my stuck case remover out and can't remove the brass.:banghead: I put the die in the freezer overnight with tension on it from the remover and try again the next day but it is still stuck. Next I put pressure on the allen wrench and tapped the wrench top with my hammer while holding it in a vise with wooden jaw pads. After three good taps it started to come free. When I got it apart I found that the Dawn had rusted the inside of the die.:what: I cleaned the inside with fine sandpaper on a split dowel and it works but still scratches the brass some. Guess it is time for a new sizing die. Well the old one was made in 1974 so I got a lot of use out of it anyway.:D

MY WARNING
If you use water based lube be sure to clean and then oil your dies before putting them away.:eek:
 
Just use real lube. Lanolin and alcohol aren't really any more expensive than Dawn and will do a much better job without messing up your dies.
 
I mix liquid lanolin and 95% isopropyl for a spray on case lube myself. I also wet tumble with SS pins. The lanolin sticks to the brass and leaves a greasy film that needs to be wiped off by hand after tumbling so I am experimenting with methods that will not need this extra step. I even tried dumping the brass into hot water to "melt" it off the brass with poor results. BTW Lee lube does not do this to your dies and it is also a soap type lube.
 
For the life of me, I fail to understand people who try to save money on what is arguably the cheapest part of reloading. See my signature below.

Don
 
Well don't throw the Dawn away just yet. It make's the best wasp, ant, bee, spider whatever killer on the planet.
 
While water has excellent lubricating qualities in some applications, it has so many negatives is is rarely used. It is still used in liquid ring pumps, but I do not recommend them. Let them sit for a couple of months and see why.

Lube is cheap. Heck, make some home made lube from something else if you insist on saving a nickle a year on lube. :D
 
Well don't throw the Dawn away just yet. It make's the best wasp, ant, bee, spider whatever killer on the planet.
Click to expand...
I've heard that it's pretty good for washing dishes as well.
 
Some of us try to be self-reliant. It's in our heritage. My grandparents didn't have Midwayusa or wherever you buy your supplies. They figured out how to make do with what they have.

Yes, it leads to problems and frustrations, but it's also what leads to innovative ideas and is what made this country great.

That's why I got into bullet casting.
 
It is for this and other reasons why I tumble my dies in fine grit walnut media (20/40 grit) and NuFinish polish like once/twice a year. Not only is surface rust removed and die surfaces polished, there's residual NuFinish on the die surface that prevents rusting for like 6 months to a year - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=8274791#post8274791

Remember the TV commercial?
After 52 heavy duty commercial car washes, water still beads.
Click to expand...

Water beading on car's finish is due to the residual polymer still left on the surface. If you are using water based case lube, I think residual NuFinish will do the same to prevent rusting of die surface from any moisture leftover. ;):D
 
wgaynor said:
Some of us try to be self-reliant. It's in our heritage. My grandparents didn't have Midwayusa or wherever you buy your supplies. They figured out how to make do with what they have.

Yes, it leads to problems and frustrations, but it's also what leads to innovative ideas and is what made this country great.

That's why I got into bullet casting.
Click to expand...
You can get lanolin and rubbing alcohol at the corner drug store. No need for MidwayUSA or any other reloading supplier.
 
FROGO207 said:
BTW Lee lube does not do this to your dies and it is also a soap type lube.
Click to expand...

RCBS case lube is water soluble as well.

Dawn is a detergent, maybe a soap might work better. While a detergent and soap both do the same task, they are not the same.

Look for a pure soap without any additives.

But, I do agree with some of the others, there are good products on the market designed for case lubricating that are quite inexpensive in use. It takes me years to use up a bottle of RCBS case lubricant shooting 4000-5000 rounds per year.
 
Not a matter of figuring ‘it’ out, I have sleeved a lot of stuff, heat the outside and cool the inside, freezing the out side shrinks the inside diameter. I am not talking about reloading, O am talking about basic, common, ordinary know to everyone. Then there is the ‘soap’ unknown to most, there are detergents that are band from a few states, lot last or least, I avoid reloaders advise when the advise starts with “Here is what I do (or use) ....etc..”.

I use tumbling medic and nothing, when I want to show off I spin the cases in a home made spinner, same thing when I do not want to tumble for hours just to clean 20 cases, again, I spin the cases. Lanolin, T. Whelen in his reloading material mentioned mixing Lanolin, Jack O’Conner listed lanolin, both pre 1954, Jack O’Conner talked about having a problem with his hands, he kept lanolin on them all the time, in passing he mentioned adding a little extra when sizing cases.

Just like the characters in ‘Little Abner’ and ‘Peanuts’ lanolin is like a human magnet to dirt, cases sized and not cleaned afterwards will have a cake build up on the outside of the case, not easy to wipe off.

No ideal how the ‘put your stuck cases with die in the freezer’ got started, I make pullers, a little different than store bought pullers, I pull the puller instead on pulling the case.

F. Guffey
 
Some of us try to be self-reliant. It's in our heritage.
Click to expand...

Then he should have cooked down some fatback into lard. If it had to be a soap, add ashes, but I think the lard alone would have been sufficient. Side affects? Cracklins. :)
 
If you want to go cheap, the next time you change your oil, take the empty new bottles of oil and turn them upside down in a jar to catch the drippings. You now have probably several hundred cases worth of lube. Just a dab on the tab of your finger is enough to lube quite a few cases. Plus it does not attract water. I prefer STP oil additive. A $3 bottle will last several lifetimes (unless you reload for an M60)

Remember, a thin even coat all down the case body is better than a thick glob at the top because the lube does not get pushed down the case by the die, it usually accumulates on the shoulder where it causes dents.
 
USSR said:
For the life of me, I fail to understand people who try to save money on what is arguably the cheapest part of reloading. See my signature below.

Don
Click to expand...
Isn't always about money. How many things/tools do you use that are not dedicated reloading products? Ever use a spaghatti strainer/food collander to separate media from brass? Have you used lizzard litter to clean your brass or just use Lyman's special walnut media? Ever mix nipple cream and alcohol to make sizing lube? If I had to buy dedicated reloading products only (Hornady case lube vs Mink Oil, Commercial manufactured bullet lube vs my "Super Green" home made lube) , I might not reload as much (it would just be assembling store bought components, kinda like a kit), and I know I would enjoy it much less...
 
I guess this is why I have never stuck a case in more than 30 yrs. of reloading.

I've been using Dillon spray on, but because I apply it with a Q tip I can make a bottle last for a very long time. At about $8 a bottle, it's costing me probably .00001 per round. I'm jus joking, I have no idea how much it's costing per round, but I do know it's not much.

GS
 
Besides cleaning dishes very well, it does a great job of cleaning boresnakes in a bucket with really hot water; it is not a lube - geez some Imperial wax or RCBS ube costs about $2 and will last for years
 
Wow... this thread has given me some good ideas of homemade case lube. Any others that you care to share? I'm one of those self-reliant types and am always willing to learn from what others have figured out.
 
I was just trying to simplify the process of using SS media in a Thumlers tumbler. I use Lemmi Shine and Dawn there anyway but figured that if I could use the Dawn to lube with and not need to put the lanolin on the brass. Then not having to wipe each casing off afterwards it would be a win-win. Oh I have for sure tried several dozen different lubes in the past with mixed results.

I also have a couple tins of Imperial, some One shot, the lanolin/isopropyl mix, the Lee lube, and a sprayer full of Dillon lube at the present.
 
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