Cleaning dies?

[Shrinkmd]

My new Hornady dies came in, and the instructions say to clean them to get an oil/protectant off of them. What do people use? Is Mpro7 ok for degreasing them? And do you ever have to worry about them rusting? Some people say they spray a little wd-40 on their dies? I'm getting confused...

 

[Dean Williams]

I don't know what Mpro7 is. I just clean my dies with Coleman lantern fuel or lighter fluid (outdoors). They don't rust easily.
WD 40 will also clean them. I don't use it for a lubricant on anything but door hinges. If you want to oil your dies, use a good oil on a bore patch and just wipe them down, but not on the inside. Something like Rem-oil, or other types of gun oil.

 

[AgentAdam]

I would say most people don't oil there dies but my corrosive sweat,and humid climate dictates i must wipe them down and mildly oil the outsides. Won't hurt anything.

 

[Oro]

Unless Mpro7 leaves a residue like WD40 does, it should be fine. Lantern fuel like Dean Williams said is a good idea if it's setting around. Acetone, MEK, etc and other light aromatic hydrocarbons like that is good. Usually I use a squirt of brake cleaner - cheap, already aerosolized, and runs clear and evaporates away rapidly with no residue.

 

[bluetopper]

I clean mine with brake cleaner also.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Brake cleaner is what I use, and it's only about $3.00 for a large can at the auto parts store.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Otto]

To degrease your dies you can use turpentine, mineral spirits, kerosene, brake cleaner, carburetor spray, lighter fluid, Gun Scrubber, Hoppes #9 or gasoline if you're careful.
To keep them from rusting, wipe them off and store them in the die box with a moth ball inside.

 

[moooose102]

honestly, i have never cleaned a die. i guess i never read that in my instructions. i have always just dug them out, screwed them into the press, and started working. i have not had any problems.

 

[BFE]

I use EEZOX myself from day one, cleans and lube's along with dry to touch afterward, best stuff offered for both.

 

[Walkalong]

B12 Chemtool is my favorite, bu the somewhat cheaper brake cleaner works too. The B12 Chemtool dries fast and leaves virtually no residue.

 

[bullseye308]

Brake cleaner to clean/degrease, and CLP after to protect. Rinse, lather, repeat.

 

[fguffey]

Shrinkmd, I get a set of dies, new or used, I clean the inside with a paper towel on a dowel first, I do not clean the inside with sand paper, steel wool, belt sander strips etc., etc., then loosen and remove all of the lock nuts and screws and clean the outside of the die then lube, I am still a user of Marvel Mystery Oil and Rislone, sealing the metal from the atmosphere prevents rust, a hard wax works, oil/lube works, a vacuum work better, getting water to boil at 0 degree F is not easy if the dies are going to be used often but perfect for long time storage.



F. Guffey

 

[mkl]

Back in ancient times, when all we had were petroleum based lubes and a lube pad, rusting was seldom a problem.

Then water based lubes came along...

I use brake cleaner to clean them and Birchwood Casey "Sheath" rust preventive to preserve them. Never had a gun or die rust using Sheath.

 

[kestak]

Greetings,


Rust protection:
Maybe I am totally wrong, but I was always told that WD40 does not prevent well rust. It is a "water" mover not a water shield. I use 10W30 oil generously with (meaning I dunk the die in the oil) the dies I am not using and just before I am using them, I wipe down the oil.

The only thing I am not oiling is the powder funnel (Dillon 550) because I noticed it makes some powder stick.

Cleaning dies:
When I reload jacketed, there is no cleaning really to do. I just use 10W30.

When I reload lead, this is another story. The lube sticks in my stations 3 and 4. After a few experiences, I decided to do the following and it is working perfectly: I use an air dryer and send the hot air into the die. The lube becomes almost liquid. I put a piece of paper towell around a "plastic" brush (You know, the one they give us with the handguns) and I pass the brush enrolled with the piece of paper towell in the die. It comes clean clean clean.

Thank you

 

[ranger335v]

A big ditto to Otto. Cleaning and protecting a piece of steel isn't rocket science. Any petroleum solvent will do nicely.

WD40 is a poor rust protector for long term storage in damp places. But, it does fine for a couple of months, or even longer if the storage humidity tends to be low.

I clean my dies BEFORE use, not after. I give them a spritz of any cheap spray lube, including Walmart's $.99 a can stuff, after each use and drop them into a die box in a closed cabinet. The dies get another spritz of the same stuff for a cleaning solvent before the next use. I do remove the decapping stem from a sizer and wipe inside with toilet tissue wrapped snuggly around a pencil (helds wipe the neck pretty good). Ditto the seater die and, sometimes, the seater plug. Never had a rusty die probllem even in moderately humid areas and I've never scratched a case with a dirty die.

Auto oils, especially the viscosity modifed grades, can work moderately well for rust protection but they are much like WD-40. That is, they aren't much good for long term storage unless it's in a low humidity place. Actually, inexpensive synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) from Wally World is an excellant gun oil and it's quite rust resistant too. Try some!

 

[472x1A/B]

I will have to go with moooose102 on this one. In over 20 years of reloading I've never cleaned or oiled a single die. One time I did get a 30-06 case stuck in a full length sizeing die, and after getting it out I wiped it off really good with a rag, but guess that's about it.

 

[243winxb]

Cleaning Reloading Dies

Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol 91% will get the oil, lube off new dies. Its good for rinsing off Bronze Bore Brushs to keep the Ammonia from eating them. For long term storage, Break Free CLP. After cleaning with Alcohol wipe dry,add light oil, or just lube cases and size. WD40 is ok for a spray and wipe, not long term storage as dies can rust.

 

[243winxb]

Bullet seating dies used to seat and crimp in the same operation using lead/cast lubed bullets will need to be cleaned with a Bore Brushed and Hoppies #9. Then wiped clean as you dont want any Ammonia based product coming in contact with brass.

 

[flashhole]

I'm clearly in the minority here but I use dish soap, hot water, and an old tooth brush for the initial cleaning then lube it and put it in service.

 

[lonewolf83]

i am new to reloading and do not have the experience of the folks on here. but just thought i would throw out there that in the redding die set that i got, the instructions say to use a "good grade of bore solvent". but i believe any of the suggestions on here would work.

 

[jjohnson]

Brake cleaner, kerosene, lighter fluid

I think any of those will work. Brake cleaner is cheap and helps loosen the lighter grade of grime - the most crud I've ever had in my dies is waxy lube from cast bullets, and that takes a cleaning brush to physically remove it - God only knows what sort of solvent you'd need if you wanted it to really dissolve all of it. So I use brake cleaner AND elbow grease.

If I clean them with brake cleaner, that stuff DOES kinda displace any oil that was on there, so I give 'em a blast of gun lubricant like Winchester TFP or equivalent, then wipe off the excess with a regular cotton cleaning patch with a pistol cleaning rod.

My humble opinion is that this procedure has lots of room for alternative and is STILL better treatment than a lot of dies get from reloaders. I imagine you could clean with kerosene, lube with 3-in-1 then wipe it clean and you'd STILL be doing your dies a favor.

 

[mallc]

Brake Cleaner Caution

A lot of brake clearners contain chlorinated solvents which have serious health issues. Light petroleum solvents are a better choice.

Yeah I know...gun totin' environmental engineers are few and far between. Just don't mistake me for a tree hugger.

Scott

 

[ranger335v]

"Yeah I know...gun totin' environmental engineers are few and far between. Just don't mistake me for a tree hugger."

I used to be a tree hugger. But not since I got the hand climber accessory for my old Baker tree stand!

Ref. Redding's suggestion to use a good grade of bore cleaner on dies: That's sorta expensive stuff and it's certainly not the sum total of what will "work" to clean dies. Including dish soap.