Need to take die apart?

[HEAVY METAL 1]

I used Lee sizing lube and it works quite well, but I did get some rust in the die afterward and I sent Lee an email about it. Long story short they said the lube is H2O based and the die needs to be cleaned after use. What wasn't answered though is do I have to take the die apart to do that? The decap spindle is a real bear to loosen, in fact because of my wrist issues I should not be using that much force. I would rather not have to take the die apart then monkey around trying to get my setting back.

 

[Englishmn]

Shoot some gun scrubber or carb cleaner in it shake it dry and spray oil in it.

 

[Blue68f100]

To remove the rust you may need to disassemble it. If it's very light you may get way by just using solvent and q-tips.

 

[quaid]

Maybe try adjusting the wrenches such that you're not using your wrists to move them but instead squeezing the wrenches together with hand strength. They should have a "V" shape to them which you then squeeze closed.

Or tumble them. Maybe just tumble them.

 

[Dudedog]

The decap spindle is a real bear to loosen

If all else fails use a bigger wrench!
It helps to remove the spindle when the die is in the press.
After the spindle is out run a gun cleaning patch with solvent thru it.

The spindle should be tight, but not so tight that the pin can't slide up if necessary.
With crimped primers sometimes the spindle/pin needs to be pretty tight.
No crimped primers it does not need to be anywhere near as tight, just tight enough that it does not move when doing "normal" cases.
If it is too tight it defeats the design to let it move up to keep from mangling the pin. (I have tested this a couple times to confirm that if it is to tight you can mangle a pin)

 

[clearcut]

A cheater pipe may give you the leverage that you need

 

[someguy2800]

First step is throw away the lee sizing lube. Used it once and it rusted my die and tarnished my brass. In the garbage it goes.

 

[Blue68f100]

Use a box end wrench on the locking nut, and a cresent on body if it has a flat. If it doesn't, use a vice or pliers protecting the threads or body with a heavy piece of leather. Position them so all you need is grip strength, handles about 1" apart. You can get a lot of torque this way.

 

[TheDomFather]

One other thing you can try is hornady one shot dry lube and gun cleaner. I use it to clean all of my dies with inside and out and also use it to clean my press. I love this stuff. Not sure how well it will work on rust. toss that lube its crap, Hornady one shot case lube is good but a bit pricey, I will be switching to a 12:1 mix of 99% iso rubbiing alcohol to liquid lanolin and many others use Redding imperial sizing die wax. Good luck!
Dom

 

[Phil70]

One other thing you can try is hornady one shot dry lube and gun cleaner. I use it to clean all of my dies with inside and out and also use it to clean my press. I love this stuff. Not sure how well it will work on rust. toss that lube its crap, Hornady one shot case lube is good but a bit pricey, I will be switching to a 12:1 mix of 99% iso rubbiing alcohol to liquid lanolin and many others use Redding imperial sizing die wax. Good luck!
Dom

I have had trouble with Lee’s lube making a mess in my dies. I’ve had to make sure I clean them out after using it.
The air hole in the die would clogged up with residue, not enough lube the die would stick. Too much it was, Too much.
I don’t use it anymore

 

[WestKentucky]

Sounds like a great time to use a cheater bar.

 

[rfwobbly]

A lot of the more popular dies will rust. That's simply a fact of life. Lee and Hornady dies being 2 familiar ones. You can drop those in your tumbler and remove most rust with little effort. Disassembly always helps, but is never required.

Prevention is always easier than repair. I spray my dies with Hornady One Shot or Dillon Spray Case Lube. Both these leave a waxy coating that fights surface oxidation.