RCBS Lube Die - Work OK?
- Thread starter BBDartCA
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It either doesn't seem real popular or no one really knows about it because its hardly discussed here and when the topic comes up there aren't many responses. Here is a thread I started about it a little while ago. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=635515
Once I get my progressive later this year, I'll probably get one for 223.
Once I get my progressive later this year, I'll probably get one for 223.
They work great. I found that the expander ball in the die is big and tends to wreck case necks if the case mouth is dinged up. I was taking dinged case mouths and basically neck sizing them in the sizing die before running them through the lube die. I broke a decapping pin on a derban primer and had some problems with walnut media packed in a lot of cases I purchased so I ended up putting a Lee universal die in station one, lube die with decapping stem removed in 2 and sizer die in 3. The Lee die with the sliding decapping stem is great for ruff cases.
Back to the lube die. Add lube to the die and let it set for a while the first time so the felt soaks up the lube. After the first shot of lube when refilling the die don't wait around, get to sizing or there will be to much lube on the case. After 15 or 20 cases are sized the flow will ease up and sizing can even be stopped with no problems. Do make sure you put a case in the die when done or lube will leak all over the place. The inside of the die pulls out easy for cleaning or wiping off lube for long term storage, its just an aluminum insert in the die that uses o rings to seal against the die body. I size about 200 cases between fillings and its easy to tell when its time to fill.
Back to the lube die. Add lube to the die and let it set for a while the first time so the felt soaks up the lube. After the first shot of lube when refilling the die don't wait around, get to sizing or there will be to much lube on the case. After 15 or 20 cases are sized the flow will ease up and sizing can even be stopped with no problems. Do make sure you put a case in the die when done or lube will leak all over the place. The inside of the die pulls out easy for cleaning or wiping off lube for long term storage, its just an aluminum insert in the die that uses o rings to seal against the die body. I size about 200 cases between fillings and its easy to tell when its time to fill.
dbarnhart
Member
I have two, one for 223 and one for 308. I use them in conjunction with the Dillon case trimmer so that I can lube, decap, size, and trim all in one operation.
You run the trimmer on a LnL right? I was wondering how many holes the trimmer takes up? From the pics and videos it looks like the trimmer set in station 3 also covers most of station 2 and 4.
codefour
Member
The RCBS lube dies can be tricky at first. The one thing I learned is that they are temperature sensitive. I reload in my garage and if it is cold in tehre, it can take a while for the lube to flow down to the felt ring. Once it is flowing though, they work great. I have not had one stuck case.
Also, the nipple on the lube bottle is rather small. I took a small drill bit (just a tad larger than the original hole) and reemed it open. This helped the lube flow better into the die. I was originally squeezing so hard and no lube was getting in.
Once the lube die is trully full, it works like well. And remember, just because you see lube in the die opening port, does not mean it is full, i.e. temperature fluctuations.
Also, the nipple on the lube bottle is rather small. I took a small drill bit (just a tad larger than the original hole) and reemed it open. This helped the lube flow better into the die. I was originally squeezing so hard and no lube was getting in.
Once the lube die is trully full, it works like well. And remember, just because you see lube in the die opening port, does not mean it is full, i.e. temperature fluctuations.
DaveInFloweryBranchGA
Member
"I have two, one for 223 and one for 308. I use them in conjunction with the Dillon case trimmer so that I can lube, decap, size, and trim all in one operation."
I do the same thing on an RCBS Pro 2000. Real happy with the lube die and the trimmer.
"The RCBS lube dies can be tricky at first. The one thing I learned is that they are temperature sensitive. I reload in my garage and if it is cold in tehre, it can take a while for the lube to flow down to the felt ring. Once it is flowing though, they work great. I have not had one stuck case."
I just turned the die upside down, squeezed lube directly onto the felt, let it soak in and got with my reloading. You can do this if you have press the dies are mounted into a toolhead, a die plate or a bushing where they're quickly removed. Works great for me, got tired of messing with the lube hole. Too slow.
I do the same thing on an RCBS Pro 2000. Real happy with the lube die and the trimmer.
"The RCBS lube dies can be tricky at first. The one thing I learned is that they are temperature sensitive. I reload in my garage and if it is cold in tehre, it can take a while for the lube to flow down to the felt ring. Once it is flowing though, they work great. I have not had one stuck case."
I just turned the die upside down, squeezed lube directly onto the felt, let it soak in and got with my reloading. You can do this if you have press the dies are mounted into a toolhead, a die plate or a bushing where they're quickly removed. Works great for me, got tired of messing with the lube hole. Too slow.
That is a good idea. I will have to give it a try next time.
dbarnhart
Member
>>You run the trimmer on a LnL right? I was wondering how many holes the trimmer takes up? From the pics and videos it looks like the trimmer set in station 3 also covers most of station 2 and 4.<<
Yes. I put the trimmer in station 3. It is large enough that you really can't put anything in stations 2 and 4.
Yes. I put the trimmer in station 3. It is large enough that you really can't put anything in stations 2 and 4.
DaveInFloweryBranchGA
Member
It's a shame Dillon didn't think to put an extended shaft setup on that motor. Would make adding dies in other positions possible. I'm surprised one of these aftermarket guys hasn't taken the opportunity to manufacture an extended shaft adapter and make some money doing so.
David Wile
Member
Hey folks,
For almost forty years I loaded on single stage presses and rolled bottleneck cases on an RCBS lube pad for sizing. Loading pistol cases with carbide dies was pure joy since I did not have to lube cases and clean them after sizing. In 1997 I bought my Hornady L&L progressive, and I really hated the idea of having to lube bottleneck cases which were to be loaded on a progressive machine. Lubing them on the pad just seemed wrong when loading them on a progressive machine.
It was only then that I first tried using the spray on lube that was available. I would put 50 cases in a block, spray them up and reload them. The spray worked, but it was a lot more expensive than using the lube pad.
Then I heard about using an RCBS lube die in the first station of my progressive press. It sounded great, but I did not know anyone who actually used one, and I simply could not spend that kind of money on something I did not see work first. I also figured that I might need two or three of them to do the cartridges I wanted to reload, and that made the price sticker shock even worse.
Well all these years have gone by, and I still have never purchased a lube die. If I am honest with myself, I really do not reload enough any longer to really justify buying one anyway. I also recently sold over 40 of my guns, so I don't have that many left to reload for any longer. I would also point out that using a lube die doesn't do anything to make cleaning the lube off the finished cartridges "progressive." Having said all that, however, I know for certain if I would just see one in use, I would spend the bucks to buy one to use for my 30-06 cartridges. They really seem like a great idea. I just wish I could watch someone using one in action and maybe get a little hands on experience.
If I were to use one, it would go in Station 1, then sizer die in Station 2, Powder Charge in Station 3, and seating bullets in Station 4. I may not load that much any longer, but I still love the mechanics of the progressive machine.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
For almost forty years I loaded on single stage presses and rolled bottleneck cases on an RCBS lube pad for sizing. Loading pistol cases with carbide dies was pure joy since I did not have to lube cases and clean them after sizing. In 1997 I bought my Hornady L&L progressive, and I really hated the idea of having to lube bottleneck cases which were to be loaded on a progressive machine. Lubing them on the pad just seemed wrong when loading them on a progressive machine.
It was only then that I first tried using the spray on lube that was available. I would put 50 cases in a block, spray them up and reload them. The spray worked, but it was a lot more expensive than using the lube pad.
Then I heard about using an RCBS lube die in the first station of my progressive press. It sounded great, but I did not know anyone who actually used one, and I simply could not spend that kind of money on something I did not see work first. I also figured that I might need two or three of them to do the cartridges I wanted to reload, and that made the price sticker shock even worse.
Well all these years have gone by, and I still have never purchased a lube die. If I am honest with myself, I really do not reload enough any longer to really justify buying one anyway. I also recently sold over 40 of my guns, so I don't have that many left to reload for any longer. I would also point out that using a lube die doesn't do anything to make cleaning the lube off the finished cartridges "progressive." Having said all that, however, I know for certain if I would just see one in use, I would spend the bucks to buy one to use for my 30-06 cartridges. They really seem like a great idea. I just wish I could watch someone using one in action and maybe get a little hands on experience.
If I were to use one, it would go in Station 1, then sizer die in Station 2, Powder Charge in Station 3, and seating bullets in Station 4. I may not load that much any longer, but I still love the mechanics of the progressive machine.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
dbarnhart
Member
My bottleneck rifle cases make two passes thru my press.
On the first pass I set up the LnL like this:
Station 1: RCBS Lube Die (also decaps the case)
Station 3: Dillon Trimmer (also sizes the case)
Station 5: RCBS Sizer Die (To expand the case mouth)
From there they go into the polisher for a few minutes to clean the lube off. I process my brass in batches. Currently for 223 I have five batches of 1000 cases. and I rotate through them. When I shoot up all the rounds in a batch the cases go through the above process and then stored in an ammo can marked with their batch number.
When it's time to load another batch I take the next ammo can of processed brass off the shelf and stuff them.
>>It's a shame Dillon didn't think to put an extended shaft setup on that motor.<<
Yes. And like all Dillon products, 'fast and easy setup' is not an adjective you would use with it. Using the Dillon trimmer makes sense only when you trim a very large number of cases at once.
On the first pass I set up the LnL like this:
Station 1: RCBS Lube Die (also decaps the case)
Station 3: Dillon Trimmer (also sizes the case)
Station 5: RCBS Sizer Die (To expand the case mouth)
From there they go into the polisher for a few minutes to clean the lube off. I process my brass in batches. Currently for 223 I have five batches of 1000 cases. and I rotate through them. When I shoot up all the rounds in a batch the cases go through the above process and then stored in an ammo can marked with their batch number.
When it's time to load another batch I take the next ammo can of processed brass off the shelf and stuff them.
>>It's a shame Dillon didn't think to put an extended shaft setup on that motor.<<
Yes. And like all Dillon products, 'fast and easy setup' is not an adjective you would use with it. Using the Dillon trimmer makes sense only when you trim a very large number of cases at once.
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