Reloading dies cleaning tips

[vaalpens]

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but I definitely do not have any cleaning tips. This thread is basically to ask for some advice regarding best practices or tips for cleaning reloading dies.

There are YouTube videos out there showing basically:

• Cleaning with Hornady OneShot
• Cleaning with brake cleaner
• Cleaning with carb cleaner
• Cleaning with an utrasonic cleaner
• Then after the cleaning protecting it with something

I assume there will be a difference between protecting it for long term storage vs regular usage. What I am interested in is, what protection if any is needed if dies are used once or a few times per month.

My apologies for not sharing my own tips for cleaning dies, but to be honest, I have not been cleaning my dies except for wiping them down with some gun oil on the outside since I have moved to a bit more humid environment.

 

[nettlle]

I have both Dillon and Redding dies. Dillon dies come apart easily for cleaning. If you are loading lubed cast bullets you will need something plastic to scrape the lube out. For all other bullets I use M-Pro 7 gun cleaner (just because I have a lot of it). I wouldn't hesitate to use Simple Green for die cleaning. After cleaning I will wipe the dies dry with cotton and lube with gun oil inside and out using Q-Tips. I only clean my dies about once a year and even at that they aren't all that dirty. It can be humid here and I always give anything steel I have touched a wipe down or spray with WD-40. My reloading presses are in my garage.

 

[Docendo Discimus]

I just use Q tips with 91% rubbing alcohol on them and blow them out with the air compressor. My reloading area is temp and humidity controlled so surface rust isn't a problem.

 

[JFrank]

Brake or Carb cleaner works great for cleaning. WD for storage seems reasonable

 

[vaalpens]

Thinking back now I realize that i do have some experience cleaning a die. This was basically my 45acp expander die getting very sticky. I cleaned and buffed the inside expander on my Lee die, but it did not help much. At then

I have both Dillon and Redding dies. Dillon dies come apart easily for cleaning. If you are loading lubed cast bullets you will need something plastic to scrape the lube out. For all other bullets I use M-Pro 7 gun cleaner (just because I have a lot of it). I wouldn't hesitate to use Simple Green for die cleaning. After cleaning I will wipe the dies dry with cotton and lube with gun oil inside and out using Q-Tips. I only clean my dies about once a year and even at that they aren't all that dirty. It can be humid here and I always give anything steel I have touched a wipe down or spray with WD-40. My reloading presses are in my garage.

Thanks for the information on how you clean your dies. I have a question though. You say you lube the inside of the dies with gun oil. That does not cause any reloading issues? I thought the inside of the dies should be oil free.

 

[vaalpens]

I just use Q tips with 91% rubbing alcohol on them and blow them out with the air compressor. My reloading area is temp and humidity controlled so surface rust isn't a problem.

Thanks for the tip. So basically it is cleaning and no protection since everything is temp/humid controlled. Thanks.

 

[vaalpens]

Brake or Carb cleaner works great for cleaning. WD for storage seems reasonable

Thanks for the tips. So if you are not storing the dies, do you put any protection on after the cleaning with brake or carb cleaner?

 

[nettlle]

Thinking back now I realize that i do have some experience cleaning a die. This was basically my 45acp expander die getting very sticky. I cleaned and buffed the inside expander on my Lee die, but it did not help much. At then


Thanks for the information on how you clean your dies. I have a question though. You say you lube the inside of the dies with gun oil. That does not cause any reloading issues? I thought the inside of the dies should be oil free.

The oil isn't going to hurt any more than the lube from lubed cast bullets. Both are sticky. No lube for any dies close to powder. Like the expander die on my Dillon powder measure. For anything metal I don't like to strip it dry and not protect it with something afterwards.

 

[kalielkslayer]

The oil isn't going to hurt any more than the lube from lubed cast bullets. Both are sticky. No lube for any dies close to powder. Like the expander die on my Dillon powder measure. For anything metal I don't like to strip it dry and not protect it with something afterwards.

A year ago I asked the same question. And one of my 4 choices was to put the die in the dishwasher.

man, did I get killed for that one!!!

i’ve opted for tumbling in my tumbler with hot water, Dawn, and SS pins.

 

[JFrank]

Thanks for the tips. So if you are not storing the dies, do you put any protection on after the cleaning with brake or carb cleaner?

Not really, they seem to get plenty of lube during sizing.

 

[FROGO207]

A bit of carb cleaner sprayed inside to remove crud from seating dies when needed and an application of some sort of teflon lube sprayed on in a thin layer after. If things are really messed up I put the peices in the wet tumbler with SS pins just like I clean my brass, then dry and lube with teflon spray lube to prevent rust. This has worked for years.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Ballistol is all I use. I don’t keep it glopped on though. I clean the die then wipe it off. Perhaps if I waited a long time between cleaning I’d need something else but not yet.

Thanks for the reminder. Just quick cleaned several dies while still on the press—Ballistol on a q-tip and up into the die. Only the sizing die did I take guts out but still left the rest in press.

 

[cfullgraf]

I use about anything at hand. Carb cleaner, brake cleaner, WD-40 or some other aerosol light oil. I definitely do not clean with water as it promotes rust more easily.

I clean seater dies the most depending on how much lubed cast bullets I seat.

My reloading area is in a temperature/humidity controlled area so rust is more easily avoided.

 

[Ru4real]

The best tip is a Q-tip. With oil on it.

 

[Blue68f100]

I use what I use to clean my guns with. Afterwards I put a coat of wax (Imperial Sizing Wax) on the clean surfaces to prevent rust.

 

[gonoles_1980]

I haven't cleaned my dies since bought them in 2013. I store them in the house. I have put WD-40 on the outside when I leave on the back porch where I reload too long.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I haven't cleaned my dies since bought them in 2013. I store them in the house. I have put WD-40 on the outside when I leave on the back porch where I reload too long.

Reload “too long”??? Must be a typo.

 

[AJC1]

I soak mine in mineral spirits and clean with patch covered brushes of the same or close caliber.
When I put stuff in storage I use chain lube for motor cycles or the wd 40 rust inhibitor spray wrapped in a plastic bag.

 

[JFrank]

Gotta keep the inside of a die clean to avoid hydraulic denting and over sizing.

 

[jdsingleshot]

My dies have been in the house or heated/cooled garage for more than 50 years. I have done nothing to protect them and they have no rust. I would never use any water or water-base solution in or on them.

I don't load anywhere near as many rounds as many of you, but I have never needed to clean the inside of a die, except to remove bullet lube, as mentioned above.

 

[Rule3]

Just clean them like you would a gun.
For very long term storage spray with LPS 3, It's like cosmoline in a spray can!

(don't really do this), I used to use a lot of it on marine engines and parts. !

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but I definitely do not have any cleaning tips. This thread is basically to ask for some advice regarding best practices or tips for cleaning reloading dies.

There are YouTube videos out there showing basically:

• Cleaning with Hornady OneShot
• Cleaning with brake cleaner
• Cleaning with carb cleaner
• Cleaning with an utrasonic cleaner
• Then after the cleaning protecting it with something

I assume there will be a difference between protecting it for long term storage vs regular usage. What I am interested in is, what protection if any is needed if dies are used once or a few times per month.

My apologies for not sharing my own tips for cleaning dies, but to be honest, I have not been cleaning my dies except for wiping them down with some gun oil on the outside since I have moved to a bit more humid environment.

I use makeup removal pads and Hoppes No.9 for cleaning and Ballistol for protection. I use mine outside fairly often when there’s sunshine and a cool breeze so corrosion is a factor. The Ballistol applied very lightly - barely there - inside and out works well so far.

 

[lightman]

On the dies that I load jacketed bullets with I just put a little oil on a bore mop and run it up into the die. If I don't have a bore mop of the correct size I just twist the corner of a rag into a cylinder and screw it up into the die and back out.

If I'm loading cast bullets I take the die apart and gently scrap the lube off of the seating stem and run a bore brush sprayed with brake cleaner up into the die, followed with a bore mop sprayed with oil. Just remember that brake cleaner removes all of any protection thats in the die.
I'll also brush my shell holders with a wire tooth brush and gently clean up under the rim with a dental pick

Way back when I was younger I got something in one of my dies that scratched my brass and I chucked a bore brush with oil on it into drill and spun it in the sizing die followed by a bore mop with some Flitz on it.

 

[doubleh]

Carb cleaner followed by compressed air and then returned to the box they came in. I bought my first dies in the early '70's and they look just as they did then. Of course the relative humidity is here is low compared to most of the rest of the country. If I lived where it was almost raining most of the time I might spray them with some kind of protectant.

 

[J-Bar]

I use Liquid Alox lube on home cast lead bullets. When excess Alox accumulates in my Dillon carbide dies I soak them in mineral spirits for a couple of hours, then wipe them clean with paper towels and Q-tips. Easy. Dillon case lube on the brass is all the die lube I’ve needed.