Reloading gear maintenance.

[jr_roosa]

Here's a noobie question for all of you. I haven't had any luck searching for this, but I'm sure it's been answered before. If somebody could point the way that would be great.

How do you maintain your reloading gear?

Press...what oil if any for the ram, pins, threads, etc.?
Powder Measure...anything other than graphite (this was mostly answered in my last post)?
Dies...RCBS actually says how to keep them nice, but any other tips?

I live in a dry but hot environment. Rust isn't a big issue, but is there any gear that you like to keep below 100 degrees? I store my powder, primers, and ammo in a foam cooler in the non AC workshop to keep them relatively cool. Lubed bullets live indoors since I can only imagine the mess if the lube melts.

Thanks!

-J.

 

[ricciardelli]

Keep them inside a dust cover. Every manufacturer has dust covers for every piece of equipment they make.

For the press use Singer sewing machine oil...and very little of it.

For the powder measure use NOTHING!

For the dies NOTHING.

 

[Idano]

jr_roosa,

I clean my presses with either WD40 or Silicon spray depending what I have available just before and right after I use them. When I am done I coat the ram is RCBS case lube as well as the shell plates, which I store in hard containers so they don't get damaged. I lube the linkages every six months on my Hornady AP with lithium grease. Bottle neck dies I clean every one or two years with WD40 to remove the old lube. My RCBS is 30+ years old and doesn't have a spec of rust on it. My equipment is in a temperature controlled room I built in the garage around the furnace and hot water heater so the temperature stays consent around 78 degrees year round at a bout 3% humidity

 

[evan price]

My Lee presses tend to build up black gunk in the spent primer slot in the ram. Non-chlorinated brake parts cleaner takes it right off. I clean the progressive shellplate carrier with compressed air.
Everything that slides or rubs gets a spray of silicon spray. The ram and pivots gets some turbine oil (the kind called "Zoom Spout" with the long extendo-tube nozzle for electric motors and door locks). The powder measure gets a little powdered graphite.

The dies get wiped clean and a light spray of silicon spray before putting them away keeps rust off. A little silicon spray in the die at the beginning of each run (even though carbide doesn't need lube) makes me feel better.
The case slider area and the finished round chute get polished with fine steel wool and some turbine oil and then sprayed with silicon spray. The finished rounds don't hang up on the chute anymore.
Primer slide gets a little graphite then blown out with compressed air.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Wipe down my press with a paper towel or rag and lube the ram and moving parts with whatever I'm using to lube my guns at that time. I keep my presses and other bench equipment under dust covers when not in use. My dies are disassembled once a year and cleaned. Other then that I just wipe them down on ocassion with a rag and gun oil. Then wipe them down with a dry rag and stored in their original containers that I have modified to except the die turret as well. My powder measure has only had the linkage greased (very lightly) on ocassion...

 

[jfh]

Does anyone have a source for LEE dust covers?

My maintenance routine pretty much follows The Bushmaster's. However, I also routinely swab out the seater with brake fluid to keep it clean, and I "de-brass" the shavings from the PTED if I have been loading new handgun brass.

Jim H.

 

[ZeSpectre]

Good thread. I -just- set up my first reloading bench but it shares a shop with some woodworking equipment so I imagine dust covers and a good cleaning regimen will be a must.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Wipe down my press with a paper towel or rag and lube the ram and moving parts with whatever I'm using to lube my guns at that time. I keep my presses and other bench equipment under dust covers when not in use. My dies are disassembled once a year and cleaned. Other then that I just wipe them down on ocassion with a rag and gun oil. Then wipe them down with a dry rag and stored in their original containers that I have modified to except the die turret as well. My powder measure has only had the linkage greased (very lightly) on ocassion...

I do very similar...

 

[evan price]

My Lee Pro1K models a very sporty and fashionable dust cover which once held the Ameritech Yellow Pages when it was left on my doorstep.

The bright yellow color and heavy gauge plastic construction make it both easy to find and rugged. The handle holes at the top of the bag make it easy to hang it on a drawer pull when I am using the press.

Plus I couldn't beat the price.

It covers everything except for the tubes for the case feeder, so I take them off and put them away when I don't use the press.

 

[Clark]

I squirt some lube into the moving parts of the press every year.

I clean the sizer dies on the lathe with a Q tip and Flitz ala Varmint Al.

 

[TexasSkyhawk]

Good thread. I -just- set up my first reloading bench but it shares a shop with some woodworking equipment so I imagine dust covers and a good cleaning regimen will be a must.

So does mine.

Two word solution for you: Compressed Air.

I use medium to small-size drawstring trash bags as dust covers for the presses, and clear Sterilite shoeboxes to put over the scales--I hate the RCBS dustcover, and never used the Dillon dustcover either.

Evan--for the Pro1000, I found that Mother's Aluminum polish on the chute and case-feed slide will polish it up good, plus make it slicker than greased owl-poop on a wet-waxed linoleum floor.

I've also found that the spray silicon is the best stuff for lubing the rams--spray a little on, then take a regular paper towel and lightly wipe off the excess.

The spray aeresol graphite you can get at NAPA is the worst stuff you can use on the rams. . . Ask me how I found THAT out.

Jeff

 

[ZeSpectre]

Two word solution for you: Compressed Air.

I use medium to small-size drawstring trash bags as dust covers for the presses, and clear Sterilite shoeboxes to put over the scales

Good ideas. The air compressor is right nearby and I have a nice plastic box that was intended for display of plastic car models but the scale fits right in there just nicely and it seals up dust-tight