Shoulder dents from excess lube?

[Palladan44]

I think tonight I used an excessive amount of case lube. I got some dents around the shoulder area of a few. L@@k

It may be hard to see in the image, but they're there. The best I can describe is they take on a geometric pattern almost like the way a steel drum [musical instrument] looks.

It also appears that the vent hole in the side of my RCBS die is completely covered by the Dillon toolhead and/or lockring. I'm not sure whether this matters at all. Maybe in other setups, this vent hole would be in open air allowing excess lube to escape.

Do these "lube dents" [let's just call these that for now] cause for any concern? They fit a case gauge. I found that using less lube and they go away, but I have about a dozen cases that have these dents.

I'm already working on resolving another issue where I wasn't lubing the inside of the case necks and the expander ball was pulling the shoulder back out some, causing failure to go into complete battery in an AR I was loading for.

I also dont like how the decapping pin gets loose every so often, which allows the expander ball to yaw and make for a misaligned expansion....and theyres no real great way to tighten the decapper pin/expander ball assembly unless you put a vise grips on the expander ball.

I'm also questioning that this die doesn't sit low enough on the case (before my Dillon maxes out) and thus not pushing back the shoulder enough.

I'm not too big a fan of this RCBS die, but it's all I know in this caliber so far.

 

[JohnMc]

You're right about the picture and it looks like you're right about the source of the dents, as well as I can see.
Small ones shoot OK, even some bigger ones, don't ask how I know. I think we all learn that lesson. And the ones in the picture appear quite small.
And yes, they're a symptom of too much lube or too much in the wrong place. The lube acts as a hydraulic fluid in a press.
Getting it figured out is part of learning. I like the pad method, spray & shake in a bag, and spreading with minimally covered fingers.

Did you try some blue loctite on the threads of the expander? It might help.

 

[Nature Boy]

It won’t hurt anything. The case will form to the chamber of your rifle when it’s fired and the dent will be gone.

 

[lightman]

I'm with the others, those dents won't hurt anything. But you can avoid them by wiping the case neck and shoulder area off with a rag before sizing. Enough lube will remain to do the job.

 

[Yamifrk]

Lanolin and alcohol in a spray bottle, i spray it inside a ziplock bag, quart or gallon depending on how many cases i have. Then give a couple sprays on the cases inside the bag. Then take the bag and just rub them around. Take them out and size. I honestly haven’t noticed any difference between letting them dry off the alcohol or just sizing right away.

 

[OS/N]

Cleaning the die frequently is time well spent. Chances are that that hole in your die is there for a retention wire or spring and not a vent. If it is a vent its there to vent air and not lube.

Do the sizing while the lube is still wet and use your fingers to smooth over and remove any access lube off the case just before sizing and your troubles should go away. You only want enough lube to keep the case from sticking. A paste or water base lube applied with your fingers is my prefered way.

If you are using an expander type die putting a very light amount of lube inside the neck with a q-tip will give you more uniform cases and the lever will be a lot easier to operate. This keeps the neck and shoulder from getting pullled out of shape. Remove any access with a dry q-tip before putting in powder and it only takes a few mins for it to dry. Clean neck id with a bore brush before lube and sizing also. One drop on the q-tip can lube 10 or more neck IDs if there is no crud in the neck.

 

[lordpaxman]

You’ll be fine as long as the round fits a case gauge. Fire forming really does work.
When I used to use the ooey gooey lube on an ink pad, I always got a few dents. You may want to consider a different lube - I like Imperial wax and their ceramic beads and graphite are great for lubing the necks. It’s always a balancing act with too much to just enough lube to… a stuck case.

 

[JmacD]

I’m liking imperial and Hornadys unique for case lube. But, I definitely have done the dents. Boom and they’re gone.

 

[sugarmaker]

I agree with your diagnosis. The plastic baggie lube method, with spray or favorite solvent and lube, is the best combination of speed and even application for me thus far and should help prevent what you are showing. Weatherby double radius shoulders are very susceptible to that and the baggie method keeps it from happening there too.

 

[Blue68f100]

I think tonight I used an excessive amount of case lube. I got some dents around the shoulder area of a few. L@@k
View attachment 1184556
It may be hard to see in the image, but they're there. The best I can describe is they take on a geometric pattern almost like the way a steel drum [musical instrument] looks.

It also appears that the vent hole in the side of my RCBS die is completely covered by the Dillon toolhead and/or lockring. I'm not sure whether this matters at all. Maybe in other setups, this vent hole would be in open air allowing excess lube to escape.

Do these "lube dents" [let's just call these that for now] cause for any concern? They fit a case gauge. I found that using less lube and they go away, but I have about a dozen cases that have these dents.

I'm already working on resolving another issue where I wasn't lubing the inside of the case necks and the expander ball was pulling the shoulder back out some, causing failure to go into complete battery in an AR I was loading for.

I also dont like how the decapping pin gets loose every so often, which allows the expander ball to yaw and make for a misaligned expansion....and theyres no real great way to tighten the decapper pin/expander ball assembly unless you put a vise grips on the expander ball.

I'm also questioning that this die doesn't sit low enough on the case (before my Dillon maxes out) and thus not pushing back the shoulder enough.

I'm not too big a fan of this RCBS die, but it's all I know in this caliber so far.

Like others have said, it will iron it self out on the firing. Not a problem.

As for the die, a good cleaning is required. Decades ago before the www I had that problem but it was due to the vent hole being plugged by lead shot from the locking ring set screw. Took me a while to find the cause because the odds of the locking ring falling into the vent hole is a long shot. But you will need to back-off your locking ring to clear the hole. Due to play in threads the locking ring by itself will not plug the hole unless really packed.

For your decapping pin getting loose. I use pliers but I protect the collar with some leather so it doesn't mark it.

 

[AJC1]

I think tonight I used an excessive amount of case lube. I got some dents around the shoulder area of a few. L@@k
View attachment 1184556
It may be hard to see in the image, but they're there. The best I can describe is they take on a geometric pattern almost like the way a steel drum [musical instrument] looks.

It also appears that the vent hole in the side of my RCBS die is completely covered by the Dillon toolhead and/or lockring. I'm not sure whether this matters at all. Maybe in other setups, this vent hole would be in open air allowing excess lube to escape.

Do these "lube dents" [let's just call these that for now] cause for any concern? They fit a case gauge. I found that using less lube and they go away, but I have about a dozen cases that have these dents.

I'm already working on resolving another issue where I wasn't lubing the inside of the case necks and the expander ball was pulling the shoulder back out some, causing failure to go into complete battery in an AR I was loading for.

I also dont like how the decapping pin gets loose every so often, which allows the expander ball to yaw and make for a misaligned expansion....and theyres no real great way to tighten the decapper pin/expander ball assembly unless you put a vise grips on the expander ball.

I'm also questioning that this die doesn't sit low enough on the case (before my Dillon maxes out) and thus not pushing back the shoulder enough.

I'm not too big a fan of this RCBS die, but it's all I know in this caliber so far.

Put a little piece of plumbers Teflon tape in the threads of the expander before you screw it on.

 

[lightman]

Lanolin and alcohol in a spray bottle, i spray it inside a ziplock bag, quart or gallon depending on how many cases i have. Then give a couple sprays on the cases inside the bag. Then take the bag and just rub them around. Take them out and size. I honestly haven’t noticed any difference between letting them dry off the alcohol or just sizing right away.

I do the same thing. I even save the gallon ZipLoc bag and reuse it. I still use a rag to wipe the neck and shoulder areas off.

 

[JohnMc]

I even save the gallon ZipLoc bag and reuse it.

Me too. It's to my left even as I type this.

 

[film495]

I've done this a few times. The trick is by lubricate the case, they mean it just can't be totally dry. Mostly I just rub the cases with my fingers since I'm working on a single stage press and they are in my hands anyways. The more cases I size, the less lube goes on each one, and by feel you can tell if they start to seem stiffer going through the press, and that is the indicator to go a little heavier with the lube for a few cases. but, really, from my experience - which isn't a ton, lubed just means not totally dry, a skim coat.

 

[Yamifrk]

I have been reusing the same bag for quite awhile…I thought I was the only one that kept the bag. Even though the lube has dried as soon as you spray the inside it is still there sometimes I don’t even have to spray the brass itself. Like magic…

 

[FROGO207]

A little piece of wire, a pin, or a oxy torch cleaning tool will clean out the vent holes in the die. When you lube your cases with anythi g thick enough to cause lube dents, dont go higher than 1/4" below the bottom of the shoulder. Also inside lube the neck as explained above/dip neck in motor mica. No more dents and no stuck brass. OR start using the spray lube in a baggie. This has worked for years with no lube dents here. When I started out years ago sizing 30-30 using Imperial I put too much wax on and had lots of lube dents. Much better results now.

 

[AK Hunter]

Me too. It's to my left even as I type this.

I use a large plastic tray to get a single layer, then I shake it to turn them over & spray the other side. After letting it get mostly dry I start processing it.

 

[Nature Boy]

I use a Tupperware container

 

[Yankee1986]

Cardboard box lined with aluminum foil. I do like the Tupperware or Ziploc idea better and will probably go that route the next session.

 

[Yankee1986]

A little piece of wire, a pin, or a oxy torch cleaning tool will clean out the vent holes in the die. When you lube your cases with anythi g thick enough to cause lube dents, dont go higher than 1/4" below the bottom of the shoulder. Also inside lube the neck as explained above/dip neck in motor mica. No more dents and no stuck brass. OR start using the spray lube in a baggie. This has worked for years with no lube dents here. When I started out years ago sizing 30-30 using Imperial I put too much wax on and had lots of lube dents. Much better results now.

With something like this? Although, a cheaper alternative would probably be easy to come up with.

Case Neck Graphiter

When sizing a fired case, pulling the expander button through the case can present a problem because residual deposits left from firing can create friction...

www.forsterproducts.com

When using a baggie, plastic bowl or box and simple spraying and tossing around, one would think that enough of the lube would get inside the neck to suffice.

Until joining and reading threads like this, I wouldn't have even thought about lubing for expander.

Thank you to all who take the time to post your experience and findings.

 

[IWAC]

With something like this? Although, a cheaper alternative would probably be easy to come up with.

Case Neck Graphiter

When sizing a fired case, pulling the expander button through the case can present a problem because residual deposits left from firing can create friction...

www.forsterproducts.com

When using a baggie, plastic bowl or box and simple spraying and tossing around, one would think that enough of the lube would get inside the neck to suffice.

Until joining and reading threads like this, I wouldn't have even thought about lubing for expander.

Thank you to all who take the time to post your experience and findings.

Been using the little red grapiter for years!

 

[rdnktrkr]

I recently loaded 400rnds of 30-06 for the Garands, about 50 cases in a gallon Ziploc bag, 2 sprays of lanolin/alcohol, roll around a little and then dump on a cardboard drink flat to dry, reload bag, spray, rub, allow to sit while loading the first 50, then dump 2nd load to dry and start over. I've been doing this for years and have stopped getting stuck cases and "hyd" dents. I use a Lee die and have gone to their EZ expander that I've polished for smoother reloading. Loading smaller cases, you can easily get 100cases in a bag, the cardboard flats you can easily get at a grocery store drink isle. I stopped worrying about inside the neck when I started spraying the mixture (I think some gets inside them when you spray).

 

[Thomasss]

Toss your case lube and get Hornady Unique case lube and you will never have case dents again. It IS that simple.

 

[Palladan44]

Yeah, I tried using this RCBS stuff for the first time....I assume it's lanolin and a solvent, and not much more. I wasn't really used to the spray bottle, and I think I overdid it. Won't make this mistake again, hopefully.

 

[Walkalong]

The shoulder needs very, very, little lube, just be sparing wiping it on and you’ll be fine.