Rust on reloading dies

[Obie73]

Hi, what do you do for your reloading dies to prevent rust? I have my press in a small shed, and checked it the other day and there is a slight bit of rust in places on the outside of it. I had a light towel draped over the press on the bench, with the die still in the press, and left the towel over it for too many weeks. Been so busy and should have stored the die properly.

In general, should you spray something like WD-40 onto and into the die before putting it back in its plastic case, and if you do, do you need to clean the water-repelling oil from the die before doing another session of reloading? Thanks.

[No1Mk3]

I wipe with a cloth very lightly moistened with a light mineral oil, inside and out, then put away. I am not concerned about external rust as such, but don't get the problem anyway. I never wipe the dies prior to use, you will be using lube anyway. If I do leave a set-up in the press I may give it a quick spray with Lanotec first, or if it is only a week or so then I wipe with my oiled cloth and cover as you did. Here in Vic we don't see the types pf humidity you encounter in the upper parts of Queensland though so iff you are in FNQ or even a bit further South you may want to bite the bullet ( no pun!) and put your dies away, Cheers

[SCJ429]

Ballistol.

[wanneroo]

Wrap your dies in VCI Paper and the problem is solved:

https://www.armorvci.com/products/vci-paper/

Also endeavor to keep them in a low humidity environment. You can buy gun safe dehumidifiers as well as larger room dehumidifiers. I have a dehumidifier in the barn(which is insulated for winter) and is plumed into an outside drain. When humidity goes above 60% it kicks on.

Baring that you can also put them in a container with reusable dessicant packs.

This winter I'm looking to make a video for my Youtube channel on preventing rust on reloading dies and tools and different things I do, some are listed above.