Case lube alternative?

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Case lube alternative?

Post by Roo farmer » 06 Jan 2019, 10:46 am

Instead of paying about $18 for 50ml of proper case lube, does anybody have any better ideas? It can't be that special? What about diesel engine oil?

For use on a lube pad.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by JimTom » 06 Jan 2019, 11:14 am

Mate I just use a can of one shot. A quick spray for neck sizing, slightly longer for full length sizing.
A lot quicker than applying other case lube.
That's just me, I have had no issues with the spray, I am sure there will be others who have has a different experience.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by JimTom » 06 Jan 2019, 11:17 am

I haven’t tried any other alternatives, although I can’t see why they wouldn’t work.
The one shot spray doesn’t have any residue that effects reloading (apparently) nevertheless I run my cases through a cleaning regime once I have decapped and necksized.
If you try anything else please let us know how it goes.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Gaznazdiak » 06 Jan 2019, 11:32 am

Nice sticky diff oil.
fideles usque ad mortem
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Bills Shed » 06 Jan 2019, 12:00 pm

I have used everything from inbox,CRC and ATF. I too think factory brews are too expensive for what they are.
My current home brew is simple lanolin and shellite. I buy pure lanolin by the Kg and 4lt of shelite from the local hardware. 1 part lanolin to 10 parts shelite and mix in some sort of spray bottle. This will last about ..forever. I use it for all my FLSing. Even for bigger cases like 303 etc. Just let the shelite evaporate off.
Just like One Shot. Good For general use around the house as well. Change ratios as you see fit.
For making jackets and heavy work I mix lanolin and castor oil 50/50.

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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 06 Jan 2019, 12:25 pm

Someone said imperial wax big tin would last ages for them. I got a tube of lee that is half gone in 1 year. ..but i use lee collet dies to neck size, which require no lube. In 11 months have reloaded 900 rounds.
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Post by Oldbloke » 06 Jan 2019, 12:27 pm

Gaznazdiak wrote:Nice sticky diff oil.



+1
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by TheDude » 06 Jan 2019, 12:45 pm

8 parts 99% isopropyl alcohol to 1 part lanolin. Pretty much the same recipe as Dillon sizing lube. Mix it up and put it in a spray bottle. Light spray and allow to dry (isopropyl evaporates) before sizing.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by SCJ429 » 06 Jan 2019, 1:31 pm

I like Lee case lube but it is a bit thick and sometimes can dent the case so I put a drop on the pad and thin it out with Ballistol. You could use Inox or WD40 instead of Ballistol if you are keen.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by justgav » 06 Jan 2019, 1:36 pm

I just use the lee case lube and throw a good dab in a plastic sealed tube with my cases. Give it a good shake and all is good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGEwqwtKdE
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by SCJ429 » 06 Jan 2019, 1:52 pm

You must go through a fair bit of lube, looks a bit wasteful. I apply the lube with my fingers.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by deye243 » 06 Jan 2019, 2:06 pm

.....
Last edited by deye243 on 06 Jan 2019, 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by deye243 » 06 Jan 2019, 2:24 pm

Simple I have been using morning fresh dish washing liquid for more than 15 years ....

20190106_150732-979x1305.jpg
20190106_150732-979x1305.jpg (161.53 KiB) Viewed 6187 times
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by SCJ429 » 06 Jan 2019, 3:01 pm

Does your Mrs know you steal her morning fresh?
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Blr243 » 06 Jan 2019, 4:39 pm

Was just about to post how years ago I remember useing butter I can’t remember why maybe I just misplaced the proper case lube Then I saw the detergent being used now I don’t feel like I’m the only strange one
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Bills Shed » 06 Jan 2019, 7:28 pm

Dishwashing detergent, now that is something I had not thought of. I am always willing to experiment.

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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Homer » 06 Jan 2019, 7:39 pm

G'Day Fella's,

There are no shortage of possible alternatives Roo Famer.
The main thing you need to be concious of, is any potential contamination of the Powder or Primer, by these alternatives?
Sorry but I'm not going to threaten a shot on a once in a life time animal, etc on some unknown cheap alternative.

Hope that helps

D'oh!
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by bigpete » 06 Jan 2019, 9:09 pm

WD 40
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Rod_outbak » 07 Jan 2019, 6:07 am

[quote="Ziad"]
Someone said imperial wax big tin would last ages for them. I got a tube of lee that is half gone in 1 year. ..but i use lee collet dies to neck size, which require no lube. In 11 months have reloaded 900 rounds.
[/quote]


I have resized maybe 3000 rifle rounds in the past 3 years, and I'd be maybe half-way through the 2-oz tin of Imperial Die-sizing wax I bought about 5 years ago. You use just a tiny smear on the case; probably end up with more on your fingers than on the case.

I'd bought a couple of spare tins in the thought I'd rattle through it, but I can see I'm stocked up with case-lube for the rest of my life at present...
I'd have to say that for the $20, that stuff goes a looooong way.

I'd tried the Hornady One-Shot spray-on, the Lyman Quick-Lube, graphite powder, a Lanolin-based lube that was supposed to be really good, and years ago used the RCBS lube pads. After using the Imperial for one session, I was converted.
I really like having a case lube that allows me to simply wipe it off and use the case right there, without needing to wash it or get the residual lube off it.
Also; I find the cases seem to stay un-tarnished a lot longer, even when left out in the open, when I've used Imperial wax on them.

I'd expect you could make something up from lanolin and maybe a beeswax, but for the mileage I get from a tin of Imperial wax, I cant see I'll bother.

My 2 cents; your mileage will likely vary.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Noisydad » 07 Jan 2019, 4:03 pm

Been using STP engine oil treatment on a pad for years without a single dented case and even use it when forming .577-450 cases from 24G shotgun brass and that’s about as much squeeze on brass you’ll ever see.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by marksman » 07 Jan 2019, 5:35 pm

I used morning fresh dish washing liquid for some time as a lube for drilling steel
it worked a treat but all my drill bits that I had used over time rusted to buggery :unknown:
I would just make sure your dies were well oiled after use :drinks:
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by duncan61 » 07 Jan 2019, 5:39 pm

I have the one shot spray but 7mm cases are getting stuck and dented its $6 for 440ml STP engine oil treatment.will be getting some tommorrow
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by deye243 » 07 Jan 2019, 6:10 pm

marksman wrote:I used morning fresh dish washing liquid for some time as a lube for drilling steel
it worked a treat but all my drill bits that I had used over time rusted to buggery :unknown:
I would just make sure your dies were well oiled after use :drinks:

Yep I wash out with lonolin spay
Last edited by deye243 on 07 Jan 2019, 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Oldbloke » 07 Jan 2019, 6:29 pm

I haven't tried myself yet. But if you put some STP or dif oil in a plastic bag along with a heap of your cases then give them a good shake they should all be lubed in about one minute.

My Mrs oils the spuds like that for the BBQ. :thumbsup:
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by TassieTiger » 07 Jan 2019, 9:31 pm

Wow. Interesting thread. How much are you guys using? I’ve reloaded maybe 2000 rounds and am 1/5 through a small bottle...
I drop 5-6 drops into a pad and then roll the cases 6-8 at a time across the pad and will do this 6 times (50 cases) before adding more lube and i never hear screeching or have any struggles - if I don’t use lube...oh hell I have issues.
I use a very small tub of graphite / white balls that grate and make the powder to simply lube up the neck - I just push case in and out of tub - done. (Was using a brush until a smarter man advised).
I can lube 50 cases in/out in under a couple minutes and reckon $20 lube will last 5000 reloads.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Col » 08 Jan 2019, 5:53 am

When neck resizing I dip the neck into powdered graphite and then resize. Nice a nd quick.

FLS I have put cases into a plastic bag and given it a quick squirt of inox shake the bag and off you go. Not too much though because it can cause dents int the caases.

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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by straightshooter » 08 Jan 2019, 6:20 am

Castor oil has the lowest co-efficient of friction of brass on steel and I have never had a stuck case in the 30+ years since I have been using it.
Many other lubes are more then adequate for light resizing but when you need to resize some strongly constructed cases that have been fired in generous chambers in small base dies that's when you run into trouble.
If you have ever experienced the fun of removing a stuck case with the rim torn off then you will know what I mean.
I bought a bottle 30+ years ago from the chemist shop and it still is half full (or is that half empty?).
It does however involve a certain amount of effort to remove. 3 rinses in metho, or one rinse and a wipe down with a rag moistened with metho usually does the trick.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Roo farmer » 12 Jan 2019, 9:55 am

Thanks for the suggestions.

Yes, a tiny bottle of the proper case lube does last for several thousand reloads, but that's not the point. Per litre it's a complete rip off.

I had thought of diff oil, but wanted to avoid the smell of it.

The idea of putting the shells in a plastic bag and shaking it up would obviously work, but I was concerned that lube would get inside the shell? I will not be cleaning them after resizing. That's why I have taken to using a lube pad, the lube stays on the outside, and when rolling them back and forwards it's a good chance to check for neck splits.

I put 20 on the lube pad with a few drops of case lube and roll them back and forwards. I then dip the neck in a tray of graphite and re-size. Then a quick wipe with a rag and into the loading block to be filled with powder. After doing the same shells 15 times they are still shiny, and so I see no need for proper cleaning.
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Stix » 12 Jan 2019, 11:42 am

Hey Bill & Dude...& those others using pure lanoline & making your own mix...

Do you guys start off with the grease...?

My understanding is for PURE lanolin it comes in grease form.

I bought a tub & melted/softened the grease & made a mix with ipa...sprayed that over cases laying in a tub then shake around & wait for alchohol to evap then size.
(The one tub of lanolin grease i have would supply hundreds of reloaders many lifetimes of lube)

Also tried it in a cotton bag (used in mining for earth/soil samples so doesnt leak dirt but can breathe) where i would spray & shake the bag but that didnt seem as effective.
( my theory was that the cotton would eventually have a layer of lanolin grease on the inside that would help lube the cases, but it didnt seem to work...).

Stopped using the lanolin as i found it still gunked up in the top of the die (crush shoulder) after a short while, & i was having to clean out die very often...so i went back to hornady case lube with my fingers.

Pretty sure my mix was 1:8 lanolin:ipa, but maybe that was a bit rich given the rapid buildup i was getting...&/or i was spraying too much... :unknown:

So im curious to know if you guys start off with the grease, or you buy the lanolin in a less pure but "runnier" form...?
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Re: Case lube alternative?

Post by Blutius Maximus » 12 Jan 2019, 3:41 pm

JimTom wrote:Mate I just use a can of one shot. A quick spray for neck sizing, slightly longer for full length sizing.
A lot quicker than applying other case lube.
That's just me, I have had no issues with the spray, I am sure there will be others who have has a different experience.


I don't like using the aerosols myself. You're spraying half of it into the air. The can you're paying for is mostly propellant.

Ziad wrote:Someone said imperial wax big tin would last ages for them. I got a tube of lee that is half gone in 1 year. ..but i use lee collet dies to neck size, which require no lube. In 11 months have reloaded 900 rounds.


I like the Redding Imperial Lube. The container is small, but a tiny amount goes a very long way. I use this for FL sizing my 308 brass as I lube the body and keep it away from the shoulder. I use my fingers here.

justgav wrote:I just use the lee case lube and throw a good dab in a plastic sealed tube with my cases. Give it a good shake and all is good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGEwqwtKdE


Yes, I do this with my 30-30 brass. I use a round 1kg margarine container, a small amount of the Lee lube, like a pinky fingernail amount, swirl it around with, from memory, 25-35 cases at a time, and it puts a very nice thin coat on them. A few minutes to dry, and full length size. I've never had a dented shoulder.
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