Who has a good home-made case lube recipe they are willing to share.
- Thread starter sasquatch98226
- Start date
I used to use STP oil treatment when I reloaded large amounts of 5.56 brass. One can lasted me forever. Not even sure if they still make it.
I saw a video of a guy who dipped about 1/8 inch of the neck in some synthetic motor oil...then spread it around the outside with his fingers...that looked pretty effective to me.
Also a great way to get "Lube Dents" on the case.
One of the old standby "homebrew" case lubes is Anhydrous Lanolin (Health Food Stores) and 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. A cup of Alcohol and 1-1/2 TBSP of the Lanolin. Needs to be warmed to mix. Safest way is to add the ingredients, cover, and let sit in the sun until warm. Then stir until ingredients mix.
Pretty much the same as Dillon sells. I only use this for progressive loading of .223 ammo prior to running them through the press for sizing and trimming.
Anything else that needs lube gets a light wipe of Hornady UNIQUE. "Shortening" from the pantry works good too for this. Just remember you don't need any more than enough to "just feel" on the case.
I have used most lots of stuff when in a pinch. One shoot is my favorite because it is easy. Throw a bunch in a bag, spray in a few shoots and shake them up. Marvel mystery was the last odd ball I used. Was at my cousins and he said he couldn't load until he got some case lube. It was the first thing I found lying around.
Anhydrous Lanolin (Health Food Stores) and 99% Isopropyl Alcohol, pam cooking spray, and anal lubricant.. good to know.
14 oz 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
2 oz pure liquid lanolin
1-2 small ball bearings
1 spray bottle
heat the 2 liquids in original unopened bottles
in a pan of water to 110 f or so
or if you dont have a thermometer
untill its uncomfortable to touch
use common sence here -no open flames
pour both into spray bottle- add ball bearings
because it will seperate after mixing
shake before using
place cases in a ziplock bag
2-3 pumps from spray bootle
seal bag
roll the cases around in the sealed bag
dump on a towel or cardbourd
let the alcohol evaporate for a couple minutes
works better than any case lube I've tryed
15.00 will make a lifetime supply
after using this I will never use anything else
you cant tell its on the cases
and they go through the dies effortlessly
2 oz pure liquid lanolin
1-2 small ball bearings
1 spray bottle
heat the 2 liquids in original unopened bottles
in a pan of water to 110 f or so
or if you dont have a thermometer
untill its uncomfortable to touch
use common sence here -no open flames
pour both into spray bottle- add ball bearings
because it will seperate after mixing
shake before using
place cases in a ziplock bag
2-3 pumps from spray bootle
seal bag
roll the cases around in the sealed bag
dump on a towel or cardbourd
let the alcohol evaporate for a couple minutes
works better than any case lube I've tryed
15.00 will make a lifetime supply
after using this I will never use anything else
you cant tell its on the cases
and they go through the dies effortlessly
Last edited:
acts238,
I've only trusted Imperial Sizing Wax for 458 SOCOM but I will have to give
your recipe a try.
EDIT: My local drug store carries 99% Isopropyl.
I've only trusted Imperial Sizing Wax for 458 SOCOM but I will have to give
your recipe a try.
EDIT: My local drug store carries 99% Isopropyl.
Last edited:
Imperial size wax. I have never had a stuck case, not one. One touch, twist the case in your fingers, place in the shellholder. One tin will last a LONG time (20k rounds or more?), no chemistry or mixing or waiting for alcohol to evaporate etc. I don't like lube inside the case either.
I use a mixture of 99% Iso Alc liquid lanolin, and castor oil, if mixtures similar to what has been mentioned above and have not had a stuck case in over 7 years.
I wanted to see if I could push the shoulder back on 308 to make 6.5 x 47 brass to try large primers in the round. In the past i would have used imperial wax for that Heavy duty changes. I sprayed the homemade stuff and pushed the shoulder back in one pass, no stuck cases. It works for me.
I wanted to see if I could push the shoulder back on 308 to make 6.5 x 47 brass to try large primers in the round. In the past i would have used imperial wax for that Heavy duty changes. I sprayed the homemade stuff and pushed the shoulder back in one pass, no stuck cases. It works for me.
I use Ivory liquid dish detergent for "batch" sizing purposes. To do just a couple of cases, I use imperial.
I do ~300-500 piece sizing runs on a Dillon 650, so I have lube cases "in bulk". I also tumble in stainless...when it's time to tumble them, I also want to tumble "in bulk" and not have to do 5 or 6 batches in the tumbler.
I've found:
Imperial is not appropriate for applying in bulk.
One Shot doesn't go into the die nice and slick, I always feel like I'm on the edge of sticking a case. I've tried this stuff a bunch of different ways and I'm just not a believer.
Lanolin/Alcohol is an excellent lubricant, but it doesn't come off in the stainless tumber IF you have the tumbler packed with cases. 50 pieces? No problem. 300 pieces? Nope.
The Ivory goes in/out of the die slick (rivaling imperial, believe it or not), and provides the detergent for the stainless tumbler. It also makes cleaing up the casefeeder/press really easy once you're done sizing. The only downside to it is you have to wait 10-15 minutes after lubing up the cases, to allow it to "dry" to a waxy film. If you don't, it provides little/no lubricity.
1-2 tablespoons is PLENTY for 300-400 308(ish) cases.
I do ~300-500 piece sizing runs on a Dillon 650, so I have lube cases "in bulk". I also tumble in stainless...when it's time to tumble them, I also want to tumble "in bulk" and not have to do 5 or 6 batches in the tumbler.
I've found:
Imperial is not appropriate for applying in bulk.
One Shot doesn't go into the die nice and slick, I always feel like I'm on the edge of sticking a case. I've tried this stuff a bunch of different ways and I'm just not a believer.
Lanolin/Alcohol is an excellent lubricant, but it doesn't come off in the stainless tumber IF you have the tumbler packed with cases. 50 pieces? No problem. 300 pieces? Nope.
The Ivory goes in/out of the die slick (rivaling imperial, believe it or not), and provides the detergent for the stainless tumbler. It also makes cleaing up the casefeeder/press really easy once you're done sizing. The only downside to it is you have to wait 10-15 minutes after lubing up the cases, to allow it to "dry" to a waxy film. If you don't, it provides little/no lubricity.
1-2 tablespoons is PLENTY for 300-400 308(ish) cases.
I had been using Hornady One-Shot but at it's current price, I decided to mix up a batch of liquid lanolin / iso alcohol. I went with a 5:1 ratio, which was too rich in oil. I lubed 1000 cases and it hardly put a dent in a 20 oz spray bottle. I tested 4 or 5, and got lube dents. At first I reset my dies and thoroughly cleaned them...again, another lube dent. So for these 1000, I had to wipe the neck off before running them through the die. I'm upping my ratio to a 10:1 and will give that a try on the next batch I do next week. Some fine tuning is all....a little goes a long way. Works great though.
How effective is a standard corn cob media tumbler? I have a STM, but I usually polish off case lube with my standard media tumbler after I finish my case prep.
Single stage I prefer Imperial Sizing Die Wax. (Bought out by Redding) On the Dillon 650 I prefer their brand of pump spray. I think it has a high degree of lanolin in alcohol.
True if you follow the original instruction of dipping each case in the oil (I figured this out the hard way). That method gets waaaaay too much lube on each case.
Now I Just use Mobil1 lightly dipping my thumb and index finger in the oil. Then rubbing the case neck and shoulder to get the oil on the case. I can usually do about ten cases before I have to re-dip my fingers again. You can also just have an "oil hand" where you hold the cases waiting to be sized. That way you can roll them in one hand, lubing them up while the other hand operates the press.
Really quick, no dents, and the Mobil1 lasts forever! I also haven't had any issues with removing it in the stainless media.
I have found that the toothpaste tube of Lee Case Lube mixed with 90% ISO in a small atomizer from Wally World works good. Toss a couple handsful of cases in a ziplock bag, pump in maybe 4 or 6 squirts, zip up the bag, roll around on your fingertips to spread the lube, and empty on a screen to dry. Toss in a couple handsful more and repeat. Add more lube as necessary. Stuff wipes off with a moist microfiber towel, or you can tumble in corncob if you wish. I like it because it comes off so easy. Also, some gets in the case necks to reduce expander ball drag.
YMMV.
YMMV.
Anything else that needs lube gets a light wipe of Hornady UNIQUE. "Shortening" from the pantry works good too for this. Just remember you don't need any more than enough to "just feel" on the case.[/QUOTE]
Hornadys Unique is nothing more than Mink Oil, Ive got both, they work great, better than any spray.
Hornadys Unique is nothing more than Mink Oil, Ive got both, they work great, better than any spray.
