Rubbing alcohol shortage

[Powder_Burns]

I haven’t seen rubbing alcohol on store shelves since February. Do any of you have suggestions for a substitute for cleaning sizing lube residue off cases? I guess I could throw prepped brass into the tumbler a second time, but I’m a creature of habit and it would throw off my routine.

 

[Steel head]

Brake cleaner Or electrical contact cleaner.

 

[Threadcutter308]

Dunno.......cheap Vodka ?

 

[mcfred]

Denatured alcohol at the hardware store's paint department.
or
methanol from the local car tuning shop
or
hot, soapy water
or
Everclear; 95% ETOH. Clean your brass and use some to make trash can punch.

 

[stello1001]

vodka

 

[spife7980]

How about any other cleaning method besides dissolving it off?

 

[lash]

I just use the cheap brake cleaner that goes on Bogo sale at Autozone. I lay the cases out on a tray lined with a paper towel, then spray them real good. Use a glove to roll them around a bit then into a fry basket to finish drying. Works great and takes less than a minute per 100.

 

[Mike Casselton]

You can also use alcohol fuel from the hardware store. It's cheap and has a pleasant aroma.

 

[DTF370]

I have a few gallons. Would trade for varget or h1000

 

[HousePlant]

E85 (from the gas station). Don't suggest lighting a cig whilst using it.

 

[lightman]

Brake cleaner Or electrical contact cleaner.

^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^
I use either one of these. I lay them on a towel, outside or in the garage, spray them, roll them around some and let them dry. You can get alcohol at most big paint stores.

 

[respiegel]

Iso-Heet is what i've been using

 

[FLIGHT762]

Iso-Heet is what i've been using

The Red bottle Heet is isopropyl alcohol. The yellow bottle Heet is Methanol alcohol. I use the Red Heet since isopropyl alcohol is better to use if you get any on your skin. I also use the Red Heet to mix home made alcohol / lanolin case lube. I tried the yellow Heet and it wouldn't mix well with the liquid lanolin. The red Heet worked great.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Mineral spirits

 

[Mad_Charlie]

De-natured alcohol, a little goes a long way. I also clean cases by putting them in an empty coffee container with hot water and a couple tablespoons of simple green, put the lid on and shake, let soak for a few minutes then rinse well with hot water and dry on low temp in oven.

 

[Lexusclays]

Keep in mind methanol is poisonous, and it is absorbed through the skin. Your body metabolizes methanol into formaldehyde So, if you are going to use it to clean cases, you are best served by wearing nitrile gloves, chemical resistant gloves Vapors from methanol enter the body as well.

 

[Powder_Burns]

Yeah, lots of good suggestions, I’m doing case prep indoors so some of these ideas won’t be ideal. I’m thinking denatured alcohol is probably the best alternative so far.

 

[Sincerd]

Heet in the red container is pretty much 99% isopropyl alcohol and it is still everywhere.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Keep in mind methanol is poisonous, and it is absorbed through the skin. Your body metabolizes methanol into formaldehyde So, if you are going to use it to clean cases, you are best served by wearing nitrile gloves, chemical resistant gloves Vapors from methanol enter the body as well.

I was thinking the same thing. It can make you blind or dead.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I throw them in the tumbler with walnut media for an hour or two.

 

[paulwardd]

Am I wrong for just wiping it off with a rag? Seems the simplest and I've yet to have a problem from it.

 

[FLIGHT762]

Am I wrong for just wiping it off with a rag? Seems the simplest and I've yet to have a problem from it.

No, but it's gonna take you a long time to do that with 200-300 cases, that's why I tumble big batches for about 2 hrs. The real problem with the lanolin based lubes is the lanolin comes off pretty easily when it s fresh. I made the mistake one time by resizing a batch of cases then not wiping or tumbling the cases for a few weeks. The lanolin hardened and I had to hand wipe the cases with acetone. Major pain in the ass.

If I'm resizing a small # of cases for testing, I use 75 W synthetic gear lube and then wipe the cases with a alcohol soaked rag.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Am I wrong for just wiping it off with a rag? Seems the simplest and I've yet to have a problem from it.

No, you're not wrong because that is what I do too!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Isopropyl. And.

The stuff is short supplied because of the current added need for hand sanitizer. That ain't gonna go away anytime soon.

I stay away from methanol because of the danger of long term skin contact allowing the methyl alcohol to enter the bloodstream and cause permanent blindness by poisoning the optic nerve. Bad shit, guys. If you can feel intoxication; it's in there. Just don't.

99% Iso can really pucker yer finggies.

I use 91% Iso on a shop cloth and wipe the cases down before and after resizing, using RCBS Case Lube 2, a water soluble (detergent) lube. I have to handle the cases to resize them, and I have to wipe off the lube anyway; so there's little to no added workload.

Greg

 

[Steel head]

Am I wrong for just wiping it off with a rag? Seems the simplest and I've yet to have a problem from it.

I do that a lot with imperial.

 

[Powder_Burns]

Isopropyl. And.

The stuff is short supplied because of the current added need for hand sanitizer. That ain't gonna go away anytime soon.

I use 91% on a shop cloth and wipe the cases down before and after resizing, using RCBS Case Lube 2, a water soluble (detergent) lube. I have to handle the cases to resize them, and I have to wipe off the lube anyway; so there's little to no added workload.

Greg

You sir are a legend. Thank you very much.

 

[DJ 480]

I haven’t seen rubbing alcohol on store shelves since February. Do any of you have suggestions for a substitute for cleaning sizing lube residue off cases? I guess I could throw prepped brass into the tumbler a second time, but I’m a creature of habit and it would throw off my routine.

There is an auto product called Heet, it’s almost 100% alcohol

 

[Powder_Burns]

Just got a gallon of 99% iso thanks to Greg. Think I’m covered now for the next couple years.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Go back and read the added content. For your health.

A legend? Well, sheeet; I'm old enough...

 

[Powder_Burns]

I’ll dilute in a separate container with distilled water. Kinda impractical to use it from a 1 gal jug anyway.

 

[flyright]

Acetone or wood alcohol from any hardware store works for many shooting chores... Wear gloves.

 

[FLIGHT762]

There is an auto product called Heet, it’s almost 100% alcohol

Again, HEET come in two different colored bottles. RED HEET is 99% Isopropyl alcohol. YELLOW HEET contains METHANOL (poisonous).

Red HEET is better for what we use it for . RED HEET is better to mix with liquid lanolin to make home made case lube.


If you were going to use HEET as a fuel, the YELLOW HEET is better because it burns with less residue than the ISO RED HEET.

The RED HEET is a newer product. The YELLOW HEET has been around for years.

 

[sdshooternsd]

NAPA Auto store, Mac's Thermo Aid, 99.9 % iso alcohol. The closest I've found for pure product.

 

[Rlandry]

MEK from Lowes or HD. It does the same thing as acetone, but safer and not as toxic.

 

[918v]

MEK not as toxic as acetone???

 

[Powder_Burns]

Man idk about some of you guys, lol. Methanol, MEK, brake kleen, gasoline...
ya’ll need to google MSDS sometime.