I need to figure out how to remove lube from the cases after sizing without removing the carbon from the necks. I have wrist issues, so if I want to continue loading I need a method different than "wipe each case down manually". I have a wet tumbler setup but I worry about the pins getting stuck and if I miss one then I destroy the AMP machine and the pins get the necks too clean.
Best Way to remove lube without removing carbon from the neck?
- Thread starter _Raining
- Start date
- Wet tumble without the pins,
- Sink full of hot water, some dish soap, and a bit of Lemishine (and mild application of elbow grease), or
- Get someone else to do your scrubbing
What do you use for lube? I use a lanolin based lube and remove it with a solvent rinse ( Naptha/'white gas' campstove fuel). Perhaps not the most ecofriendly method but there it is. It does not affect the carbon coating in the neck. I do rinse my cases with Dawn/warm water after depriming, pocket cleaning (if that is done) to get abrasives off the cases to protect the die. It only removes loose carbon that I don't want in there anyway.
rwj
Gold $$ Contributor
Couple of suggestions...
Add Flitz, or other cleaning additive, to a vibratory media cleaner. The neck IDs will not be cleaned.
If you have, or can obtain, an ultrasonic cleaner don’t deprime the cases and keep the top of the necks just above the fluid level to prevent it from entering the inside.
Last suggestion would be to isolate the ID surfaces by installing a “plug” in the case neck and not depriming before pin tumbling to keep the ID dry. These may work https://www.mcmaster.com/rubber-plugs, not sure how difficult it would be to install/remove them.
Hope you find a method that works and keep shooting!
Add Flitz, or other cleaning additive, to a vibratory media cleaner. The neck IDs will not be cleaned.
If you have, or can obtain, an ultrasonic cleaner don’t deprime the cases and keep the top of the necks just above the fluid level to prevent it from entering the inside.
Last suggestion would be to isolate the ID surfaces by installing a “plug” in the case neck and not depriming before pin tumbling to keep the ID dry. These may work https://www.mcmaster.com/rubber-plugs, not sure how difficult it would be to install/remove them.
Hope you find a method that works and keep shooting
!I have Imperial Sizing Die Wax and a Lanolin/Alcohol solution. I tend to use the lanolin because it is easier on my hands to spray a bunch vs wiping each case individually with the wax.
I use an old terry cloth dish towel, lay the towel on your hand line up 5 or 6 cases on your hand, spray with (non chlorinated) break cleaner, fold the remaining towel over top the cases and roll between both hands, like you were warming them over a fire. Very easy and doesn't take long to do. Takes off both Imperial sizing die wax and RCBS lube which is what I use. Hope this helps.
moondog
Gold $$ Contributor
I feel your pain on the wrist thing.
After I clean, size (imperial wax)
I dump the cases in a Tupperware full of Brake clean, use a nitrile glove and slosh It around. wont touch the carbon in the neck. It evaporates almost instantly on a shop towel.
Or, I use compressed air, low volume.
It ain't environmentally friendly though.
After I clean, size (imperial wax)
I dump the cases in a Tupperware full of Brake clean, use a nitrile glove and slosh It around. wont touch the carbon in the neck. It evaporates almost instantly on a shop towel.
Or, I use compressed air, low volume.
It ain't environmentally friendly though.
I think you could mist spray cases with alcohol laid on a towel then shoe shine the towel up and down repeat with new towel.
I use a lanolin/alcohol suspension also. If you have a convenient means of disposing of the solvent you can get a gal of 'white gas' camp stove fuel that will readily dissolve the lanolin. My reloading shop is rural and there is always weeds that need killin'
so disposal is easy. On another note an easy way to coat cases is by shaking up your spray bottle well and spraying 4-5 squirts in a heavy duty freezer bag (large size...quart size requires less spray), rub the sides together to coat the inside of the bag, drop 20-25 cases in the bag and zip it up with most of the air gone. massage the cases in the bag for a couple of minutes and presto, all are coated with no mess. I'll coat as many as I will be loading in that session and put in a clean sealable tub until I am ready to size. The only time I have stuck a case was by spraying lube on a single and running it into the die while some alcohol was still not evaporated completely....the bag method takes care of that.That would work if alcohol was a better solvent for lanolin...it is a fairly poor one but good enough for creating an emulsion for lubing. I have not had success with using ethanol or isopropanol to truly get the lanolin off the cases. This has been my experience.
jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
I use the same lube (Bootleg case lube) and I just toss them into a tumbler with fine corn cob media. Will not affect the carbon in the neck whatsoever, and 30 minutes and all the lube (lanolin) is gone. I would much rather have to fish my brass out of the tumbler than some of the solvents listed above. But that is just me.
depends
for hunting and just regular shooting a short tumble in corn cobb media gets the job done and leaves the carbon intact. oh use imperial sizing wax and just a little at that.
for my bench guns to clean the brass i usually just wipe the exterior of the case with a clean rag dampened with ballistol and then run them through my sizing die. of course this is a custom die and doesn't size the case much. then i wipe the ballistol off with a clean dry rag. carbon in the necks is only lightly brushed prior to charging cases.
for hunting and just regular shooting a short tumble in corn cobb media gets the job done and leaves the carbon intact. oh use imperial sizing wax and just a little at that.
for my bench guns to clean the brass i usually just wipe the exterior of the case with a clean rag dampened with ballistol and then run them through my sizing die. of course this is a custom die and doesn't size the case much. then i wipe the ballistol off with a clean dry rag. carbon in the necks is only lightly brushed prior to charging cases.
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