Brass turning lube

[Michael Mattone]

I've been turning brass for a while and have used several different lubes which I'm not totally satisfied with. The biggest problem is with cleaning after the turn. So I'm asking for information on a lube that is easy to clean but must be a very high quality lubricant. Thanks Michael

 

[SmokinJoe]

I've used several over the years and have the same problem cleaning some of them off after turning. I use the 90/10 lanolin lube for sizing with easy cleanup so tried some liquid lanolin for turning and it works quite well. Got mine at Sprouts in the OTC drugs/cosmetic section.

 

[Bugs]

Amazon.com

 

[Tommie]

Try Lock-Ease.

 

[Bill Norris]

I use the Lee white re-sizing lube. It is very easy to clean-up as it simply wipes away with a dry cloth.

 

[TRSR8]

Royal case lube…..best stuff ever made, way slicker than Imperial.
Use it to turn necks, size cases. Wipes off with a microfiber cloth.

 

[D Coots]

Thousands turned with ATF applied to mandrel with a Q-tip. After turning clean off outside while still rotating brass with a towel, run nylon brush in and out inside of neck, 600 sandpaper on outside. Load and shoot as I always fireform, never a problem....NEVER. There is no need to slop the lube all over.

 

[46and2]

I've been turning brass for a while and have used several different lubes which I'm not totally satisfied with. The biggest problem is with cleaning after the turn. So I'm asking for information on a lube that is easy to clean but must be a very high quality lubricant. Thanks Michael

I've tried a lot of different lube for turning, some ridiculous things.
Tap magic is the best I've seen. The small tip is perfect for applying.

 

[Trigger-Jerker]

I use FP-10 for turning. A quick wipe to the exterior when done and then they get an acetone bath.

 

[jepp2]

So I'm asking for information on a lube that is easy to clean but must be a very high quality lubricant.

I think the clearance you run between your expander and turning mandrel dictate the quality of lube required. I tend to use 21'st Century mandrels and the nominal difference in diameter runs around 0.001". With that clearance no heat is generated while turning and I use my normal 12:1 ratio Bootleg case lube. To remove I just tumble them in plain corn cob media (20/40 sieve size) and it removes the lube from inside the case neck quickly.

 

[Dan-Schenk]

Delta makes a water based on that doesn’t foul the powder, I don’t bother cleaning it for FF loads.

 

[ricco1949]

Rigid Dark cutting oil.....same as I use on the lathe and mill. Dip the neck in a shallow pan of it.

I turn necks on the mill with K&M tooling and blow off chips and excess oil with air.

Clean off reaming oil with walnut media.....I tried corn cob but that stuck in flash holes. I've also tried very short run wet tumbling...10 minutes, but that still requires chamfering for the peening.

Dishwasher run also works to remove the cutting oil on big brass runs but it changes the color of the brass.

 

[3Ackleys]

I just give it a blast of WD-40 every 4th case or so. Blows the chips off the cutter. Not much lube- I think it's mostly solvent. Has worked for years for me.

 

[DocBII]

Micheal,

Redding makes a water soluble sizing lube I used with good results and easy cleanup. I don't recommend letting it dry out, cleanup after two days then works best with ultrasonic and Dawn. But that's how I clean them anyway.

HTH,
DocBII

 

[rayporter]

a couple thousand degrees and a couple thousand feet per second seems to clean out a case real quick.

 

[Walt Krafft]

What does DJ use?