case lube...never too old to learn

[Kracken McGraw]

Agreed, some things are just not worth the effort, lol. Although, homeade solutions can be somewhat fun and rewarding. That said, I was an Imperial user until I tried Hornady One Shot Wax...you can feel, when FL sizing, it's a far more efficient and slick lubricrant. It's lightly more difficult to remove than Imperial, but I tumble in walnut media, 100 cases at a time, to remove...so it makes no difference. It's a little smelly at first too, but that goes away.

That’s funny I like the Hornady better too, but I think it’s easier to get off than the Imperial. By the time I wipe it once after sizing with a microfiber towel and then again after bullet seating, it’s gone.

 

[PhilC]

Used Imperial for many years and had to try the lanolin & 99% isopropyl alcohol just to see. I'm sold, works just as good and I can do 100 cases at a time. After sizing 10mins in a tumbler with fine corn cob removes the lanolin and I'm ready to load.

 

[BillPa]

So does Imperial Sizing Wax and a 2 oz tin lasts a very long time (years)

Just opened my second can(?) of Imperial two days ago after forty some year using it.

 

[old codger]

Tried many, Imperial is my choice.

 

[jepp2]

Don't know what the difference is. I've used Bootleg to size 10's of thousands of cases over the past several years. I used to use 6:1 ratio, but now use 12:1. After sizing I throw them in a vibratory tumbler with plain 20/40 corn cob for 15 minutes. Every bit of the lanolin is gone. And the 20/40 is too small to catch in the flash holes. For the alcohol portion I mostly use Heet but have also used anhydrous isopropyl alcohol as well.

 

[mr45man]

Ran short of Imperial Sizing Wax, tried some Burt’s Bees hand salve. Never went back to Imperial. Container is 3” diameter slightly short of 1” deep.
It‘s also excellent for your hands in the winter time, dry skin etc.

Badger hand balm also works great.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Using a 12:1 ratio
1 oz lanolin to 12 oz HEET

Slow Guy to this ?
Heet the Gas Additive ?

 

[kd4avp]

Slow Guy to this ?
Heet the Gas Additive ?

Yes sir

 

[6.5 forever]

Used Imperial for many years and had to try the lanolin & 99% isopropyl alcohol just to see. I'm sold, works just as good and I can do 100 cases at a time. After sizing 10mins in a tumbler with fine corn cob removes the lanolin and I'm ready to load.

Same here. I also used Dillon, but it has too much lanolin. My 10/1 mix is absolutely perfect!!!

 

[JLT]

Badger hand balm also works great.

Along these general lines, mink oil does a fine job, too.

 

[bozo699]

With powder $60 a lb
Cases $1.00+ each
$.10 primer
So $25 for a can of imperial wax that lasts for almost ever is the least of my worries.
Wayne

 

[SKWERLZ]

Tried the homemade lanolin stuff, went back to imperial but lately I’m liking hi-line possibly even more.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I use Frankford Arsenal spray lube for sizing 100's of case at a time. I use Imperial Die sizing wax when loading a load test or 20-30 rounds for plinking. I've never mixed a homemade lube and not sure if I will.

 

[Webster]

Make sure to let it evaporate a bit before sizing. I dump my brass in a big ziplock, pop in a spray or two....shake...dump on to a towel for couple minutes then size away.

Never too old to learn..or why did I not listen and try this sooner?
Lanolin and Heet...should have been using this for years.
Will never buy another commercial case lube.
This stuff really works!

Never understood alcohol and lanolin. Alcohol isn’t a lube. It needs to evaporate before sizing. From all the post it works well. My impression is that cases don’t need a real quality lube to work in most cases. I had been using a low vis synthetic oil base stock I got from work for many years. When I retired, I went to AutoZone and bought a 1 qt. container of a low vis petroleum oil based hydraulic fluid for $8.50. It doesn’t stain the cases. Most of the stuff mentioned on this website was never intended to be used as a lubricant. Petroleum oil has great lubrication properties. Pet oil has great film strength which means it provides good separation between two surfaces sliding against each other. I use very low effort to size cases. I worked in lubrication research for 17 years. Lubing cases is not as difficult as some people seem to make it.

 

[Rick300]

Alcohol is the carrier, not the lube, which is why you have to let it flash off. I find the alcohol/lanolin to be the best and most consistent for larger volumes. I wet tumble after sizing so no problem removing it.

 

[M-61]

RCBS2
If they made RCBS 1 I used that.
Started in 1963 never changed. Only the pad once.
Flawless.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

De

RCBS2
If they made RCBS 1 I used that.
Started in 1963 never changed. Only the pad once.
Flawless.

Whatever RCBS lube was for the pad in the 80’s was, they should have been shot for making that sticky crap.

 

[nakneker]

I’ve used imperial for 3.6728 decades. Tried a few others including Lanolin and went back to imperial. It lasts forever, isn’t messy and a little lasts a lone time.

 

[M-61]

De

Whatever RCBS lube was for the pad in the 80’s was, they should have been shot for making that sticky crap.

Sticky, dirty hands have been a way of life for me.
No decease on them except for Agent Orange which is another story.
More importantly never a stuck case. Pretty good record in my books.
I do understand that some people despise anything on their hands but that’s not my problem.
I only answered this beaten to death post as the weather outside and the flooding has me bored, otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Sticky, dirty hands have been a way of life for me.
No decease on them except for Agent Orange which is another story.
More importantly never a stuck case. Pretty good record in my books.
I do understand that some people despise anything on their hands but that’s not problem.
I only answered this beaten to death post as the weather outside and the flooding has me bored, otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered.

Yes I understand that it worked fine as you said. If I remember correctly though it seems like a little squealing going on during sizing and it was a pain to get off the cases. I just meant newer products have been a huge upgrade from that time.