IMPERIAL DIE WAX REMOVAL

[Jager]

Like the OP, I use Imperial Sizing wax on the inside of each case when forming .30 BR from 6 BR source. And then there's the oil that goes on the mandrel of the neck turner tool, unless you've pulled out the IDOD/ADOD.

To remove the wax and oil... I just wet tumble in warm water and dawn for an hour. No pins. Once they're dry, they get sent to the Giraud for trimming, get sent through the FL sizing die, and are finally ready for fireforming.

You can just shoot 'em at that point, of course. But neck tension, not to mention case volume, is going to be a little bit different between these virgin cases and what they'll be after they've been fireformed. They'll shoot good. But just not quite as good as they will later on.

So, for those of us without a separate fireform barrel it's down to either a practice session out in the yard or a less important match (if there is such a thing).

 

[JMayo]

I q tiped all of mine. I used the pma oil in expanding.
In the beginning on the first few when I dropped powder it was sticking all to the sides and that's when I realized I was going to have to clean that oil out of there.
Q-tip and some number nine or some pro shot, anything just to get it out of the neck so my powder wouldn't clump up.

Fun with big boy toys !

 

[madmixerman]

I use a slotted jag with a patch on a short handle. Push patch inside case give it a twist against the inside of shoulder and pull out through the neck. Do about 10 cases and change patch. Works for me.

 

[LCazador]

I'm new to 30 BR and have a lot to learn.
I got the cases straightened out and they cycle fine, so, thanks to everyone on that.

I have the cases necked up, trimmed and neck turned. It's a lot more work than I expected, but they appear to be in good shape. I did lose some cases getting everything like I wanted, but I expected that would happen. I am now set to repeat what I've done and maybe lose no more cases. I've done 40, so I'm ready to go shoot.

My question now is, how to get the residual Imperial die wax out of the inside of the case. There isn't much, but between the expanding and turning of the necks there remains some wax. I thought Brake cleaner would do it easily, so I tried that. It doesn't get it totally clean.
They looked clean, but a little wipe with a Q Tip reveals some trace amounts.

So, how do most people get rid of the wax?
I'm sure it's easy, but only if you know how.

I assume this is the first fire form so don't worry about it, just fire form.

 

[Jayplace]

I assume this is the first fire form so don't worry about it, just fire form.

Yes, these are first time unfired fire forming cases.

 

[LCazador]

Yes, these are first time unfired fire forming cases.

I like two fireforms before looking for a load. If you use a moderate load to fire form they don't quite get the sharp edges. If you use a full load it seems to create a problem with clickers. Rather than stand on the brass with one fire form, I've opted for the two fire forms. I also leave the necks about a half a thousand over what I want for the final neck thickness on the first fire form. I turn necks down to final thickness after the first fire form.

 

[SEM]

tumble in rice, removes all the wax as well as the carbon.

for me, tumbling for 4 hours removed probably 90-95% of carbon from inside the necks

rotary tumbler or vibratory

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

rotary tumbler or vibratory

rotary seems to work better for me. much less sensitive to getting the right media vs brass combination for effective cleaning.

i personally use a rebel 19 for small batch and a bigshot bst-40 for large batches.

 

[divingin]

Hornady One shot when necking up. Pro Long, Motorkote, Sinclair or PMA neck turning lube when turning necks on my lathe.

MotoKote works really well when working brass, but takes a crapload of soap to get it suspended when wet tumbling.

To the OP, I'd vote for some light solvent (alcohol, acetone, MEK, carb cleaner, etc.) on a cotton bore mop. Or dry tumble with a bit of car polish.

 

[JimPag]

MotoKote works really well when working brass, but takes a crapload of soap to get it suspended when wet tumbling.

To the OP, I'd vote for some light solvent (alcohol, acetone, MEK, carb cleaner, etc.) on a cotton bore mop. Or dry tumble with a bit of car polish.

I just use it for turning necks. It comes of easily with GunScrubber dribbled on a QTip and then swabbed out.

 

[Hoot]

After sizing with Imperial, I roll a layer of my sized cases between a couple halves of paper towels to get the "Lion's Share" of the lubricant off the outside, then run them in a vibratory tumbler for a couple of hours while I'm doing something else.

But it has always troubled me a little.

Imperial is pretty high in viscosity and not likely to absorb too deeply off the surface of the tumbling media. My gut feeling is this is going to lead to lubricant buildup on the surface of that media. Over time, wouldn't you wind up coating both the inside as well as the outside of the brass with a fine, even layer of that remnant lubricant and not getting all of it off? Then again, is that small amount of lubricant left on the brass going to be an issue or not?

FWIW, I don't use the same media for tumbling fired brass at the front end of the process. That's kept in a separate, marked container. My post-resizing media gets slightly darker over time, compared to the media I use for my initial cleaning. In my mind's eye, this seems like a testimony to the effaced lubricant depositing on that media. Kinda like oiling a piece of unfinished wood.

But, I still do it that way.

Hoot

 

[Webster]

50

I'm new to 30 BR and have a lot to learn.
I got the cases straightened out and they cycle fine, so, thanks to everyone on that.

I have the cases necked up, trimmed and neck turned. It's a lot more work than I expected, but they appear to be in good shape. I did lose some cases getting everything like I wanted, but I expected that would happen. I am now set to repeat what I've done and maybe lose no more cases. I've done 40, so I'm ready to go shoot.

My question now is, how to get the residual Imperial die wax out of the inside of the case. There isn't much, but between the expanding and turning of the necks there remains some wax. I thought Brake cleaner would do it easily, so I tried that. It doesn't get it totally clean.
They looked clean, but a little wipe with a Q Tip reveals some trace amounts.

So, how do most people get rid of the wax?
I'm sure it's easy, but only if you know how.

50 replies on how to remove wax from a case neck.

 

[Jayplace]

50

50 replies on how to remove wax from a case neck.

It confirms that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Webster]

It confirms that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

It repeats over and over again. Nothing new. Cannot wait for someone to put up a new post on the same subject.

 

[Jayplace]

It repeats over and over again. Nothing new. Cannot wait for someone to put up a new post on the same subject.

There is some repeating, but that only means more than one person uses a certain technique. However, there are numerous suggestions that are different, so there may be many different responses.

I appreciate the many different responses with different opinions. I wish everyone had the same response then it would be easy to decide how to remove the wax. I do have several options to try and see what works for me now.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

There is some repeating, but that only means more than one person uses a certain technique. However, there are numerous suggestions that are different, so there may be many different responses.

I appreciate the many different responses with different opinions. I wish everyone had the same response then it would be easy to decide how to remove the wax. I do have several options to try and see what works for me now.

here you go,

Nishiki Premium Rice, Medium Grain,15 Pound (Pack of 1) https://a.co/d/7SZGEFO

tumble away and enjoy the absorptive (sucks up oil, wax, and carbon) and dust free properties of the magical nishiki medium grain rice

 

[Ray123]

I don't use imperial sizing wax...still have a can from 20 yrs ago. I wet tumble with pins and "hot water", Dawn, and lemi-shine after lubing most of the time. Rinse in Hot water dry OD on towels..air dry or forced gas heat to dry ID...sometimes use air compressor to blow out ID for faster dry time.

 

[jackieschmidt]

It repeats over and over again. Nothing new. Cannot wait for someone to put up a new post on the same subject.

I have been on the internet for decades. For all of those decades, there has been a desire by many to solve non existent problems,

But we do have to remember that this is a World Wide Forum. Many of us have been involved with firearms and extreme accuracy shooting for longer than many of our fellow members have been alive. What seems like a very simple procedure to us might be perplexing to them.

As a note, you see in this thread all of the various methods of cleaning cases. As for me, I can’t remember the last time I “cleaned“ a case, even some of my 30BR cases that have been fired 20+ times.

 

[Jayplace]

I have been on the internet for decades. For all of those decades, there has been a desire by many to solve non existent problems,

But you do have to remember that this is a World Wide Forum. Many of us have been involved with firearms and extreme accuracy shooting for longer than many of our fellow members have been alive. What seems like a very simple procedure to us might be perplexing to them.

I don't know if you are saying this (Wax removal) is a non-existent problem, and maybe in some sense it is, but if we don't know, we don't know. I don't subscribe to the idea of making mistakes is how we learn. I really prefer to learn from other peoples mistakes if I can. I still make plenty on my own which leads me to asking before I do it.

After reading these suggestions and ideas, I have started to think it probably doesn't really make any difference whether the major amounts of wax is totally removed.

The reason I say this, is because these are new pieces of brass and for the most part I'm not going to accomplish much tuning with it being their first firing and fire forming. This is a new barrel and it just needs some bullets sent down it to break it in. Most of the powder will still ignite and the wax isn't going to hurt anything as it will just blow out of the case. It's all just a kind of down and dirty process at best.

As a matter of what I do this time, I will clean the brass the best I can, probably using alcohol or acetone with a q-tip, I have both chemicals. I know there are some brass shavings from the various process steps still stuck in the case due to the wax. I don't like the idea of shooting shavings down the barrel. It may not hurt anything, but I know it isn't going to help. ( Another one of those, I don't know things)

However, I appreciate all of the suggestions for when it does matter and has given me ideas to think on..

 

[jackieschmidt]

After reading these suggestions and ideas, I have started to think it probably doesn't really make any difference whether the major amounts of wax is totally removed.

The reason I say this, is because these are new pieces of brass and for the most part I'm not going to accomplish much tuning with it being their first firing and fire forming. This is a new barrel and it just needs some bullets sent down it to break it in. Most of the powder will still ignite and the wax isn't going to hurt anything as it will just blow out of the case. It's all just a kind of down and dirty process at best.

However, I appreciate all of the suggestions for when it does matter and has given me ideas to think on..

^^^^^^^^