Imperial sizing wax

[BR-549]

the amount of imperial sizing wax to use would be to barely touch pointing finger to can of wax and put on 3/4 of lower part of brass with thumb and pointing finger. then size and wipe off excess with paper towel. Done. I'm still using a can that has done over 3000 cases and still has some left.

 

[zfk55]

A shallow tray, five drops of Castor Oil in the bottmm, roll the cases around. I haven't spent a nickle on case lubes for two years. Goes in as slick as can be, wipes off easily. Nobody ever pays any attention to this one till the actually try it.

Latigo

 

[limbic]

How much wax do yall use!! I smear a very very light film across the brass and that works like a champ. The little bit left over comes off easily with a towel.

 

[Rock Knocker]

What about the Lee stuff? Its all i ever tried just because i havent run out yet. But i havent had any problems with it, it may be a little slow but i dont know how it could be slower than the imperial stuff. Ive full sized cases with it and necked down brass with it.

But how does it actually compare to the rest, i never hear about it.

 

[mikecr]

RCBS case lube will solve every issue.
Which brings the question; Why use WAX for sizing anyway?
Never understood it..

 

[lynn]

MikeCR
Imperial is cheap and works extremely well on wildcats and the bigger cases which are harder on your press.
The RCBS that I used for many years still works good but requires the pad which eventually gets dirty.
In my opinion the wax requires less effort but I have no proof other than my arms were bigger in the past than they are now.
Lynn

 

[BoydAllen]

I apply a drop of RCBS Case Lube II to my finger tip, and apply it to the case, rolling it between thumb and fingers. Yes, it is slow, but I don't do much high volume loading.

 

[mikecr]

I smear a few RCBS drops on a shop towell rather than using a pad. Use the rest of the towell to wipe em back off after sizing.

I used wax until I ran into a die/chamber mismatch in 6XC. With this I ended up with stuck cases that had to be extracted from dies, having ripped the rims off..
JLC custom die took care of it.
But while waiting for the new die, someone suggested that wax doesn't work as well for heavy sizing as RCBS, so I tried that and they were right.
I've also noticed that RCBS cleans cases like nobody's business. And I've added a few drops to the tumbler for case polishing. It works.

 

[KMart]

I bought some of the RCBS water soluable case lube today as a trial. What impressed me is how the carbon came off the necks after sizing. When I wiped off the cases with an ole tee shirt, the necks were almost perfectly clean.

 

[artbosco]

I apply a drop of RCBS Case Lube II to my finger tip, and apply it to the case, rolling it between thumb and fingers.

I find that applying RCBS's Case Lube II to one of their pads, and then simply rolling the case over the pad, is another good option.

 

[dennisinaz]

I have tried most things and here is my opinion. I use a tin of wax stuck to my press with a small rare earth magnet. I wipe each case off with a small rag wetted with denatured alcohol. They get squeaky clean. Some have remarked that they use Imperial for case forming and not simple resizing; to me, this doesn't make sense. I find that the wax is as easy to use and remove as anything.

Hornady Unique is noticeably better than the wax for heavy lifting. Both are inferior to STP oil treatment for real heavy lifting but is a bitch to get off the cases. Using that stupid foam pad and rolling cases across it is like using a Lee loader to make match ammo- there are far, far easier and better ways. If you are doing a big batch ( I seldom do) the Hornady aerosol one lube is great stuff but just messier.

 

[lynn]

Dennis
Why doesn't using Imperial Sizing Die Wax on wildcat case forming make sense?
Automatic transmission fluid works as well as STP and costs less and the mess is about the same.
I just ran five 50 bmg cases into a full length die using the wax and another five using the RCBS lube.With the wax it was almost effortless and with the lube I had two screamers cases on the downstroke.
Lynn

 

[TheSnake]

I got a container of STOS " Sport To Sport" some time ago and apply the smallest about to the cases with my fingers. Seems to work much better for heavy lifting than Imperial. I use a rag to wipe the cases clean. With the super small amount required, it will probably me 10 years before I need more.

Anyone else using STOS?

 

[mikecr]

That's interesting Lynn.
Just opposite my experiences, and I keep seeing contradictions to both.
There are apparently other, more significant case lube factors coming into play.

 

[BoydAllen]

One thing to watch out for, when switching lubes, is how residue from one (in the die) might affect the performance of the next lube that you try. There may be compatibility issues. For more demanding applications it may be appropriate to clean the die, and apply a little bit of the new lube (inside the die).

 

[dennisinaz]

Dennis
Why doesn't using Imperial Sizing Die Wax on wildcat case forming make sense?
Automatic transmission fluid works as well as STP and costs less and the mess is about the same.
I just ran five 50 bmg cases into a full length die using the wax and another five using the RCBS lube.With the wax it was almost effortless and with the lube I had two screamers cases on the downstroke.
Lynn

Because the wax isn't nearly as good as the mink oil stuff- unique, but is easier to use. I have stuck cases with imperial when trying to form wildcats. Last time I looked, brunos used the Unique stuff for making PPC cases. When I am really swaging cases down, I have found nothing that compares to STP, I don't think ATF is even a close second and it is easier to clean up.

It is a bitch to stick a case and I have stuck several using the wrong lube. I won't use Imperial for wildcatting anymore as I know there are far better lubes for the real heavy lifting.

 

[patriotoutlaw]

How much Imperial are ya'll using to get your cases stuck? Or not being able to get it off the brass? Moderation is the key, wiping off with a soft cloth or tumbling will remove all excess. Imperial sizing wax is some of the best stuff on the market IMHO.

 

[LeoHuhta]

It looks like I touched a nerve over this little topic.
This is fun I could start a new career starting up discussions like this.
I agree with the ability to wipe off the excess and that works very well.
BUT when you have 500 to a thousand cases sized, wiping them off sucks.
That then requires Irish whiskey not Scotch.

I had hoped that someone out there would be dealing with this situation in larger quantities.
I agree imperial sizing wax is the best out there, I have used the pads and etc over the years and settled on what I feel works the best
I apply enough to try and not get dimples on the shoulder and always wipe some off on the neck opening.


My .02
Thanks for everyone who replied
Leo

 

[jimbo88mm]

I use Imperial with a RCBS pad. Works pretty well. I then tumble the cases to remove the wax.

 

[lynn]

Leo
Shooters tend to be very opinionated people and if they have tried several different lubes they will give you there opinion on what works for them.
I form wildcat cases and rarely use any lube at all.I use the Skip Otto dies which are just like the ones made by Butch Lambert on this forum.
On cleaning the wax off the best thing for myself has been one of those $179 cement mixers you buy at Harbor Freight.You then put a cheap pizza tray on the opening with 3 wingnuts and your all set.I buy walnut shells or corn cob at the local feed store in big sacks.
I turn it on while I'm at work and let it run until I get home.
I then take a straightened out paper clip to remove anything stuck in the flashhole.
Lynn