OT- Case cleaning/prep

[Andrew]

I have gotten down to the nitty-gritty with my reloading supplies and was wondering about what you guys used to lube and clean you your cases. I like the looks of the kits that have the pad and some lube along with pocket cleaners and chamfering tool. There isn't a big variety of them though and some worry me with there low prices. I'm cheap, but not unlearned.

I guess I'm looking for tools to start out with that will do the job. I'm not picky, but I don't want to get something that needs replaced soon or is stuff right out of the gate.

I'm so close to reloading I can smell it.

[JerryB]

I don't know which ones you are looking at, but most of the hand tools for this are not expensive and do a good job. The stuff I use works well.

[J Miller]

I clean my cases is a vibratory tumbler. Thumblers Tumbler is the brand I think, or something very similar. I've used it almost 15 years now and it was used when I got it at a yard sale.

For case sizing lube I use Hornady Unique and/or Mink Oil, they are so close to the same it's difficult to tell the difference.

As for a starting kit, I know I'm prejudiced, but I'd suggest the RCBS Rock Chucker starting kit. It will have 99% of what you need to get started. And it won't need replaced any time soon.

Joe

[2ndovc]

I like the spray lubes. RCBS & Lyman both have worked well for me. The lyman lube seems to stay slick a little longer but
will tarnish the cases if you don't wipe them down after your done.


Stick with the brands you know. RCBS, Lyman, Lee etc. and you'll be fine. Tho I've broken more Lee stuff
than the others combined.



jb

Oh yeah,

The tumbler I've got is one from Midway. Have had it for 12-13 years and still going strong.
It's not a piece of equipment you have to have to start but you'll want one eventually.

jb

[Duff L Bagg]

I tumble my brass to clean it and use Hornady One Shot to lube the cases. Doesn't get much simpler than that.

[victor]

I use the hornady unique case lube.This lube works good,smells good and one tub of it will last a life time( a little goes a long way).
The sized and lubed cases go into a lyman dri-polisher(tumbler/vibrate)
filled with crushed walnut shell.A couple of hours in the tumbler and the cases are dry of lube and clean.I then run a bore brush into the case mouth to pull anything out that may be there.
I check case length with dial indicators and use a hornady case trimmer
if brass needs trimming.I recently got a Lee case trimmer and plan to set it up on a drill to see if it is any faster.A Lee chamfer tool gets used after trimming(ponderous).
I use a RCBS pocket cleaner in a dremel to clean pockets(this makes quick work of it).Every tool I use is inexpensive except for the tumbler which I've used for about 30 years.Good luck

[Chuck 100 yd]

Andrew , I have several bottles/cans of spray case lube on the shelf but havent used anything but Imperial sizing die wax for several years. I bought two tins from midway. One was 2oz. and the other 4oz.
IIRC. So far I have not seen the bottom of the tin on the first 2oz. can. This stuff is great. Apply a VERRRY light film with your fingers and size without worry.
Note: no lube needed when sizing in Carbide dies. I use them for all pistol cal. straight cases.

I have two case trimmers, Forster and RCBS. They both do a great job but the quick change lever/case holder of the RCBS Trim Pro makes the process much faster for me.

You will need a chamfering deburring tool. They all work well. Primer pocket cleaners are next. I have several but use the cheep Lee`s most and pitch them when they dont work any more. I buy 6 at a time.

I also use a vibratory tumbler to polish my brass. I have from Midway
(wife got me one for my BD last year,still unused) Tumbling media also from Midway makes the brass shine better than new.

[Stan in SC]

I second the Imperial wax.It is great stuff.

Stan

[Old Time Hunter]

Keep tell'n myself to get a tumbler but since I only load a few thousand...ok mybe ten thousand rounds a year, just have not justified the expense yet. Still use one part vinegar to ten parts water (hot), a couple of tablespoons of table salt, and a dash of dish soap. Mix it up and throw the dirty cartridges into the mix, let it sit 'bout 20 - 30 minutes, swishing around occasionally, drain and rinse a couple of times with clean water. Dump out the couple of hundred cartridges on a towel, rub 'em around for thirty seconds and dump 'em all in a caldron to dry overnight. I use an old cleaned out ice cream bucket to put the solution in...'course I'm cheap! Might have a dollar or two wrapped up in the deal...but thats it. Grandad showed me this forty five years ago, still works. P.S. also works absolutely great on kerosene lanterns and other brass known to get a greasy soot on 'em.

Use a big dollar Lee primer pocket tool($2) to clean out the primer pockets, lube with free motel hand lotion (free, and you can get almost a thousand cartridges out of that little bottle!) just remember to wipe off after sizing (of course utilizing your newly bought Lee Anniversary kit for 'bout $80, or spring for the expensive Lee Classic kit, maybe $100). Finally, I use the high dollar Lee case trimmer to make sure all the lengths are the same. Might not be as politically correct or socially highly regarded...but it get's 'er done!

[BenT]

I use Old Time Hunters solution for cleaning. It works great . Only I use my daughters rock tumbler that I got from Harbor frieght on sale for $21. Put solution and brass in and tumble for a half hour . Strain , put it in an old towel and shake it around and let dry over night. The big plus no dust.

I use Lee's pocket primers and case trimmers.

[Andrew]

Thanks guys, I wasn't sure what to look for when getting that kind of stuff. Most of my stuff is Lee and I don't see the problem with any of it so I will probably give a good look at them. I have the Deluxe Pistol Set in .45LC from Lee w/the FCD; I can't remember if it's carbide or not though.

[Ysabel Kid]

Tumbler. Easiest way to clean cases. Load them up, walk away, do what you need to do, come back a bit later to clean cases!

[Glenn]

Andrew,
Don't bother with a lube pad, not matter what case lube you decide to go with. The pads get dirty and can transfer grit into your dies. Apply liquid or paste/cream lubes with your fingers - you can feel if you pick up grit. Lots of guys like the spray lubes, I thought I was breathing too much of it.
Glenn

[El Chivo]

I just stumbled across using a Q-Tip to lube the cases. A cloth was applying too much, and making a mess. Fingers, the same. A swipe inside the neck, and another around the area where the die first makes contact seems to be enough. I'm using Lee lube which is water soluble. I thin it out so it's mostly water, but some remains on the case after I swipe it.

[AndyM]

I use a tumbler, in fact it is the Cabela's case cleaning kit - that comes with corn grit and polish. I added the media seperator later becasue I found it easier and quicker than hand picking all the brass out of the tumbler.

As for lube - I have pretty much switched to the Hornady One-Shot spray lube, although I still do use, at times, the traditional RCBS lube pad and their lube.

[Slick]

I second the Imperial wax.It is great stuff.

Stan

I'll "third" the vote for Imperial die wax. I used the "sticky pad lube" (from Redding) and it worked great, but was messy & hard to clean off. I tried the Hornady "one shot" and it doesn't lubricate as good which caused over-working of the brass and stuck cases where the rim was torn off requiring the shell to be pounded out of the sizing die..

I was hesitant at first to try using the Imperial because I didn't like the idea of having to "finger it" onto each case individually. But once I developed a routine, I found it doesn't take any extra time because I'm loading in a single-stage Rock Chucker, so I have to handle each case anyways.

Oh yeah, cleaning chores are done with a vibratory tumbler - and they're really inexpensive these days.