Rust vs dies

[Eye-Bite!]

I have been shopping for a set of dies as of late in several Calibers. Some on FleaBay that I have viewed are questionable due to rust, Is there a secret or practice to keep RUST at bay? WD-40, Rice, Silica, or what have you guy do?

[Griff]

I have been shopping for a set of dies as of late in several Calibers. Is there a secret or practice to keep RUST at bay? WD-40, Rice, Silica, or what have you guy do?

I keep mine out of the rain. Over the past 40 years they've acquired a nice patina. Even my .30-06 dies, which I probably haven't loaded a single round in the past 10 years are fine just stored in their original plastic box from Redding. My reloading room is a shop out in my barn; corrugated tin and while no direct exposure to the elements, it ain't a "controlled" environment. There are greater worries. I did, this past winter, sand down and repaint the handles on all my presses, they had actually rusted... but still not bad enough to be pitted.

[Old Ironsights]

Ballistol.

[C. Cash]

OI beat me too it. I give each one a shot of Ballistol spray before I put away. Then, before use, I use an alcohol soaked patch/q tip to degrease. Also give my shell holders the same treatment. It can get extremely hot and humid where I am at, but have had no trouble, except where I have forgotten to treat.

[Peter M. Eick]

I cleaned mine up by putting them in my tumbler with fresh media and polish compound. I let them run until they are shiny which can take hours to days. Once they are clean I put them in the box and hose them down with spray tri-flow lubricant. Be generous. I then take my oil patches that are left over from wiping down the guns and the barrels and toss them in the boxes. After a few iterations, the patches become thoroughly full of oil and it wicks up onto the dies and keeps them rust free.

I still give a quick squirt of tri-flow inside each die and now I have to clean them before I use them, but not a bit of rust since I started this approach and I have been able to salvage many older used dies.

Because of this technique I now have full sets of dies for particular setups. I have one die set for 38 special 158 SWC and another die set for 38 special 158 LRN. The die sets were dirt cheap used so why reset them? I like the "set and forget" approach.

[Terry Murbach]

I HAVE LOADING DIES FROM THE EARLY 1960's THAT ARE IN USE NOW THAT ARE SPOTLESS, NO STAINS NO RUST NO NUTTIN !! TEND TO YORE KNITTIN' AS MY MOMMA USE TO SAY, AND YOU WON''T HAVE RUSTY DIES EITHER. EVERYTIME I SEE RUSTY LOADING DIES AT A GUNSHOW I WANT TO PICK 'EM UP AND SEE IF I CAN BOUNCE 'EM OFF THAT FAR WALL...

[Sixgun]

That Terry sure in somethin'! I like the way he uses words.

On the dies, it depends on where you live. I don't think Terry and Griff have a lot in the way of humidity. Here, in the East, where humidity is high, I just keep 'em clean, inside and out and spray them down with Rem-Oil, but usually only when I don't plan on using the dies in a while. If they get a little rusty on the outside, I just wire-wheel them. The insides usually stay rust free as sizing lubricant and other greases/oils keep them nice.

On steel dies, it is necessary to get the Dremel Tool out once in a while and polish up the FLS as these pick up dirt, whatever and can scratch the cases. Most of my dies are dated from the sixties, seventies, and eighties.

Buy the dies, its a safe bet they are OK and if they are not, how much are you out, $20?----------6

And BTW, read the article on dies in the new issue of Handloader, you all might learn somethin' on old dies.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Like TERRY said, Not a speck of rust on mine and I live in the rainy N.W.
When I buy a new set, I clean and lube them before use and from that point on they just get used and wiped off with a VERRRRY lightly oiled cloth before putting them away.
Ballistol, Rem Oil, I avoid WD40 for everything except for starting the fire in the wood stove.

[765x53]

The inside surfaces are probably well protected by a coat of waxy case lube and bullet lube.

[20cows]

Griff lives in wet country compared to where I live. Rust is not an issue indoors.

[olyinaz]

I'll add that the newer lube/protectants like Slip 2000 and M-Pro 7 (and some silicon based oils) are synthetic so they migrate better and have less tendency to dry to a varnish or wax like WD-40 and Ballistol and other older lubricants will over time. I think even CLP is synthetic based? Tip: a quart of Mobil 1 makes a great refill source for your used oil bottles!! If you had only one oil for everything in your life (except cooking) and it was Mobil 1, you'd probably get on just fine.

[Eye-Bite!]

Thank You to all who took the time to respond in a Mature and Responsible way to help me and others who hope to learn to do things in a better way.

[JerryB]

I have a set of C&H .45 Colt dies that I got in 1960,they look as good as new. Mine live in a room that is not a temperature controlled environment.

[Pisgah]

Like TERRY said, Not a speck of rust on mine and I live in the rainy N.W.
When I buy a new set, I clean and lube them before use and from that point on they just get used and wiped off with a VERRRRY lightly oiled cloth before putting them away.
Ballistol, Rem Oil, I avoid WD40 for everything except for starting the fire in the wood stove.

Ditto here in humid SC. I use exactly the same procedure -- even used WD40 with no problems for 20 years, but haven't in a while since better stuff is available. Used to be, WD was about all to be had locally.

[J35]

Plain old drugstore mineral oil is all i use on hand tools of all kinds.

It's cheap, non-toxic and most importantly of all is it works.

------J

[WinM71]

I keep mine in the air-tight plastic RCBS boxes, with a piece of VPI paper (vapor-phase inhibitor, you can get it from Brownell's). I change the paper every 3 years or so. I have dies that I got in the 60s and 70s with no sign of rust.

[Chuck 100 yd]

J35nut , I wonder just how many of the so called modern oils are "just plain old mineral oil" put in a fancy can???
One of the old timers over on Benchrest central was one of the old boys that helped invent WD40 and he said it was 95% kerosene. He did not divulge the rest but maybe it was Mineral oil ???

I like the convenience of an aerosol can.

[Eye-Bite!]

I keep mine in the air-tight plastic RCBS boxes, with a piece of VPI paper (vapor-phase inhibitor, you can get it from Brownell's). I change the paper every 3 years or so. I have dies that I got in the 60s and 70s with no sign of rust.

Eye am just up the road from you so to speak. So, there is much good information that has been posted. VPI paper.... going to look that up. But, there is so much good information posted as yours. Excellent information. Big John.