JohnhenrySTL
Member
How do you folks clean and or maintain dies?
Thanks
Thanks
Cleaning dies
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JohnhenrySTL
Member
I'm thinking pistol cleaning brushes, qtips and wd40. And of course not much oil and a lot of dry time.
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JimKirk
Member
Take them out side and spray them out good with starting fluid(ether) ....stay away from any kind of sparks or flames ... be sure to re=lube them after cleaning .... you can also use a brush if needed ...
nettlle
Contributing Member
I clean them like a barrel using a brass bore brush, wet patches, M-Pro-7, and dry patches. I have to take them apart to do this.
Blue68f100
Member
Q-tips and gun cleaning solution (Ed's Red). Then lightly coat the dies with wax.
Swampman
Old Fart
Spray 'em with carb cleaner, hit 'em with compressed air, then a shot of silicone spray.
If I've got a lot of Alox in the die I might shove a carb cleaner soaked rag through it with a cleaning rod.
If I've got a lot of Alox in the die I might shove a carb cleaner soaked rag through it with a cleaning rod.
rfwobbly
Member
Some people drop them into their tumbler and let the media do the work.
Once in a while my sizing dies get wonky and need cleaned. Mine are Lee, so loosen the nut deal on top so innards can be removed. I clean with a paper towel and a little CLP, on it. Just start twisting and feeding the towel like a screw into the die. When it starts to come out the other side you can pull it through. Once or twice, reassemble, and ready to go.
Russellc
Russellc
luzyfuerza
Member
I heat my seating dies with a heat gun...makes lube removal easy. Nothing else needs cleaning, at least in my experience.
gojuice101
Member
I tear them completely apart to clean. Remove the decapping pin/expander and the retaining collet (Lee dies) and then clean them like a barrel, with a brush and citrus solvent that I get from work. Run a mop through to dry it all out. For the seaters and flare dies I do the same. Doing it this way allows me to completely see the inside of the dies and inspect internal parts like decapping pins/expanders. Also gives me an opportunity to polish some of the expanders. I've had a couple that were a little rough.
Once done, I coat them with either silicone or wax and reassemble. They could probably easily be cleaned by just spraying carb cleaner and blowing them off, but they really don't get cleaned often so I don't mind spending a little while doing it the more involved way.
Once done, I coat them with either silicone or wax and reassemble. They could probably easily be cleaned by just spraying carb cleaner and blowing them off, but they really don't get cleaned often so I don't mind spending a little while doing it the more involved way.
AZAndy
Member
I wish I'd thought of the wax. Dies sure do rust easily. I think I need a rotary tumbler.
gojones
Member
I was thinking about getting the sonic cleaner at Harbor Freight just for this type thing. I read the local police dept using this method for cleaning swat team rifle parts after practice. Just really sounds simpler than what I normally do (spray with carb cleaner and then pull rag through die). Any thoughts on this?
rskent
Member
Hose um out with breakfree blast then a little canned air.
Take 'em apart then soak the pieces in lacquer thinner, brush them out with big bore brushes, then rinse in that thinner again.
Blow 'em or wipe 'em dry.
Use Flitz on a rag wrapped on a bore brush in an electric drill, then run it in and out of your sizing die chambers. That'll smooth out the micro inch rough surface.
Clean them again the same way, they dry 'em.
Put a thin coat of rust preventing stuff on their outside, thin coat of sizing lube on the inside.
They'll now make sizing cases easier plus brighter and shinier than before.
Blow 'em or wipe 'em dry.
Use Flitz on a rag wrapped on a bore brush in an electric drill, then run it in and out of your sizing die chambers. That'll smooth out the micro inch rough surface.
Clean them again the same way, they dry 'em.
Put a thin coat of rust preventing stuff on their outside, thin coat of sizing lube on the inside.
They'll now make sizing cases easier plus brighter and shinier than before.
meesterdon
Member
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- Dec 27, 2015
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Exactly like I do a pistol. Bore brush, patches and #9. Finish off with a little CLP.
Varminterror
Member
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Ultrasonic, dry, inspect for any missed gunk, shoot with Hornady dry lube, back in the press. Dental picks, bore brushes, gun brushes, compressed air, solvent, you name it available if needed, but it never is.
Biggest thing I do to enhance my die cleaning is to never work with dirty brass. I decap in a universal decapper then clean. My dies only touch clean brass, so all I have to deal with is built up case lube, which isn't a thing for my carbide pistol dies, and is pretty easily avoided in rifle dies by attentively and selectively lubing. Using the same dry lube for case lube as I do for die maintenance is an advantage too.
Biggest thing I do to enhance my die cleaning is to never work with dirty brass. I decap in a universal decapper then clean. My dies only touch clean brass, so all I have to deal with is built up case lube, which isn't a thing for my carbide pistol dies, and is pretty easily avoided in rifle dies by attentively and selectively lubing. Using the same dry lube for case lube as I do for die maintenance is an advantage too.
The Remnant
Member
I strip the die down completely on a shop towel & clean each piece with Brake Cleaner as it evaporates quickly & leaves no residue. Stubborn spots get worked on with a rag or fine emery cloth as needed. Reassemble & shoot it with Hornady One-Shot. Now that I have an ultrasonic case cleaner, I think I'll try it next time.
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JohnhenrySTL
Member
loose noose
Member
I generally disassemble my dies and clean using Q-tips and rubbing alcohol, then re-lube using a case lube. I do cast quite a few bullets but usually use a hard lube on the projectiles, keeps the operation a lot cleaner to start out with.
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JohnhenrySTL
Member
Didn't mean to post this.
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JohnhenrySTL
Member
Thanks again. I'm thinking I'll throw my lee seating dies in my brass tumbler. Of the thousands and thousands of rounds I've loaded I've only had this one problem with my .40 caliber.
Looking for confirmation on throwing my .308, .357, 40 and 9 seating dies in my tumbler with walnut media.
Looking for confirmation on throwing my .308, .357, 40 and 9 seating dies in my tumbler with walnut media.
Coltdriver
Member
I take them apart when new, put a few drops of CLP in them, clean with a q tip until no more color comes out. I have some Lee dies but most of mine are Redding. I have a couple of sets of RCBS but just prefer Reddings. I usually finish them with denatured alcohol to totally strip them before I begin reloading. Then I repeat after a reloading session. Once in a while I will clean them during a reloading session but I rarely load more than 100 at a sitting. If I am putting them away I run some CLP over them with a q-tip.
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