Cleaning old reloading equipment.

[freebird914]

I was gifted a load of old dies and reloading equipment. I have brought back to Life a RCBS scale already taking it apart and cleaning all parts.

I have a bunch of dies that had been stored and have dust and just gunk on them. So the question I am asking is how do you clean old dies? I was thinking of using my ultra sonic cleaner with water and the parts in the jar of mineral spirts to start with. Then hand cleaning and a slight lubrication on them.

I have my dies for my current guns but want to clean these all up ...

What has worked for you ?

Thanks

 

[CQB45ACP]

Ballistol, CLP, REM oil…lots of stuff

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Hoppes 9 works for dies. A dry lube after cleaning.

 

[bearleft]

Mineral spirts and a Nylon brush is where I'd start!
If need be move up to Lacquer thinner and a stainless steel brush.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I toss them in my utility sink filled with hot soapy water and let then soak a bit, then brush them with a nylon brush followed by a rinse with hot water. I'd let them air dry on a towel preferably in the sun. Lastly, I'd oil.

 

[doubleh]

This time of year borrow your wife's hair dryer for drying. Quick and easy.

 

[jester31780]

Take them a part scrub them soap water run them through waxed polishing media should shine them right up

 

[Mk-211]

For rust...

 

[Rule3]

clean them like you would clean a gun
Solvent and a brush

 

[mdi]

I have a jar of "soak" on my bench, basically my copy of "Ed's Red Bore cleaner". (I use Mineral spirits, ATF, Marvel's Mystery Oil, and a bit of Kroil). I often drop the dies, tools etc., in the jar and let them soak until I remember they are there. Then wipe the surfaces and for dies use bore brush or bore mop for the innards. It cleans/penetrates really good and leaves a very light coating of oil to prevent rust/tarnish.

 

[Charlie98]

clean them like you would clean a gun
Solvent and a brush

That's kinda my method.

Once I get done with the scrubby part, I usually hose them down/out with Crud Cutter or carburetor cleaner to get them as clean and solvent-free as possible, then use something like Sheath on them, or just CLP.

 

[Bazoo]

Ultrasonic would work good I’d think but I’ve never had one. I do the wd40 and rag method. Elbow grease applied liberally. I enjoy it too.

 

[epags]

That's kinda my method.

Once I get done with the scrubby part, I usually hose them down/out with Crud Cutter or carburetor cleaner to get them as clean and solvent-free as possible, then use something like Sheath on them, or just CLP.

I do this and make sure it is out of doors. They sparkle. If there is rust I use Breakfree CLP with some #0000 steel wool.

 

[dh1633pm]

I just take them apart. If rusty, evaporust. If not into the sonic learner with some degreaser. Rinse, then oil down with something that displaces water. Then wipe down. Cleaned many this way. Then test to see how they do.

 

[FROGO207]

I take apart the dies and clean them the same way I do my brass. Just dont mix things up. I take pictures of each die in pieces. Now tumble with wet SS pins, then dry. After I put them in the vibe tumbler with corn cob and NuFinish for a half hour to add a protective coating on them. Oil as needed after use.

 

[BigBlue 94]

I have a jar of "soak" on my bench, basically my copy of "Ed's Red Bore cleaner". (I use Mineral spirits, ATF, Marvel's Mystery Oil, and a bit of Kroil). I often drop the dies, tools etc., in the jar and let them soak until I remember they are there. Then wipe the surfaces and for dies use bore brush or bore mop for the innards. It cleans/penetrates really good and leaves a very light coating of oil to prevent rust/tarnish.

ATF and acetone with a touch of MMO is one heck of a rust penetrant and cleaner. ATF is mainly detergents anyway...

I coated a raw piece of steel 3 years ago that is used as my bench top, with raw linseed oil. Not a speck of rust to this day.

Flood Penetrol oil based paint additive is also a great metal cleaner and protector. Get it at about any hardware store.

 

[tmd16556]

I’ve always just soaked in mineral spirits a few hours and wiped and brushed. Then wipe in whatever CLP I have and let them sit a bit then wipe off with a clean rag. Took 80 years of crud off of some first generation Pacific dies just fine.

 

[lightman]

I was given a lot of used dies several years ago that were nasty and a few of them were rusty. I cleaned them with a pistol cleaning rod, a couple sizes of bore mops, a couple sizes of bore brushes, some bore solved, some Kroil, and an old tooth brush. The rusty ones got a soaking in EvapoRust. Just beware that EvapoRust removes blueing also. Some dies like RCBS have blued nuts and lockrings.

I should have bought a nice ultrasonic cleaner for that project. I would have one now!

 

[Rpod86]

I was recently given a rock chukker that some one said was rusted shut used easy off oven cleaner got cylinder unstuck then polished it with oil on publishing wheel no I have a second reloader

 

[BWS]

Around our shop,50/50....MS-ATF, is a general purpose degreaser cleaner for metal. The Acetone/ATF is more of a break free type.

Kerosene for total gunked up,decades of neglect.....thick crud. Once in a great while,have to hit stuff with the pressure washer,but that comes with major caution. Needs to be blown down with shop air to keep the water out.

Good luck with your project.

 

[lordpaxman]

Sometimes tumbling will clean them up, but I’ve used electrolytic plating and then wire brushes depending on what’s left. I stumbled on the plating trick when restoring woodworking hand tools.

 

[freebird914]

That's for all of the replies ... Still sorting them out ...

 

[rdnktrkr]

I use Eds Red in the ultrasonic, I use beakers instead of a glass jar and suspend them off the bottom tray a little till I can see the solvent moving, then I wipe everything down with a solvent soaked lint free cloth that I've been using for years that I store in a Rubbermaid container. This is the same thing I do when cleaning my firearms, old tools, basically anything metal.