Die cleaning

[Obturation]

Hey all.
Hope everyone's doing well.
Quick question, a while back I got a set of RCBS dies that are older. They're not rusty but are gooey and dirty, old oil and bullet lube ect.
What's the best way to clean them? I was thinking I'd just take them apart and soak the components in gasoline or something I have handy.

 

[dak0ta]

Strip it down to its main component parts, and you could use some Hoppes#9 solvent and scrub it out if it's light grime. If heavy, take some brake cleaning fluid and spray it out, let dry, reassemble.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Mineral spirits

 

[Blue68f100]

If it's bullet lube, use a heat gun to heat it up first then just wipe it out. For just general cleaning most any solvent will work. Don't use gasoline though.

 

[Obturation]

Mineral spirits

Don't have any, if it's the best thing to use I can venture out for some but I was hoping for something on hand.

Strip it down to its main component parts, and you could use some Hoppes#9 solvent and scrub it out if it's light grime. If heavy, take some brake cleaning fluid and spray it out, let dry, reassemble.

I'll try some hoppes.

Don't use gasoline though.

Any specific reason, besides being flammable ?

 

[Blue68f100]

You must keep it off of your skin. The chemicals in it will penetrate your skin. Diesel is fine to use if you have it. And it's a much better solvent than gasoline is. Even Dawn, Simple Green will clean them up, just need to make sure you get them dry and light coating of oil or wax to keep them from rusting.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Hoppes, bore brushes and my pistol cleaning rod are what I use.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Any specific reason, besides being flammable ?

When I was young (it had to have been since dirt was new ) gasoline was the recommended solvent for cleaning auto parts. Even the shop manual for my 52 Chevy calls for it. But people started using it in their garage with a water heater. To answer your question, yes, because it is flammable. And it is hard on your skin, and it makes a good carrier for toxics into your system. Gasoline is also not as good of a solvent as it once was due to all the additives. Need I say more?

My primary cleaners are: turpentine, brake or carb cleaner and bore cleaner. I follow with Renaissance wax to lubricate and prevent rust.

 

[forty_caliber]

Ultrasonic with parts cleaning solution is what I use.

.40

 

[Obturation]

When I was young (it had to have been since dirt was new ) gasoline was the recommended solvent for cleaning auto parts. Even the shop manual for my 52 Chevy calls for it. But people started using it in their garage with a water heater. To answer your question, yes, because it is flammable. And it is hard on your skin, and it makes a good carrier for toxics into your system. Gasoline is also not as good of a solvent as it once was due to all the additives. Need I say more?

My primary cleaners are: turpentine, brake or carb cleaner and bore cleaner. I follow with Renaissance wax to lubricate and prevent rust.

I'm an auto mechanic, lots of parts are still cleaned with gasoline in a pinch. I do my best to keep it off my skin but a few times a year I end up with a gas bath, not ideal. I wish gasoline was the worst thing I got on me. But I'll try the hoppes first and if I've got to get more extreme I'll grab some mineral spirits.
Thanks!

 

[rskent]

I like to use Breakfree Blast. Works pretty good and I generally have a can or two around.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I have one of the Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaners full of Eds red that I use for cleaning gun parts, I just put dies into the cleaner for a couple of cycles and dry with the micro cloth that I use on my guns.

 

[gunlaw]

I just clean my dies like I do my guns. What goes through the dies is the same stuff that goes through the guns.

 

[Obturation]

Been at it a little while with the hoppes, still a lot of guk in there. And I found lead shavings in the seating die, tsk tsk. I got the set for $10 at the lgs, so it's worth a clean up.

 

[Slamfire]

Hey all.
Hope everyone's doing well.
Quick question, a while back I got a set of RCBS dies that are older. They're not rusty but are gooey and dirty, old oil and bullet lube ect.
What's the best way to clean them? I was thinking I'd just take them apart and soak the components in gasoline or something I have handy.

Sounds good, gasoline will dissolve most anything, just don't breathe the vapors. Expect to use a 45 caliber rifle chamber brush to clean the inside. I know some have recommended brake cleaner, let me tell you about brake cleaner. It will remove most anything, but wear thick rubber gloves. I used brake cleaner to remove the cosomoline out of this thing:



and the brake cleaner was a great remover. Unfortunately the nitrile glove I was wearing on my left hand burst and I got brake cleaner on the knuckles. That caused a chemical burn. The human body cannot neutralize a whole bunch of chemicals, so the things stay in your body till they eat their way out. It took about one year of skin peeling before my skin was able to shed the stuff. I don't know if carburetor cleaner is all that safer,with any of these aggressive solvents, wear thick rubber gloves and don't breathe the stuff. You don't want lung tissue shedding now, do you?

It is my opinion soaking your die in Kerosene will accomplish the same as automotive cleaners, kerosene does not give off as many vapors, and most people don't have the same skin problems with kerosene as they will with automotive cleaners.

 

[DanK3Pos]

I'm an auto mechanic, lots of parts are still cleaned with gasoline in a pinch. I do my best to keep it off my skin but a few times a year I end up with a gas bath, not ideal. I wish gasoline was the worst thing I got on me. But I'll try the hoppes first and if I've got to get more extreme I'll grab some mineral spirits.
Thanks!

Brake parts cleaner!!! Just oil it down after.

 

[AJC1]

I dont own a shotgun so the big brushes in my kits are used with mineral spirits to scrub out any heavy stuff. Even if you have a worn out one it will be big enough for most dies.

 

[rsrocket1]

Oderless mineral spirits work best at cutting grease and oil plus it works great as a gun cleaner (but it's not a lube).
Gasoline does the same thing but it stinks to all get out and you need to use someting to displace the gasoline smell like 91% IPA or rubbing alcohol, then something like Hornady One shot gun cleaner and dry lube to prevent the dies from rusting.

 

[Obturation]

It took about an hour , not too bad. Just used hoppes. I clean my other dies but they're never that bad, typically run a q tip in there and swab it around. This was years of bullet lube and hardened oil. My thought on soaking them was to avoid putting much effort in, I'm always busy.
But luckily both babies and my wife all took a nap after lunch and that gave me time to get it done. They seem to be in great shape and the interior surfaces are polished and bright. I was a little concerned they'd be scratched up but worth the risk for $10. I load a lot of 45-70 and typically use lee dies, I've loaded a few with these just to try them out but it was transferring grease and scum onto the brass and the expander plug was caked in some pretty funky thick grease. Years of neglect reversed in an hour.
Thanks guys!

 

[9mmepiphany]

Looking pretty good.

For grease and build up, I usually soak the parts overnight in Hoppes #9 and clean them with a toothbrush in the morning.

If they are covered in rust, I usually soak 24 hours in Evapo-Rust. Rinse in water to neutralize and lube the next day

 

[Blue68f100]

Make sure the vent hole is clean in the sizing die.

 

[Obturation]

Make sure the vent hole is clean in the sizing die.

Wasn't aware there was one, thanks ill check it out.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Chuck a 45 cal bore brush in a screw gun and wrap a patch around the brush. Now smear mothers mag polish on the patch. Run this in and out of the die for a minute or so.

Inside of die will be highly polished.

 

[dak0ta]

In the past for non-toxic, I may also use boiling water with simple green and scrub out the gunk. The boiling water vaporizes quickly enough to prevent rusting. Dry out with compressed air. Safe method.

 

[Obturation]

In the past for non-toxic, I may also use boiling water with simple green and scrub out the gunk. The boiling water vaporizes quickly enough to prevent rusting. Dry out with compressed air. Safe method.

That would have done it in this case, the water would have been black by the end of it. I think that's what kept these from rusting , I should have taken a before picture.