Anchorite
Member
Canned air on the reloading bench. Q-tips and lighter fluid are close by. Routine inspections and the occasional cleaning. Light lube of oil if needed. I try to always run clean brass…that helps immensely.
Let’s talk die maintenance
- Thread starter shoebox1.1
- Start date
FROGO207
Member
Ultimately I guess it depends on your level of clean enough to work as required.
Like all things reloading it depends on how much you use them and how dirty the brass are or how much excess lube is on the bullets. For a long time (25 or more years) I never cleaned anything unless I had problems with that particular die and needed to adress it to finish a reloading session. These days after retirement I have time aplenty and not so much cash.
I try at least once a year to take my dies apart completly, clean out the lube vent holes as needed, and run them through my wet tumbler ( one set at a time to make sure no parts are swapped) with SS pins and Dawn followed by a trip to the oven at 125* to remove all traces of water. Then a squirt of silicone dry lube before reassembly. I use a dummy round to reset the seating depth to save time. In the interum if something gets gunked up I will take the die apart and clean with carb cleaner then relube with the dry silicone lube.
If needed, because the brass are being scratched I will also use a dry mop with Mothers Mag polish to remove the gauling and polish the insides of the die. In severe cases like new to me used dies I use fine emery cloth on a split dowel to remove the gauling first before polishing. I also polish the center expander punches on my rifle dies to help them slide back out without pulling and stretching the necks excessively.
This works well for me and you do you.
Like all things reloading it depends on how much you use them and how dirty the brass are or how much excess lube is on the bullets. For a long time (25 or more years) I never cleaned anything unless I had problems with that particular die and needed to adress it to finish a reloading session. These days after retirement I have time aplenty and not so much cash.
I try at least once a year to take my dies apart completly, clean out the lube vent holes as needed, and run them through my wet tumbler ( one set at a time to make sure no parts are swapped) with SS pins and Dawn followed by a trip to the oven at 125* to remove all traces of water. Then a squirt of silicone dry lube before reassembly. I use a dummy round to reset the seating depth to save time. In the interum if something gets gunked up I will take the die apart and clean with carb cleaner then relube with the dry silicone lube.
If needed, because the brass are being scratched I will also use a dry mop with Mothers Mag polish to remove the gauling and polish the insides of the die. In severe cases like new to me used dies I use fine emery cloth on a split dowel to remove the gauling first before polishing. I also polish the center expander punches on my rifle dies to help them slide back out without pulling and stretching the necks excessively.
This works well for me and you do you.
Random 8
Member
I'm horrible at this. The dies the OP bought sound like anything you'd get used if I ever sold LOL. I usually wait until there is a visible issue, such as lube denting/plugged vent hole, or guck coming out with sized or seated cases.
When I have deep cleaned a die, a good soaking with starting fluid or brake parts cleaner is the answer, preferring the starting fluid, followed by a buffing with a big patch in a rod section chucked in the drill. I really should do this more often, but I don't.
I tend to back out the spindles on Redding and RCBS dies frequently, every 50 rounds or so, and give the back of the expander a quick wipe and a coating of One Shot. I find this to help immensely with mitigating case stretch and ease of operation. Lee dies...may the odds be ever in their favor. A fan of the price, not a fan of their collet system requiring 2 wrenches for routine cleaning or adjustment.
When I have deep cleaned a die, a good soaking with starting fluid or brake parts cleaner is the answer, preferring the starting fluid, followed by a buffing with a big patch in a rod section chucked in the drill. I really should do this more often, but I don't.
I tend to back out the spindles on Redding and RCBS dies frequently, every 50 rounds or so, and give the back of the expander a quick wipe and a coating of One Shot. I find this to help immensely with mitigating case stretch and ease of operation. Lee dies...may the odds be ever in their favor. A fan of the price, not a fan of their collet system requiring 2 wrenches for routine cleaning or adjustment.
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OP
OP
shoebox1.1
Member
One thing I can say is they work better clean! And you know you I’ve seen dies with a lil surface rust on them? I wonder if a vinegar bath would take care of that? Mine had a lil spot.. the penetrating oil and scotch brite fixed it but the vinegar or that “big 45” rust removing Brillo pad maybe
ParallelCode
Member
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2019
- Messages
- 440
I clean my dies with 75% ethyl alcohol on a microfiber cloth and dry thoroughly. No issues with rust or corrosion so far, but my loading area is always below 50% humidity.
JohnMc
Member
I've sonicated with about 50:50 vinegar (eyeball measurement, not precise at all) and water plus a shot of Dawn. They come out nice, but the bright metal gets a light coat of rust pretty fast if you're not careful. YMMV.
For handgun use, I clean out the lead/lube etc. in the seating die when it begins to show on the finished round. Same with the crimping die. I cant remember cleaning a sizing die except when I've broken a decapping pin. I use WD 40 & a cleaning patch as that leaves a minute protective film preventing corrosion.
I don't as a rule clean my cases either unless they've fallen on rock or dirt. I did have a carbide sizer that began scratching my brass but a used bore brush lubed with JB Bore Paste and run with a portable drill cured that. HTH"s Rod
I don't as a rule clean my cases either unless they've fallen on rock or dirt. I did have a carbide sizer that began scratching my brass but a used bore brush lubed with JB Bore Paste and run with a portable drill cured that. HTH"s Rod
after a batch I'll clean the dies and lightly oil, so between 100 and 400 rounds. only takes a few minutes, and I want the dies put away ready to use for next time. same process I use for a firearm bascially. put it away serviced and ready to take out and use. easier for me to do things the same way every time, then I don't have to think about it, or try to remember what I did.
SingleActionAndrew
Member
- Joined
- May 28, 2021
- Messages
- 297
Every 200 cartridges I clean the seating die - Dillon has those convenient cotter pins and with soft swaged & thick lubed bullets it gunks up fast. NC brake clean with both sides of a qtip and we're back in action
lordpaxman
Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2011
- Messages
- 2,434
I’ll use a little CLP or One Shot when they’re new just to get them clean, but then not too often. I try to use clean brass and bullets and that doesn’t gum up the works.
rdnktrkr
Member
I sometimes run them in an ultrasonic cleaner with Eds Red cleaner, run about 10 or 15min and then wipe dry with a cloth, depending on which dies as to how often but I would say about 1000rnds of pistol and 500rnds of rifle.
greyling22
Member
I don't think I've ever cleaned a die.
ballman6711
Member
I use a Q-tip or pipe cleaner on mine every so often, maybe 50 rounds or maybe several hundred rounds, just depends. The brass starts leaving shavings, or I get a bit of lead or powder coating and I know it's time for a quick cleaning. Once in awhile I'll spray some One-Shot in a die to give it a bit of lube.
I have taken them apart for cleaning when I thought they needed it, but that's rare.
The best way I can describe it is to say that it's a "feel" kind of thing. Visual clues, the way the press "feels" when operating it, and so on, all tell me when to clean and/or lube things.
chris
I have taken them apart for cleaning when I thought they needed it, but that's rare.
The best way I can describe it is to say that it's a "feel" kind of thing. Visual clues, the way the press "feels" when operating it, and so on, all tell me when to clean and/or lube things.
chris
bullseye308
Member
Last new die set I bought was ~20 years ago and it was a 233 Lee 4 die set. I wiped them clean to get any manufacturer oil off of them and put them to work, same as every other set I bought. The only time I have cleaned a die has been the seater die when loading cast and tumble lubed 9, 38, or 357 and only when I see a change in OAL. Now that I powder coat my cast, seating won’t be an issue. Other than that I don’t believe I have ever cleaned one.
