Just getting into reloading. I bought several Lee die sets. Does most people polish the dies before ever using them? Any thing I should do to make them better before I start? Thanks!!
I've used naptha lighter fluid or isopropyl alcohol, aka rubbing alcohol to degrease anything that needs degreasing. Generic store brand rubbing alcohol is pretty cheap and a little goes a long way.
The only Lee dies I've used are their collet neck sizing dies and those can use some polishing and lubrication where the collet fingers rub against the shoulder that squeezes them. Sometimes - not often but sometimes - the mandrel that the case neck is squeezed against can be a bit too large and some folks will polish that down a thousandth.
If you're not using the Lee collet die then disregard that last paragraph, but if so, here's a good video of how to polish one.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
I agree. A good washout with any decent solvent is all they need. And that's just to get rid of any thick grease preservative and the very rare machining chip left behind. Spray brake cleaner, carb cleaner, alcohol, white gas -- whatever. Do it outdoors if what you're using has vapors.
Your case lube will serve as rust preventative after use, so no need to apply anything special. (I highly recommend Imperial Sizing Die Wax used VERY sparingly.)
I highly recommend Imperial Sizing Die Wax used VERY sparingly.
I've been using the same tin for several years now, and I load a bunch, thousands of rounds a year.
Just this June I threw a new tin into a box of birthday goodies for a buddy of mine. He doesn't load as much ammo as I do, so his sons will probably inherit 2/3 of the tin.
Polishing the expander definitely helps to make it pass through the neck smoother. There's a benefit, albeit small, to reduce the chance of pulling the neck and inducing runout or altering the shoulder/headspace dimensions.
I've polished resizing dies and it does make resizing smoother but that's it. In a practical sense it has no effect on anything. I chucked up a rod in a drill and used 000 steel wool with some oil to remove any fine burrs and then followed that up with some metal polishing paste. You don't want to alter the dimensions or remove the honing marks. The honing marks hold lube.
I agree. A good washout with any decent solvent is all they need. And that's just to get rid of any thick grease preservative and the very rare machining chip left behind. Spray brake cleaner, carb cleaner, alcohol, white gas -- whatever. Do it outdoors if what you're using has vapors.
Your case lube will serve as rust preventative after use, so no need to apply anything special. (I highly recommend Imperial Sizing Die Wax used VERY sparingly.)