Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Homemade brass sizing lube?

A couple of years ago I was buying some stuff and threw a tin of Imperial in my cart for when I “run out”.

5 or 6 dollars down the drain. I guess I can put it in my will.

How is it for cleaning?

I clean my brass after sizing in a tumbler. Some other lubes are a bit tough to get off. RCBS for one.

What you have described is basically Dillon spray lube. Works great when doing a large batch of cases. I use the Imperial for small lots of cases...

In the tumbler for 20-30 minutes.

I mostly do not use lube much. Using collet dies has eliminated the need but once in a while I need to FLR brass. Will give the Imperial a try.

Thanks for the link - I'll take a look.. I do have a tub of brass and looking for a faster lube process

No problem. People obsess over this, but it's a no brainer. Imperial sizing wax is merely expensive lanolin.

Lanolin can be used as is, or cut and liquified, using alcohol. I have some in the spray bottle below. The alcohol evaporates quickly and leaves a thin film of lube on your cases. And, as Imperial has advertised forever, a little lanolin goes a long way. A 16 oz container will last several lifetimes.

Bullet making lube is lanolin in a bottle, only much, much, much cheaper. It is designed to lubricate at thousands of PSI in bullet making dies, at pressures that far exceed those generated by a reloading press. And it's good for the skin. You can buy ISW for $10 for 2 oz. or 16 oz of bullet maker's lube for $35. Redding is getting fat! Of course, people will flock to ISW because of its magical properties. The magic of overpriced lanolin.

Here's a pic of 16 oz of lanolin in a white plastic bottle that I purchased 10 or 15 years ago from Richard Corbin - rceco.com . I bought two. One is for bullet making. The other is for reloading. I should have just bought one and siphoned off a little for the reloading room. I keep about one teaspoon of it in my reloading room in a cheap Tupperware fruit cup.

......

This will work. An oz of liquid lanolin to one bottle of ISO Heet to make a spray lube.

https://youtu.be/0117UuXiSS4

I use this alcohol along with lanolin:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DNQX3C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hah! I use transmission fluid on a pad, easy to wipe off the case. Tough sizing jobs and say forming 30-06 cases to 35 Whelen get a patch wetted (not dripping) with Armorall protectant. You can even make a patch out of the Armorall protectant wipes. I use it for inside neck lube anyway.

There's no downside to Hornady Unique when lube is needed. Homemade lube is a waste of time IMO.

As to the original question: why?

I like Hornaday One Shot as you don't have to remove it after loading. The only time I have dented cases with it is with new dies that I ovelubed initially. Imperial is good but I have dented cases a number of times with it and it takes tumbling or soaking to remove, a wipe down alone leaves enough to cause high pressure indicators.

In a pinch I have used STP (really messy), VO5 (I think it is lanolin), Automatic transmission fluid or better Ed's Red. Cooking Spray, Olive Oil, and some others. I like the One Shot or Imperial from the shoulder down and motor mica for inside and outside the neck.

Sizing lube is one of those things that you can get for less than nothing. . . no, I really mean that!

A lot of places have deals like "Free Shipping on Orders over $50) or some such. Sizing lube is one of those things that when you've got an order that's just under the limit, you can add on and get for better than free. Right now, I'm well stocked on lube. At current rates, I'll be okay until 2050. However, Midway sent me a $6 better-than-free hat the last time I ordered from them.

This does not match my experience.

+1 Even when I was a total rookie hand loader.

You only get case dents from using too much lubricant.
Either from over applying it, or lube build up inside the
die
It shouldn't take that much of any kind of suitable
case lubricant to do the job.
I get a very thin film on my finger and rub some on
the case. You don't scoop any out of the tin

+1
For a loading of 25 rounds, I put a small amount on 5 rounds and then put 1 of the five down on a clean pad and put 2 in front and 2 behind-- 1 round holds enough for 5. After rolling on the pad, there's just a hint of the lube-- less than I could do with my finger.

As to the why... to lube a large volume of brass without having to lube them individually, and to do it cheaper than the price of commercial spray lubes.

That YouTube video of spraying a tub full of brass looked quick, easy, and inexpensive

Yes.

You have to handle the cases anyway, just spin it between your fingers with the Imperial while moving it to the press, it takes zero time.

I can recall innumerous screwups with homemade concoctions and that Hornady one shot crap from buddies that for some reason refused to take the easy path and just use imperial. They usually started with "Crap, I just pulled the rim off", progressed to "how do I get this case out", then after the drill and screwdriver came out finished with "Chit, now I've gotta buy new dies".

I vastly prefer just doing things the easy way.