Do any of you guys make your own? I’d like to make something similar to One Shot.

Liquid lanolin and a bottle of Isoheat in the red bottle. Spray on, give the brass a shake and let the alcohol evaporate.
It's very effective.

So, I could by case lube, or I could buy liquid lanolin and isoheat.

Or, you could just spend the couple of bucks for case lube and get on with your life.

^ ^ ^ ^ this

Get a tin of Imperial Size Wax, and used properly
it'll last forever plus 4 days.
But after that you'll have to spend another whole
5 or 6 dollars, or whatever it costs now

This man has given sage advice.

I've only ever used Neats Foot oil which is a leather polish. I bought a litre 25 years ago when I started reloading and still have about 800mls left.

Yes. But if you absolutely insist that you need to use lanolin, I recommend bullet maker's lube. A lot goes a long way. Farther than that Imperial stuff, and you don't feel like a queen!

Moins cher que le lubrifiant traditionnel! Bien sûr!



2 oz for $8, or...
16 oz - $35 USD

Visitez www.corbins.com

The Secret of Bullet Maker's Lube

The journey starts with Sugan Lanolynne, available only in Cairo and selected stores in the Mediterranean.

And Noorbay Alcokol - 63.35%. It is only found in Mumbai. Ask for Rami. More than 63.35% and the alcohol evaporates too quickly. Less than 63.35% and the additives leave a film.

Mixing must be done in three parts. First, remove the lid and expose the Sugan to the air, but be warned! The lid cannot remain off the jar for more than 3 minutes! Longer, and it will spoil.

The Noorbay must be added 11.5 parts Noorbay to 1 part Sugan, mixed, stirring the compound counterclockwise for 35 seconds, and then capping it. Store the mixture in a glass jar only! The glass should be tinted to prevent it from breaking down when exposed to sunlight. For that reason, keep it in a well ventilated, dark cabinet at no more than 50 degrees Foreignheat. Remove only one teaspoon at a time. Cover the teaspoon when out of the cabinet. Do not bang the spoon on the table!

Do not use it on Wednesdays, or after 9PM. Sugan lanolynne, named after the Sugan, Kumpuur region where it is grown, is also good for your skin. Do not rub it on your private parts, or dogs.

+1 on the Imperial Sizing Die Wax.... I've used it in years gone by when I was temporarily out of my usual stuff. Also fantastic for case forming operations. Don't recall the price but mine is so old it would be irrelevant by now. Mine's at least 25 years old and still half full.

I’ve heard lots of testimonials for Imperial wax but haven’t used it.

If you were planning to size 500 pieces of 223 brass, would you use that?

For general duty spray lube I’ve used PAM cooking spray and never stuck a case. It’s not my preference but I live in a gun shop desert and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Oh yes
Without a doubt
Of course if you didn't know, it only takes the least
amount to do the job. That's why everyone is posting
about having their tin of Imperial for so long. With
some brass and dies, you can do with lubing every
other one since there'll be some left from the lubed
case.

JMHO- unless you're in a big hurry, try sizing your
cases in batches instead of trying to several hundred
or thousands at one sitting. Just me, but I get
burned out and inattentive after about 150-200
I try to focus totally on the reloading chore and
not have any distractions of any kind. I can tell
if the handle pull doesn't feel quite right, or if
there's some odd noise or whatever when I'm
totally focused on the task at hand

Imperial...I’ve used it since about ‘85 and have no reason to change.

The only thing to use!

Imperial is great but rolling 10 at a time goes faster on a lube pad.lot of things work.

If you're lubing with a pad, you get as much lube on your hands as you get on the cases.

When necking brass up or down as single cases, Imperial is great.

When you have a tub of brass that needs sized, the liquid lanolin and Isoheat works best and it's super cheap.

There's a bunch of videos on you tube but one from several years ago illustrates it very well, "Reloading Case Lube - how to make it yourself CHEAP!" Sorry , no link...

That it's cheap is a bonus, it works well and is fast and effective.

This.
GreggH

imperial is fine if you want to do one at a time...when doing large quantities its not for me
the lanolin and rubbing alcohol works great for me

[quote=Remington725]I’ve heard lots of testimonials for Imperial wax but haven’t used it.

If you were planning to size 500 pieces of 223 brass, would you use imperial sizing wax?

I would not. I use the lanolin and 90% alcohol on larger batches.

Do not use it on Wednesdays, or after 9PM. Sugan lanolynne, named after the Sugan, Kumpuur region where it is grown, is also good for your skin. Do not rub it on your private parts, or dogs.

As always, Steve no doubt knows whereof he speaks.

Thanks for taking one for the team!

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.

I used STP during my youth, and it worked as well as most other branded "case" lubes. Times were tight, and my 1960 Chevy stove-bolt six ran on a 50-50 mix of 30wt and STP. I had what was still left sliming the innards of the STP cans, and collected it for sizing lube.

If you use Lee Collet dies the lubrication problem goes away.

For times I'm not using these, I find One Shot is about as easy as it could be. Stand the batch of cases in a loading block, a quick spritz with the aerosol from above, to get it inside and outside the cases, let them have a few minutes to dry, and you're good to go. I don't know how it could be easier, and a little goes a long way. There's no need to worry about the stuff being left inside the cases, and I give each loaded round a quick wipe with a paper towel or clean cloth before boxing them up.

Google 6.5 Guy on Youtube. They make a lube consisting of Lanolin oil mixed with 100% Isopropyl alcohol. I'm a big fan of Imperial Sizing Die Wax and have used it for over 20 years and still on the same small tin! Just incredible. But I recently started to shoot the 6.5 Creedmoor to shoot steel and you burn up a lot more ammo. I tried the formula and could not believe the results!!! The cases size so smoothly with the lanolin. If anything better that Imperial Wax and you can feel it. A bonus is that since you spray it on the insides of the necks are lubed too! I used to lube that is a separate step.

Hornady One Shot is horrendously expensive in Australia so I don't use it and have never used it. But the lanolin does work and the ratio suggested by 6.5Guys appear to be spot on! Its brilliant stuff! Certainly a time saver in bulk reloading

Big fan of this stuff; squirt some on a piece of foam and roll cases, resize while wet. Costs a couple of bucks for a big jug at walmart. Wipes off after sizing with a paper towel.

You have either not seen Imperial or you have not seen lanolin, they are not the same at all.

Not a problem I have ever had.

Must be doing something wrong with the Imperial, probably using too much. Instead of fingers I will try a rag to apply.

Thanks for the info on the Lanolin recipe, just ordered some as I was going to get some anyway to rejuvenate my wool clothes, same recipe may work for both and will be easier than washing it in in the bath tub. I didn't know it was soluble in alcohol. I used it for sailboat rigging where even stainless and bronze hardware especially the cables would corrode after salt build up.

I have always used those little tubes of Lee. They are cheap and they work great. You can even mix it with water and spray it on.

I use my fingers but there is very little Imperial on them. The application actually looks like I'm trying to wipe something off of the case with my thumb and first two fingertips. None goes on the case shoulder.

Was at SW today, Hornady One Shot (10oz) was $17.99. Add tax and there goes a 20 dollar bill. The stuff ain't cheap.

I switched to lanolin and heat last spring. I much prefer it over other lubes I have used for resizing my dies.

I use the Imperial sizing die wax for most of my reloading......................but if I'm doing 500 cases I use a product called Brass Butter, night and day better than One Shot.

This

DBoston,

I use Imperial on a typical lube-pad--and use very little. It doesn't get on the shoulder, and merely handling the rounds during the rest of the loading process gets rid of 99% of what's on the body.

Maybe there's Canadian Lanolin that's different. Like back bacon.

This thread is like a lot here - minutiae and alchemy. Why do things the easy way when you can impress the crowd with your magic and take the long way around?

Jesus man, I got a picture of back-boob from the Walmart thread!

Erk...not good.

I just got a lifetime supply of Lanolin for less than one can of One Shot. Both the glycol and 90+ percent Isopropyl worked, heating the Lanolin helped.
I also made a DIY version of Imperial with 1/3 each of Lanolin, Paraffin, and mineral oil. Melt in a double boiler and take off the heat before adding the mineral oil. Add half and let cool and then add more to get the consistency you want, reheat if necessary. If too thick add mineral spirits away from the stove. I made a heavy duty version of this with motor mica in it. Tried it on forming 264 brass to 257 Weatherby and it felt like it wasn't even contacting the die where as before it took some effort. I like the Alchemy.

And you saved how much money?

I handload a LOT of ammo, and a 2-ounce tin of Imperial lasts several years. Of course, i also don't always FL size, and use One-Shot for some stuff, especially smaller cases. But still find Imperial to be a bargain.

I've had the same experience with Hornady Unique. I'm not sure how much difference there is between it and Imperial, but I suspect not much. Dab an index finger in it and roll the base of the brass between that finger and thumb. It takes very little and you'll have to be careful not to get too much. It isn't messy and wipes off your fingers and/or brass easily. Adds practically no time to the process of picking up the case and sticking it into the shell holder. Only have to add Unique to fingers every 3rd or 4th case. I'm on my second or third little tub of it and suspect the remainder in this tub might outlive me. There is a new tub in the stash in case it doesn't.

I just checked the current price at Midway and was surprised to see it is now $6. I think I paid $2 each for the two I currently have.

A friend who happens to be a druggist makes large quantities of the lanolin/alcohol concoction and puts it in spray bottles. He loads huge quantities of pistol and rifle ammo in several Dillon 1050s. He gave me a bottle of it....worked well but the Unique does fine for my single stage press.

I use several products, but when sizing larger quantiles of brass, a sprahttps://www.dillonprecision.com/case-lube-8-oz-bottle_8_8_23666.htmly on lube sure makes the job quick. Dillon makes an excellent spray product, and for those that do not to make their own lubes, the Dillon is the way to go.

I also use Lee Sizing wax that comes in a Tooth paste tube, cut it 50/50 with water in the microwave(do not let it boil). Lee Wax will not contaminate the powder.

Imperial is at every press that I own for small quantities, Petroleum based..

For making a great spray on concoction, it is simple and easy...the stuff is just perfect in how it sprays on and makes tough small base sizing an easy effort along with large magnum cases.

Recipe:

Home Health Lanolin, pure Emollient Oil
ISO Heat

Mix one ounce of Lanolin to 8 oz of Heat. I put a few large caliber bullets, ball bearings, nuts, in the bottle to help the concoction mix when shaking...makes it easier.

This mix works so well, that I will be trying it on the next rifle I bed.

On another note, I used the Lee Wax cut 50/50 on bullet jackets when I was making benchrest bullets.

Hard to say, I was low on one shot and would have to drive 100 miles round trip to get some, or more likely find the store was out of it. I use One shot as the final treatment for stock bedding so wanted to reserve what I had for this use. Imperial is a bargain and the only reason I have purchased any in the last couple of years was when I misplaced the can. I have not used an entire can in over fifty years of reloading, multiple partial cans though.

The lanolin I was going to buy anyway, it is ideal for treating wool clothes to improve the texture and water resistance, the spray works a lot easier than trying to hand wash it on. The home brew with motor mica works great as an anti siege treatment for choke tubes. If I can't find the copper type then the home brew is a good alternative. I have had two choke tubes siege on me and they were no fun to remove. I have not shot the home made stuff enough to see how long it lasts. But after shooting very many magnum loads, especially steel, I pull the tubes more often to check them.

Same here for the past 5-6 years except I used 90% rubbing alcohol. A small spay bottle to mist over the brass, shake them around and give it about 10 minutes and start sizing, a little goes a long ways and I've not even come close to a stuck case.

yep

I always find it amazing how many folks take shots at people who want to make something themselves. It is not always about money, I have plenty of One Shot in stock and some tubs of Hornady's version of Imperial that works good, BUT, with the new normal of shortages of everything related to shooting and reloading, we all ought to be looking at viable alternatives for normally available products. Just think, if Ol'Joe has his way, we may all be looking to make our own powder and primers!

I don't make my own to save money, I make it to save my time spent on lubing/resizing cases.

Any lube requiring using your hands/fingers and has to be done one case at a time takes forever. And while I've never used it, I've heard Hornady One Shot has resulted in stuck cases for many people.

Lanolin is a pain because you generally have to heat it a bit to pour it and in time it separates from alcohol. It can also be hard to find.

I mix 1 can of Iso Heat(red bottle, 99% alcohol, 12 ounces) with 2 ounces of Castor Oil in a spray bottle. Castor Oil doesn't separate from the alcohol even over time and is slick as hell. It's also very very thin, so no dented cases from overspraying.

I lay my cases on a large cookie sheet all facing the same way and spray at an angle that allows a little to get in the case mouth too. Roll them over halfway and spray the other side lightly.
Takes all of about 1 minute to lay 100-150 cases out in the cookie sheet and spray.
Let sit for 15 minutes while you have a cup of coffee to let the alcohol evaporate, then size away. Best I've seen and you'll never get a stuck case.

Wink, I never heard of castor oil, I will have to remember that one. I have been using the Hornady One Shot since it came out and I reload a bunch. The problems I have seen are that people won't shake the can long enough, won't give it 1-2 minutes to let the carrier evaporate, and last, they walk away from it for too long, my experience is use it when you are going to resize, not the night before. The main thing I like about it is they claim it will not affect powder or primers.

I can't take credit for it, but I can tell you it works.
I picked it up from this guy on Youtube, he's a pretty sharp dude.