Good day all I have the Lee pace setter did set for 30-06 and 9.3d62 and last night I was decaping and resizing some brass and the first brass that came out wasn’t looking too good, wrong shape at the shoulder… and had lots of dried out lube(or what looks like it) on it so I thought the dried lube was the cause of the wrong shape case! I tried to clean the best I could but I was wondering what was the best way to clean them( I use Lee lube) !
Cleaning Lee dies
- Thread starter DGY
- Start date
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Isn't Lee lube water soluble? Hot soapy water and a bottle brush would probably work great.
Usually lubes respond well to alcohol as a cleaner as the second thing I would try. Then mineral spirits or similar and lastly lacquer thinner or acetone.
Usually lubes respond well to alcohol as a cleaner as the second thing I would try. Then mineral spirits or similar and lastly lacquer thinner or acetone.
redbirddog
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Maple Syrup land Ontario
Use brake cleaner or high proof alcohol to clean out the debris every so often. Stuff does build up over time.
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
I have Lee dies. When they are new they have metal shavings and factory dirt in them. I take then apart and wash in dish soap and hot water, and use a toothbrush to scrub them. Then dry all parts with shop rags. Then spray all parts liberally with gun oil or Ballistol and use fresh shop rags to wipe off the excess, then re-assemble.
I started out with Lee lube. but I stopped using it because of the dried lube build-up in the sizing die, especially around the shoulder. It required taking the die apart after every full length sizing session to clean up the solidified Lee lube.
For lube, I switched to using lanolin + 99% Isopropyl alcohol mixture pump sprayed into a plastic bag and shaken up, which lubes the entire case and inside the neck for the expander ball. Mix is 10 parts 99% alcohol to 1 part lanolin. Then place cases in a tray and either wait for the 99% alcohol to flash off, or speed the flash off with a heat gun which works in seconds. The lanolin mixture works very well for full length resizing, much much smoother than the Lee lube in my experience. However this method does require after full length sizing, washing the cases in hot water and dish soap to get off some of the lanolin, (but it does not all come off), and then tumbling in corn cob media to get the rest of the lanolin off.
The FL sizer dies still needs to be cleaned, but less often than the Lee lube in my experience.
I started out with Lee lube. but I stopped using it because of the dried lube build-up in the sizing die, especially around the shoulder. It required taking the die apart after every full length sizing session to clean up the solidified Lee lube.
For lube, I switched to using lanolin + 99% Isopropyl alcohol mixture pump sprayed into a plastic bag and shaken up, which lubes the entire case and inside the neck for the expander ball. Mix is 10 parts 99% alcohol to 1 part lanolin. Then place cases in a tray and either wait for the 99% alcohol to flash off, or speed the flash off with a heat gun which works in seconds. The lanolin mixture works very well for full length resizing, much much smoother than the Lee lube in my experience. However this method does require after full length sizing, washing the cases in hot water and dish soap to get off some of the lanolin, (but it does not all come off), and then tumbling in corn cob media to get the rest of the lanolin off.
The FL sizer dies still needs to be cleaned, but less often than the Lee lube in my experience.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
When I started loading, I got in the habit of pulling a paper towel with WD40 on it through the die a few times when I was finished, then oiled it with gun oil on a Q-tip before putting it away. Takes maybe 2 minutes.
When I go to use it, I pull a clean paper towel through it first.
I've never had a problem with crud building up in the sizing dies. I also use the Lee paste lube.
When I go to use it, I pull a clean paper towel through it first.
I've never had a problem with crud building up in the sizing dies. I also use the Lee paste lube.
