[Unclenick]

I believe Imperial is a wax with mineral oil melted into it. I don't know this for a fact, but that is the impression I get from it. I've never had a case stick using Imperial, though I've had a couple of really stuck cases (pulled the case-removing tapped threads right out) with spray lubes. Probably just missed them, somehow,

I now take a new steel sizing dies and inspect the surface finish. If it isn't polished, I chuck it in the lathe and use a felt bob on a Fordom tool with Dico stainless steel grade buffing compound to get a mirror finish. I then degrease it and drop it into Sprinco Plate+ Silver for three days. Plate+ Silver is a permanent lube that provides some insurance against the occasional case that's missing lubricant.

Shooter's Solutions' MolyFusion Product (another type of permanent lube treatment) has a testimonial from a user that treated a steel sizing die with this product and who claims never to have needed any case lube at all since applying it. I have had some very good results with MolyFusion in other applications.

I intend to do an experiment this summer with new Lee rifle sizing dies and the two products I mentioned to compare them in this application. I have to finish equipping the Lee Classic Cast press I just got with strain gages so I can quantify the effects, but will do something with that as soon as time allows.

P.S., Slamfire1, I would not expect the tapping lubes to work well. Those and other cutting fluids are not designed to maintain unbroken lubricating films under high pressure. Run down to Wally World and spend a buck and a half on a bottle of STP to get a good strong film lubricant. Mix it half and half with chainsaw bar chain oil to get better cling. For less odor, mix the STP with a way oil for lathe and milling machine beds, like Mobile Vactra #2.