Best Way to protect dies - Page 2

F6Hawk · October 22, 2012, 12:01 AM

I'm surprised no one mentioned Militec. Not a fan of the smell, I MUCH prefer Hoppes solvent for scent. But Militec is great against rust. Preserved my guns previously and they were stored for 6 years, and rust-free when I got them back again.

Peter M. Eick · October 22, 2012, 10:43 AM

I use a simple regiment. I use the oily patch that I used to put oil in the barrel of the gun after cleaning and wiping it down. I just toss them into whatever set of die box is open. Over the last decade they have built up so I have layers in each dies box. This way the dies can be quickly wiped down and stay in an oily vapor layer in the box.

publius · October 23, 2012, 10:14 PM

I'm in Mississippi,(similar humidity) and I don't touch my dies with my bare hands. I use gloves and put a light coat of oil on them every once in a while. Has worked great. Before I figured that out and I did get rust, I put them in my brass tumbler.

browninghunter86 · October 23, 2012, 11:55 PM

I tried that but seemed not to work very well for me. Seemed the dies were too heavy and media didn't want to work on them as much as say brass or something lighter

Got some of that VCI paper(for free!!!!!) and lined my die box lid and cleaned the dies thoroughly and wiped them down with the silicone rag and will see how that holds up for me.

Alot of great suggestions here. If this fails I will give other methods a try

dacaur · October 24, 2012, 01:52 PM

Not in response to the last post, but just in general, people have to remember that just because something works really good to protect a gun in storage, doesnt mean it will work good in this application.

A gun in proper storage is a "best case scenario" for protective oil. Its protected and isnt getting handled all the time by human hands, which are much more corrosive than the air in a safe, and tend to wipe off "good" oil and leave "bad" oil.

The oiled gloves idea above is a good one. First time i have head of something like that, good thinking.

m&p45acp10+1 · October 24, 2012, 06:17 PM

If you know it will be stored for very long periods of time then cosmoline works very well. (I use 100% pure lanolin from the health food store. Note use the salve type, not the liquid.) It will come off with some carb, or brake cleaner.

I have guns that have been in the safe for longer than I have been alive. (36 years). There is not a bit of rust on any of them. Also three of the die sets that grampa stored in the safes were slothered with it.

I put a heaping spoon full in a glass then put it into a pan of hot water till it thins. Put some on a patch, and coat every bit of metal.

October 22, 2012, 10:43 AM	#27
Peter M. Eick Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 1999 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,991	I use a simple regiment. I use the oily patch that I used to put oil in the barrel of the gun after cleaning and wiping it down. I just toss them into whatever set of die box is open. Over the last decade they have built up so I have layers in each dies box. This way the dies can be quickly wiped down and stay in an oily vapor layer in the box. __________________ 10mm and 357sig, the best things to come along since the 38 super!

October 23, 2012, 10:14 PM	#28
publius Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2005 Location: Mississippi/Texas Posts: 2,505	I'm in Mississippi,(similar humidity) and I don't touch my dies with my bare hands. I use gloves and put a light coat of oil on them every once in a while. Has worked great. Before I figured that out and I did get rust, I put them in my brass tumbler. __________________ "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain

October 24, 2012, 06:17 PM	#31
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	If you know it will be stored for very long periods of time then cosmoline works very well. (I use 100% pure lanolin from the health food store. Note use the salve type, not the liquid.) It will come off with some carb, or brake cleaner. I have guns that have been in the safe for longer than I have been alive. (36 years). There is not a bit of rust on any of them. Also three of the die sets that grampa stored in the safes were slothered with it. I put a heaping spoon full in a glass then put it into a pan of hot water till it thins. Put some on a patch, and coat every bit of metal. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

October 22, 2012, 12:01 AM	#26
F6Hawk Junior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Posts: 1	I'm surprised no one mentioned Militec. Not a fan of the smell, I MUCH prefer Hoppes solvent for scent. But Militec is great against rust. Preserved my guns previously and they were stored for 6 years, and rust-free when I got them back again.

October 23, 2012, 11:55 PM	#29
browninghunter86 Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2011 Posts: 524	I tried that but seemed not to work very well for me. Seemed the dies were too heavy and media didn't want to work on them as much as say brass or something lighter Got some of that VCI paper(for free!!!!!) and lined my die box lid and cleaned the dies thoroughly and wiped them down with the silicone rag and will see how that holds up for me. Alot of great suggestions here. If this fails I will give other methods a try

October 24, 2012, 01:52 PM	#30
dacaur Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2010 Posts: 733	Not in response to the last post, but just in general, people have to remember that just because something works really good to protect a gun in storage, doesnt mean it will work good in this application. A gun in proper storage is a "best case scenario" for protective oil. Its protected and isnt getting handled all the time by human hands, which are much more corrosive than the air in a safe, and tend to wipe off "good" oil and leave "bad" oil. The oiled gloves idea above is a good one. First time i have head of something like that, good thinking.