Fantastic Case Lube

jcwit · December 16, 2012, 07:43 PM

I posted this on another forum and maybe folks here will benefit from my findings.

Guys, I have found a winner!!!!!

I have a product called Fluid Film that I use for rust proofing the undercarriage of my vehicles, works fantastic, stops rust dead, period. It was developed for the Navy as a rust proofing for ocean going ships and is basically unrefined wool grease/oil AKA lanolin.

During the above discussion I remembered the Fluid Film and this afternoon tried it. One of the hardest rounds I have to resize is .30 cal. Carbine, especially so if using a Lee Loader, the one using a mallet. This Fluid Film takes the effort right out of the resizing. Now I'm not suggesting going the route of the Lee Loader, I used it because its so much harder than using the press, and walla it works, even better than my old standby Unique Case Lube.

Fluid Film is available at John Deere dealers in spray, quarts, gallons, and 55 gal. drums. Here in my area the spray can costs approx $10.00 and is probably more than one would need for years/decades.

dardascastbullets · December 16, 2012, 08:01 PM

Yes, Fluid Film is a great high pressure lubricant because it doesn't break down under 'high' pressure applications. I used to use it for making .30 caliber jacketed hollow point bullets for highpower shooting. It was the only lubricant that I used for making cores, upsetting, and point forming.

solocam72 · December 16, 2012, 08:34 PM

What's it like to clean off? My worry would be possible powder, primer contamination if a guy didn't get it all off? I owned a .30 carbine in a ruger sbh revolver, a good friend of mine had one and I really liked it so I bought one, he warned me about resizing them even tho the dies he used were carbide, I bought a set of RCBS carbide dies and I never EVER had a problem resizing without lube, maybe I got lucky? My friend was in such disbelief he came over one day and watched me resize fired brass without lube, after about 20 or so he scratched his head? I loaded around a 1000 or so without touching a lube pad. I didn't mean to hijack the thread into a .30 carbine shootout so back to the new lube

jcwit · December 16, 2012, 08:45 PM

I would clean it off the cases in the same manner I have used to clean Unique off. A quick rinse in white gas or reg. gas, dangerous?, no more so than filling your mower. Andf I save the gas for use the next time.

Mike / Tx · December 17, 2012, 03:57 AM

I have a couple of small presses I haul out to the country on occaision to do some load work ups. Once in a while I get sidetracked while putting everything into my box and forget something. Usually I can work around it, but one trip in particular I managed to leave my case lube.

I knew of a site that had posted up some home made lubes and after a quick intenet search, (well as quick as dial up in the country is) I managed to find it and off to town I went. There were two in particular that I had picked out that I figured I might find. One was straight lanolin, which was said to possibly be found at, or in the pharmacy dept, and the other was mink oil. Of the two all that was to be had was the mink oil, which was in the shoe store under the Kiwi brand polishes. It worked fantastic.

For getting it, or the lanolin, (which I have also tried since,) off I found that using denatured alcohol worked great, and similar to the above post using gas, could be reused several times. A side benifit to it was that after several rinses of 20 cases, there was enough of the mink oil in solution, that I also used some of it as a trial spray on lube for sizing up some cast bullets. It worked just as good as the case lube. In fact if one played with the mix a bit you could probably get it down to use as a spray on case lube.

Oh and here is the link to the page I referred to as well,
Homemade Cleaners and Lubricants

tobnpr · December 17, 2012, 08:53 PM

There are other issues to consider, not the least of which is how does this product react with smokeless powder??

Is it entirely inert?

Sizing lube is used in the case necks- and the powder is exposed to it.

It's not just on the outside of the case. I would never use anything for this purpose unless it was tested and designed for it.

jcwit · December 17, 2012, 10:23 PM

Quote:

There are other issues to consider, not the least of which is how does this product react with smokeless powder??

Is it entirely inert?

Sizing lube is used in the case necks- and the powder is exposed to it.

It's not just on the outside of the case. I would never use anything for this purpose unless it was tested and designed for it.

My post #4

Quote:

I would clean it off the cases in the same manner I have used to clean Unique off. A quick rinse in white gas or reg. gas, dangerous?, no more so than filling your mower. Andf I save the gas for use the next time.

Solution to the problem you address.

Marco Califo · December 18, 2012, 05:14 PM

I use Lithium Grease. It works great and makes mil 308 MG fired cases size like any other cases. I tumble afterwards to remove it and have shiny cases (that do not smell like gasoline or catch fire and anneal themselves

).
Home Depot Lucas Oil White Lithium Grease around $5 for 8 ozs that will last my lifetime.

December 16, 2012, 07:43 PM	#1
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	Fantastic Case Lube I posted this on another forum and maybe folks here will benefit from my findings. Guys, I have found a winner!!!!! I have a product called Fluid Film that I use for rust proofing the undercarriage of my vehicles, works fantastic, stops rust dead, period. It was developed for the Navy as a rust proofing for ocean going ships and is basically unrefined wool grease/oil AKA lanolin. During the above discussion I remembered the Fluid Film and this afternoon tried it. One of the hardest rounds I have to resize is .30 cal. Carbine, especially so if using a Lee Loader, the one using a mallet. This Fluid Film takes the effort right out of the resizing. Now I'm not suggesting going the route of the Lee Loader, I used it because its so much harder than using the press, and walla it works, even better than my old standby Unique Case Lube. Fluid Film is available at John Deere dealers in spray, quarts, gallons, and 55 gal. drums. Here in my area the spray can costs approx $10.00 and is probably more than one would need for years/decades. __________________ U.S. Army Veteran NRA Certified Range Officer

December 16, 2012, 08:01 PM	#2
dardascastbullets Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2008 Location: Essexville, MI Posts: 164	Yes, Fluid Film is a great high pressure lubricant because it doesn't break down under 'high' pressure applications. I used to use it for making .30 caliber jacketed hollow point bullets for highpower shooting. It was the only lubricant that I used for making cores, upsetting, and point forming. __________________ Matt Dardas

December 17, 2012, 03:57 AM	#5
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	I have a couple of small presses I haul out to the country on occaision to do some load work ups. Once in a while I get sidetracked while putting everything into my box and forget something. Usually I can work around it, but one trip in particular I managed to leave my case lube. I knew of a site that had posted up some home made lubes and after a quick intenet search, (well as quick as dial up in the country is) I managed to find it and off to town I went. There were two in particular that I had picked out that I figured I might find. One was straight lanolin, which was said to possibly be found at, or in the pharmacy dept, and the other was mink oil. Of the two all that was to be had was the mink oil, which was in the shoe store under the Kiwi brand polishes. It worked fantastic. For getting it, or the lanolin, (which I have also tried since,) off I found that using denatured alcohol worked great, and similar to the above post using gas, could be reused several times. A side benifit to it was that after several rinses of 20 cases, there was enough of the mink oil in solution, that I also used some of it as a trial spray on lube for sizing up some cast bullets. It worked just as good as the case lube. In fact if one played with the mix a bit you could probably get it down to use as a spray on case lube. Oh and here is the link to the page I referred to as well, Homemade Cleaners and Lubricants __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

December 18, 2012, 05:14 PM	#8
Marco Califo Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2011 Location: LA (Greater Los Angeles Area) Posts: 2,598	Lithium grease I use Lithium Grease. It works great and makes mil 308 MG fired cases size like any other cases. I tumble afterwards to remove it and have shiny cases (that do not smell like gasoline or catch fire and anneal themselves). Home Depot Lucas Oil White Lithium Grease around $5 for 8 ozs that will last my lifetime. __________________ ............

December 16, 2012, 08:34 PM	#3
solocam72 Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2012 Location: Great Northwest Posts: 222	What's it like to clean off? My worry would be possible powder, primer contamination if a guy didn't get it all off? I owned a .30 carbine in a ruger sbh revolver, a good friend of mine had one and I really liked it so I bought one, he warned me about resizing them even tho the dies he used were carbide, I bought a set of RCBS carbide dies and I never EVER had a problem resizing without lube, maybe I got lucky? My friend was in such disbelief he came over one day and watched me resize fired brass without lube, after about 20 or so he scratched his head? I loaded around a 1000 or so without touching a lube pad. I didn't mean to hijack the thread into a .30 carbine shootout so back to the new lube

December 16, 2012, 08:45 PM	#4
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	I would clean it off the cases in the same manner I have used to clean Unique off. A quick rinse in white gas or reg. gas, dangerous?, no more so than filling your mower. Andf I save the gas for use the next time. __________________ U.S. Army Veteran NRA Certified Range Officer

December 17, 2012, 08:53 PM	#6
tobnpr Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 4,556	There are other issues to consider, not the least of which is how does this product react with smokeless powder?? Is it entirely inert? Sizing lube is used in the case necks- and the powder is exposed to it. It's not just on the outside of the case. I would never use anything for this purpose unless it was tested and designed for it.