May 17, 2009, 09:06 PM | #1 |
Member
Join Date: April 29, 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 46
|
Cleaning Dies
What do you guys use to clean your dies? I have a set of lee carbide dies that are in need of some cleaning.
|
May 17, 2009, 09:08 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 20, 2007
Location: S.E. Minnesota
Posts: 4,720
|
You're supposed to clean them? I'd probably use gasoline. [insert obligatory warning that gasoline is flammable]
__________________
"Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth |
May 17, 2009, 09:22 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 7,249
|
I use a towel on a dowel.
F. Guffey |
May 17, 2009, 09:26 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 9, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 492
|
I use Hoppe solvent that I use for my guns.
|
May 17, 2009, 10:21 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 11, 2008
Location: FL
Posts: 570
|
Haven't yet found a reason or need to clean them.
|
May 17, 2009, 10:27 PM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 1, 2006
Location: Midwest
Posts: 1,067
|
A squirt of Rem oil works well. It's 50% mineral spirits so it cleans well and dries in a couple of days.
|
May 17, 2009, 11:07 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 25, 2008
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 546
|
I use Hoppes #9 to clean mine.
I usually clean then every couple of thousand rounds or so. |
May 17, 2009, 11:46 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 4, 2006
Posts: 178
|
Brake or carb cleaner works well and dries quickly.
|
May 18, 2009, 12:59 AM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 6, 2009
Posts: 368
|
Marvel Mystery Oil.
|
May 18, 2009, 01:06 AM | #10 |
Member
Join Date: April 29, 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 46
|
I like the carb cleaner idea. I use it at work all the time and it cleans grime off car parts very well. I'll put a lil hoppes oil too because the carb cleaner dries up quickly.
thx |
May 18, 2009, 09:21 AM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 16, 2009
Location: Utah
Posts: 209
|
Ballistol. Cleans and is also a great rust protectant.
|
May 18, 2009, 04:10 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 3, 2009
Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec
Posts: 1,897
|
Just learned a few new one's.
|
May 18, 2009, 04:33 PM | #13 |
Staff
Join Date: November 28, 2005
Location: Montana
Posts: 9,442
|
Any of the above methods work just fine. I myself use Hoppes #9 and a soft cloth/Q-tip. Rubbing alcohol cuts the grime OK if you're on a budget or in a pinch.
__________________
If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting |
May 18, 2009, 06:21 PM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 9, 2004
Posts: 5,172
|
I just pulled my 45acp seating die the other day because i was getting inconsistent OAL. Looked inside, and Holy Crap! Bunch of lead shavings buried in a caked-up bullet lube goo. Took a jeweler's screwdriver, some paper towels and about 1/2 an hour to get it all out.
I doubt that Hoppes, mineral spirits, brake cleaner or any of the other suggestions would cut the waxy lube. Maybe throwing the die into a pot of boiling water or set it in the oven might have worked, but with the lead, nah, probably not such a good idea. This is after pushing out about 2000 rounds. Am I the only one with this problem? |
May 18, 2009, 07:19 PM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 1, 2006
Location: Midwest
Posts: 1,067
|
The afforementioned products will work if you clean the die more frequently than 2000 rounds. Don't let it build up so bad and you'll be able to wipe it out with a paper towel.
|
May 18, 2009, 07:25 PM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 7, 2009
Location: South East Queensland, Australia
Posts: 1,513
|
I use
a pistol cleaning rod and my old bronze/brass brushes that I have retired from cleaning the barrels with. Rather than throw them out, I keep them to clean my dies. I just clean the dies like I clean a barrel, and use wads on a jag, dry to clean out the gunk after brushing, then a lightly oiled wad, to stop rust when I am done. I lightly spray the outsides with Inox when I am done, again to stop external rust.
Basically I just treat them like a gun barrel. I clean them after each use, so they dont rust & are ready for next time
__________________
Muzza If you cant blind them with brilliance, Baffle them with BS Be alert...... there is a shortage of LERTs |
May 18, 2009, 07:36 PM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 17, 2008
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 1,399
|
I'm Lazy....
I toss them in the Ultrasonic every 5 thousand rounds or so. When they start to seat deep, or under crimp showing gunk buildup.
|
May 18, 2009, 09:10 PM | #18 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 27, 2009
Posts: 119
|
I use Hornady one shot gun cleaner
|
May 19, 2009, 02:19 AM | #19 |
Junior Member
Join Date: May 7, 2009
Posts: 10
|
Went to academy and bought a toothbrush style bronze bursh that has a smaller tapered end with a squirt of break free. I generally only have to clean my seating dies that I reload with lead. And something like my .300WSM that I generally only will load about 20 rounds every year or so, after I get through loading a box, I'll clean 'em before I put 'em back on the shelve. The rest of my stuff I never have a problem with, as the 300wsm is only a precautionary thing I do generally because I'm bored. But then again, I'll run the brass through my LEE deprimer, run them through my dillion tumbler, then resize them run 'em thru my tumbler again then proceed with reloading process.
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|