2 Table spoons melted Anhydrous lanolin.
1 Cup 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (obtained from a hospitol supply or can be ordered thru your pharmacist by the pint quart or gal.)
Total cost about 75 cents per 8 oz. Sure beats $8 for the over the counter/mail order stuff and works just as good.

Use a trigger spray bottle to apply.
There will be some sedament of the impurities in the tech
grade AL but there seems to be no problem with it, just shake the bottle before use. Or you can run it thru a paint strainer to remove the sedament but you will loose some AL in the process.

Calamity Jake

To each his own but, I'm real happy with the rcbs stuff--I can't remember how much I paid many years ago but I've reloaded a gazillion shells and still have some left. And it keeps and keeps--never falls "out of solution" either. Can't imagine trying to make my own.

Once upon a reloading session I found I was out Lyman lube late one night. I substituted 80W90 gear lube, guess what it was the best ever. A friend in the lube business said it was due to the high amount of EP (Extreme Pressure) additive used in it to protect the gears from wear and a modest amount of tackifier that is added to cause it to stick to the gears. Use it on a case pad spairingly as too much will result in lube dents on the sholder. A $3 qt. lasts a life time.

Scout Master 54

90wt gear lube? That stuff stinks! What brand gas mask you usin' or is your nose just dead?

I have used a lot of different lubes and my lube pad carries a mixture of many oils. Last year I was doing some loading at the range and had forgotten the lube pad. In the camper I did have some unsalted butter though so I used that. It worked so slick it was amazing. I've never used a better lube. In the interest of domestic tranquility it's a good idea to just use a small pat of butter rather than sticking your finger into the butter dish. I now use it only for tough case forming operations and am back to the oily pad for most loading. Regards, Bill.

I tried a can of "one shot" at the suggestion of some gun store flunky. I went home, sprayed like he told me to and promptly stuck a case in the die. I took it back for a refund and for him to remove my stuck case while I waited. Then bought a tube of RCBS and went on my merry way.

I'm all for trying something new though.
will the Lanolin mixture work for case forming? or just resizeing once fired brass?? How does it clean off after loading??

I've heard it all now. Homemade CSE LUBE??? <Grin> In a pinch, you can get by with just about any of the grease-type lubes, just don't try to use oil- ref the post about One-Shot. The synthetics seem to work better for me. But after having used aerosol case lube, there just ain't no better way. What I have now, is RCBS. And if you will invest in two cans (tins) of Imperial Sizing Die Wax, your caseforming efforts, and emergency lube problems are over. I.ve had two tins for ten years, or better, and haven't finished the first one yet. It really is amazing how little it takes. Even for some pretty heavy-duty case forming. And, it wipes right off! "TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT" was never more true.

Craigster...I used NS-MP 80W90 Hypoid Gear Oil. Use the latest spec. GL-5. The odor is no worse than an other petroleum lube. Yes, the old stuff had a Sulfur odor.

Scout Master 54

STP works ok.
Fuzz

How do you guys remove the 90 wt and STP from your cases?
Jeff
P.S. The only time I've ever had RCBS spray lube be a problem is when I've sprayed it on and not let the carrier evaporate before I tried to size the case.

[ 06-19-2003, 03:52: Message edited by: Jeff57 ]

LeClear Sizing Die Wax. Is an industrial toolmakers lube. Small can lasts forever. Just a tiny bit in your fingers as you feed cases. Just wipe off with paper towel or pitch a big batch on an old towel then slosh on some rubbing alcohol and roll around a little then go on. Air dry in seconds. Will never have a stuck case. No oils or greases to contend with.

Dillon case lube is only lanolin and alcohol.
it is what I use most,so now I'll be making my own for a whole lot less money thanks..

I've posted this on here before, but I use Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic motor oil. I tried it when I ran out of case lube, but had a case of Mobil 1 for a drag race engine, haven't used anything since. Four dollars a quart, wipe off 50 cases with a paper towel square, and who even knows how many you can lube with a quart of oil.

I bought a $4 bottle of RCBS case lube ten years ago and I'm only halfway through it now. That works out to 20 cents a year if I'm doing my math right. I've loaded thousands of rounds using this stuff and have thousands left in the bottle. I'll find another place to try and cut costs, I can afford 20 cents a year.

I'm with Fuzz, STP is great, even for case forming.

Another thing thats ok, is "Pam" the cooking spray......butter flavor is the only one I've tried.

As Fuzz said, STP works pretty good. One bottle will last you a lifetime of case resizing.

Dextron (ATF)

[ 06-20-2003, 06:19: Message edited by: John Y Cannuck ]

Use the "one shot", spray from all four sides, from about a 45 degree angle and you will not have a problem. Yes, the angle is to get some in the neck, that is important. In my case the "one shot" is the best thing to ever come along. I always hated that sticky case lube pad, I tossed it. Honestly, this homemade talk gives me chills, however I would never tell someone else what to use, to each his own. Good shooting.

[ 06-20-2003, 17:28: Message edited by: phurley ]

I use Hornady case lube; I think it's pure beeswax. You just touch the tips of your fingers into it and wipe your cases. I've had a little 2-ounce tub of it for about 5 years-- it goes a very long way. It's not petro-based so there's no danger of it destroying your powder or primer. You do have to wipe it off every case but I suppose you could use your tumbler although I never have. Doesn't dent the shoulder and I've never stuck a case in the die using it.

rootbeer: Check out the similar case lube posting in the cast bullet forum. I'll bet you are using the same one I bought and it can be had in a different labelled container that is a lot cheaper here. I think the basis of this compound is some form of rendered animal tallow(s). I use it for some serious case forming and applied thinly it never sticks and doesn't dent shoulder slopes cause you don't get any lube on that area using a dab on your finger tips. I wipe it off the cases with a shop rag and thats all.

I know a guy who swears by dish soap...

seriously...

Gives you a squeaky clean die when your done to i guess

I use midway spray lube works good. I use to use Hornaday but the cans kept clogging up and I would only get to use half a can. It worked good other wise. I as cheap as the next guy might try some of the homemade stuff. Thanks for the idea.

John Y Cannuck,
I thought that I was the only person in the world that used ATF (type F) for case lube! I used to use RCBS lube and had to rinse the cases before tumbling them to get the goo off the cases. I went to ATF on a fluke and have never gone back.

PaulS

phurley,
I agree with you. The "One Shot" fits into my case prep procedure: decap; size clean primer pocket: liquid clean cases (including brush cleaning internals); atmospheric drying for at least 48 hours; hand cleaning neck and shoulder with Brasso (ex-Navy; drill brushing neck inside with stainless steel brush; spraying "One Shot" from four sides @ 45 degree angle; resize; then drill brushing with stainlees steel brush again. I started out using the infamous RCBS pad, but it doesn't do anything for the inside of the neck--as important as the outside for those using ball-expander dies. You have to have internal neck lube to obtain optimum runout. The last thing I want is fouling an expander ball I've taken hours to polish without taking too much off it. A lot of problems with stuck cases are due to lack of internal neck ludrication. Of course too much, as what happens with swabbing, causes die fouling.
Of course , I get a lot of flack from my fellow hunters for being a loading freak when I insist FLR dies be cleaned with "Gumout Carb Cleaner" after every 25 resizings and cleaning brushes cleaned with "brake Cleaner". I guess what works for you - do it.
ESteele

[ 06-23-2003, 07:17: Message edited by: ESteele ]

Years ago when Bob Milek and Steve Herrett were developing the 30 and 357 Herretts. Bob Milek wrote and article on case forming and he used STP.

Outback

VEGETABLE SHORTENING (CRISCO, ETC.) WORKS AND IS NON-TOXIC AND CHEAP!

BUTTER SOUNDS GOOD TOO - HAVE YOUR DOG (OR CAT) LICK THE CASES CLEAN!

Lars 45 and others,
When using one shot and spray lubes, let them sit for 20 minutes before running them through your dies and you won't stick a case..when wet they stick cases in dies...

I see little reason to use witches brew on my cases, LeClear is good enough for me as is most of the shelf stuff...butter is for toast, STP for cars and vaseline is for, well you get the point.

I do use STP for wire/tube drawing, and have used it for cases. There is a learning curve to applying it by pad, and it WILL accumulate in the die quite a bit. I use one-shot or some other cheeper brands (spray on).