OK..What's the best(easiest and most productive) way to apply this stuff? I bought two tins bowing to a common theme on this thread...but really do not want to reinvent the wheel.
Thanx, Tom

I just rub my finger in the wax and apply it to the shoulder and neck. Dont use too much or you will get dents in your shoulders. Little goes a long way

Touch your index finger to the wax surface and pick up a little (LITTLE) bit, rub your finger and thumb together, and then twirl the case between finger and thumb.

You mean you have to grease each and every case? No way you can kinda stamp pad a whole bunch of them like I do with RCBS lube? EEEEUUUUUWWWWWW

I've been using Imperial Sizing Die Wax for over 30 years. Touch a finger to the wax then twirl the case between your fingers. Don't use too much, or even think about too much wax. A tin of Imperial will seem to last forever. Is it better than RCBS lube? Does 30 years use tell you anything? It's even clean too !!!!

LLS

For me it is a hands on experience, as I can feel the amount and location of wax being applied, as very little is necessary. I do a fair number of cases at any one time, so it is not that messy a proceedure. Great stuff IMHO.

I have been thinking about trying it myself but was told you had to lube the inside of the neck with a qtip first then do the outside. If I have to do two steps I will just keep useing the spray lube.

Jacobite,

I've never lubed the inside of the neck of a cartridge case with Imperial or anything else, unless I was having chatter problems with my dies, and that's cured with graphite, either on a case neck brush, or dipping the depriming rod up to the expander ball in the black stuff. Not a good idea to put any sort of grease inside a cartridge case.

LLS

quote:

I've been using Imperial Sizing Die Wax for over 30 years. Touch a finger to the wax then twirl the case between your fingers. Don't use too much, or even think about too much wax. A tin of Imperial will seem to last forever. Is it better than RCBS lube? Does 30 years use tell you anything? It's even clean too !!!!

You took the words right out of my mouth. I believe i've been useing the Imperial since it came on the market in the 70's.

I touch my fore finger on the wax VERY lightly, then roll the case as above. Lastly i move my finger LIGHTLY across the top of the case mouth.

Doing this over and over, soon you have a light film on wax on the expander ball and both fingers, so "don't" use too much of it!!

When it comes to forming cases, there's nothing better!!!

I wouldn't trade one tin of Imperial Sizeing Die wax for a whole tanker truck load of RCBS lube!!

DM

Just as others have said, go lightly. I also never lube the inside of a neck. Don't get any on the shoulders at all--only causes dents, and no 'lubing' quality is needed there.

If you feel you need lube on the inside of the neck, I vote with others who say use graphite for that operation.

quote:

Originally posted by Tombo:
OK..What's the best(easiest and most productive) way to apply this stuff? I bought two tins bowing to a common theme on this thread...but really do not want to reinvent the wheel.
Thanx, Tom

quote:

Originally posted by 7mm mashburn:
I just rub my finger in the wax and apply it to the shoulder and neck. Dont use too much or you will get dents in your shoulders. Little goes a long way

I use it now and won't go back to sprays ever again. It works perfectly! I use the method mashburn describes.

A little dab'll do ya.

It is good stuff, I pretty much use the same procedure as everyone else. I get a little on my finger & then turn the case. Very little is needed.

In my youthful days of craziness, I'd often sized cases up and down because I didn't have the money to buy new ones ('06 to .243 and .22-250). Imperial worked better by sooooo far a margin that, except for volume loading of varmint cases, its all I use. I still have a number of wildcats for which I have to reform cases. As for two tins...you may die before you finish both of them.

When I switched to Imperial the RCBS pad went in the garbage. Imperial is the way to go.

I still use a pad with Imperial, It just takes a little longer to work the lube into the pad. And I don't have to reapply lube very often. No problems with lube dents.

Put my RCBS lube on the shelf after I discovered Imperial Lube. Didn't realize that it had been sitting there now for nearly 30 years.
the Imperial never gave me a reason to reach for it.
The Imperial graphite is pretty good stuff as well.

Nothing beats Imperial, nothing pure and simple, if you dont have the time to lube each case how would someone have the time to reload?????

I grab a case, push the neck into a small container of #8 shot and graphite mixed, then use a little imperial applied like everyone else. Don't need any on the shoulder or neck. I have tried all the lubes at one time or another, only have Imperial on the bench anymore. Dents and stuck cases are a thing of the past.

quote:

Originally posted by Fish30114:
Just as others have said, go lightly. I also never lube the inside of a neck. Don't get any on the shoulders at all--only causes dents, and no 'lubing' quality is needed there.

If you feel you need lube on the inside of the neck, I vote with others who say use graphite for that operation.

That's how I size cases. Imperial wax on case bodies, and graphite on necks, inside and out.

There is Imperial Sizing Die Wax and Redding Imperial Sizing Die Wax. Are they the same or are you all referring to the non-Redding variety?

Alan R,I believe that Redding is now the distributor of Imperial.This may account for the confusion in the name.


IMPERIAL...........is there any other?

I used to use Imperial wax inside the necks years ago. I never had any problem. Then at some point, I started using the Imperial graphite or mica on the inside of the necks and the wax only on the body and I've been doing this way for years now and this works best for me.

The only thing I would add to all this for new users of Imperial is that when you first start with it each time you load, be absolutely sure you get a little tiny bit "all the way around the case, all the way down the case". It does not flow downward as easily as the liquid lubes, and if you don't make sure to get the whole sizing surface of the die and case lubed, the first case may stick in the die.

I have had that happen too many times to keep track of.

So, now, just to be sure,each time I am setting up to do any real sizing, I lube the inside of the sizing die very,very lightly with a Q-tip and one or two drops of RCBS "II" lube. Then I use exactly the same "finger touching the wax then rub around case" method described here by several others.

I also am tryng to make a practice of pulling the expander ball and lubing it with Imperial prior to starting a run of case sizing, but am not 100% into that habit yet.

So, on some cases and dies, I also use one drop of RCBS II lube in the neck of one case about every 15 cases, for lubing the expander ball. I just keep a box of Q-tips at the bench and clean the neck with a dry Q-tip immediately after putting it through the die, while I still have it in my hand from the shell-holder.

Or, alternatively, about every 10th-to-15th case, I just touch the very end of the case to the wax in the Imperial can...works just as well, but still needs the inside of the case neck cleaned immediately thereafter.

It all works about equally well for me, but I use the Imperial because it is generally a cleaner process, everything considered.

Imperial Sizing Wax?
I use Hornady's "Unique Grease".
Yes, it is a wax. All I do is rub my finger in the wax and then litely on the case. It works fine.

Been using Imperial for going on 30 years. I may even have the first can I started with. A little goes a long way. The only thing remotely close is Lee Resizing Lube, but not as easy to use.

I have necked 7mm mag brass up to 416 in one pass on un-annealed cases using Imperial.

A drop of ATF on 5-6 '06 size cases rolled between the hands works nearly as well and hardly costs anything.

David

I've also been using it for about 30 years. Still on the original tin and I reload quite a bit. I also use the neck lube graphite powder. Beats the hell out of the gummy old RCBS pad.

I use Imperial wax and graphite too, together they are the best.

quote:

Originally posted by Tombo:
OK..What's the best(easiest and most productive) way to apply this stuff? I bought two tins bowing to a common theme on this thread...but really do not want to reinvent the wheel.
Thanx, Tom

I do lube the inside of my case necks--and I think it reduces the stretching of the case when using any kind of expander die which in turn helps to reduce runout.

I keep my tins of Imperial in the fridge (of course I'm a life-long bachelor ). I stick the neck down into the cold wax, and either take a little off the neck or dab some more from the tin and lube the body. Once one has done 4-5 cases, he generally needs to only lube every other case because the die and expander are lubed (and that is what really counts).

I also make sure my cases are clean. After sizing, I drop the cases into a small parts bucket full of lacquer thinner, let them soak while doing the others, run a neck brush wetted with thinner into the necks, and blow them out with air. They are squeaky clean.

I have a friend who uses various lubes (whatever is handy), and one time while looking at the inside of his cases notice black gunk in the bottom. He sectioned the cases, and found a layer of carbon over his lube. Even though they had been fired multiple times, the lube was still gooey under the layer of carbon

Casey

I got my supply of Imperial Sizing Die Wax from the inventor in 1972, and I still have two containers. That stuff lasts forever!! As for the containers and the name, the original containers were empty Imperial Margarine containers, the old round plastic ones, compliments of his wife. There was no name at the time, so OH called it "Imperial" from the containers.

LLS

quote:

Originally posted by sierra2:
I got my supply of Imperial Sizing Die Wax from the inventor in 1972, and I still have two containers. That stuff lasts forever!! As for the containers and the name, the original containers were empty Imperial Margarine containers, the old round plastic ones, compliments of his wife. There was no name at the time, so OH called it "Imperial" from the containers.

LLS

Cool. Didn't know that.

Casey

Call your attorney and change your will. Have him put the 2nd tin in your will and bequeth it to your kids. You'll probably never get through the 1st tin.

It works good for chapped lips too!

You can go through it quicker if you buy more guns!!! I am on my 4th tin now, but that's probably because I now load for approximately 125 different "calibers" (chamberings?).

"Yes, dear, I REALLY need another gun....I can't let that old tin of Imperial Wax just go bad....waste not, want not, you know..."

Good for you, Canuck! I thought I was "bad" reloading for only 48 different cartridges. You make me feel better, but I'll never run out of Imperial.

LLS

Imperial is good lube, but it has to be applied by hand to each case. That takes too long for me.

I use RCBS water soluble case lube and don't use a pad. I tumble the stuff in an old three pound W231 can. The can is placed on top of the rollers on my Thumber's Tumbler. I have a slightly greasey patch inside to which I always add a couple of drops. Makes on heck of a lot of racket, but I can tumble 200 cases in a lot less time than it takes you guys to finger lube 200 cases with Imperial. And while you guys are rolling those cases between your fingers, I am doing something else.

Now if Imperial was cheaper, I might give it a go on that felt patch.

I keep a little on my thumb and first finger, as I pick up a case I twist with my other hand to rub a little wax on it and into the die it goes. I can't think of any other method or product that could possibly be faster.