Case Lube cheat recommendations please

[Martiniblack577]

Any ‘cheat’ potions or creams or waxes out there delivering as good as bespoke stuff?

Thank you!

 

[webley701]

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘bespoke’ in this context - but if you are looking for something other than the readily available commercially made products, such as ‘Imperial Sizing Die Wax’ or Hornady ‘One Shot’, then a popular & very effective home made lube would be a Lanolin / Isopropyl Alcohol mix (say 1 part lanolin to 10 IPA).

The lanolin/IPA lube works well & lanolin is the base of some commercial lubes. It works best as a sprayed lube on a batch of cases; let the IPA evaporate before sizing the cases.

Frankly a tin of Imperial Die Wax (from Redding) lasts so long that it’s hardly worth buying the components & making your own lube unless you are doing sizeable batches of cases & want to use a spray lube. As regards other lubricants which aren’t made for case sizing but may work - they still cost money so there’s little reason to risk getting a case stuck with something that may not be as effective as a tried & tested proprietary product.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Mink oil based shoe cream?

 

[webley701]

Mink oil based shoe cream?

On cost alone - my bottles of ‘Saphir’ shoe cream (with mink oil) are far more expensive than Imperial Die Wax.

 

[Leec6.5]

Just buy it he proper stuff it’s cheap as chips!

 

[NoIDeer]

If you really want a "cheat" I've been using a pot of Alberto VO5 hair wax since I started reloading a few years ago. It contains lanolin and loads of other stuff that makes the brass much healthier.
I keep meaning to buy a pot of proper lube but this stuff works so I haven't bothered changing.

 

[bullet chucker]

Get in touch with @Dr Strangelove on here. He does a special brew and for charity!

BC.

 

[fordy1967]

As above, very reasonable cost and will last years

 

[Lone wolf]

Get in touch with @Dr Strangelove on here. He does a special brew and for charity!

BC.

This!
I have some of his case lube mix and it is spot on! Highly recommend

 

[M@tt]

Liquid Lanolin and 99.9%Isopropyl Alcohol.
You can buy the lanolin in 118ml bottles and IPA in 5lt cans, so one can of IPA and 2 bottles of lanolin gives you a mix of 5000:236 or around 21:1 which is right in the middle of the 15:1 to 25:1 suggested recipies.
Never had a stuck case from this mix and as I have around a gallon of the stuff I'll probably never need to re-order.
Cost about £20 all in, and a repurposed spray bottle to keep things easy to manage, and that's it.

 

[Martiniblack577]

Thank you for suggestions. Really interesting to read what you all get up to and use. I’m tempted to compare several and see which comes out best over here.

Again, all answers appreciated

 

[Klenchblaize]

Look no further:
DAX Wax Blue Short And Neat Light Hair Dress 99g Tin / Light Hold Medium shine | eBay UK Pardon our interruption...
K

 

[timbrayford]

Chainsaw oil

 

[Mick Miller]

I'm not sure how budget your budget is but, in reality, a bottle of that Hornady gollop will last years provided you don't try to drown the cases in it. That and one of those RCBS lube trays; place a meagre amount on the pad and you can roll about 50 cases before it requires the most miserly of refreshments. What's £15 spread over two years?

 

[Malxwal]

Is Redding Imperial stuff that expensive now ? I've not bought any in a couple years, seems to last forever.

 

[Razzdogg]

As Matt says i use lanolin oil and isopropyl alcahol mix in spray bottles, chuck 50-100 brass in a bag spray it in and shake it up good to go, a lot cheaper and it smells amazing if you get a scented one!

 

[wanderer]

What about the Lee brand case lube?
Not expensive as i recall and lasts ages.

 

[Martiniblack577]

I'm not sure how budget your budget is but, in reality, a bottle of that Hornady gollop will last years provided you don't try to drown the cases in it. That and one of those RCBS lube trays; place a meagre amount on the pad and you can roll about 50 cases before it requires the most miserly of refreshments. What's £15 spread over two years?

That’s a reasonable question: as a hobby, and rather like we try different case/powder/bullet combos, lube is another area I’ve always queried it’s cost given how little you get!

 

[Martiniblack577]

Next question, can someone please point me to a recommended liquid lanolin?

I found this whilst looking:

Lanolube Liquid Lanolin Trigger Spray 750ml

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES Appearance: Transparent light clear mobile liquid Boiling Point Range: >250 Flash Point (°C): >125 Specific Gravity (g/ml): @15°C) 0.90 pH: Neutral Viscosity @ 20°C: 35 cSt Solubility in Water: Immiscible Low VOC Low lanolin odor

www.heritagesteamsupplies.co.uk

Ty all

 

[M@tt]

The stuff I got was not thin enough to spray, so your search result might be too thin already.

100% liquid lanolin is almost like thick honey, I carried the tubes in my pocket until they warmed enough to be pourable.

I can't find the exact stuff online now, but it was made by a company call NOW. I think the 100% anhydrous lanolin will also work, as long as it will dissolve in the alcohol. You'll need somewhere around 220ml to 250ml to get a good ratio with 5lt of IPA.

Something like this might work LINK.