Lube the shoulder

[7Miller]

Reading the directions of use on the Lee resizing lube, it states, Do NOT lube the shoulders.
Yet when watching videos etc everyone rubs lube all over the shoulders and outside of the brass.

So why are you directed not to lube the shoulders on Lee resizing Lube?
Are you or are you not meant to lubricate the shoulders??

 

[enfieldspares]

Do not lube the shoulders is correct advice. The neck and the sides of the case especially the base are sized by being forced into a die body that squeezes them down. The shoulder is set back by the die that merely presses it down.

Lubricant is important to allow the case neck and case sides to release freely from the sides of the die. It is not needed on the shoulders for the shoulders to release.

And if the shoulders do have lubricant on them you will get what I call a "fish" which others may call a "dimple" where a pressure makes a blob of lubricant. This blob then presses down on the junction between case neck where it meets the top of the shoulder. Causing this "fish" or "dimple".

So do not lubricate the shoulders is correct for any lubricant that is applied manually be that by hand or lube pad and be that Lee's, or RCBS or Lyman the excellent Redding lubricant. Or even lanolin mixtures concocted at home.

 

[7Miller]

Do not lube the shoulders is correct advice. The neck and the sides of the case especially the base are sized by being forced into a die body that squeezes them down. The shoulder is set back by the die that merely presses it down.

Lubricant is important to allow the case neck and case sides to release freely form the sides of the die. It is not needed on the shoulders for the shoulders to release.

And if the shoulders do have lubricant on them you will get what I call a "fish" which others may call a "dimple" where a pressure makes a blob of lubricant. This blob then presses down on the junction between case neck where it meets the top of the shoulder. Causing this "fish" or "dimple".

So do not lubricate the shoulders is correct for any lubricant that is applied manually be that by hand or lube pad and be that Lee's, or RCBS or Lyman the excellent Redding lubricant. Or even lanolin mixtures brewed at home.

Thank you. Great reply

Just got me wondering after watching YouTube and people rubbing lube all over them or spraying with One Shot, which obviously would hit all over the case.

I will keep my lube away from the shoulders, thank you

 

[enfieldspares]

Thank you. Great reply

What is really really important especially on high pressure rounds like, well like almost all rounds developed since true smokeless powders so as far back as 7mm and 8mm Mauser and .30/06 is to have the base of the case properly lubricated as, alas, that is the part that causes problems if it is not properly lubricated when sizing. The spray commercial One Shot type lubricants leave a thinner film, or at least I think so, such that it doesn't cause problems with the shoulders that you get with a slap dash application of the Lee and other similar lubricants done by hand.

 

[Smellydog]

Lee lube can get lumpy, it's water based and if it drys some it thickens. That in turn can build up in the die and create impressions on the brass shoulder.

 

[Feugh]

Lee lube can get lumpy, it's water based and if it drys some it thickens. That in turn can build up in the die and create impressions on the brass shoulder.

Agree. My only problem with a stuck case was when I was using that lube. I binned it immediately afterwards and have not had a problem since.

 

[rwade545]

As others have said, this is great. All cases into a bag, few spays into it and then shake the bag a bit to spread it all over. Quick, easy and only a thin layer. When I first shafted loading with a lee kit I used the Lee line, its water based and ended up with rust inside my dies.

 

[triggertrix]

Katie Price wouldn’t be lubing the shoulders, so why should you?

 

[Jamsie]

Thank you. Great reply

Just got me wondering after watching YouTube and people rubbing lube all over them or spraying with One Shot, which obviously would hit all over the case.

I will keep my lube away from the shoulders, thank you

I would toss the Lee lubricant in the nearest bin and purchase a can of Imperial Sizing wax or the Redding equivalent. Only a very tiny amount of this stuff is required and it lasts for a long time. I tend to lube the whole external surface of the case (other than the case head) and the inside of the neck with a very thin coating and I've never had any issues with dimpling. Note that the Lee product is water based and can result in rust forming inside the die if not cleaned out on completion. Lee do make some good stuff, but their case lube isn't one of them.
Just my two cents worth ...

Jamsie

 

[7Miller]

Great advice all, thank you

Lee Lube will be left unopened and disgarded

 

[Smellydog]

I've been using my black powder lube.
Beeswax melted and olive oil added to soften it.
Works brilliantly.

 

[Cottis]

Interesting. Never had an issue whatsoever and I am happy to bash Lee stuff when it is deserved but never had a problem with their lube. It is all I have ever used over the years. It is cheap and goes a long way.

I size friends cases for them as well as my own. Done thousands over the years from .222rem, 243, 6.5CM, .308, 7mmRM, 375H&H. I have an ancient old plastic bag and just put a couple of small dabs of lube on the inside and then scrunch it up and rub the internals against one another to put a light veneer of lube on the inside of the bag. I then chuck 100 pieces of brass in and shake around for a 30 seconds and then size them immediately. I don't use expander balls, so inside case necks are not lubed. Never had a stuck case, never had any donuts and never had any rusted dies, although i do clean them all with acetone after use and then fully dried and back in their boxes untreated.

Don't get me wrong, their presses are crap, their dies are crap, their scales are crap and lots of their stuff is very crap but the lube works as do the zip trims (if you treat them as a disposable item every couple of thousand cases or so) and a special mention should go to their powder throwers as well which are remarkably consistent despite appearing to be made from recycled coke bottles and costing about the same.

 

[KimE]

The Lee lube works well I smear a small amount with my fingers from half of the case body to the mouth and a very small amount in the case mouth. It makes less lube dents than oil based lubes. The Lee lube works dry too if you leave it on the cases for a while.

 

[Yorkie]

The Lee lube works well I smear a small amount with my fingers from half of the case body to the mouth and a very small amount in the case mouth. It makes less lube dents than oil based lubes. The Lee lube works dry too if you leave it on the cases for a while.

Before i retired, i worked in the steel wire industry.

Hard drawn mild steel wire went through some incredible stress when it was pulled through a series of dies to reduce the diameter. Lot of stress and a lot of heat. The lube they used was a white cream like substance that when dried became powdery.

I was convinced that Lee had taken this lubricant and used it for sizing brass. Looked and dries identically. A massive mark up for Lee in these little tubes.

Fwiw.
My preferred case lube is Hornady 'one shot' in the aerosol, can not the pump applicator.