Reloading Equipment Maintenance

[koobs84]

Im still new to reloading so this is my first winter with all my equipment... Unfortunatly I looked over my equipment today and noticed surface rust on the reloading press, dies, concentricity gauge, and other small items!!!

Luckily it wasn't alot since I just noticed it. So am I screwed or is there a way to get rid of the rust??? I oiled all the items as for now... may get a dessicant product to store in the storage shelf where all they items are kept in.

Any tips on keeping these items from getting worse??

 

[jbell]

Re: Reloading Equipment Maintenance

Keep them out of very moist and humid enviroment. I use water displacement #40 on all my gear. Every so often I clean the parts off coat the parts and let them sit overnight and then wipe them dry. If you cant remove the rust use a very nonabrasive scotch brite pad or 0000 steel wool.

 

[shooter19802003]

Re: Reloading Equipment Maintenance

Good luck. I live in dry colorado so it isn't bad here.....just....good luck. Might aswell get accustomed to being frustrated.

 

[1911jerry]

Re: Reloading Equipment Maintenance

Birchwood Casey makes a product called Barricade. Just spray it on and wipe off excess. I use it on my dies, dillon 650, other metallic objects in my garage on San Antonio, Texas. It works great for me.

Jerry

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Reloading Equipment Maintenance

Most rust forms on bare steel, loading tools are often bare steel. Protect it with a layer of oil or grease or it will rust.

Rubbing with oil and 4/0 steel wool will surely remove light surface rust. Easier/faster is to use a fine wire wheel on a bench grinder to remove the rust, then oil.

WD-40 is great for lifting water off wet metal but it's a lousy long term protector. The WD-40 carrier frequently evaporates in a few weeks, it leaves a thin coat of brown varnish that is a poor protector or lubricant. Other spray oils do a better job of long term lube and protection.

I have found Automatic Transmission Fluid (Walmart automotive dept) to be an excellant gun/reel oil. It penetrates and lubes well, has a good surface film, it's very slow drying and leaves no gummy residue when it's gone; perfect. And cheep too.

Whatever you use, clean residual oil outta your dies before use with a spritz of carborator or break cleaner followed by a bit of toilet tissure wrapped around a pencil to make big a swab.

 

[koobs84]

Re: Reloading Equipment Maintenance

Thanks guys... usually not to wet over here but this winter been bad.. might need to upgrade to a reading big boss since most of it is coated... the dies on the other hand ill have to keep oiled

 

[Dtarget]

Re: Reloading Equipment Maintenance

Another Eezox fan here. Every tool gets a wipe down from time to time.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Reloading Equipment Maintenance

A friend told me a couple of years back that I cheat. I treat the outsides of my dies and other steel instruments with a spray that is like cosmoline. I spray a very light coat on the outsides and let it dry for at least 24 hours. When it is completely dry it had an almost wax like feel to it. (I have used it several times when putting tools and guns into long term storage.) I clean the insides of dies with either brake cleaner or carbeurator cleaner to get all the crud out after each extended use. But you have to treat them with something else to make sure they don't rust. I usually use either WD-40 and spray it on or use a light oil (5W20 left over after changing the oil). You can get a plastic "aerosol" spray "can" and coat it pretty well. But if you use thicker oil it will jam up the plastic parts of the pump and sprayer.

Be sure to clean the insides of the dies before using them again. You don't want any kind of oil or contaminants to get inside your cases.

I also use "way" oil to lube the rams on the presses. It's slightly thinner than transmission grease but considerably thicker than engine oil and does really well. I wipe off the old lube with a paper towel or shop rag. Then put a light coating on the bottom and raise it so I can lube the top part.

Use care and common sense and your handloading tools should last a couple of lifetimes.

Good luck.