Lube removal

[MADad]

Heck, since I’m asking stupid questions, let me ask one more. I use Dillon lube and wash the lube off using acetone. Does anyone have a better, easier, cheaper method?

 

[4g64loser]

Heck, since I’m asking stupid questions, let me ask one more. I use Dillon lube and wash the lube off using acetone. Does anyone have a better, easier, cheaper method?

Dry tumble in corn cob media. Add a couple ounces of (real) mineral spirits for really big tumblers (like the big Dillon). One ounce for more normal size tumblers. Helps cut the lube and also minimizes dust when coupled with a dryer sheet cut in quarters.

 

[outrider58]

I tumble with walnut(course) and mix New Finish car wax with mineral spirits to thin it a little. This is after sizing. Comes out looking brand new.

 

[BFMIN]

Denatured alcohol on a rag. Don't need a lot just moisten
Use it till it dries & splash on a tad more.

 

[Sticky]

I just toss em in the dry tumbler with corn cob, works fine.

 

[MADad]

For those that toss the lubed brass into their tumbler with media, does that make a mess of the media?

 

[Sticky]

Not mine, I add a little brass polish when I dry tumble brass in it, but I mostly wet tumble brass to be cleaned from range pickups and such. I have been using the same bowl of corn cob for quite a while now with no replenishment or treatment other than a bit of brass polish on occasion.

 

[guzma393]

How long does it take to remove the case lube off cases when dry tumbling? I only wet tumble for 30 minutes w/o SS as a "deep clean" measure, then apply lube on cases, decap/resize, and brass prep. Would be nice if I could just refinish primed cases/loaded ammo with a dry tumbler.

I could also see myself just dry tumbling lightly soiled cases that never touch the ground that are shot from a bolt action/revolver.

 

[Sticky]

I tumble for about an hour if I am just removing lube from cases that have already been 'cleaned'. I do the same with brass that has not been in the dirt (picked up off the concrete at the range and are just powder fouled). I may run fouled brass for two hours in the dry tumbler just to get it a bit cleaner, but it's not like wet tumbling with pins. I wet tumble anything that has dirt/sand/grit on them like range pickup pistol brass that I collect on occasion or severely dirty brass. I use sst pins so the brass comes out looking like new brass, inside and out.

 

[4g64loser]

How long does it take to remove the case lube off cases when dry tumbling? I only wet tumble for 30 minutes w/o SS as a "deep clean" measure, then apply lube on cases, decap/resize, and brass prep. Would be nice if I could just refinish primed cases/loaded ammo with a dry tumbler.

I could also see myself just dry tumbling lightly soiled cases that never touch the ground that are shot from a bolt action/revolver.

I dry tumble as described above after sizing operation. Usually 30-60 min. As your media gets loaded up with lube, a bit longer. But it takes a while to funk up as I only use the dry tumbler for lube removal. Switched to stainless pins in a wet tumbler for cleaning. Got sick of running through corn cob with all the scuzzy pistol brass.

 

[Sticky]

I will add, I don't tumble primed brass, too much chance of contaminating or getting media in the primers. I use a Dillon for most common rifle/pistol loading so I would dry tumble the ammo after loading in that case. I wet tumble any real dirty/fouled brass then hand prime, run it on the Dillon to size/load it and then dry tumble it to remove any lube.

I may wet tumble, resize and then dry tumble some rifle brass just to brass prep it before loading if I am loading precision rifle ammo on the Rockchucker. I will then hand prime and charge/load it old school method.

 

[guzma393]

Sounds good, i always opted to just rolling with my plinking reloads with case lube on them as they will get sooted up and washed again anyways, but I also reload things for the long term and it would be nice to make them pretty before storing them in an ammo can.

 

[outrider58]

For those that toss the lubed brass into their tumbler with media, does that make a mess of the media?

No. Opposite. It makes the medium less dusty.

 

[outrider58]

I will add, I don't tumble primed brass, too much chance of contaminating or getting media in the primers. I use a Dillon for most common rifle/pistol loading so I would dry tumble the ammo after loading in that case. I wet tumble any real dirty/fouled brass then hand prime, run it on the Dillon to size/load it and then dry tumble it to remove any lube.

I may wet tumble, resize and then dry tumble some rifle brass just to brass prep it before loading if I am loading precision rifle ammo on the Rockchucker. I will then hand prime and charge/load it old school method.

^^^This. Never tumble primed brass. There's absolutely no reason to.

 

[ItsGarand]

I use a clean cloth and 99% isopropyl alcohol. I always have some of that on hand since that is what I use to cut the lanolin for lube.

 

[Trigger Time]

I just wipe them off with a clean rag as they come out of the press, never had any problems

 

[SlugCaster]

Dillon Case Lube is literally Lanolin and Alcohol. Soak them in 91 or 97% Alcohol and it'll wash right off.

 

[outrider58]

Why not just retumble(dry) before priming? The lube helps clean the brass even more. Comes out looking almost brand new.

 

[Russ D]

Why not just retumble(dry) before priming? The lube helps clean the brass even more. Comes out looking almost brand new.

I’ve started doing this recently and wish I had started doing it sooner.

 

[4g64loser]

That's what I do. They aren't as "clean" as after wet tumbling but they are plenty clean for shooting. I pretty much only keep my dry tumbler for lube removal.