Rust on your reloading dies

[Ben]

I was loading some .44 Specials and I noticed that my F/L sizing die had a good bit of rust on it.
I took a round 4 " dia. brass bristle brush and chucked it up in my drill press.
I removed about 90% of the rust, ( should have continued until I got all of it , but I didn't )
Then I sprayed the die with Brake cleaner and used a paper towel to get all the " gunk " off of it and be certain that it was totally de-greased.
Then I sprayed the die with Satin , Clear , Enamel.
I bet it won't rust anymore.

Ben

 

[62chevy]

Didn't think of that Ben but it is a great idea.

 

[Ben]

Once it was totally dry, it is hard for me to tell which die has been sprayed and which has not .

Ben

 

[Ben]

Some ( like me ) have their reloading room in their basement and may have a moisture problem. Others have theirs in an outside building.

This technique can be your friend on ANYTHING reloading related that is prone to rust.

 

[S Mac]

I keep all my dies in a humid environment, can't really be helped. I wrap everything in VCI paper, really helps. Where I work I sometimes get this paper wrapped around new parts and always save it. Sometimes I have some to give away. Good stuff.

 

[Ben]

Yes, the VCI is wonderful.

Ben

 

[freebullet]

I've thought of that at one point. Then I set the dehumidifier up. Without power though the solutions require more work. I'd be more concerned over the inside of the die rusting.
As always you've come up with a good plan of attack.

 

[Ben]

There is some much " crud " inside my dies, that rust won't have much of a chance in there.

 

[Brad]

That isn't rust. You dies are nearly browned, like a find JWF muzzleloader barrel!

I detest oiling dies and have been lucky so far to not have much rust. I do know different die manufacturers use different steel types and that does make a difference.

 

[Winelover]

Just so your aware....VCI paper has a working life of approximately one year. I was going to use it for my extensive knife collection. Didn't because I wasn't going to go through and check and replace the VCI paper yearly.

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
Been using motor oil on the exterior of my dies and all metal for well over 35 years. My stuff gets stored in east ILLinois in a basement where there is a dehumidifier. So far no rust.
Mike in Peru

 

[S Mac]

Didn't know about the working life, something to bear in mind. On a different note, seems like I read that you could put dies in a tumbler to help clean rust, have not tried that.

 

[Rick]

Dunno if a tumbler would keep them from rusting but it does make me wonder how many tumblers I would need with dies for 28-30 calibers. Many of them 4-5 die sets. Yikes!

 

[Ian]

Good idea, Ben. Lee dies seem to be the worst for rusting from fingerprints, it might be a good idea to degrease and coat them to begin with. I had some rust on the outside during storage and often buy used ones that have a little bit of rust here and there. My technique has been to hit them with a Crud Thug chucked in a drill, degrease, and soak in Oxpho Blue for half an hour. Rinse, dry, and wax with Nu-Finish. Done.

 

[Ben]

Ian,

Not a thing at all wrong with your technique ! !

I think from this point forward , when I buy some Lee dies ( new or used ) I'll be using my spray satin lacquer technique.

A thin layer of satin lacquer on your dies and you can forget rusting.

Ben

 

[Ian]

The can you showed is acrylic enamel, no? Same stuff I use to topcoat my painted guns, works very well to protect the finish.

 

[Ben]

Yes, it is good stuff.

Ben

 

[Pistolero]

"Crud Thug" ??????

 

[Ian]

"Crud Thug" ??????

One of these: http://toolmonger.com/2006/06/09/the-crud-thug/

 

[Pistolero]

OK, that looks like a really nice tool, as are all SnapOn tools, IME.

However, at $380 I will have to take a pass on that one.