View Full Version : Lanolin case lube
So after years of frustration with hornady one shot... (yes i'm a slow learner) i picked up some lanolin and some isopropyl alcohol at walgreens today. The word on the internet is that you can mix the two in 8 to 1 or 12 to 1 ratios and have a spray lube..
I'm impatient, and don't have spray bottle, so i made myself a lanolin sponge.
new dish sponge, wetted lightly with alcohol, then squeeze some lanolin (not much really, it seems to go a long way) rube the lanolin in (getting super soft fingers in the process) roll case over sponge, rub in a bit, size.
very very smooth. i've only done a dozen rounds or so thus far, but this looks really promising.
I snapped and bought 5 bottles of Dillon case lube. I get so sick of running out of that stuff and having to use One Shit.
I'm going to tape my two bottles of One Shit to a pound of Tannerite and blow them to hell. I'll post the video when I get to it.
The Dillon case lube is indeed nothing more than isoproyl alcohol + lanoline (written on the label), I think I used 1-10 proportion when I made my own, and worked perfectly to spray.
Lanolin in any form is the best stuff for case lube.
The Dillon case lube is indeed nothing more than isoproyl alcohol + lanoline (written on the label), I think I used 1-10 proportion when I made my own, and worked perfectly to spray.
Lanolin in any form is the best stuff for case lube.
I'll have to make some next time I run out. 5 bottles should keep me busy for a while though.
30 cal slut
10-27-11, 11:18
softens hands while you do the cases. :sarcastic:
In talking with Dillon, their stuff is more than Lanolin and alcohol. However, for making it yourself, it probably does not matter.
I was told by someone there that there are some emulsifiers and stuff also.
If your stuff gets old enough and cold enough, you will eventually see some white precipitate come out of it. That is why I was asking Dillon...
The best mix I have found is 1:10 lanolin oil and 99% isopropyl alcohol.
The lanolin oil has the heavy fats removed. It dissolves completely and doesn't separate out. It can be bought from outfits that supply ingredients for home made cosmetics. Just Google "lanolin oil".
99% isopropyl alcohol can be found at most large chain pharmacies. 99% makes a cleaner solution with the lanolin oil than 95%.
I just lay the clean cases on a cookie sheet, spray them with a pump sprayer until they just barely look wet and let them dry for about a hour. After sizing I wash them in Dawn dish washing detergent and hot water then rinse in plain hot water. This leaves a light film on the brass that keeps it from tarnishing.
Added: You can just wipe the cases after sizing but I usually do about 1000 at a time. The washing and then oven drying for 3 hrs at 150*F works very well.
I snapped and bought 5 bottles of Dillon case lube. I get so sick of running out of that stuff and having to use One Shit.
I'm going to tape my two bottles of One Shit to a pound of Tannerite and blow them to hell. I'll post the video when I get to it.
I'm pretty sure when i was loading 223 3 years ago (i was without an AR for awhile) you gave me shit for using one shot...
somehow i bought another can of it :rolleyes:
actually one shot isn't too bad for pistol ammo if you use carbide dies. adds a little extra slickness without being messy. it's simply unsuitable for use on any necked cartridge though.
I'm pretty sure when i was loading 223 3 years ago (i was without an AR for awhile) you gave me shit for using one shot...
somehow i bought another can of it :rolleyes:
actually one shot isn't too bad for pistol ammo if you use carbide dies. adds a little extra slickness without being messy. it's simply unsuitable for use on any necked cartridge though.
I ruined a couple of resizing dies (.223,30-06) trying to remove stuck cases after using one shot...I gave up, bought 4 bottles of the dillon lube, and dillion sizing dies..One thing I love about the Dillon dies is the built in stuck case remover, I've had to use it twice,early on, and they really work well, and remove stuck cases without damaging the die,you don't even have to pull the die out of the machine.The Dillon lube? well, I won't use anything else. The only lube I've found that's in the same league is Imperial sizing wax, This stuff works very well, and a little goes a long way..
The beauty of dillon's stuff is you can actually size an unlubed rifle case after you've run some lubed cases.
It transfers to the die. So if you get a piece of brass that didn't get a good spray of lube, you won't even know it.
Generalpie
10-28-11, 09:59
This isn't specifically lanolin lube based but....
To use up some old RCBS case lube I mixed it with 90% alcohol and put into a squirt bottle. (purple hair spray pump bottle :eek:) A couple sprays into a gallon ziploc and roll them around a few seconds and it is off to the races. Not sure what is in that lube, MSDS says nothing hazardous.
If I didn't have the stuff left from years ago when I only loaded for my bolt guns I never would have tried it.
Joe
If your stuff gets old enough and cold enough, you will eventually see some white precipitate come out of it.
+1 I found a 10-year-old bottle of Dillon lube in my garage, and it had separated. I warmed it up and shook it vigorously, and it was fine.
actually one shot isn't too bad for pistol ammo if you use carbide dies.
Given that I've always loaded pistol ammo using carbide dies without ANY lube, this just confirms to me that One Shot is basically worthless...
Nightvisionary
11-01-11, 05:35
I snapped and bought 5 bottles of Dillon case lube. I get so sick of running out of that stuff and having to use One Shit.
I'm going to tape my two bottles of One Shit to a pound of Tannerite and blow them to hell. I'll post the video when I get to it.
What's wrong with One Shot? I finally got sick of brushing and rolling each case one at a time so I picked up a can of it today.:confused:
What's wrong with One Shot?
It's the single worst product ever shat upon the reloading community.
The pump is 100% useless. Super Glue would be better.
The aerosol is mildly shitty. I'd say it's about 70% the quality of Dillon lube.
I'm going to blow both of my bottles up with Tannerite this weekend!!
There are two types of One Shot. One water based in the pump bottle, and the aerosol can. The water based lube is worthless, I threw mine away. The aerosol is useful in some situations, but not enough to buy it anymore.
I whipped up a small batch of the homemade lanolin lube, and it worked really well. I'll being using this from now on.
m1a_scoutguy
11-01-11, 11:07
Hmmm,,I guess I'm the odd one,,LOL !!! I have used One Shot case Lube (Aerosol) for years,,with 0 problems !! I have been going to try the Dillon Lube,,but just haven't !!! Maybe I should try it and see what I been missing !!! :D
Hmmm,,I guess I'm the odd one,,LOL !!! I have used One Shot case Lube (Aerosol) for years,,with 0 problems !! I have been going to try the Dillon Lube,,but just haven't !!! Maybe I should try it and see what I been missing !!! :D
I've used both now. And the Aerosol is OK. I still found myself getting very inconsistent resizing resistance though.
The DCL is much more forgiving. It's a little gooey feeling, and I hate getting it on my hands, but it works good.
m1a_scoutguy
11-01-11, 23:58
I've used both now. And the Aerosol is OK. I still found myself getting very inconsistent resizing resistance though.
The DCL is much more forgiving. It's a little gooey feeling, and I hate getting it on my hands, but it works good.
Good to know markm,,,thanks for the info !!! I order from Dillon a couple times a year,,so it looks like next time I will grab a bottle or 2 of there case lube !!! I have learned that after loading my "trray" with cases,,,I spray and turn and get all 4 sides and aim into the inside neck area. I have found this works very good & I never have any issues,,,,am I using to much,,:confused: I don't think so,,cuz I'm not getting and dents in the neck or case,,,so it must be just enough !!! I have a good buddy that uses the Lyman Spray (Pump) and swears by it,,so maybe I will try that also,,I can buy that Local. Thanks again for the info,,,I'll get back at ya after I try the Dillon spray !!! :)
the one shot works ok if i you use a lot and make sure ot let it dry.
underuse or trying to size while a case is still even slightly wet will require you to get out the hammer. :rolleyes:
the lanolin is much more forgiving. also... soft hands :dance3:
anachronism
11-06-11, 21:35
Just drop your cases in a plastic bag & pump a few shots of Dillon case lube in. Seal the bag, and rattle everything around for a little bit, then dump it on a clean tray or something. In a few minutes, the alcohol will evaporate, and you're ready to begin. Even the inside of most of the case necks will be lubed. Magic!
I blew up my One Shit with tannerite today. I'll have to upload the video this week.
I don't like to get it in the case neck. You tend to get powder stuck in the lube (at least in my experience).
I have an old cookie sheet with the low sides (like 1/2" or whatever sides). I lay the brass out (if I am taking it easy, I lay it out in lines -- otherwise I just dump it on but I try to get it to mostly last the same way so I can avoid the case mouth). After I get a layer on the cookie sheet. I put a couple pumps across it all. It tends to run down to the other side. I may shake it a little to get the cases to roll into the overspray and run-off but most of the time just let it it sit 5 or so minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Once you get a little lube from a bunch of cases inside your sizing die, not getting a completely even coat does not matter any more.
To avoid having to wait, I do the first batch, dump it into the case feed if on the 650 or 1050, or into a bowl if on the 550 (things like 458 Socom, 338 Spectre, and my bolt guns) and do another batch so it can be drying while I am loading/sizing the first batch. Then I dump the batch that has been waiting and lay out another.
This sounds like a job for the wife who is always complaining of her hands being dry.
I blew up my One Shit with tannerite today. I'll have to upload the video this week.
and you said one shot was useless....
ok I have looked everywhere in my town and online some where can you find Lanolin oil?
Look here: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=lanolin+oil&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15126433519684064494&sa=X&ei=rDi_TqDhBcLb0QGNmeHmBA&ved=0CGMQ8wIwAQ
Thank you I ordered a few of them should be here next week.
ok I have looked everywhere in my town and online some where can you find Lanolin oil?
i got it at walgreens. it's in the umm <cough> breastfeeding section...
This is the more congealed/waxy form of lanolin, i guess liquid is preferred if you want to make the spray with alcohol. I'm really having good luck with rubbing a bit onto a sponge with alcohol and just rolling cases over it. I should be able to do about 10,000 rounds of ammo with this little tube.
Is this 8 parts lanolin to 1 part alcohol or vice versa?
I use 10 parts alcohol to 1 part oil. I tried the 8:1 and I thought it left more oil on the cases than necessary. I have gone as high as 15 parts alcohol to 1 part oil. This tends to run off the cases before it can dry washing too much of the oil off.
One of the benefits of using the 99% alcohol instead of the 95% is it dries faster leaving more oil on the brass.
Added: I bought several of these spray bottles: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23851&catid=471
They produce a very fine spray and seal tight so the alcohol doesn't evaporate or absorb water from the air.
An added benefit of lanolin oil vs anhydrous lanolin is it doesn't clog up a fine spray nozzle.
I use 10 parts alcohol to 1 part oil. I tried the 8:1 and I thought it left more oil on the cases than necessary. I have gone as high as 15 parts alcohol to 1 part oil. This tends to run off the cases before it can dry washing too much of the oil off.
One of the benefits of using the 99% alcohol instead of the 95% is it dries faster leaving more oil on the brass.
Added: I bought several of these spray bottles: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23851&catid=471
They produce a very fine spray and seal tight so the alcohol doesn't evaporate or absorb water from the air.
An added benefit of lanolin oil vs anhydrous lanolin is it doesn't clog up a fine spray nozzle.
Where are you finding 99% alcohol?!? I've checked all the chain drug stores and groceries in my area, and the highest I can find is 91%. Some of them don't have anything higher than 70%.
chrismartin
11-15-11, 11:04
Lanolin can be found here for $6.29 with free shipping, no tax
http://www.pureformulas.com/
Specifically: http://www.pureformulas.com/liquid-lanolin-100-pure-4-oz-by-now.html
You can find 99% ISP at Amazon, but they also will have it at your local drug store, though it may be behind the counter.
If your drug store doesn't have it, they can order it, but at that point, I'd be buying from Amazon or something.
You don't want to use the 70% stuff as the water content is too high. You have a similar issue with 91%, but you can probably get by with it, just shake it up before you spray (The lanolin oil and water will separate)
Is this 8 parts lanolin to 1 part alcohol or vice versa?
8-10, I used 9, parts alcohol to 1 part lanolin.
My local pharmacy ordered 99% Isopropyl Alcohol for me. They stocked 95% but IMHO it was worth getting the 99%.
might be able to pick up something higher proof at the hardware store... i seem to recall hearing that denatured didn't work as well as isopropyl though :confused: I'd think as a solvent any sort of alcohol would work about the same.... :confused::confused:
I blew up my One Shit with tannerite today. I'll have to upload the video this week.
so where's that video? As a guy who's hammered more than one case out of a die due to this crap i wanna see. :o
Denatured alcohol is usually ethyl alcohol (booze) that has stuff added to "denature" it (make it undrinkable) that is bad for humans like methyl alcohol (makes you go blind and can be absorbed through the skin) or stuff that slows down its evaporation and it is not as good a solvent for this purpose as isopropyl alcohol.
so where's that video? As a guy who's hammered more than one case out of a die due to this crap i wanna see. :o
Still on my camera. I'll get on the project. I have to put three clips together.... with having get back from the tannerite to shoot it, I didn't want a bunch of footage of walking up to the target, etc.
Generalpie
11-18-11, 17:48
This is sage advice. I use a home mix of rcbs lube and alcohol with the same process. Works 100%
Just drop your cases in a plastic bag & pump a few shots of Dillon case lube in. Seal the bag, and rattle everything around for a little bit, then dump it on a clean tray or something. In a few minutes, the alcohol will evaporate, and you're ready to begin. Even the inside of most of the case necks will be lubed. Magic!
For Skyugo...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zy3EN40IoA
For Skyugo...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zy3EN40IoA
very nice. :D
I continue to use One Shot with no issues. .223, .308, 8x57, 6.5x55 and even 7.5 Swiss which is a bitch to resize. Shake well, put cases in a gallon zip-loc and apply enough from several angles to get every last case sufficiently lubed. I tried the Dillon pump in this manner but ended up with dented shoulders.
i got it at walgreens. it's in the umm <cough> breastfeeding section...
This is the more congealed/waxy form of lanolin, i guess liquid is preferred if you want to make the spray with alcohol. I'm really having good luck with rubbing a bit onto a sponge with alcohol and just rolling cases over it. I should be able to do about 10,000 rounds of ammo with this little tube.
theres a joke in here somewhere about annealing the case mouths without heat, but.... not going there :D
Ive done the DCL in the bag as well and didnt even let it dry before sizing. had no issues. will try to find the lanolin oil and make my own to see how it works. this is a pretty cool, and cost saving, tip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zy3EN40IoA
OK, where can I get some? Tannerite, not OneShot.
Amazon wants almost $80 for a Tannerite "kit."
I just get it at the local Sportsmans Warehouse. They sell them in half lb, 1lb, and 2.5 lb containers.
This isn't specifically lanolin lube based but....
To use up some old RCBS case lube I mixed it with 90% alcohol and put into a squirt bottle. (purple hair spray pump bottle :eek:) A couple sprays into a gallon ziploc and roll them around a few seconds and it is off to the races. Not sure what is in that lube, MSDS says nothing hazardous.
If I didn't have the stuff left from years ago when I only loaded for my bolt guns I never would have tried it.
Joe
Mad props to you guys from a newbie reloader. Used the RCBS stuff from my Rockchucker kit, mixed it 8:1 with 91% alcohol and put it in an el-cheapo dollar store squirt bottle. Sprayed cases on a cookie sheet and let it dry.
Infinitely better results than the old ink-pad crap. No more dented shoulders and much cleaner.
Will try the "official M4C" lanolin oil and 99% alcohol mixed 1:10 when it runs out.
The last time I looked RCBS lube was water based. Diluting it with 91% alcohol should work fine since it is compatible with the water in the alcohol. However, in my tests using an RCBS lube die with RCBS lube it was not nearly as good as the lanolin oil-alcohol mix.
Generalpie
11-24-11, 14:02
I believe it is water based. If lanolin oil is better it must be fantastic stuff. It is what I will use when my current mix is exhausted. I started using it because I had a bottle of both and had no new cost involved. Several thousand .223 cases later and not a single stuck case.
I suspect some is left in the die to counter any light lubed cases but that is speculation on my part.
I suspect some is left in the die to counter any light lubed cases but that is speculation on my part.
That is the case with lanolin. I can pick up a bone dry piece of rifle brass and size it in my die right now.
If you size two or three like that, it starts getting sticky though.
I use 10 parts alcohol to 1 part oil. I tried the 8:1 and I thought it left more oil on the cases than necessary. I have gone as high as 15 parts alcohol to 1 part oil. This tends to run off the cases before it can dry washing too much of the oil off.
One of the benefits of using the 99% alcohol instead of the 95% is it dries faster leaving more oil on the brass.
Added: I bought several of these spray bottles: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23851&catid=471
They produce a very fine spray and seal tight so the alcohol doesn't evaporate or absorb water from the air.
An added benefit of lanolin oil vs anhydrous lanolin is it doesn't clog up a fine spray nozzle.
Late to the party here...
I find the Frankford Arsenal pump spray pretty good, but will sure give the lanolin/IPA a try. As to the spray bottles you reference- those will be great to put Berryman's B-12 in for carbon remover. Thanks for the heads-up!
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