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Homemade Case Lube
- Thread starter rewster
- Start date
Kicker96FS
NES Member
Golddiggie
NES Member
1oz liquid (pure) lanolin oil to 10oz of 99% alcohol (iso-heet).
Malodave made some up and it works wicked pissa.
Malodave made some up and it works wicked pissa.
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Golddiggie
NES Member
If you use a lower percentage alcohol, it will take longer to dry. The 99% dries almost instantly. It's also 100% 'safe' for leaving on there when reloading.
Golddiggie
NES Member
Believe Malodave bought it online at a decent price... It's also sometimes sold as nipple lube for nursing mudders.
It's also on Amazon for not 'bad' pricing... Considering how little you'll use per batch, that should last for a shit-ton of cases.
JackO
Instructor
How much do you save? Is it more than $1 per year?
I'm thinking of making some as soon as I'm done making a fridge, some paper, and a few light bulbs for the kids.
Seriously though - Is this really worth it?
I'm thinking of making some as soon as I'm done making a fridge, some paper, and a few light bulbs for the kids.
Seriously though - Is this really worth it?
Golddiggie
NES Member
The Lanolin and alcohol mix?? Hell yeah it's worth it. You can get the ingredients for maybe the cost of two aerosol cans of 'case lube' and will make enough lube to equate to probably a full case (or more) of the other stuff. So, depending on how much you're reloading, the savings could be significant. Not just in money but in sanity saved.
I don't use the aerosol stuff. I use the Dillon pump spray lanolin-and-alcohol lube. Here it is:
http://www.dillonprecision.com/content/p/9/pid/23666/catid/8/Dillon_Case_Lube__8_oz__Bottle_
It's $9 for an 8oz bottle. I can do about 10,000 cases with a bottle.
How much do the ingredients for the home made stuff cost? How many cases can you do with it?
Golddiggie
NES Member
Malodave made up the stuff I have (he has a bottle of it too). I've sent him a PM to see if he can chime in about the costs and how much it made. I'm pretty sure we got a few times that volume for about the same cost (of one Dillon bottle)...
The Pure lanolin oil was about $8 for 4 ounces. The Quart of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol was about $2. So for about
$16 you can make a gallon of the stuff. Put it in your will, because that much will last a long, long, time.
I purchased two bottles of the lanolin oil on Amazon and made two quarts of 10:1 mix. I still have about 1 oz from
the first bottle plus the second has not been opened yet.
Vitamin Shoppe is supposed to have it. Also look at stores that cater to nursing mothers. Ebay and Amazon too.
Malodave
$16 you can make a gallon of the stuff. Put it in your will, because that much will last a long, long, time.
I purchased two bottles of the lanolin oil on Amazon and made two quarts of 10:1 mix. I still have about 1 oz from
the first bottle plus the second has not been opened yet.
Vitamin Shoppe is supposed to have it. Also look at stores that cater to nursing mothers. Ebay and Amazon too.
Malodave
I just saw a thread over on ARFCOM where someone claimed their chemist friend analyzed the Dillon stuff, and it's 1:16.
Next time I make some (if reloading is still legal by the next time I need to make more), I'll probably start there and add more lanolin as necessary (if necessary, actually).
Next time I make some (if reloading is still legal by the next time I need to make more), I'll probably start there and add more lanolin as necessary (if necessary, actually).
There are various ratios. You can use the 1:16 for basic case lube. Since we were reswaging .223 brass to .300 blackout, I went with a 1:10 ratio.
We had a case stuck in the resizing die with the $8 One Shot Case lube. The 1:10 ratio worked great for the reswaging. We could deprime and
re-swage at the same time with very little effort.
Malodave
I made 10oz batch back in Nov... I resized approx 3k cases and the little 2oz sprayer I use is still plenty full....
Ok so the 16oz 99% isopropyl cost my 5.80
The 7oz container of lanolin was 6.99
Both came with a order from Amazon last Nov.
I liquefied 1 fliud oz of lanolin and,mixed with 10oz of alcohol
So as for small batches you don't gain much but you can make 70oz with the tube of lanolin....if I did my math right that's about 45 cents per oz.......
1oz/10oz....you can do 70oz with I can of lanolin. Need 4.375 bottles of alcohol....
Down side is it can last so long you will forget where you put the lanolin!
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beaker
NES Member
No more than the Dillon stuff which is the same thing. Lanolin disolves in alcohol and a little shake is all that is required if needed.
Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk Pro - typos are from the GD auto correct unless they are funny substitutions those I'll take credit for.
If you use 99% alcohol, it does not separate.
Red bottles of isoheet at Walmart or wherever. Mixed up a bottle last year and it's still good, no shaking.
asp
NES Member
I bought 2 small tubs of solid lanolin on Amazon. Total was $18. I can't imagine when I'll ever need to buy case lube again. Decades, if I had to guess.
And, to boot, I'll be all set if I ever get my girlfriend pregnant!
And, to boot, I'll be all set if I ever get my girlfriend pregnant!
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I played around with the lanolin and alcohol mix, then switched to Hornady Unique and won't use anything else. I just rub my index finger and thumb on the top and put a light film on each case as I resize it, I've done over three thousand cases and barely made a dent in the top surface. I can do about 10 cases before I have to rub my finger again. Not one stuck case!
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/758495/hornady-unique-case-lube-4-oz-tub
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/758495/hornady-unique-case-lube-4-oz-tub
SJan
NES Member
I have used that on rifle cases, and probably will continue to use it. Its great for small batches. No flippin way i'm using it on 600-800 pistol cases per hour
Sourced from Amazon
99% Isopropyl Alcohol 32 oz (two 16oz bottles) $12
Liquid Lanolin 4 oz $9
For simpler math lets use a 1:8 ratio that is 36oz for $21. or $.583 / oz (58cents)
1:10 or even 1:12 is a better ratio, so some lanolin will be left over.
Dillon case lube is 8oz for $9 or $1.125 / oz
