My reloading press, dies, powder drops equipment, etc. have a little surface rust/dust/dirt/grime from sitting around for a few years. Nothing serious that I can see and tell from a quick function test without making the ammo. Is it as simple as wiping everything down with an oily rag or am I missing something? I looked inside the dies (most of them are carbide) and they look pretty good. Some of the steel dies look a little crusty inside. Should I clean them as best as I can then use a little abrasive polish or fine sandpaper to take off what the rag couldn't get or should I put them through my tumbler with stainless steel pins (what I normally use to clean brass and tools).


Of the few things that I wiped down, most of the crud/rust came right off and appears to be fine. I'm really more concerned about the insides of the steel dies because they're for rifle cartridges and were already a tight squeeze no matter how much case lube I used.

I treat my dies kinda like a gun barrel. After use before storing I wipe the outside with an oiled rag, then put a damp patch through the inside, as able.

Some may end up stored for an extended period, basements can be damp.

When setting up dies I may repeat the procedure, don’t want excess oil present. If you use them, then set them aside for storage, seems a matter of time for surface rust to start.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sourdough44,

Would an Ultrasonic Cleaner be helpful??

Sourdough brought up some good points about dies having been in storage for a while. When I crank things back up again on my presses, I might consider putting all my stuff through the Ultrasonic Cleaner and then lube them VERY lightly before using again for the first time in a number of years.

ETA:
Well wonder of wonders! Lookie lookie what Gavin produced on his channel...

That's a good idea. I had an ultrasonic cleaner but gave it away as part of the move. I suppose I could ask if I could "borrow" it back to give it a shot. I used to use it to clean rifle brass. What a terrible idea that was!

Spraying with WD-40, waiting a few minutes and thoroughly wiping with a clean cloth will remove most stuff from steel. This also leaves a protective coating which helps prevent rust.

quote:

Originally posted by Hildur:
That's a good idea. I had an ultrasonic cleaner but gave it away as part of the move. I suppose I could ask if I could "borrow" it back to give it a shot. I used to use it to clean rifle brass. What a terrible idea that was!

US cleaning brass can work, but it's definitely way better suited to cleaning steel parts in my opinion. We tumbling changed my life re: brass prep.

I've heard of folks bluing their dies like a rifle - let surface rust develop, then dunk in boiling water. Card the excess black oxide off, then repeat the process. I've never done it myself but I can definitely see how it would work pretty well, especially after a light oiling.