how often do you clean dies.

[yoitsbruce]

i just noticed on my press that the sizing die is sticking a bit more than usual. im getting a high pitched sound from the sizing die when brass being decapped and sized. is there a method that you guys use to clean your dies?

[Southpaw45]

Are you talking about pistol or rifle dies? I was getting a high pitched noise when I was resizing bottle neck cases. It was coming from the inside neck expander when it was coming out of the case. I solved the problem by using dry micra powder to lube the inside of the neck on bottle neck cases. I was only getting the squeaking noise from calibers like .270 Win, 30-06, 7mm-08. Stuff like that. As for cleaning dies, I just hit then with some brake clean once in a while then shoot some one shot case lube in them. Pistol dies for seating lubed bullets will take some disassembly and scrubbing to get then clean... What type of sizing lube are you using?

[Jonathan Doe]

I always clean my dies after I finish loading. That way, I don't have think about if I claened it or not.

[r3dn3ck]

Very rarely clean them. I've never gotten any noise from them. I use Dillon spray lube. It's stupid fast drying and very little is required to lube 300 cases at a whack. 2-3 spritzes from the bottle, shake in bag (shake and bake style), size.

[joelogic]

You are suppose to clean your dies?

[yoitsbruce]

these are pistol dies. they just seem to squeak and put up more resistance during decapping. i dont use lubricants since these are carbide dies.

[mycrstuff]

You may have brass splinters up in the die. Brake cleaner can blast that out. If it is just crud from spent primers you can take a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol and wipe down the inside of the die.

[Fishslayer]

these are pistol dies. they just seem to squeak and put up more resistance during decapping. i dont use lubricants since these are carbide dies.

Mine are carbide as well.
I clean them when they start leaving marks on my polished brass or when they feel sticky. Bullet lube can also gum up the seating die.

Get one of those brush sets from Harbor Freight. They look like plastic bottle brushes in assorted sizes. They're the chiznit!

After an incident with some wayward oil I inspect/clean the charging/expander die & tube very often.

For cleaner I use electronic parts cleaner. Seems to be a little easier on the rubber O rings in my Lee dies. Dries with no residue.

You can also put a piece of polishing/lead remover cloth on a cleaning rod & spin it with a drill motor inside the die bodies.

[LGB Loader]

You are suppose to clean your dies?

Yup. I don't clean mine very often. probably less often than I should.

LGB

[ireload]

Once a year (average) for mine. But if I use it alot then twice a year.

[sequoia_nomad]

I clean whenever they start looking nasty inside. I disassemble each one individually and scrub them out with Hoppes 9 on a qtip.

[bruceflinch]

You are suppose to clean your dies?

Next they're gonna tell us we're supposed to clean the brass befor reloading!

[Divernhunter]

Clean dies??
Oh crap I have some that have not beed cleaned since the 1970's and I use them alot. Guess that is another thing to put on my to do list right after resizing and hand priming approx 2000 rounds of 300win mag and 5000+ rounds of 223 today. Well the weather sucks anyway so might as well process brass.

[Dark Mod]

Oh crap your supposed to clean your dies?

[mls204]

I have carbide dies too and I haven't cleaned them yet since the initial out of the box cleaning. Then again I haven't loaded much, about 500 rounds. Also, I had issues w/ sticking but I took the advice of some fellow members here to start using case lube and it made the stickiness go away.