Cleaning rust off reloading dies

[rotts4u]

I am lucky I work at an aerospace machining shop and we have media blast cabinets. I take mine in every 5-6 years and blast them with a walnut media. ITs hard to clean up afterwards to get rid of all the grit but its the very best way to clean them. They look new afterwards

 

[MallardSX2]

Muriatic acid.

 

[i_like_expensive_things]

Metal rescue off Amazon works great dunk it for 5-10 minutes and rust wipes off anything metal. Will strip off bluing as well

 

[41mag]

Several different methods, all mentioned already. I have been taught handloading by my father over 40yrs ago.
When loading dies. get surface rust on them , as mentioned there are several methods.
I will take the 0000 steel wool and your fav oil, and oil up the steel wool real well, go to it.
I have not tried things like the cranberry juice or metal wipes or anything else. I can’t testify if they work or not.
If need be , You can use a bench grinder, tumbler with walnut media - disassembled- use a brass bottle brush for inside if you clean outside by hand.

Carbide dies should not get that much rust on them, they will get some….Steel dies will, but they are old skewl expensive.

 

[00_Green]

Soak in white vinegar 8+ hours, rinse, dry, treat with CLP or similar

 

[jglenn]

evapo rust ...really amazing stuff.

 

[Howard Shadix]

+1 on tumbler, walnut media, gets to all the surfaces.

 

[Scraper]

0000 steel wool and/or bronze brush(es) and your choice of gun oil. I recently had to resurrect some sets that I got from an uncle and that combo made quick work of it. Wear gloves, as it gets quite messy and could easily leave you with some funkadelic brown fingernails in a hurry

 

[Construct More Pylons]

Cranberry juice eats up surface rust, I’ve used it on my boat many times

Username checks out

 

[Cruisers460]

Tumbler and walnut media.