Is graphite to abrasive?

[chutestrate]

The Lee Alox cut with mineral spirits is kinda tacky. Is graphite powder too abrasive to use as a coating after lubing?

[Johnch]

IMO no

But it will be messy
As it will turn your hands black

John

[Marine Sgt 2111]

It is more abrasive than moly but since it has been used on .22 rimfire since Moses started shooting and barrel life on rimfires is eztimated to be 250,000 rounds or more...I wouldn't worry about it. Messy it is...

[chutestrate]

It sure is. Didn't realize how messy. Would moly or talc be just as messy?

[JIMinPHX]

Some guys from NASA once told me that they don't use graphite as a lube in space, because in that environment it is an abrasive & not a lubricant. They way that they explained it to me was that the graphite needs a little humidity to work as a lube. They said that the graphite molecules form sheets & the water molecules act like ball bearings between the sheets. In the total absence of water molecules (outer space) the sheets of graphite dig into the substrates & damage them.

I've always just taken those guys at their word. I never looked into it any more. I don't know how the atmosphere in the barrel of a gun that is being fired compares to the environment in outer space.

Sorry that I seem to have more questions than answers on this one.

I will confirm what the others have said though. It is messy & it does make your hands turn black.

[geargnasher]

Use 45/45/10 and it won't be sticky, so you can skip the graphite/mica/talc routine. might shoot better, too.

Gear

[shooter93]

Use collodial graphite if you're going to use it. It will stay in solution and not separate and is the least abrasive if it's abrasive at all.

[bigjake]

Use 45/45/10 and it won't be sticky, so you can skip the graphite/mica/talc routine. might shoot better, too.

Gear

what is 45/45/10 ?

[onondaga]

45:45:10 is a mix used for tumble lube. 45% Lee Liquid Alox, 45% Johnson's Paste Wax and 10% mineral spirits. I melt the JPW in a small pan on low heat, add the LLA and stir thoroughly, then remove from heat and stir in Spirits. Allow to cool and re-bottle.

This mixture dries in minutes after tumble lubing. If you are not familiar with tumble lubing, the Lee site has instructions:

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/BS2003.pdf

I tumble lube plain base bullets that will be used un-sized twice. Bullets that will be gas checked/sized I tumble once before checking/sizing and twice after. I only use 45:45:10 for tumble lubing all my cast bullets, regardless of their design and this has proven to be a good lube for me with no velocity limit if the bullets fit properly. This fast drying mix is non-tacky and dries in 20 minutes, even faster if you warm your bullets a little first.

If you cant find JPW, a tin of KIWI brand or other good quality neutral color shoe polish paste wax will work fine in the mix. Although, I am thinking of trying Navy Blue shoe polish because I have some and I think it would look unique at the range. Everybody always looks at my big .458 bullets and blue ones would be cool.

Gary

Gary

[bigjake]

45:45:10 is a mix used for tumble lube. 45% Lee Liquid Alox, 45% Johnson's Paste Wax and 10% mineral spirits. I melt the JPW in a small pan on low heat, add the LLA and stir thoroughly, then remove from heat and stir in Spirits. Allow to cool and re-bottle.

This mixture dries in minutes after tumble lubing. If you are not familiar with tumble lubing, the Lee site has instructions:

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/BS2003.pdf

I tumble lube plain base bullets that will be used un-sized twice. Bullets that will be gas checked/sized I tumble once before checking/sizing and twice after. I only use 45:45:10 for tumble lubing all my cast bullets, regardless of their design and this has proven to be a good lube for me with no velocity limit if the bullets fit properly. This fast drying mix is non-tacky and dries in 20 minutes, even faster if you warm your bullets a little first.

If you cant find JPW, a tin of KIWI brand or other good quality neutral color shoe polish paste wax will work fine in the mix. Although, I am thinking of trying Navy Blue shoe polish because I have some and I think it would look unique at the range. Everybody always looks at my big .458 bullets and blue ones would be cool.

Gary

Gary

Is the shoe polish and JPW the same stuff? have you used the shoe polish in your mixture?
why wouldnt the bullets be tacky? shoe polish itself is kinda tacky itself.

[onondaga]

Yes JPW and neutral shoe polish are very similar, but JPW has slightly more hard waxes in the blend and is costlier. The solvent petroleum distillates are nearly identical in each and so are the smells and textures of both JPW and KIWI.

Neither JPW or neutral shoe polish are at all sticky when the solvents evaporate as the wax "Cures". I am guessing that you never shined shoes with real shoe polish and waited for the polish to dry hard before buffing with a horsehair buffing brush. Good shoe polish dries hard and fast, non tacky and buffs up shiny just like JPW does on wood furniture and floors. I was a runaway city shoe shine boy as a kid in the 1950s, I know about shoe polish.

I have used KIWI Neutral in the mix, it is fine and as non-tacky as JPW is. I haven't tried the blue shoe polish yet, but I'm going to.

Gary