Too much Alox

[Rev Chris]

Greetings,
I'm new to the group and new to casting bullets. I started with straight Lee Alox, and find a sticky mess. Can theses bullets still be fired in a S&W M&P 40 cal., or do I need to unload and start over? :(

I've been reading post all morning as I recover from surgery. It would have been nice to find it first. At any rate, I now have a better idea of how to get going.

Blessings
Rev Chris
Boise, Idaho

[DeanWinchester]

You can shoot them. They will probably gum up the feed ramp. They will also likely smoke like a tar kiln.

You need to make yourself a batch of 45/45/10
You won't regret it. There's several threads on it.

Short version, 45% Lee liquid alox, 45% Johnson's Paste Wax, 10% odorless menieral spirits.
I like t heat the JPW first keeping it under 200 degrees to keep it from scorching. Cook it off for a few minutes and let some of it lightly smoke away. You get rid of some of the 'other' stuff doing that. Heat your LLA and mix it, adding the mineral spirits.

Less is more. If you can see the lube built up on the boolits chances are, you've used too much.
You'll notice when they dry they are not sticky like straight mule snot.

Have fun.

[bangerjim]

Most do not use straight Alox right out of the bottle. The "standard is 45/45/10.....that's 45% Alox, 45% reduced Johnson's past wax (cooked down to remove some of the volatile Hydrocarbons) and 10% mineral sprits added back in to make it of the right consistency. Works great.

Even if using straight Alox, only use a VERY small amount, just enough to leave a very light yellow coating. Then you can size. Then recoat with a VERY LIGHT of Alox again.

The final boolit should have only a light yellow look....not dark brown like the "mule snot" found in the Alox bottle. Some midleading youtube videos show dumping massive amounts in the tub and the coated slug is dark brown and very sticky. YUCK......not the way it's done.

Minimum is the word here.

Best advice is play around with the diluted Alox.

bangerjim

[runfiverun]

cut the alox with mineral spirits.
heat it up.
heat up the boolits.
use about 1/3 the amount you think you need.
put it in front of a fan to dry.
size them.
do it again, use less this time.

[Larry Gibson]

.........

Even if using straight Alox, only use a VERY small amount, just enough to leave a very light yellow coating. Then you can size. Then recoat with a VERY LIGHT of Alox again.

The final boolit should have only a light yellow look....not dark brown like the "mule snot" found in the Alox bottle. Some midleading youtube videos show dumping massive amounts in the tub and the coated slug is dark brown and very sticky. YUCK......not the way it's done.

Minimum is the word here.

...........

bangerjim

bangerjim is correct in the part I quote above. LLA works great straight as he mentions and is hown the directions say to use it. Most fail to read the fine print and put it on too thick.....I did too the 1st time I used it. I called Lee, made a fool out of myself complaining, and was told to read the directions and use LLA lightly. Also let it dry completely before use, both sizing and shooting. Impatience makes a mess but then that's our fault and not the LLA's.

Larry Gibson

[Rev Chris]

Thanks . I tired to unload and the mess was even worse. Cleaned the unloaded boolits with thinner. I'll shoot the sticky mess that's left and start with the 45-45-10 mix. I'll read more as I go.
Rev Chris

[RayinNH]

Rev Chris you can also coat the unloaded boolits with baby powder to get rid of the stickies. Pay close attention to seating depths though as you use these boolits as the alox mixture will adhere to the seating stem in the die and you'll find yourself seating boolits deeper and deeper as you go along. Take out the seating stem every 50-100 cartridges and clean with a solvent of your choice...Ray

[texassako]

I put to much on in the beginning and shot them. Pretty much just a messy cleanup from a lot of greasy soot. Yours sound like they have a bit more than mine had if they are still sticky. If it is still sticky and you did not wipe the bottoms, you could have contaminated the powder as well.

[Echo]

Recluse put up a good Sticky re tumble lubing...