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OnceFired
10-23-2013, 01:05 AM
So over the summer, I was up in Missouri. I had brought my reloading materials with me, and they were in a storage locker right next to where I lived in my RV.

I was working in that storage unit every day - and only a couple days out of the several months I was there did it get what I would call hot.

But look at what that heat did to one of my bullet sizer containers.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/10434120725_84f02d5255_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93660723@N05/10434120725/)
2013-10-13 17.14.56 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93660723@N05/10434120725/) by OnceFiredLakeCityBrass (http://www.flickr.com/people/93660723@N05/), on Flickr

Apparently the plastic container had tipped upside down in the box it was in, allowing the Alox to leak out of its bottle. I found a huge wad of brown goo inside the plastic container. That would have been fine, on its own. Messy, but salvagable.

But as you can see from the photo, the Alox and the plastic didn't play nice in the heat. The plastic is ballooned, and undoubtedly quite weak, so I don't trust it to hold a bunch of lead any more. Time to replace it.

I had no idea the Alox + heat would eat away at that plastic like that. Note to self - do not take a hot bath in Alox. Ever. No idea what might fall off.

So the real question is what kind of brush do I need to use on my die to get the Alox off of it without damaging the threads?



OF

VHoward
10-23-2013, 09:44 AM
Use a brass brush and mineral spirits.

44Vaquero
10-23-2013, 09:51 AM
What VHoward said plus a brass wheel in a cordless drill. I do not like to work that hard!:idea:

Mk42gunner
10-23-2013, 12:00 PM
Strange things happen in storage spaces. We didn't even have a very hot summer this year.

Honestly, unless you really bear down with a powered wire wheel, I don't see even a steel wire brush harming the threads on your sizing die. Mineral spirits or acetone should cut the dried alox, although it may take some time.

Robert

OnceFired
10-23-2013, 10:58 PM
Thanks guys. Mineral spirits for the win.

Dr.S
10-24-2013, 01:51 AM
For whatever reason,keeping things nice is a challenge.Theres always some freak deal that messes stuff up.As the saying goes some people can f up an anvil with a rubber hammer.

13Echo
10-24-2013, 06:24 PM
It's not the Alox doing the eating. It's the solvent carrier for the Alox that melted your plastic.

Jerry Liles