Sizing Boolits

[gl1800]

I have a friend keeping me supplied in .45 230gr boolits. He usually sizes and lubes (LLAlox) them prior to giving them to me. I recently expressed an interest in sizing them myself just to get the feel for it. In reading the directions that came with the die it mentions lubing with Alox, sizing, and applying another coat of Alox.

Can I size without applying the first coat of Alox? Is there a potential problem by sizing WITHOUT doing this first?


Ah.. Sooooo many questions.

Appreciate you folks bearing with me as I learn this new hobby.

Thanks,
Richard

[randyrat]

I size 45 cast all the time without lube. Just keep an eye open for leading inside your sizing die. I don't like to get Alox on my fingers. Unless you have to size down quit a bit no problem. I wash and wash and the figers still smell like some kind of A** when using Alox. I call it A**Lox. You grow warry of the smell after a while. I've been switching back to JPW(Johnson paste wax, Warm and tumble lube) lately for the ashtray boolits out of the 45 with no disapointments. Your die and you will have to be the judge.

[Sprue]

I do pre lube w/LLA before sizing however very sparingly. I judge it by the feel of the bullets going thru the sizer, if it starts getting a little hard to get them thru, I sparing add more lube. It just makes it easier on the press, bench and die. The lube will aid in keeping your die from leading up I suppose. All in all as the previous poster says, I dont think pre lubing is actually necessary but it does make them bullets run thru a little easier. My buddy actually uses WD40 as a lube for sizing. Frankly, I can't stand the smell of that stuff.:)


Ah.. Sooooo many questions.

Appreciate you folks bearing with me as I learn this new hobby.
Its never too late in life to learn, something. When that time comes one will probably be six foot under.

Happy Easter

Here's what the Easter Gunny left over here.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh266/spilihp_2007/EasterGunny2008.jpg

[Boomer Mikey]

Here's what the Easter Gunny left over here.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh266/spilihp_2007/EasterGunny2008.jpg

Good one Sprue,

You have a Bunny that loves you at home,

Boomer :Fire:

[wheelgunner]

Damn Sprue, send that floopy eared ole fellow this way, will ya! All's I got was some little chocolate eggs and I got me a feelin' they're left overs from last year!

[Woodchuck]

Have you tried wearing latex gloves when you handle Alox?

[leftiye]

Spray yer boolits with some lanolin/alcohol case sizing lube and size. Then ya can lube any way you want. I don't like LLA, and lube with Lar's C-Red in a Lyman with an oversized die.

[Leftoverdj]

Yeah, sizing does not take much lube, but using some helps. Almost anything oily, greasy, or soapy and handy will work. I've even used Pam cooking spray. Dab of hand lotion or mineral oil on your hands with work, too. Just handling the bullets will get enough lube on them.

[jhrosier]

I wipe a little of the Lee case sizing lube on every second boolit with a cleaning patch and it makes sizing even very hard boolits easier. After they are sized I lube them with LLA and any little bit of case sizing lube left on them doesn't seem to make any difference.

It would be nice to find someone who could coat the inside of the die with titanium nitride, then no lube would be needed.

Jack

[jack19512]

I have sized without lube with no apparent problems.

[Bullshop]

The problem I find with prelubing boolits with other than the lube that will fill the grooves is that the prelube at least in my experiance will keep the main lube from sticking to the boolit and may make the main lube come off easily.
What I have found to work well for me is to put a piece of the lube I will be using on the boolits on the top of the base punch. A piece about the size of a grain of barley will work good for about 12 to 15 boolits. The little lube will do two things. It allows the boolit base to easily slide on the punch to center itself. The other thing is it will lube the sides of the pin which in turn lubes the die for each boolit to slide on.
This is the way that I have found to work best for me. I must admit that I do not use LLA for lubeing boolits so really dont know how prelubing with a differant lube will affect its ability to stay in the grooves of a boolit.
Blessings
BIC/BS

[454PB]

I use boot waterproofing for all my sizing an case resizing. Used very sparingly, it doesn't affect the LLA sticking to the boolit. I lube every fourth boolit or so and just a light smear.

[gl1800]

Thanks for all the great replies. Most of the boolits sized pretty easily with only a few needing a lot of pressure on the press handle.

Regards,
Richard