Pan Lube Disaster

[Marc2]

I have a Lee 400 grain .476 mold that I wanted to shoot as cast. Made my first attempt at pan lubing tonight. Didnt turn out as planned. Placed 30 bullets in a small pan and melted a stick of Verals Blue Lube. Poured the lube up to the top lube groove and let cool. Used an unsized 475 case with the head cut off and pushed it down on the bullets. Tapped them out and not one of the thirty had the grooves filled. Some were half filled, some had no lube. A couple grooves were filled here and there but not one bullet had all the grooves filled. On top of it all I made one heck of a mess, which would be OK if I had some nice bullets to show for it. Is there a trick to this? Did I use the wrong lube? Wrong cutter? Should I cut them out sooner before the lube is totally solidified?

Thanks,

Marc In VA

[SharpsShooter]

Hmmm...never had that problem. It sounds like the lube hadn't hardened up to its original firmness. You could put the pan in the freezer for a short while to stiffen the lube and be sure to chamfer the case mouth of your cutter so it cuts and does not just push the lube.

Also, be sure the lube is hot enough to flow freely in order to easily fill the grooves.

[Marc2]

Sharpshooter,

I'll try putting them in the freezer and sharpening the cutter. I thought of the freezer but did'nt because I figured the lube would shrink away from the bullet if it cooled too quickly. I'll give it a try tomorrow night.

Thanks,

Marc In VA.

[powderburnerr]

Sounds like the lube was not hot enough or the bullets were cold when you added the lube .I heat the lube to where it is uncomfortable to put the finger in and pour it in so it takes 15 min to cool or so when it is warm and slick feeling but has pulled away from the sides of the bowl it is ready .I just take the block out and push on the nose with a finget and catch it underneath with my other hand if that dont work you might have to try a different consistancy of lube ....... Dean

[Marc2]

Dean,

The bullets were very cold. Had just pulled them out of ice water after casting. Maybe that was the problem or at least one of them. I melted the lube in a microwave. It was very hot.

Thanks.

Marc In VA

[powderburnerr]

I pan lube a lot and just use room temp bullets . It usually takes 15 to 25 min on the desk for the lube to solidify . if the lube gets too cold you can get flakeing off the grooves as well when punching them out .and they are hard to push out

I have a small round plastic plate with 1.5 in sides off an old kitchen scale about 8 inches in diamater with tapered sides .I stand up about 50 bullets and pour in the lube when the lube hardens it pulls away from the sides of the pan and you can pick out the whole block of lube and bullets then push from the nose and they will come right out ,no tools needed a few runs and you will find the best time to push them out..........the lube should still feel warm and it has a real slick feel to it at the right time but doesnt get stickey......... .Dean

[shooter575]

Like you I had problems untill I got the bullets and lube at same temp before pouring in the lube.Still sorta messy compared to a lubersizer.If you are going to shoot a lot of them I would consitter a custom die and go the machine route.

[SharpsShooter]

Sharpshooter,

I'll try putting them in the freezer and sharpening the cutter. I thought of the freezer but did'nt because I figured the lube would shrink away from the bullet if it cooled too quickly. I'll give it a try tomorrow night.

Thanks,

Marc In VA.


Don't freeze em solid, just enough to make the lube firm. If you freeze it too much the lube may become crumbly and that's no good either

[Lloyd Smale]

one more problem you may be having is that mold has real shallow lube groves and may be a little harder to pan lube.

[nelson133]

You can always quit the pan lube method and use the Lee liquid alox. I just put the slugs in a plastic pail, pour in a little of the lube, and (while wearing a pair of latex gloves) roll them around with my hands until they are all coated. Put them on a sheet of waxed paper for 24 hours and you're ready to load.

[KCSO]

I always pan lube with a double boiler. I put the bullets in the pan and drop or pour in the lube and then heat the whole works till the bullets are good and warm. Then I put the pan outside the shop on a cold sidewalk to cool. I have found that if you don't get the bullets warm they wont take lube down into the grooves.

[KevMT]

I always pan lube with a double boiler. I put the bullets in the pan and drop or pour in the lube and then heat the whole works till the bullets are good and warm. Then I put the pan outside the shop on a cold sidewalk to cool. I have found that if you don't get the bullets warm they wont take lube down into the grooves.

I suppose a double boiler would be better. But I use one of those cheap cookie tins and just set it, with the right amount of lube in it, on an elecrtic range element (set on low) untill it melts. Add boolits. After the (felix) lube hardends I just grab the noses of the bullets and wiggle them a little and they lift right out with the lube in the grooves. NOW all you have to do is drop boolits into the existing holes in the lube, re-heat and you're ready for the next batch. When done put the lid on the cookie tin and the lube stays clean and ready for the next batch. None of this is original. I'm pretty sure I learned it all from the guys here at Cboolits. But it works for me.
Kev

[Cloudpeak]

You can always quit the pan lube method and use the Lee liquid alox. I just put the slugs in a plastic pail, pour in a little of the lube, and (while wearing a pair of latex gloves) roll them around with my hands until they are all coated. Put them on a sheet of waxed paper for 24 hours and you're ready to load.

I put my bullets in a Cool Whip container, pour in the liquid alox, put the lid on and then rotate the container. A lot less messy. Make sure to keep one hand on the lid.

Cloudpeak

[Marc2]

Ive used Lee Liquid Alox for 45 ACP and 40 S&W. Havent tried it on anything going over 1000 FPS. I plan on pushing this 400 grain bullet in the 1200-1250 range. Is Liquid Alox OK at these velocities?

Marc In VA.

[nelson133]

According to Lee Precision, the liquid alox will take high velocity.

[txpete]

I have been shooting the lee 340 lfn bullet as cast using the tumble lube.out of my 1895SS(45/70) 28.0 grs AA5744 around 1400 fps.I haven't chronied this load so it is a guess but I'll bet its close.
pete

[Pawpaw]

For those bullets I want to have lube in the grooves, I use hot lube and room temp bullets. Hold the bullet by the nose and dip the grooves into the melted lube. Set them on waxed paper to dry overnight. Works like a champ.

[drinks]

I use LA, I also use LBT soft blue and now have tried White Lable high speed with caranuba from Lars.
The LBT and White Label work fine for me in a small teflon lined loaf pan,I started out with a sardine can, but the creases in the bottom tipped some bullets over, so I went to a flat bottom.
I put some lube in the pan, put it on a cheap hot plate and melt it, but keep it below smoking temperature.I place the bullets in on their bases, the lube will be shallow enough so as to be below the last groove.
As the bullets sit there, the lube will be depressed at the bullet, when the bullet gets hot enough, the lube will climb up the bullet quite a ways, if it goes up to the last groove, fine, if not high enough add some more lube, when the lube climbs up the bullet, remove the bullet and place it base down on an aluminum pie pan.
I use some $1 forceps from a $ store junk table to put them in and take them out.
I have been shooting cast bullets at 2400 + fps and have never had any leading.

[357maximum]

I use liquid alox on a shallow 2 groove185 grain GC 357 max bullet that come from a mold that the Mountain man somewhat disagreed with (he make it anyway). It is kinda my version of lees tumble lube. I,ve been pushin em to 1900 fps and all is well. It might be to the gas checks credit or to the credit of a superior mold, all I know is that it works. I lube fairly light then size and seat checks through a lee 358 then lightly lube again. It is accurate and no leading until about 60 shots , 2 passes of kroil takes it all out though. Dry patch and ready to shoot again. I do get a little hint of smoke, but then again it is only a 15 inch barrel. I have a lyman 45 and the mountain man is currently making me a 3 ganger in a more conventional lube groove bullet, just so I have an excuse to use it. Never tried pan lubing, tumble lubing( I do mine in a heavy ziploc) is just so easy if you are patient (dry time).

[redneckdan]

i tumble lube with a lube that I make myself (beeswax, ivory soap, peanut oil). I take about 500 bullets and put them in a pan in my oven on warm. When the bullets are warm to the touch I put them in a tupper ware container and pour some EXTREMELY HOT lube over them and shake. Then pour the bullets out on wax paper. The bullets dry in about 10 minutes and its much cheaper than alox and faster than a lube sizer.

[rbstern]

Dan, would you mind sharing the ratio of ingredients you use?

[redneckdan]

ingrediants are beeswax, peanut oil and ivory soap shavings. ratios are 8 parts wax, 1 part oil, 1 part soap. all measurements are by weight. Heat up the wax, add oil, and heat till almost smoking, slowly disolve soap shavings into mix.

[rbstern]

Thanks!