Is this enough lube?

[lylejb]

After trying pan lubing and not really getting what i wanted, i tried tumble lubing.

I used a quart jar, about half full of boolits. I added a ball of JPW about the size of a quarter and a little alox, about the size of a pea. tumbled til evenly coated.

Now that this has dried, i see only a slight film. It looks like there's almost nothing on the boolits. This can't be enough.

All 3 pic's are from the same batch of boolits, and have the same amount of lube. The 3rd pic is in sunlight, and is really hard to see much of anything on them. They do feel slick to the touch.

These were tumbled, sized .358 in a Lee push through die, then tumbled again. These have dried 1 1/2 days after the final tumble.

These will mostly be used in a reduced 38 load, about 600-650fps. I would, however, like to find a combination that can also be used up to 1200 or so.

If anyone has pic's of your tumbled boolits, I would like to see them.

THANKS

[runfiverun]

you want a gold sheen on them.
i would do a second coat.
the recommended is a first coat cut with mineral spirits, and set to dry for a day or so. then a second coat and set to dry...
you could also try a layer of johnsons paste wax for the second coat.

[lylejb]

Thanks for the quick reply,.....but

That IS a second coat, and that IS jpw....so now what do I do? A 3rd coat?

It seems like the second coat of JPW mostly dissolved the first coat, so very little more was actually deposited on the boolit.

[Recluse]

I use a 45%LLA/45%JPW/10% odorless mineral spirits blend. Shake well.

Head to your cheapest grocery store and get the cheapest shallow tub of Cool Whip you can find. Of everything I've tried for tumble-lubing, that container is the best.

Put your boolits in so that they cover the bottom, but don't have too many boolits on top of each other. In other words, have a single layer of boolits covering the bottom of the cool whip tub.

I pour my concoction (LLA/JPW/MS) back into the Lee alox bottle as I like the little squirt top. I make a light "Z" pattern over the boolits in the tub, then swirl them around until evenly coated. A little "tumbling" just to mix them up, but onlyl as needed.

I then pour the (wet) boolits out on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper, and let dry. When dry, I run them through the Lee push-through sizer, then I repeat the tumble lubing process.

This "lube blend" and technique works superbly for me, and I get no leading in any calibers up to around 1400 to 1500 fps. I don't like hand-cannons, so there's been no need for me to see how fast I can push the boolits without leading.

Reckon next time I lube some boolits, I'll snap a few pictures and post them. Kinda hard to explain the "Z" pattern with the lube concoction, but I've found that it's the PERFECT amount to use for that size tub.

:coffee:

[Doc_Stihl]

I use straight LLA that's been been warmed, along with warm bullets. Gives a nice even coat that's dries evenly.

[BABore]

How much LLA you use on a boolit is not a recipe set in stone. You have to work up a good load, then experiment on how many coats, thinned or unthinned, and the like. If accuracy is the goal, small tweaks can make a huge difference.

[Shiloh]

I Cut the alox with mineral spirits, warm it, and apply one light coat. I find that a light coat is all I need. after several hundred rounds there is still great accuracy. There is also a very light gray color on the lands, but it wipes right off with a patch wet with Ed's Red.

Shiloh

[geargnasher]

"is this enough lube?"

Load them and ask your gun.

The problem with JPW is that it is comprised of about 25% solvent already, so you need a little more LLA than you are probably using currently to keep the first coat intact. Don't over tumble the second coat, just get them coated and pour them out quickly without too much agitation.

Recluse's formula is as good or better than any I've tried, I use a similar formula and now I gotta convince my wife that we need Cool Whip next time she buys groceries! 8-)

Gear

[SciFiJim]

now I gotta convince my wife that we need Cool Whip next time she buys groceries!
Hmm. Cool Whip lubed boolits.;-) I mix JPW and Xlox 50/50 and tumble lube for .45acp and .357mag with no leading. I get the .357 up to about 1500 fps with that mixture with no problems.

[Recluse]

The problem with JPW is that it is comprised of about 25% solvent already, so you need a little more LLA than you are probably using currently to keep the first coat intact.

I cook off the solvents in the JPW and then pour the melted mix back into the LLA bottle. That's why I've found that adding about 10% mineral spirits makes the mixing/shaking easier. In winter/colder temps, you'll have to use a blowdryer or heat gun (lowest setting) to warm the bottle and concoction, but I've also found that this concoction and technique works best when the lube mix is warm. You get a better, more even light coating on the boolits, no globbing or sticky areas.


Don't over tumble the second coat, just get them coated and pour them out quickly without too much agitation.

Gear

Exactly correct.

The primary reason I do the second light tumble-lubing after sizing is twofold:

1. I prefer two light coats as opposed to one medium/heavy coat. Doing two light coats gives me far better control over "how much" lube I'm using. The day I went to doing two light coats was the day I quit having to clean my boolit seater dies.

2. I size every single boolit I cast--regardless of what Lee says about "may not need to." The sizer swages a little bit, so I do the second light tumble-lube to ensure that the barrel of the boolit is completely lubed--no surface without lube.

:coffee:

[sabot_round]

Exactly correct.

The primary reason I do the second light tumble-lubing after sizing is twofold:

1. I prefer two light coats as opposed to one medium/heavy coat. Doing two light coats gives me far better control over "how much" lube I'm using. The day I went to doing two light coats was the day I quit having to clean my boolit seater dies.

2. I size every single boolit I cast--regardless of what Lee says about "may not need to." The sizer swages a little bit, so I do the second light tumble-lube to ensure that the barrel of the boolit is completely lubed--no surface without lube.

:coffee:

Agreed!! I too use the same process.