Is it just my imagination?

[Gohon]

Since I've been casting....about 4 years now, I have always used LLA on my casts. It's easy and works surprisingly well even at high speeds for my uses. Recently I started mixing in about 30% Johnson paste wax and that seemed to work even better. Now recently I've started sprinkling corn starch on the boolits after they set up with LLA to get rid of the stickiness. I always blow the excess corn starch off with a air hose before stowing them away. The thing that has got me now is since I started applying corn starch, my bores are absolutely spotless with zero leading. In the past I never really got any leading except for maybe a little gray dust that wiped right out but I don't even get that now. Am I imaging this or is the corn starch actually doing something which seems like polishing the bore. Maybe it is the combination of LLA, JPW, and corn starch......I don't know but it has me baffled.

[bearcove]

The starch must be a mild abrasive, sort of like paper patching.

[qajaq59]

Apparently you have enough left on there so the lead isn't actually contactng the barrel. Sounds strange, but I can't think of any other explanation. Who knows, maybe you've hit on something worthwhile.

[StarMetal]

Like the other poster said cornstarch is abrasive. There was a poster on here that was using Cream Of Wheat to fire form some cases. He was shooting them aiming down at his concrete driveway. After he was finished he noticed the concrete was eroded away where he was aiming. To give you another thing to think about look how they have quit using sand to sandblast paint off of automobiles and now use such things as plastic bead and especially this one....baking soda!!!!!

I guess if you shoot enough of those you are going to erode your barrel throat away.

Joe

[armyrat1970]

Maybe you're on to something there? As the LLA is fine for boolits, I don't know if the JPW is doing anything different. But the corn starch maybe. Keep checking and let us know. Very interesting point.

[Bret4207]

Of course corn starch is a very mild abrasive. I think polishing agent would be a better term. So is paper, some types are more abrasive than others. Didn't your Grandmother ever make you "clean" the storm windows with crumpled newspaper after you washed them with ammonia and water? That was one of my chores about this time of year. JPW used to have a very, very mild polishing agent in it years ago.

Cornstach, talc, graphite, even flour can negate the stickyness. But anything given enough velocity can become abrasive. They cut steel with high pressure water these days! So don't be surprised, it won't hurt anything in the conceivable lifetime of your gun.

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the gears- every speck of lead oxide or dust or dirt you don't get out of your melt is a mild abrasive too. But it's very, very mild. Over time the lead alloy will polish your bore. But don't worry about it, you've just discovered a happy coincidence that works to your benefit.

[leftiye]

The JPW has carnauba in it. Carnauba coats the bore lightly, and leaves the bore shiny. I don't suppose the carn storch does anything but stop the stickies. It might get involved in the coating, and act like a dry lube, or similar to a paper patch, but this is just guessing.

[303Guy]

Gohon, have you thought of mixing the cornflour into the JPW/LLA?

I use my own concoction which I developed for the purpose of securing the bullet in the case neck. It also happens to lube cast boolits pretty well and it leaves a coating in the bore. But it is not magic. Now if'n I were to add cornflour to the mix .... Mmmmm! I'm thinking 22 hornet - those leetle boogers are hard to patch and a patched boolit is skinnier and lighter than a full bodied cast.

[Gohon]

But don't worry about it, you've just discovered a happy coincidence that works to your benefit.

I think you're right and I just simply didn't pay that much attention to how the LLA and JPW were working together until after I sprinkled on corn starch which most likely has no effect except for getting rid of the stickiness. I've heard that JPW has petroleum of some sort in it and I think this is true as it actually thins out the LLA after mixing them together. No complaints though............... it all seems to work fine together.

[Bret4207]

Started dusting the boolits because I was impatient to use them and the Mule Snot didn't dry fast enough for me. I haven't got to the point of thinning it yet, but that might help. Anyway, I started using Motor Mica graphite dust. It seemed to work. I tried cornstarch when the kids broke a top off the bottle and were going to toss it. It seemed to work just a good as the graphite. If it polishes my barrels a little that's okay by me.

I am going to have to get some JPW. If it works even better, I'm for it.

[303Guy]

I just got me some cornflour. Gonna give it a try in the hornet.

[Gohon]

I just got me some cornflour. Gonna give it a try in the hornet.

Ya had me wide eyed there for a minute until I remembered in some locations on the other side of the pond, cornflour is what we yanks call cornstarch.

Just put those new cast and lubed boolits in a clean container like you were going to lube them, throw in a half teaspoon of cornstarch and swirl them around and dump them out. No more sticky fingers. I always blow off the excess with a air hose or one of those cans of compressed air for computers. If you thought they were ugly with the LLA then you'll think they are real ugly now.

[geargnasher]

Started dusting the boolits because I was impatient to use them and the Mule Snot didn't dry fast enough for me. I haven't got to the point of thinning it yet, but that might help. Anyway, I started using Motor Mica graphite dust. It seemed to work. I tried cornstarch when the kids broke a top off the bottle and were going to toss it. It seemed to work just a good as the graphite. If it polishes my barrels a little that's okay by me.

I am going to have to get some JPW. If it works even better, I'm for it.

Bret, next time you use LLA, get some JPW and stir it up good, then mix with LLA 50/50 and add a splash (5-10%) mineral spirits. Gently warm it and mix well. It is pretty liquidy and coats quickly with just a quick swirl in a plastic bowl (no need to "massage" in a baggie for 5 minutes) and dries in a few hours with NO sticky mess when handling. If you bother to stand the boolits on end (NOT necessary) the lube will settle on the driving bands and lube grooves and be almost nonexistent on the noses, so no more clogged seater punches and no more dusting.

I am intrigued by the cornstarch coating, I wonder if it could be intentionally applied as a thicker layer (boolits rolled in it) and sized into the boolit surface like a powdered paper patch? Might be on to something there.

Gear

[303Guy]

I tried rolling the boolit in the cornflour/cornstarch (I hope it's the same thing - it's all I could find bit it is gluten free!) It acts more like a lubricant and did not imbed in the boolit surface. Well, not over the whole surface anyway.

I want to try mixing it in some lube and apply it like that.

Now if some starch gets between the boolit and the bore, there will be some friction which will heat the starch and cook it or something. Starch, as it cooks swells, so ... ! And if'n it were to get too hot it would carburise and carbon is a lubricant - in graphite form.

[Bret4207]

I tried rolling the boolit in the cornflour/cornstarch (I hope it's the same thing - it's all I could find bit it is gluten free!) It acts more like a lubricant and did not imbed in the boolit surface. Well, not over the whole surface anyway.

I want to try mixing it in some lube and apply it like that.

Now if some starch gets between the boolit and the bore, there will be some friction which will heat the starch and cook it or something. Starch, as it cooks swells, so ... ! And if'n it were to get too hot it would carburise and carbon is a lubricant - in graphite form.

Proof that good. clear headed thinking isn't limited to the northern hemishere![smilie=l:

[303Guy]

I've just had an idea. Over on paper patching there is a thread on 'liquid paper'. If we were to mix paper dust with boolit lube, we might just have ourselves 'superlube'! It's harder to make paper dust so I shall test the cornstarch/lube mix first (and if that works I'll stop there) - hopefully, later today.:Fire:

[Ricochet]

...every speck of lead oxide or dust or dirt you don't get out of your melt is a mild abrasive too. But it's very, very mild. Over time the lead alloy will polish your bore. But don't worry about it, you've just discovered a happy coincidence that works to your benefit.
Antimony crystals, too, some say.

[armyrat1970]

Antimony crystals, too, some say.

Now that is quite interesting. How do you get antimony crystals to form? I believe I have had antimony seperate from my wws and could not get it to dissolve or melt back in. It was like a tar left on the top of the pot. Maybe this was not antimony? But I think so.

[qajaq59]

303Guy, I think you're having more fun with the casting then anyone I know......