Thinning Lee liquid alox

[45-70 Chevroner]

What is used to thin liquid alox and how much to use.

[btroj]

Generally people use mineral spirits. Other solvents may work but mineral spirits work very well and are cheap.

[mold maker]

What is used to thin liquid alox and how much to use.

I use 50/50 Mineral Spirits, found at Lowes/Home Depot/paint store. Some bottles of alox are thicker than others, so adjust acordingly.
Only a slight hint of the alox color is needed, and 2 thin coats are better (dry faster) than one. Doing this gives the most tack free alox lube.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Thanks a lot. I will give it a try. I have been using LLA for a long time, it some times gets real thick in the bottle and I have tried several methods to thin it out and the easiest way is to place it in the Micro wave oven and setting it at 5 seconds at a time until it gets soft enough to squize it out. I have actually tried the Mineral Spirits a long time ago but that was on a bottle of LLA that had became so thick that it was unusable. I could not get the Mineral Spirits to mix with it, thats when I tried the Micro wave method. I tried putting the bottle in very hot water but that was to no avail. My reason for wanting to thin it now is to see how it works with less coating. I have read that it works good on low velocity loads such as cowboy shooting.

[mdi]

I've also used mineral spirits (odorless and plain) to thin alox and make 45-45-10. I've read of using naptha (lighter fluid) but have never tried it...

[geargnasher]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=67654

Gear

[madsenshooter]

Just so happens I was doing some experiments, isopropyl alcohol is not the way to go. I'd say the LLA is semi-soluble in it. Separates from the alcohol in little blobs, like some parts of the LLA is soluble, some aren't. I was looking for something that'd evaporate fast as a carrier and leave my bore pre-lubed. I've been getting vertical stringing when starting with a clean barrel, as the LLA works its way out the bore. Once it gets out near the end, the stringing stops. Takes about 10 foulers as I've been trying to use the absolute minimum amount of the LLA.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Lighter fluid works just fine. Drop a 1/4"nut, or bullet, in the bottle to stir it up better as you shake it.

BvT

[45-70 Chevroner]

BvT: I will try the 1/4" nut thing sounds workable. A nut for a nut. Thanks to all.

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

Just an idea, why not make yourself some 45/45/10. 45% melted/desolvented Johnsons Paste Wax, 45% LLA, and 10% mineral spirts.

Check out "Recluse" for a thread on its making and use.

It works, and it works great.

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[44wcf]

Is any one making and selling the 45-45-10 lube?

[shotman]

heat it in HOT water all you need to do will dry too

[45-70 Chevroner]

Mold Maker: I mixed as per your suggestion and it deffinatly needs two coats. It works great. I will be doing this from now on.

[HiVelocity]

I've tried the 50/50 mix and it works well.

Then I got an idea; cut pure LLA with JPW and add 10% mineral spirits and see what happens. It turned out a golden color that dries really quick and is almost too slick to hold onto. Yup, I use it on all my boolits.

I guess everyone has a "formula" for their own personal need. I love reading all the advise and suggestions on this forum. Saved me lots of money on one hand, cost me a bit on the other. Kind of addictive...............

Just my $.02 worth,

HV in SC

[murph]

Hi all, been a while (several years I think) since I've posted on this site.

I have been experimenting with bullet lubes for a while now, some I've made and some commercial. I have even taken to using LLA on some jacketed bullets for increased performance and cut down on copper fouling.

I have used mineral oil to thin down LLA and used multiple coats in conjunction with regular bullet lubes. How much mineral oil to use depends on how thin you want it to be and it doesn't take much mineral oil at all. Thinner coats for quite low velocity ammo. Heavier viscosity (and longer drying time) for high velocity stuff. My experiments indicate that the LLA is sloughed off in the first few inches of the barrel, rifle and pistol, and whatever other lube your using then takes over. If your shooting in the rang of 1200 ft/sec or over, the harder lubes don't do much for the early part of the barrel so the LLA will lube the first parts where the hard lubes will not.

Here is a tidbit I discovered about a year ago using LLA. How many folks clean their pellet guns when using the soft lead pellets? Almost no one I know. If you have a gun that shoots anywhere near the 1000ft/sec velocity with soft lead pellets, you will lead the barrels severely. Coat the pellets with LLA to end that. You should notice an increase in accuracy and muzzle velocity too.

Hope you find this useful

[N1YDP]

what is the difference between acetone and mineral spirits?

[N1YDP]

can you use acetone instead of mineral spirits to thin LLA?

[N1YDP]

has anyone tried it?

[btroj]

Acetone might work but has some downsides. It will eat many plastics so you need to be careful wht you store it in. It is also very volatile so the working time may be different, it is going to dry out fast. Acetone is also pretty bad stuff to inhale, make sure you do it out side. Might work fine, might not.

I personally think the mineral spirits work well and have no desire to try something else.

[mdi]

Be aware that there is a "green" mineral spirits available. It is milky white and I believe it's water based. Don't use it! I actually got rust on a die that was soaking in the "green" stuff...

Regular mineral spirits is available just about anywhere (box stores, hardware stores, and even some drug stores' hardware section), comes odorless and regular, and is't too expensive.