Newbie questions about lubes

[kellyj00]

I have yet to cast a single bullet and I'm trying to get my materials together to get started soon.

I don't have any lube, but was planning on using Lee Liquid alox then wiping the ugly brown crusty stuff off the bullets after they are loaded. I'm also planning on giving some bullets to friends and I don't like the idea of giving them anything that has a brown crust on it or is sticky.

All of my commercial bullets had a single lube groove filled with blue or red waxy stuff. It's solid at room temperature, so I'm assuming it's one of those lubes that requires a heater.

At this point in the game, I'm not interested in buying a lubricator or sizer as these are all pistol bullets and I"m not terribly concerned with super-accuracy for now. I'm wondering if there's a lube that doesn't leave bullets ugly or sticky (like LLA does) and doesn't require a heater (like wax does). Maybe something that has the same consistency as carnuba car wax... actually will car wax work, I've got a bunch of leftover.

[44man]

Make some Felx lube. You can fill the grooves with your fingers. Some here love LLA----I hate the stuff!

[BABore]

I don't like the brown goo either, but when I started out that was nearly my only choice. Had a mold and ladle and just couldn't wait to shoot some boolits.

I would cut the mule snot 50/50 with mineral spirits. Put your boolits (50-100) in a Cool Whip container, add a squirt of goo, snap on the lid, and swirl them around good. Dump the out on some wax paper and stand them on their bases. I set them in front of a small high speed fan and had them dry in an hour. When dry run them through the Lee push through sizer, if needed, then give them another coat of snot. If you don't need to size, give them a second coat. When dry, put them in a gallon Zip-Lok bag and toss in a 1/4 teaspoon of motor mica or cornstarch. Zip it closed and toss and roll to coat them lightly. This takes away the "sticky" problem.

As 44Man mentioned, you can finger lube them with real lube. I used to do a half-assed finger lube job and run them through a push through sizer. You can also pan lube them. Do a search. There's lots of threads on it.

[Bullshop]

I would suggest you try speed green and use it to pan lube your boolits. Since you will eventually want to try some bull plate sprue plate lube for your molds when you order get a few extra bottles. You can make speed green boolit lube by combining bull plate with bee's wax at 3/1 by weight of BW to BP. One bottle of BP is 2 oz which will make 1/2 lb of boolit lube. You will initially have to make enough volume to fill your lube pan to the right depth so I would make at least 1 lb the first time. Two bottles of BP with 12 oz bee's wax will yeald 1lb speed green.
Blessings on ya!
BIC/BS

[kellyj00]

thanks for the advice!
I'm having a little trouble finding the actual method of 'pan lubing'. I do a forum search and it seems like everyone references 'pan lubing' as if it were common knowledge.

Can anyone clue me in? Thanks again!

[mooman76]

There are several methods of pan lubing and I have not done it allot but I can tell you the basics. It intales pooring heated up lube in a cookie style pan with the bullets standing up. when you have the amount needed in the pan up to the lube grooves you let it cool and you cut away the excess sometimes by using a tube a hair larger than the bullet. You can use a shell case with the end cut off so the bullet pushes through.
I tried a method that seemed to work well for me. I put the lube in one of those mini crock pots and put the bullets in the freezer that way when I dunked the bullets the lube would solidify instantly.
There is also a couple other things you could try. I have heard of people here using johnsons paste wax and having good luck with that. I have never done it but you can do a search here.
Also if you still want to use the LLA you can put a small amount on a wax type paper and roll the bullets in it with something like a ruler and stand them up to dry that way you don't have to remove the excess.
Hope I helped!

[Ricochet]

There's a sticky thread on "Good Results With Johnson's Paste Wax."

I've gone back and forth on LLA. Now I like it again.

[JohnH]

There's a sticky thread on "Good Results With Johnson's Paste Wax."

I've gone back and forth on LLA. Now I like it again.

Ricochet is dead on, sounds like you are looking for Johnsons Paste Wax. On first reading og it I had my doubts. Since, I've shot it at 1400 fps from a 25-06 using an 80 plain base boolit with no trouble. See no reason you shouldn't get good results with it.

[Ricochet]

Found the JPW thread. Here it is: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=17641

[Goatlips]

Hay KellyJ,

Not trying to push my site but since you asked here's my take on pan lubing for ya. Lots of pitchers.

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/panlubing.html

Goatlips

[Bass Ackward]

Yep. Bullet lube. Dreams .... and then reality.

Most vile, difficult, problematic, cantankerous, substance on the planet that ain't alive.

[BigSlick]

Yep. Bullet lube. Dreams .... and then reality.

Most vile, difficult, problematic, cantankerous, substance on the planet that ain't alive.

Ain't it the truth.

Around here the dreams are followed by perceived reality. That, and a host of home brews that were sure to bring nirvana. Bee's wax, paste wax, oils of many kinds from far away places, bunch of trips to wally world, the drug store, the mail box, little tubes, big tubes, cutters, dyes, and various other things sure to work...

... and a hell of a big box full of Lar's Red
________
Face****

[randyrat]

Lee liquid Alox- "Whooo that smell"- gotta love it. i'VE LEARNED TO LOVE IT. kinda I know one thing, i now use rubber gloves when i use it. eeeeeuuuuuuffffta.

[redgum]

I was gonna send you to see Goatlips' pages but he found you first.