Tumble lubing with my JPW mix

[Centaur 1]

I've been using straight JPW to lube my 45 acp bullets for a couple of years now, it works great and I like the way it dries hard. I had an idea late one night (I think an Ambien was involved), when I was going to lube some bullets and let them dry overnight in the garage. My can of JPW was almost empty when I got the idea to try and mix it with mineral spirits to make a liquid. I added the mineral spirits a little at a time and I'd put the lid back on the can and shake. I ended up with a liquid that looks like liquid floor wax and was the consistency of tomato soup. I've been using this liquid like you would LLA; squirt, shake, then dry on wax paper. And just like LLA a small amount goes a long way. When I used straight JPW it always seem to leave a coating that was thicker than necessary. Now I get a thinner layer of wax that dries quickly with no stickiness. After they dry I size with a Lee push through die, but I don't apply a second layer of lube after sizing. I put the bullets back in the lubing container and I squirt them with a small amount of mineral spirits, then shake the container really well and dump the bullets on wax paper. The mineral spirits help to redistribute the wax back onto the O.D. of the bullets without adding any unnecessary lube. So far I haven't had any problems with leading and I had two of my friends try my bullets with the same results.

[tazman]

Interesting information. Thanks for posting.

[blixen]

I've tried JPW straight, smeared on the grooves warm, with good results at low .30 cal. Velocities. But never thinned as much as you. I've always wondered what the Lee goop brought to the table. (Not trying to start a fight!) I've been told JPW won't dry properly w/o LLA, but it hasn't been my experience . I live in an extremely dry climate, though.

[Centaur 1]

JPW is a paraffin carnauba mix, I don't see a reason for it not to dry. The humidity is thru the roof this week and I noticed that it was taking longer than normal to dry. I decided to try other thinners to try and speed up the drying time. Alcohol didn't want to mix with the JPW, but Brakleen in the red can did. It's their original formula using a chlorinated solvent so it might not be available in places like California or New Jersey. I just put a couple of ounces in a small squirt bottle then started adding the JPW a little at a time, shaking the bottle as I went along. Drying time was reduced to just a couple of hour using the brake cleaner, so far I'm liking it better than the mineral spirits.

[1989toddm]

I just started using JPW. Only question I have is with a small batch of boolits that have sat on my bench exposed to air and the JPW is dry and cracking. Will it still sufficiently lube the barrel in this state or do I need to remelt or relube?

[Centaur 1]

I keep most of my lubed bullets in old peanut butter or mayonnaise jars so maybe they're sealed enough to keep them from drying out. I did go and look and I have one cardboard box with bullets that were lubed about a year and a half ago and they still look good. Maybe the Florida humidity has something to do with that. Try putting you bullets back in the container that you use to lube them, then give them a squirt or two of brake cleaner or mineral spirits and shake them around. That's what I do after sizing and the JPW mixes with the solvent and redistributes the wax back onto the bearing surface of the bullet.

[BAGTIC]

Don't know why it wouln't dry properly. When I was a youngster I was the designated family floor polisher. Not once do I recall it failing to dry thoroughly. What more it never flaked and peeled whether on wood. linoleum or metal as some claim happen on their bullets. I suspect they have been smearing it on like peanut butter.

[1989toddm]

Yes I plan on keeping them sealed from now on. Although I do think there is enough lube on the bearing surfaces to be fine. I load pretty slow anyway an cookie cutter them so there's a little more on them than maybe there would be in a lubesizer.

[mold maker]

The thicker it is the more likely it will crack, and fall out. I suspect what your seeing is falling out of the lube grooves. As long as your only using low vel rounds, a soak and shake in a tub with a spoon full of solvent should make it all better.