first try at bullet Lube how did I do???

[Tripplebeards]

After reading all the good receipies on this awesome sight I kinda took bits and pieces and made my first batch of pan lube.

I used 1lb beeswax, 1lb parafin wax, a huge overfilled table spoon of johnson paste wax, a 13 oz jar of petroleum jelly, 2 tablespoons of STP oil treatment, a half tablespoon of lee liquid alox, and 2 playskool red crayons. I'm going to mainly be using this batch for 44 mag rifle and pistol velocities.

How did I do?

[mozeppa]

well your mad scientist skills are o-k......but does it go into the loob grooves and stay there?

[Tripplebeards]

Don't know I'm waiting for it to cool. I threw in 2 more crayons for a brighter color. It looks like orange sherbert.

[Outpost75]

Too many people over-think bullet lube.
K.I.S.S. principle.

4 parts by melted volume of beeswax to 1 part of almost any natural grease or oil which will melt and blend.

Lard, olive oil, canola, corn oil all work.

For higher velocity smokeless loads substitute ATF for the above.

Good consistency for lubricator-sizer or for pan lubing.

For black powder use 50-50 ratio of non-petroleum natural oil or grease.

All the other junk people add is simplymental masturbation.

[Tripplebeards]

well your mad scientist skills are o-k......but does it go into the loob grooves and stay there?

I rushed it and put it in the fridge to see what I had going on. I am pan dipping lee 310g 44 mag. The main lube groove was completely covered but the bottom groove where I would attach the gas check had no lube. I put them back in the pan and started all over and will let them sit overnight cooling the wax naturally before removing them again. I did run a couple through my lee sizer with a gas check and dipped the bottoms in my pan lube so the bottom groove was covered just to see the finished product ( my first time). I did notice when applying the pan lube it would start hardening being the bullets must be a little cold. Would warming them up first before pouring the pan lube into the pan help?

[John Boy]

Pan lubing starts with:
* cold bullets put in the pan bases down
* heat the lube up in a pan of boiling water and pour into the pan
* heat the pan on a double boiler so the bullets are hot to the touch in the melted lube
* put a fan on and point it towards the lube pan with the bullets
* when the lube stiffens - put in refrigerator
* when the lube cake hardens and the loosens adhesion from the pan - remove from refrigerator
* knock the lube cake out of the pan and place on a piece of stiff Styrofoam so the cake won't break
* nose punch the bullets to loosen them from the cake
* punch them out
You will be left with a cake and empty bullet holes to just place the naked bullets in for the next lubing session

[Tripplebeards]

Thanks john, I didn't heat the bullets up after putting in the lube so that makes sense why the bottom groove didn't grab the wax. I just lighty heated them with a propane torch just enough to melt the wax around them in the pan. My wax is litterally bonded to the bullets now.

[country gent]

My lube pans have been use for years. I stand the bullets up in the exsiting holes and set in the pan of water and melt lube and the bullets heat with the lube to the same temp. I hold this heat for 8-10 mins and shut the stove off letting cool in the water pan. My grooves are well filled and lube adheres very well. I use a cake cutter slightly bigger than the bullets and leave the lube in the pans.

[BrassMagnet]

Pan lubing starts with:
* cold bullets put in the pan bases down
* heat the lube up in a pan of boiling water and pour into the pan
* heat the pan on a double boiler so the bullets are hot to the touch in the melted lube
* put a fan on and point it towards the lube pan with the bullets
* when the lube stiffens - put in refrigerator
* when the lube cake hardens and the loosens adhesion from the pan - remove from refrigerator
* knock the lube cake out of the pan and place on a piece of stiff Styrofoam so the cake won't break
* nose punch the bullets to loosen them from the cake
* punch them out
You will be left with a cake and empty bullet holes to just place the naked bullets in for the next lubing session

Great description of the process!

[rmatchell]

Check out candle dye for color. If you have a hoby lobby near you screenshot the 40% off coupon and pick up a pack for 2 bucks. It goes alot farther than the crayons that seem to settle out.

I to am new at lube making but i dont think ill buy another tube again. Mainly because I made to much playing around.

[Fernando]

I don't put as many in the pan as in the photo.
I leave enough room between to get my fingers in there.
Let it set up but it is still warmish and just grab them by the nose
A straight pull up and you here a little pop and they are perfect.
This is with the simple green recipe - driving bands are shiny clean
and the grooves are filled nicely - you can't tell the dif between
these and the ones out of a lubrisizer.

[Tripplebeards]

Attachment 193916Attachment 193910Attachment 193911Attachment 193912Attachment 193913 I will make sure to heat up the bullets in a pan next time around. I know melting the wax with my propane torch after I already had poured it in with the cold bullets got me close but still the bottom lube groove either was half filled or the wax wasn't sticking and was coming out. The main groove was filled again. I used my finger and rubbed wax in the bottom groove and then ran through my lee sizer and installed the gas check. I had a mess of wax all over the bullets so all one hundred were individually wiped off. They look good for my first batch. I ended up pushing them from the top of the bullet down through the wax...it seemed to keep more of the bottom groove lube on the bullets. I did notice that my wax gets mushy when wiping on with my finger but was hard to push out of the pan lube. Dose this sound like the correct consistency for my use? I laid the bullet lube combo on styrofoam as advised and still had come cracking of the wax being I had to push pretty hard to get them out. Maybe it's because I had them in the fridge overnight and the wax was harder.

[John Boy]

Run the naked bullets with the GC's through the Lee - First. Then lube ... save a lot mess
Otherwise, the the panned bullets good! Congratulations

[Tripplebeards]

Run the naked bullets with the GC's through the Lee - First. Then lube ... save a lot mess
Otherwise, the the panned bullets good! Congratulations

i was wondering if I should have GC first. I haven't looked in my die yet but I'm sure it's wadded up. I figured running it through the die helped squish my lube in place. I bet the gas checks will help keep the lube in the lower groove...ill try it with the GC installed next time to see if it helps.

[CASTER OF LEAD]

Attachment 193916Attachment 193910Attachment 193911Attachment 193912Attachment 193913 I will make sure to heat up the bullets in a pan next time around. I know melting the wax with my propane torch after I already had poured it in with the cold bullets got me close but still the bottom lube groove either was half filled or the wax wasn't sticking and was coming out. The main groove was filled again. I used my finger and rubbed wax in the bottom groove and then ran through my lee sizer and installed the gas check. I had a mess of wax all over the bullets so all one hundred were individually wiped off. They look good for my first batch. I ended up pushing them from the top of the bullet down through the wax...it seemed to keep more of the bottom groove lube on the bullets. I did notice that my wax gets mushy when wiping on with my finger but was hard to push out of the pan lube. Dose this sound like the correct consistency for my use? I laid the bullet lube combo on styrofoam as advised and still had come cracking of the wax being I had to push pretty hard to get them out. Maybe it's because I had them in the fridge overnight and the wax was harder.

Another suggestion make yourself a cake cutter to punch boolits out. I have several different cutters I use when I pan lube. For example I use a .35 Remington case for my .38/.357 boolits. Slightly over expanded neck and the base bored out big enough for the boolits to pass through. With the whole lube cake still in the pan,Push it down over the boolit ,twist and lift (boolit will be in the cutting case). Simply push it down over the next boolit, so on and so on. The finished lubed boolits come out through the open base of the cutter. No muss no fuss and way less mess.
+ 1 for sizing and installing checks before lubing. YMMV - CASTER

[runfiverun]

I don't even put lube just above the gas check.[or only put lube right there and nowhere else]
you just don't need that much.

[bullseye67]

Good evening,
The easiest way I know of is to use a toaster oven. The first time I stand up a bunch of boolits and pour lube around them, just enough to hold them. Let it cool, then pour more lube into the pan to get it to the right height. Let it cool a bit. Put the whole pan into the oven at 200 for 20 minutes. The boolits, lube all heat to the same temp and I leave them cool in the oven. I always use a cutter to remove them from the lube. Then you can stand up the next batch in the old holes. I do 100 at a time. About the 5th time you may have to add a bit of lube. Makes for a clean and easy job.
Have an awesome week

[Tripplebeards]

A question I have is that the lube is after the first groove so the lead scrapes along the rifling and then the lube. Wouldn't it be a better idea to leave lube in the lower crimp groove to lube in front of the bullet as it travels through the barrel?

[runfiverun]

you just barely want a film in there.
too much lube and you will blow it out the barrel.
this leads to other issues like poor accuracy and just leaving a mess behind on/in the gun.

you can stiffen up the lube to fight what is left behind but then you take the chance of it coming out of the grooves in uneven or large chunks.
this too leads to poor accuracy.

your method is going to fill everything below the main lube groove, so you need to find the balance of oils and lube viscosity to combat the above affects without swinging too far one way or the other.
and by the same token it needs to work with your method of lubing without needing a bunch of gyrations and steps.

[John Boy]

I laid the bullet lube combo on styrofoam as advised and still had come cracking of the wax being I had to push pretty hard to get them out.

With short bullets in the cake (which also is a cake that is thin) ... I put a piece of plywood under the Styrofoam to keep the cake from bending when nose pushing = a broken cake. Also, remove the bullets from the edges of the cake first to reduce it from bending when fully pushing the bullets out...slide the cake, don't pick it up! Bottom line: Pan lubing is an art too and after a couple aw s**ts - will like you have been riding your new bike for a couple of months!