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Thread: Removing lube before powder coating

  1. #21
    Boolit Man
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    I prefer my bullets PCed, to the extent that I have converted all my lubed bullets to PC. It was no trouble for me, I just boil them for 10-15 minutes and then let the water cool. skim the solidified lube off the top and do it again. When the bullets seem clean, I wash them in mineral spirits and they then take powder just like fresh cast. All of these steps seem time consuming, but I just do them while in the shop doing other things.

  2. #22
    Boolit Bub
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    Sorry for reviving an older thread.. getting ready to boil off the lube to powder coat but I got a question: Will boiling the bullets affect the brinell hardness? Would anyone know at what temperature will change the brinell hardness?

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy gnappi's Avatar
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    I had the same "problem" (having spare bullets nowadays is a good problem to have) but once I got the PC process down, I'd never use lubed bullets again. I boiled them twice, and I'm not sorry I did.
    Regards,

    Gary

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Keep the alloy temp below 220F and no effect on BHN. I wouldn't boil too long.
    Whatever!

  5. #25
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by popper View Post
    Keep the alloy temp below 220F and no effect on BHN. I wouldn't boil too long.
    Thanks Popper!

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy
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    I boil 6mins...rinse in gas...wash in Dawn...rinse in water then dry. It works for me.

  7. #27
    Boolit Man
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    I have been using Xylene (known as Xylol) with success in removing nearly all the commercial, Alox and wax-based lubes. I soak the bullets overnight in Xylene, swirling and swishing them as I walk by the container. The next day I pour off the used Xylene, and "rinse" them 2x in acetone. Dry, warm slightly with hairdryer and they take powder coat very well.

    Two cautions, however: 1)you must use a metal container as the Xylene will eventually dissolve plastic and
    2) the solvent is flammable (like acetone, mineral spirits, etc so use the appropriate caution), and avoid breathing the vapors. I have reused the Xylene numerous times to the point where it becomes discolored with the removed lube but it seems to continue to work.

    Seems to be less hassle than boiling or other methods for me.


    Update 6 March 2021: I have been using the same batch of xylene (xylol) for over 1000 bullets. It is turning brown with lube but still seems to be removing lube well. I rinse the bullets in hot soapy water followed by an acetone wash before powder coating and am getting nice even coverage of the PC. Again make sure to use the xylene in a well ventilated area or outside.
    Last edited by reedap1; 03-06-2021 at 06:13 AM.

  8. #28
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    Sounds like a lot of trouble to have nail polished pretty bullets. Why not just shoot the lubed ones like they were intended?

  9. #29
    Boolit Man
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    Richhodg66,

    Can't say I disagree with your premise on face value as traditionally lubricated bullets have worked for many, many years...

    However, powder coating has eliminated the need for gas checks and allowed me to drive my bullets (especially rifle) at higher velocities and I think (just a general summary of my data to date) has given me better accuracy. On top of that, I fired over 300 powder-coated bullets through my 357 magnum at about 1100 fps and could see absolutely NO fouling, powder coating, and certainly leading in the bore as verified by my borescope before and after. Running a solvent soaked patch through the bore gave me a patch with light gray fouling on it and I cleaned my gun in 1/50 of the time it normally takes me with lead traditionally lubed bullets. This was mostly an experiment but it completely sold me on powder coating. I have been loading and casting for almost 50 years and powder coating is the greatest invention since the wheel in my opinion...plus who doesn't like all the pretty colors!

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by reedap1 View Post
    I have been using Xylene (known as Xylol) with success in removing nearly all the commercial, Alox and wax-based lubes. I soak the bullets overnight in Xylene, swirling and swishing them as I walk by the container. The next day I pour off the used Xylene, and "rinse" them 2x in acetone. Dry, warm slightly with hairdryer and they take powder coat very well.

    Two cautions, however: 1)you must use a metal container as the Xylene will eventually dissolve plastic and
    2) the solvent is flammable (like acetone, mineral spirits, etc so use the appropriate caution), and avoid breathing the vapors. I have reused the Xylene numerous times to the point where it becomes discolored with the removed lube but it seems to continue to work.

    Seems to be less hassle than boiling or other methods for me.
    This is also what I used. It's very nasty stuff but it works quickly. I rinse them with hot water with dish detergent then again with hot water alone. I haven't seen any lube stand up to this stuff yet.
    Motor

  11. #31
    Boolit Master

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    I just delubed some GC’d bullets and pc’d some of them with no issues. yea I lost an hour of my life but I’d still be an hour older either way.

    boiled for 10, overfilled pot with more hot water to float off contaminates. did it a second time and then a wash n rinse in Dawn, then a quick rinse in acetone.

    saving gas checks is a win win in these times. glad I found this thread.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_2756.jpg  
    Last edited by oley55; 02-23-2021 at 04:41 PM.
    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


  12. #32
    Boolit Master

    Kraschenbirn's Avatar
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    I've been down this road a time or two, myself. Boiling in water, followed by skimming off melted lube, followed by an acetone rinse worked best for me but, as previously noted, is time consuming for the de-lubing large a large quantity. Unless those are a boolit design that I really wanted to save for some reason, they'd be set aside for remelting.

    Bill
    "I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."

    Jimmy Buffett
    "Scarlet Begonias"

  13. #33
    Boolit Man Airborne Falcon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blueeyephil View Post
    I bought several hundred 357 bullets at an estate sale that are lubed. I prefer powder coating. How would you remove the lube? Melt it off? Acetone? Combo of both?

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
    This is pertinent and timely for me because I just bought 3000 38/357 cast and lubed boolits from an estate sale yesterday and was wondering what to do and how to go about doing-it for the same reasons.

    Thanks for asking the question ... last year I see. And to whomever bumped this thread, thank you as well.

    ETA: I was thinking of trying some Zep purple on them ... it cuts lube like a champ but I wasn't sure how it would affect the lead and if the alkaline might, in some way, change the properties of the lead ... and then again etching the lead a bit might make for a really strong bond with the powder coating (or liquid coating in my case).
    What you think about you do ... what you do, you become.

  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy blueeyephil's Avatar
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    You should try a few and report back. Might work great.

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

  15. #35
    Boolit Mold
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    Lay several layers of paper towels onto a cookie sheet, spread your bullets onto the paper towels and bake for 5 minutes in a heated oven set to the lowest setting (my oven is set at 170 deg F, but any temp above 120 F should work .. .. .. just don't go too high as to melt the lead obviously). Remove the cookie sheet from the oven after 5-10 minutes, with several new paper towels rub the bullets with your hand back and forth. The paper towels will absorb the melted bullet lube. Replace all paper towels and repeat a second time if necessary. I find that it takes 2 oven bakes and rubbing with the paper towels for best results. Once done, you should be able to PC the bullets with great results.

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy wolfwing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gpidaho View Post
    Acetone works pretty good but if you use it make sure you don't get it on your skin. It causes more liver damage than rot gut whiskey. Gp
    A little late for me, but good to know.

  17. #37
    Boolit Mold
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    I have removed the lube from several thousand commercial cast bullets by soaking in Mineral Spirits for 24hrs, washing with hot soapy water and rinsing with clean water. Then successfully powder coated with excellent results.

  18. #38
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RKJ View Post
    I just boiled it off some that I had that I wanted to PC. I got an old pot from Goodwill/SA and filled it with water and got out the turkey fryer. After the water is boiling pour that water out and add new until all the lube is gone. You'll most likely have to clean the goop off the top of the pot so you don't contaminate the bullets. It's easy but time consuming.
    I would add a little dish detergent to the boiling water as long as it doesn’t foam up too much and overflow. Then boil a second time in fresh water. You may even need a final rincé in acetone.

    Otherwise, just shooting them isn’t a bad idea either.

  19. #39
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    I delubed dozens of bullets using naphtha.

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