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Thread: Applying Liguid Alox without tumbling?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Applying Liguid Alox without tumbling?

    Is it possible to apply Liquid Alox without tumbling? I don't want to coat the entire projectile, just the skirt. Can I use my Star Lubesizer for this or is there a better method? The projectile does not have lube grooves.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    you can always finger it on before sizing.. size it and finger on again then let set.

  3. #3
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    If your wife has one of those candle wax warmers. That use a light bulb or a t light. Then fill it with alox warm it up. Then just dip the bullet and set them on some wax paper to dry.

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  4. #4
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    Commonly called the Ranchdog dip,, I use the same for my checked HV loadings.

    But I dont know how it would or could work on something without any lube grooves ?

  5. #5
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    I use the Lee liquid alox on some of my pistol ammo, but I just squirt some of it in a cottage cheese tub, dump in the bullets, stir it around with an ice cream stick, then dump them onto some newspaper to dry.

    Once in a long time I'll still use the old, original cookie cutter system where I stand the bullets upright in a small metal pan, heat the alox (different from the liquid, comes in a stick if you can find it) and let it cool, then cut them out with a cartridge case of the appropriate size that I've cut the neck and base off from to make a cutter of the remaining tube.

    I suppose you could stand the bullets upright in a shallow pan with some of the liquid alox in it and carefully dip the bullets into the alox just over where the lube grooves would be, then set them aside to dry. Pretty labor intensive if you're doing a lot of them. I'd think you'd scrape much of it off when seating the bullets in the cases.

    DG

  6. #6
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    You could probably thin out your LLA with mineral spirits and use the candle wax warmer, to apply a real thin coat. Understanding that the MS is going to evaporate and your mix will thicken up after time. Time/labor intensive. I thin my LLA about 6/1 to 8/1 MS/LLA and put a thin coat on many of my cast boolits and let dry, before I run them thru the Star. Makes sizing so much easier.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master


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    Same here.. A thin Lla then size..then Lla.

  8. #8
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    Dip lube them . Size them first . Hold by the nose and dip the boolits into a liquid lube , up to just above top lube groove , let drain , wipe base or set dipped boolits on a paper towel to dry .
    Check sticky's for dip lube ... Seems Ranch Dog used this method .
    Gary
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  9. #9
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    I sometimes use a Q-tip to swab LLA around the drive bands. Hold bullet by nose horizontally then run the LLA coated Q-tip around the bullet where you want it. Set on base on wax paper and let thoroughly dry. Works for me.
    Larry Gibson

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  10. #10
    Boolit Master mroliver77's Avatar
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    Waksupi can fix you up wit all the loob grooves you need!
    "The .30-06 is never a mistake." Townsend Whelen

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  11. #11
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    I've never tried Larry Gibson's method but I'm going to. I've always thought it was wasteful, and possibly a bit messy to apply LLA to bullet noses and bases, ogives, and elsewhere that lubrication isn't needed. I'll probably continue to apply by tumbling in the cool whip tub for large quantities but I can see where the qtip wipe would be especially useful where not very many bullets are being lubed.

  12. #12
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    I use Ranch Dog’s dip or how Larry described. But my bullets have grooves.
    Lefty
    I'll be needing that for squirrels and such.....

  13. #13
    Boolit Master


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    wow.. dip lube seems like alot of work for high volume stuff. I agree lubing the ogive is wastefull, and generally requires cleaning a bit..

  14. #14
    Boolit Master


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    Anyone got a recipe for a dip lube like alox? I have seen alox plus lundmark paste liquid wax and mineral spirits.. But can't get lundmark locally. Wanted to dip lube tonight. Is there anything I can get at Lowe's or home depot to replace it ?

  15. #15
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    I just put a small squirt in a ziplock, add the bullets, and squish them around until everything is coated. It doesn't take much. Then I either dump them out on something to dry, or if I am feeling really lazy, I just op-en up the bag and let them dry in there. It gets the whole bullet, unlike what you are looking for. But it is super simple, and works lust fine.

    -Mb

  16. #16
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    One thimble of mineral spirits.
    One very small rag.
    One small rag.
    One chop stick.

    The small rag with mineral spirits is for wiping the bullets after loading.
    The very small rag with mineral spirits and chopstick is for cleaning out your seating die.

    Just tumble lube, and wipe. So much faster.

    JM

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy AlHunt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by higgins View Post
    I've never tried Larry Gibson's method but I'm going to. I've always thought it was wasteful, and possibly a bit messy to apply LLA to bullet noses and bases, ogives, and elsewhere that lubrication isn't needed. I'll probably continue to apply by tumbling in the cool whip tub for large quantities but I can see where the qtip wipe would be especially useful where not very many bullets are being lubed.
    No doubt, tumble lubing lubes a lot of things that don't need lubing. But that little jar of liquid Alox does just over 900 million bullets. So the economic cost of lavishly lubing bullets really isn't of any consequence.

    There could be other reasons or no reason at all to lube only the contact surfaces and it makes no difference to me how anyone lubes their bullets. But economics wouldn't seem to be significant.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master


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    What is possibly significant is overlubed meplat and olives can attract dust, and depisit lube in chambers and on feedramps.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I have to admit, I have been known to take a freshly loaded box of 100 rounds. A towel, a few drops of either Mineral Spirits, or BLL, or almost anything solvent wise. Grab each bullet, stick the nose in the towel in the damp spot, and turn. Look it over, place in new box, repeat 99 times.

    They sure shoot good, and look pretty.
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  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy AlHunt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GhostHawk View Post
    I have to admit, I have been known to take a freshly loaded box of 100 rounds. A towel, a few drops of either Mineral Spirits, or BLL, or almost anything solvent wise. Grab each bullet, stick the nose in the towel in the damp spot, and turn. Look it over, place in new box, repeat 99 times.

    They sure shoot good, and look pretty.
    I'll admit wiping off excess on loaded rounds. Usually just a shop cloth, but I've done it.

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