Lee Liquid Alox

[c.robertson]

I am just getting back into casting after 24 or 25 years. Back in the 60's to 86 I used all Lyman equipment. (Mold blocks were $16.00 then.) Now I intend to use Lee molds, sizer, and lube. I know it is not the best, but I only intend to cast .600 round balls for the Howdah 20ga and .458/500 bullets for the .45-70, at this time anyway.
Any opinions on the Lee Sizer and liquid alox? I am totally UNfamiliar with these 2 products. How the lube is applied with the 'push through' sizer?

OH! Picked up an older model NEW Lyman Mold Master 20lb melting pot for $55.00 at the MVACA Gun Show in Kansas City. Just like the one from the 60's.

Thanks

cbr

[Wayne S]

http://http://castboolits.gunloads.c...archid=2031679
Lots of info available on LLA

[JIMinPHX]

You apply the lube first & then run the boolit through the sizing die.

I happen not to like the smell of the liquid alox, so I use it as little as possible, but it does work well. Methods vary, but the way I do it is like this -

I dip the boolits in diluted LLA, then run them through the sizer. Then I put some straight, or almost straight, LLA in a bottle cap & dip the boolits again. Then I sit them on a sheet of aluminum to dry. Here in Phoenix, drying takes about 10 hours. Back east, it took about 2 days. After they are dry, I clean off the aluminum plate with mineral spirits & save the runoff. That runoff becomes my diluted LLA for lubing before sizing the next time around.

LLA will get thick just sitting in the bottle. Something in the mix seems to evaporate right through the material that the bottle is made out of. If you get a real fresh bottle of that stuff, you can use it straight for lubing. Most of the time, I need to dilute it at least 10%. If you put it on too thick, it gums up your dies & your gun. When used correctly, it can work very well.

[geargnasher]

Welcome!
You'll do fine and you .45/70 will like this, provided you do these three things:

1) Everything you need to know about how to successfully tumble lube and size, carefully explained with good pictures. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=67654

2) Read the "sticky" in the shooters.com section about "Lee-menting" which is the straight dope on ending your frustrations with Lee boolit moulds. I personally despise Lee moulds but find a few of their designs indespenable, so I deal with their shortcomings. I can't get past the expectations I developed using Lyman and Ideal moulds.

3) Get yourself some Bullplate Sprue Lube from the Bullshop (sponsor, link at bottom of this page) or your Lee mould won't close properly and will also gall the top of the blocks terribly and make you curse the day you ever even started thinking about casting.

Hope this helps,

Gear

[Vance in Ak]

Follow the instructions exactly that come with the Lee stuff & it will work fine. I just got back into casting after many years away (and oly casting round balls in the past). I'm xasting 4oogr boolits for my 480 Ruger, & 350 & 420gr for my 450 Marlin all from Lee molds & tumble lubing with Xlox (same as Lee Aloxbut much cheaper by the quart http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/liquid-x.html. They are a sponsor here). It's really easy. I've been using the Lee sizer for the 450 stuff (including installing gas checks). It too is incredibly fast & easy.

[Rex]

I use a .358 Lee push through sizer without lubing the bullets first, no problems at all. I use the LLA on the same bullets and I still can't figure out how it works but it does.
Rex

[AriM]

the straight alox works ok....i think the key is to use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the boolits, before you tumble.....it seems to make a more even coating, and reduces build-up on the base.....as far as the lee push through sizer.....might I recommend ordering 2 to 3 sizes in your bores range....I have found that the .452 sizer leaves the boolits a little tight in my specific chamber (45 auto)....I wish lee did incremental sizes (.4515 etc) w/o a custom order....also might I recommend that you have your sizing press well secured....this will help the sizing process....certain types of alloy will drop a boolit that is WAY oversized....so having a range of sizing dies might help out, and avoid you having to make 2 orders from your distributor....I would also recommend following the "lee-menting" process that is outlined in the other threads....i have found that my boolits were significantly more consistent and filled out better, after modifying the moulds....good luck!!!

[c.robertson]

Just want to thank everyone for the information, in particular recluse. I think I have a good enough handle on it to lube with the Lee stuff now. As stated before, not new to casting, just that it was always Lyman molds, sizers etc. before.
I just hope this Lyman Mold Master 20XX won't die, being it is really out of date and parts (heating element) is probably no longer available. I was thinking it would be better than Lee. It is the same kind used back in '68-86 without a problem.

Again, thanks a lot guys.

[John Boy]

The Lee Lube/Sizer & Alox are hand and glove ... lube 1st and then size.
I use Alox for only one bullet, the 25-20.
I also shoot many other larger calibers, all lead, and size 1st then pan lube. I see no damage to the sizing dies doing it this way

[Wayne S]

A trick I read about somewhere and I I find it I'll give credit where credit is do.
*** Obtain premission from TOWMBO
1. take an old roasting pan or something rather still, cut one corner off
2. get a 2 Qt. glass jar
3. place bullets you want to lube on the pan and place in the 300*oven
should also work for heat treating
4. when bullets are up to temp [about 1/2 hr.] pour bullets into the jar
5. {The auther used about a tea spoon of 50/50 LLA/JPW} and droped it in the jar and covered it with a lid
6. with gloved hands shake and swirl the bullets for 2 to 3 min. { not sure about the exact time}
7. pour bullets to a wax paper or parchment covered area.
The concept is that the hot bullets will aid in an even coat AND help with the drying process[/QUOTE]


http://http://castboolits.gunloads.c...ad.php?t=72492

A SENIOR MOMENT

[Phat Man Mike]

I'm wondering if any body else wipes the extra of their boolits after loading them?

[Rex]

Mike, I got so tired of cleaning up my seating dies and wiping the loaded rounds that I quit tumble lubing. Now I thin the Alox and apply it with a Q-tip that has most of the cotton pulled off. Just leave enough cotton to carry a little Alox. It takes time but hey, I'm retired.
Just apply it to the bearing surface.
Rex

[kelbro]

I will admit that I often wet a towel with mineral spirits and wipe the noses off after seating.

[johnlaw484]

I'm wondering if any body else wipes the extra of their boolits after loading them?

I have at times, depending on the amount of lube or how messy I am.

This tumble lube is a new thing for me, not sure how it's going to work.

[jimkim]

A trick I read about somewhere and I I find it I'll give credit where credit is do.
*** Obtain premission from TOWMBO
1. take an old roasting pan or something rather still, cut one corner off
2. get a 2 Qt. glass jar
3. place bullets you want to lube on the pan and place in the 300*oven
should also work for heat treating
4. when bullets are up to temp [about 1/2 hr.] pour bullets into the jar
5. {The auther used about a tea spoon of 50/50 LLA/JPW} and droped it in the jar and covered it with a lid
6. with gloved hands shake and swirl the bullets for 2 to 3 min. { not sure about the exact time}
7. pour bullets to a wax paper or parchment covered area.
The concept is that the hot bullets will aid in an even coat AND help with the drying process

This is kinds similar to an idea I had. I'm thinking about taking a small metal pan an drilling a hole in it, and brazing a nut on the bottom. That way it will have a drain. Sit the bullets in it, upright, and pour the Xlox in to the desired level. Let it sit a minute then let it drain drain back into the bottle. It might be a good idea to braze some legs on the bottom of the pan so you can put the bottle under the drain hole.

You could also use a oil drain pan. http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/%28...rce=GoogleBase

[c.robertson]

A couple years ago I bought a 1,000 bullets from Northeast Bullet Supply. Five hundred each .44/300gr and .500/335gr, the price was really cheap and included shipping. They were all tumble lubed. I always wipe the bullet & case on each loading. Also disassemble the seating die and clean it each time.

Untill reading Cast Boolit posts, beginning just in 2010, I had never heard of 'tumble lubbing.'

[Willbird]

Mike, I got so tired of cleaning up my seating dies and wiping the loaded rounds that I quit tumble lubing. Now I thin the Alox and apply it with a Q-tip that has most of the cotton pulled off. Just leave enough cotton to carry a little Alox. It takes time but hey, I'm retired.
Just apply it to the bearing surface.
Rex

I got so tired of that that I just don't use LLA .

I do keep some around, and I may find something it excels at someday, but I will never buy another bullet mold that is a tumble lube mold.

Bill

[Rocky Raab]

Ummmmm, folks - if you are using so much LLA or equivalent that you have to drain off the excess, or wipe off your ammo, you are using WAAAAAAY too much of it.

Put 100 to 200 bullets in a tub. Draw one quick "N" across the top with LLA. STOP.
Swirl gently (do not shake or you will damage the bullets) for one minute. Dry. If you see anything more than a very faint yellowish tinge, you used too much LLA.

[Willbird]

The people that love the stuff, and the people that sell the stuff will swear that anybody that dislikes it must be addled, or using it wrong somehow. It just plain sucks ......leave it at that .

Bill

[lar45]

You can apply stick lube by hand and then run through the Lee sizer. Get a small piece of lube warm in your hand and use a finger to wipe it around the base filling the lube groove. Then run through the sizer die to take off any excess. I use this method when trying variations of lube.
I can send you free samples of my stick lubes to try if you cover the postage($1.51). I don't do samples of Liquid Alox, but do have it in 8 and 32oz bottles.