Apply Liquid Alox by dipping

[Irascible]

I am not a fan of tumbling bullets in liquid Alox. I was wondering if any one has tried gripping the nose of the bullet with tweezers and then dipping them only up to the crimp groove?

[Von Gruff]

I used to thin and warm the alox in a small pie dish sat in another dish with boiling water in it and warm the boolits in the oven first. I had the alox to a level that would come to the front drive band and would dip them and sit them on a wax paper to dry. It ended the problem of the seating stem in my loading die getting chock full of alox, from tumble lube, and not only changing the seasting depth but if there was more build-up on one side then I got run-out problems.
For my high velocity bore riding rifle boolits I lube by Lyman 450, load, then dip lube the noses afterward and have a special rack to hang them nose down for an hour, after which I wipe the drip of the meplat and set them in the ammo box.

Von Gruff.

[357shooter]

Yes, it's done often. Some pistol loaders and more rifle loaders dip.

One good approach is documented at: http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/Tips/Alox/

[Shiloh]

I keep this stuff thinned out and keep the seating die clean. Dipping is one way to do it, and I imagine quite effective, albeit tedious.

Shiloh

[geargnasher]

As 357Shooter pointed out, Ranch Dog has been doing his documented "dip-lube" technique for years. Good "how-to" link there.

Gear

[williamwaco]

Well, I have wondered about dipping but I don't have nearly as much trouble with the tumble lube as most people describe.

I thin the LLA very thin, about like motor oil. I place about 250 158 gr .357 bullets or about 350 120 gr 9mm bullets in a one quart zip lock bag. I pour about one tablespoon of the thinned lube on top, zip up the bag and tumble them in the bag for about 60 seconds. Then dump them out on the waxed paper and put a fan on them for about two to four hours. When they dry, you can barely see the lube and you can't feel it at all the next day. These bullets produce much less mess in my seating die than conventional bullets sized in my 4500 lubrisizer. They are totally effective at eliminating leading in my loads.

NOTE. The lube never touches your hands. There is nothing to clean up, you can reuse a bag about a dozen times.

I have never tried this method with rifle bullets and do not exceede 1200/1300 fps in my handgun loads.

[Irascible]

Any body have a ratio of LLA to Mineral spirits for thinning it out in preperation for dipping?

[markinalpine]

Our local hardware store carries vinyl tubing in various diameters, and they'll sell you one foot if that's all you need (same thing with PVC tubing.) Anyway, I took a fresh cast boolit in and found the appropriate size vinyl tubing, bought a foot, cut off a piece about 4" long, and a 5" piece of hardwood dowel. I wrapped enough 1/2" wide adhesive tape around the end of the dowell so it wouldn't drop through the tubing. Now I can pick up one boolit at a time, dip it, and hold it over a sheet of wax paper and pop it out. The plastic tubing won't nick the nose of the boolit as pliers can. I also found that 5" dowel was too long. so I cut about 3/4" off and found that was just long enough to eject the dipped boolit.

Mark :coffeecom

[white eagle]

ranch dog has a explanation on the way they do it
pretty good instruction
but like waco I have never had some of the troubles i am hearing of

[gray wolf]

Our local hardware store carries vinyl tubing in various diameters, and they'll sell you one foot if that's all you need (same thing with PVC tubing.) Anyway, I took a fresh cast boolit in and found the appropriate size vinyl tubing, bought a foot, cut off a piece about 4" long, and a 5" piece of hardwood dowel. I wrapped enough 1/2" wide adhesive tape around the end of the dowell so it wouldn't drop through the tubing. Now I can pick up one boolit at a time, dip it, and hold it over a sheet of wax paper and pop it out. The plastic tubing won't nick the nose of the boolit as pliers can. I also found that 5" dowel was too long. so I cut about 3/4" off and found that was just long enough to eject the dipped boolit.

I like this idea, funny how some methods a tracked some folks and not others.
I tried holding bullets with tweezers and hemostats and always had a problem with pistol bullets. I will give you idea a try, thank you for sharing.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I use the 45-45-10 mix and swirl it in a cool whip tub and it works just great for my .38 loads.

Go to the Boolit lube section and look at the 2nd Sticky........ tells it all there.

[markinalpine]

I like this idea, funny how some methods a tracked some folks and not others.
I tried holding bullets with tweezers and hemostats and always had a problem with pistol bullets. I will give you idea a try, thank you for sharing.

Actually, it was posted elswhere on this board, but I was just too lazy to search for it. [smilie=1:
You're welcome anyway. [smilie=s:
Mark :coffee:

[dakotashooter2]

I wonder if it could be thinned enough to run through an airbrush.

[Frank46]

I had some old federal 44 special loaded with the 246 grain lead bullet. Since I was shooting them in someone else's revolver I used a few q-tips to lube the cylindrical portion of the seated bullet with lla and didn't get any leading at all. Frank

[williamwaco]

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I wonder if it could be thinned enough to run through an airbrush.

===========================================

Interesting idea. I do not have the equipment to try it but if I did, I would certainly do so.

Lee says you need only a very thin coating.

Taking him at his word, I have thinned it very thin and applied it so thin that after drying it is almost invisible. There is no hint of a buildup on the surface of the bullet. Used in .38 special at around 900 fps these work fine. I have not tried this thin coating with hot loads.

[Mavrick]

I haven't used tweezers, but my Leatherman is usually handy. I've used several combos of lube for dipping...some even work!
I use an eighteen-inch cake pan, with a high-ball glass in one end. I don't need the glass as I've gone to a water-glass, lol.
I can put quite a bunch of boolits in the pan to dry, and have enough to run a bunch of loads with the same lube. There's none on the nose of the boolit, and after taking the boolit out, I can use a putty-knife to return the rest to the glass. I've used XLOX, 45-45-10, and a couple of combos of XLOX and mineral spirits.
I started using this method to keep from filling the seating spud with lube and constantly changing the seating depth.

[kbstenberg]

If I can add my 2 cents.
I have dipped bullets a lot. My container is an old pill bottle cut just longer than the full bullet. The container is put on one of those small electric coffee cup warmer to keep the lube warm. Then the container is filled with lube so the level is just below the crimp grove when the bullet is set in the container.
For a device to hold the bullets for dipping, I use a medical forceps (sp) that is about 4" long an has curved pincers. They work good for all bullets up to 44 cal. An they don't scratch the nose of the bullets.
Kevin

[Fenring]

That's pretty much how I do it. I don't shoot that many as my .44M rounds are mostly for hunting, but I just dip my .44 Devastators and 315gr Lee's into thinned LLA and sit them to dry. No tacky LLA on the nose where it will attract dust and grit in the field.

[snuffy]

Yup, dipping is labor intensive, but the results are outstanding;

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P2220036.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P2220037.JPG

Those are 100 grain .308 boolits, for my CZ-52 TOK. (7.62X25). After drying overnight, running them through a lee .309 sizer, the lube grooves are full of LLA and the bases are relatively clean. They shoot great in the CZ, BTW.

IF I were to stand them on a chunk of glass, I'd be able to scrape the LLA off, hit it with some MS to reclaim it. Now, I have a .309 sizer die for my 450, so I will use carnuba red next time,(if I ever use those up).

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Does anyone still use Dip Method?
There hasn't been much talk of this method for several years.

[Geezer in NH]

Running them thru a lube sizer is so much easier and faster to me.

Tumble lube in a cool whip can is as easy just have to wait to dry.

[Goofy]

Does anyone still use Dip Method?
There hasn't been much talk of this method for several years.

Yes. It’s my preferred method for all smokeless loads.

[mehavey]

Dipped for years --wasted the excess ALOX that settled in the drying plate... and took forever to dry.

Now just pick bullet up in left hand, lightly wipe undiluted ALOX on it with merely "greasy" thumb/forefinger in right hand, dry in warm(225) oven for 30 minutes/shoot next day,

[robg]

seems like your making work ,why not tumble and lay them on grease proof paper?

[mehavey]

Precision-work Rifle bullets w/ sharp-edged bases that I want to preserve -- warmed/dried in oven vertically for uniformity.
So's I got'sta pick`em up anyway.
:bigsmyl2:

[yovinny]

I do the ranch dog dip on my rifle and HV pistol bullets.. After size and check, which Ive never had require pre-lubbing to accomplish.
I can do a tray with little effort and while watching the news or some other nonsense in the shop. Using a lube sizer still means handing each bullet, so I dont see much difference. Waste is simply scrapped up with a putty knife and dropped back in the mason jar with the rest for next time.. Easy Peasy.

[mdi]

I never had any trouble with tumble lubed bullets, I just dislike the "brown noses". Several years ago I got a Ranch Dog mole (mad by Lee at the time) and discovered dip lubing. Several thousand dip lubed bullets later, I still dip and use the method with 45-45-10 also...

[jaysouth]

Since becoming proficient with powder coat and hi-tek, I have not touched a grease lube in any form. I had buckshot make kake-cutters in 309 and 311. they are now unemployed. I also have a Lyman 4500 and RCBS luber that are idle.

[prs]

Ain't nobody got time for that!

prs

[Shopdog]

I'm going in the opposite direction;

Only use the LLA on certain bore ride noses as a last op before sticking loaded rounds in a 10 round sleeve for field (an bench) use. Not dipping the whole bullet,just the nose. Instead of thinning......

Found an old Kiwi shoe polish tin that had dryed up polish. Discarded the chunks and cleaned it out. Squeezed in some LLA from literally,the 1980's(have new stock) to where it almost fills the Kiwi tin. I stuck it in the fridge last night just as a test.... wifey finds it this a.m. and was giving me the eye?
Told her it wasn't polish,alls good on the senility. To which she sorta a accepts.

So here's the deal,I want the stuff thick. Like Kiwi shoe polish thick. Will take a cloth and wipe the noses with just a quick turn and call it good.

I probably should start a thread but oh well,am researching graphite powder and Winchester Lubaloy.... which may or may not be even related. I'm thinking the old 22 rimfire,black'ish "coating" from years ago. Ordered the graphite,and am thinking, pixie dusting it on top of the LLA. All the dope on graphite KEEPS coming up as,"what a mess".... with good reason,am sure. We'll see.... but it's not for the main lube,it's just for bore ride noses.

Edit for clarity: the pixie dust will be put on(initially) the top of the hardened LLA in the tin. Not,as an added op on bullet.

[yovinny]

FWIW..Back when the 30-06 was introduced, it was common practice for target shooters to manually lube the cupro-nickle jackets by dipping just the bullets into small cans of grease before use. This practice was pretty much SOP up until the 20's.
Interesting article on this in Cartridges of the World #12

[Bookworm]

I used the dip lube method for some NOE version of the 312299 in a Mosin I used to have.

I would check and size, then dip in 45/45/10. I ran these up to 1800 fps with no problems. Even had a lube star on the end of that looong barrel.

Really, the only problem I had with the method was standing the boolits up. It takes a good bit of room.