First go at pan lubing

[colonelsanders]

Hello All,

Here is my first attempt at pan lubing. Followed the directions of a great pan lubing sticky I came across on these forums and this was the result. Not bad for my first try.

The Lube is an equal parts by volume beeswax and Lithium grease with moly additive mix

The bullets are my first batch of lee 310 grain gas check bullets that ended up around 300 gr in weight using lyman #2 alloy.

I really like this hobby messy and all as it is.

[runfiverun]

those look very good.
a lot better than my first try at the pain lubing.
now that was a mess, i done everything completely wrong,,, everything.
i ended up with a lot of cracked lube chunks and no lube in any of the lube grooves.
stuff on the counter top,used the wrong utensils from the drawer,broke a cup,bent a couple of forks and a spoon....

[nanuk]

..... two flat tires, dog got pregnant, son failed his driving test, Clinton endorsed the XL Pipeline...


Hey, wait.... Ol' Billy came out and did just that!

[Mooseman]

Great Job Lubing Colonel !!!

Now get back to work Frying me some Chicken ....:bigsmyl2:

[happyret65]

Hammer! Too small. Pan lubing is my preferred way.

[jlchucker]

What do you pan lubers use for cookie cutters, or do you run them through a sizer?

[geargnasher]

either use a fired case that's larger than the boolit and has the primer pocket drilled out for an ejector rod, or use the "whack a mole" method to pop them out of the cake and then run them through a press mounted push-through sizer if necessary.

Gear

[colonelsanders]

In my Case I ran them through some Lee push through sizing dies to seat the gas check first and then I poured the lube over them. I did not use a cake cutter, but rather simply pushed the bullets out before the cake cooled complete. The lube mix I am using is quite soft and fully fills the grooves no problem after the cake has cooled to "warm to the touch". I suppose I could have used a cake cutter, ........ if I had one.

[RU shooter]

an easier method to get the bullets out of the cake is to just grab the nose with a set of needle nose pliers and pull straight up with the lube is still slightly warm , be advised the outside of the cake cools faster so start there, they should pull out with slight "pop" sound and a perfect hole to add another bullet to just fill the holes back up with bullets and remelt no need to re pour the lube or remove the cake from the pan ever

[zomby woof]

What do you pan lubers use for cookie cutters, or do you run them through a sizer?

I take a fired round and match the ID to the boolit. I remove the base of the case and epoxy a "handle" on it. I now have a push through cookie cutter. The boolits push through and you just pull them out of the top.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/DSCN0431.JPG

[ubetcha]

I like the handle on the case idea.Maybe I will try and solder some on

[buyobuyo]

Good job. I made my first attempt at pan lubing this weekend also. I was lubing muzzle loader boolits. The first batch came out great. The second and third batches, I had some issues with the lube coming out of the grooves. I'll have to hunt down that sticky and see what I might have done wrong.

For you guys pan lubing muzzle loader bullets, what do you use as a cookie cutter?

[slide]

You might check with Buckshot. I don't know if he makes the kutters for muzzle loader bullet? the ones I use most are 38 special and 45 acp. Makes the job a lot easier.

[John Boy]

What do you pan lubers use for cookie cutters Chucker, a cookie cutter is not needed. When the cake is still warm and solidified, put it in the refrigerator until the cake has separated from the sides of the pan

Then, tap the pan bottom and the cake can be lifted out. Set the cake with on a thick piece of Styrofoam. Trick was posted on Cast Boolits a couple of years ago. Press the noses with a piece of leather under your thumb against the Styrofoam.

The bullets will release from the cake and you can push them into a container with a pencil. It's fast and easy!

Here's my largest cake to-date with no cracks or breaks doing it this way (200 bullets) ...
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Casting/DSC00428.jpg

[huntrick64]

John Boy,

I'm interested in your method using the stryofoam when removing the bullets from the cake. Can you point me to the previous thread or provide a photo showing a little more detail of your method.

Presently I turn the whole thing upside-down on the counter with the noses on the counter. Then I simply take my two thumbs and pointer fingers to push on the lube cake around each bullet. The whole cake drops down to the counter around the noses and I simply pick up the boolits. The only thing I don't like about this is that I end up with extra lube on the noses which causes me more work later on with the lube getting in my dies and other places I don't want it.

[joedude]

Those all look great. I made my first attempt at pan lubing this week and the lube in the grooves seems very soft once its set. I can easily score the lube within the groves with my thumbnail or even scrape it off. Do I need to keep adding beeswax?
How hard do I actually want it to be?

FYI these are bullets I've cast for 30-30 and 303

[Boolseye]

Nice job, Colonel. I like the grey.

[40Super]

My lube stays pretty soft and sticky also.I am hoping to get it to harden up a bit more but seems to be working as is. My cutters are a cutoff .270WSM case for .45, a round plastic endmill container for .40, and 9mm is a plastic Loc-Line coolant nozzle that I reamed out to .365. When I get time at work ,I'm going to turn some stainless ones.

[Boolseye]

When I use a lube that doesn't release from the pan, I have a small pliers that pop the bullets out with only a tiny scratch. It works quite well, believe it or not. Strange but true. When the lube is just the right temp, not too hot, not too cool, they come out perfectly lubed.


For you guys pan lubing muzzle loader bullets, what do you use as a cookie cutter?

When I lube R.E.A.L. bullets I use Emmert's which releases easily from the pan when cool.
Then I pop them out with my fingers, trying to keep the cake intact.


Please note: proportions for Emmert's are 50% beeswax, 40% Crisco and 10% Canola (I used Extra Virgin Olive).
I gave the wrong proportions before (33% each)
-jp

[buyobuyo]

When I lube R.E.A.L. bullets I use Emmert's (Crisco, Beeeswax, Canola, 33% each) which releases easily from the pan when cool.
Then I pop them out with my fingers, trying to keep the cake intact.

I was lubing with Emmert's also. However, I was having issues with the cake cracking. I think the problem may have been that I read somewhere about putting it in the freezer for a few minutes. It worked the first time I did it, but not any of the successive times.

[joedude]

I have no problem removing my bullets from the lube cake. I can push them through with my fingers and the lube fills the groove nicely. Only problem is that I can easily scrape the lube out of the lube groove with my finger. It is very soft. I can take a cake the size of a pie plate and roll it into a tube without it cracking or splitting.

I've added paraffin wax to make it harder and it seems to be working but how hard do I want to go?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

FYI I'm shooting 30 cal gas checked rifle bullets at moderate velocities.

[Boolseye]

Colonel: Yes, I have had the cake break too. I fit it back into the pan like a jigsaw puzzle and keep going.

Joedude: I think it needs more wax. Do you have access to beeswax? if so, it really is great. IF not, keep adding paraffin 'til it's more firm. Sounds like it's way too soft, if you can roll it up like that. The general rule of thumb is about half and half grease to wax.

IF you do a search for lube, you will find endless ideas.
-jp