Excess boolit lube while sizing?

[Arceagle]

Still trying to learn how to use my Saeco lubrisizer.

I'm getting excessive lube under the boolit when sizing, what am I doing wrong? I don't have any problems adjusting the sizer so I only get lube in the lube grooves and not in the crimp groove. However there is quite a bit under the boolit. The problem is much worse on the small .32's with a GC. I have a little every now and then when I do the big .458's and .452's (that's all the molds I have got so far) but nothing like when doing the little boolits.

I'm using Ben's Red recipe, it's soft but sticks in place very well and leaves the bores of my guns very clean.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There are not too many causes for this; A)Too much pressure in reservoir and/or lube too soft, (softer lube flows faster than hard) B) bullet diameter slightly too small for sizing die and lube getting by the circumference of the bullet. Remedies; back off reservoir pressure, or harden up the lube, or get 1-2% tin into the melt in an attempt to enlarge bullet diameter a bit. Bigger bullets usually have larger lube grooves or more of them and tend to take more lube; this "pulls" more lube and lowers lube pressure at the bullet as it goes by the feed holes. The Saeco is a good machine and it doesn't take much tinkering to get it to cooperate. LLS

[gwpercle]

It,s the amount of pressure on the the lube. You got to develop a very light hand when appling the pressure.
Try this, without putting any pressure on the lube, run the boolit down into the die, now while holding down gently on the handle ( this also helps keep the lube from under the base ) apply just the slightest amount of pressure on the lube. Quickly eject the bullet...any lube in the groove ? If not , repeat the above untill you start getting lube in the groove. Now you can start getting the feel for how little pressure it takes. Also bullets don't have to be 100 % full of lube...98 % full will get the job done.
Another trick is to examine the boolit after the first pass , if it's only 50 % full, give the boolit a quarter turn and and run it back into the die...usually the residual pressure will finish filling it up . If you examine a sizing die you can get an idea of where the holes are that let the lube in... that area fills first.
Its all in developing a feel for putting the least amount of pressure on the lube to fill the groove . And I would rather run the bullet in twice and give the lube 2 light pressure pumps than to wipe the base of each and every boolit.
And as you know the smaller the boolit the more sensitive it is to excess pressure.
Hope the above helps....gary

[Arceagle]

Thanks, I'll give it another try in a few days. I cast about 200 that day but only sized and lubed about 50. I already loaded these up and as soon as I can shoot them I'll know if I want to finish the other 150 or throw them back in the pot. They are a air cooled version of an alloy I have already been shooting that I have been water cooling. They shoot great but I just wanted to see how a softer boolit would do with everything else the same.

It may be a few days before I can test them it's going to rain here the next few days.

I think you both are right - too much pressure.

[Certaindeaf]

Maybe this'll help.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=42292&highlight=styrofoam

[Iron Mike Golf]

I run a SAECO, too. You are going to get some leakage. Some comes in between the center pin and the die body. The boolit scrapes it down into the recess in the center pin.

You'll get more if the boolit is a little undersized or the base's edge is not a sharp corner. Also, if your top punch doesn't fit well and the boolit sticks in it, you can get a ton in there when you first raise the handle.

I am assuming you diligently cleaned old lube from the die and cavity in the casting surrounding the die. Old, hard lube can mess up the lube flow to the holes in the die, tempting you into using too much pressure. Too much pressure is real hard on your lube seal, too. If you use a harder lube, moving the
pressure handle (tighter [i]or[/] looser) can tear up your seal.

Once I get things running good, I give the handle a half turn every ten 44 cal boolits or fifteen 9mm boolits.

I do a twirling wipe of the boolit base using a paper towel draped across my thigh.

I mostly use Carnauba Red, so I use heat. I line the boolits up on the bench to let them cool before stacking them in a box.

I have some photos and such concerning making replacement lube seals using components you can get from your local hardware. One of these days, I'll write that up.