New to casting and I have a lube problem

[spoolnaround]

Ok I cast a bunch of 230 gr .45 and 175 gr .40 and made some 60/40 safflower/bees wax lube. I am pan lubing and I cant get the lube to stay in the lube rings. I have silicone pans and when I pull a projectile the lube stays with the block of wax in the pan. The .45 has 4 lube rings and the .40 has one large one. The lube seems a bit hard do I need to soften it up by adding more oil? Do the projectiles need to be warm when I pour the lube? Should I not let the lube solidify completely? any help is appreciated, Thank you.

[dsbock]

You might try making a bullet "cookie cutter" to remove the bullets from your pan. Any kind of metal tubing of the right interior diameter will work. Thinner walls are better. Just push it down over the bullet and cut it right out of the lube sheet. A .30-06 case cut behind the shoulder works well for .45 bullets.

There have been a few threads on this over the years. Try using the words "cookie cutter" in the search tool.

David

[C.F.Plinker]

The 4 lube grooves in a 45ACP mold would seem to indicate that it is a Lee Tumble Lube design. That boolit was designed for use with film type lubes such as Lee Liquid Alox or 45/45/10 or White Label Lubes Xlox. The grooves are too shallow, especially after sizing, to work well with conventional grease type lubes. Which mold are you using for your 45ACP.

Warming the boolits will help the lube to flow into the grooves. You will need to try different wait times until your boolits tell you when they want to come out of the lube cake cleanly.

[jonas302]

I always have to cut my pan lubed bullets never got that perfect push out yes get the lead warm also
And try tumble lubing

[Boolseye]

Yes, you need to tumble lube with 45-45-10 or straight Alox if that is a TL 230 gr.
For pan lubing conventional bullets (such as the .40), your lube sounds too soft.
Here is what I use: WWVA lube;
4 oz. paraffin
4 oz petroleum jelly
2 oz. Lee Liquid Alox
2 heaping tablespoons Johnsons Paste Wax [carnuba wax]
Heat components until all melted, then pan or dip lube. May require a heater for the Lyman or RCBS lubrisizers.

Do a search on the site for more options.
Good luck!
-BE

[44man]

Cake cutter and try adding some lanolin for sticky.
I shoot all my TL revolver boolits with Felix, works just great.
Safflower is a good oil.
Even Ben's Red, pan lubing, gave me trouble so I made a quick cake cutter out of brass. Put a junk wood handle on it with a hole all the way through so boolits just keep coming out the top.

[spoolnaround]

Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold TL452-230-TC 45 ACP is the mold I am using. It seems the lube is not very tacky so lanolin might help. I am doing this in the garage and the temp is in the low 40's to high 30's. I will try the lanolin then try a bit more beeswax, if that doesn't cut it I may just resort to using alox and being done with it.

The .40's I can push them out from the back with limited success so I will bring the temp up and try again.

I used the Safflower/bees wax because I tried the lithium/bees wax and it went in the trash, that **** stinks too much for me lol I am looking fore ward to shooting some of these boolits and trying out this creation.

['74 sharps]

If you aren't loading black powder, tumble lube and save the cookie cutters for the cookie dough.........

[spoolnaround]

74 are you saying to tumble with alox or the lube I made?

[WILCO]

any help is appreciated, Thank you.

'74Sharps was saying to just tumble lube with the Alox.
The issues you're having with your lube is nothing new and there's many a thread on the topic.
Best way for you to go is to use the KISS system, until you gain more knowledge and experience in this field.

['74 sharps]

74 are you saying to tumble with alox or the lube I made?

Yup, with the Alox or also sold under White label in bigger quantities at a savings. When I first tried it in my vintage S&W 38's and 357's, I was amazed at how well it worked. Doesn't take much, and more is not better, so the bullet should have a coating similar to a 22 rimfire lube, i.e., not much. I shoot as cast, with the max distance at steels at 200yds and have fine accuracy.

[Char-Gar]

Use more wax and less oil. I should think about 60-65/40-35 (wax to oil) will do the trick.

[randyrat]

Are you sure the lube you made was 40% beeswax and 60% oil? Your problem sounds just like the opposite (60% beeswax)

[spoolnaround]

Randy my #'s are approximate, I had a pound of wax and used appx 19 oz of oil. I guess my main issue is the lack of tack, issues getting it to stay in the lube groove.

Wilco I totally get the KISS system that is why I am using what I am. The alox seemed to not be as clean, I am finding just the opposite now. For some reason pan lubing didnt seem like it was going to be as messy as it is lol. I have found it to be a good learning process though. I am going to pan lube a bunch and alox a bunch and figure out what I like best. It looks like I am going to have to stick with the alox for my .45 which is fine.

I have been reading like crazy here and learning a bunch trying to make this addiction a bit more affordable. Thanks again all for the input.

[randyrat]

One more step that may help the lube stick without adding anything, heat your bullets up before you pour in the lube and let them and the lube cool together. Sometimes when your on the edge this will give the lube the "stick" or just enough stick

[waksupi]

If you water dropped the bullets, if they weren't perfectly dry before lubing, it will not stay in place.