Tumblle Lubing with Ben's Red.

[Tomuchiron]

Until I can make LLA, I Decided to try again to Use up some of this Ben's Red. You can Melt the Ben's , and add Mineral Spirits Like you would 45/45/10. , Or Ben's/Red/10 ...The trick is heating up the bullets also,, About the same temp as melted mix , .tumble as usual while wearing gloves. Mine are cooling now. Sure looks like it is going to work, and a 3 lb mix of Ben's should last for ever like this. I did 2 large coffee cans of .45's in less than 1/2 hour. Heat gun works with the hot plate in heating the bullets up quicker. Used an all metal coffee can to tumble in.

Since Mineral Spirits will thin down Bee's Wax (after heating) this should open the door for all lubes being modified (Thinned) for Tumble Lubing. (hot bullets)..

Mike

[myg30]

I shoot TL's often, I might have to give this a try. Have both the RED and the TL boolits.

Keep us posted on your shooting results Mike. Thanks for the tip.

Mike

[Socal147]

Cast 20 to 50 bullets depending on individual caliber. Tumble Lube immediately. The residual heat flash dries the TL. Started doing this on all of my cast including 44, 45/70, and 500. Works wonderfully. No stickiness and no bother. I use a paper bowl. Add about a nickel size puddle of 45/45/10, and toss the bullets about. The steam smells wonderful. LoL.

[w5pv]

sounds like a winner to me.

[hotbrew]

Sounds like a quick way to lube - looking forward to seeing how it works at the range.

hotbrew

[w5pv]

I love Ben's Red in every thing that I have shot it in.I haven't tumble lubed with it yet but have lubed by hand tumble lube type boolits it works fine

[smokesahoy]

How is your accuracy? I tried tumble lubing with my dominator/bw speedgreen knockoff and it is wildly inaccurate, like 10" groups at 15 yards.

What is causing it to not lead but fly randomly wherever it wants? Is that because there is enough lube to lube but not enough to seal? I didn't think that would matter with bullets .002 over bore.

I might just have to bite the bullet and either decide on powder coating or a lube purchase from white label, both will be around the same price after shipping.

I was pan lubing but apparently it's not for me, I don't really enjoy doing it.

[w5pv]

At about 40 yards I hit within a 4" on a resetting target with both of my 45's colt and apc.This is off hand shooting and I think it is about as good as I can do being a shaking old man.

[Tomuchiron]

Hey, Smokesahoy
If your not leading, I'd say your lube is working. Have you pulled a couple of bullets and see what they mic at. Might be a little smaller since crimping.
I have to agree that pan lubing is PITA.

Tumble lubing right from the molds is a good idea.. Now how to convert water dropping-hardening to "Lube quenching" Hmmmm.

This site is full of food for thought.
Mike

[smokesahoy]

naw thats not the problem, i just decided to throw in the towel regarding lubing and get an es gun. the cost for redoing all this would be close to the gun, i just have lots of flux now, its all good. Maybe use it to weatherproof some shoes too :) all kinds of things this lube could still be used for... mix with sawdust for firestarter etc. but the potential of these powder coated bullets is amazing, i'm just gonna go with the new tech instead.

[mold maker]

naw thats not the problem, i just decided to throw in the towel regarding lubing and get an es gun. the cost for redoing all this would be close to the gun, i just have lots of flux now, its all good. Maybe use it to weatherproof some shoes too :) all kinds of things this lube could still be used for... mix with sawdust for firestarter etc. but the potential of these powder coated bullets is amazing, i'm just gonna go with the new tech instead.



You just gave me another idea for bad lube. I make pucks of HM BP with a press and plastic pipe for a mold. Using a like mold to compress pucks of sawdust and said lube. It will clean up a mess and make very useable firestarters.
It would also make a neat way to use it for flux, combining the virtues of both sawdust and wax based flux.

[dromia]

How are you going to make LLA?

[357shooter]

How are you going to make LLA?

I was wondering that too.

[Tomuchiron]

Still looking for a knock off recipe for LLA. Surely somebody has figured out what is in it.

[357shooter]

Don't think it exists.

[geargnasher]

LLA is the gunk they scrape off the bottom of a fractional distillation tower. Lots of mineral soaps and other sludge that won't evaporate to make oil or wax.

Gear

[btroj]

So I could build a Fractional distillation tower and make my own Alox?

Yeah, that saves me money......

[Ben]

Considering how cheap LLA is, ............is there a problem with simply buying it ?

Are we looking for an answer to a problem that really doesn't exit ?

[btroj]

Pretty much Ben. LLA is cheap but some refuse to believe it can't be replicated cheaper.

[Sweetpea]

Doesn't Glenn sell it even cheaper than Lee?

[dromia]

I used to get mine by the gallon from White Label, cheap as chips.

Now I get my 45/45/10 by the gallon from them, cheap as chips.

No need to reinvent the wheel there in my book.

[Tomuchiron]

Finally made it to the range. I believe they shot even better than LLA.
Definately less smoke. I think during lubing, the warm-hot bullets allow for a thinner coat of lube. I might have been using to much LLA before. You can't use to much with Hot lube, it will just run off.
Happy lubing , Mike