How long for Lee liquid alox to dry?

[Ohio Rusty]

I coated about 500+ .38 special button nosed wadcutters with Lee liquid earwax (Thanks Mt. Gianni for coining that name !!) The directions say to let the boolits dry over night. On their 3rd day they are still very tacky, not dry, and will stick to your fingers if you touch them. I assumed in this dry winter weather the Alox would dry fast, but the only thing they aren't after 3 days is wet.
Any clue to the actual drying time and when they will be dry enough to load into shells (and the powder doesn't adhere to the base when loaded in the shell). If I try to load them now, the tacky Alox will smear off the bullet I'm thinking. BTW .. it's not a real heavy coat, just a normal coating on the boolits.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Driver man]

Sounds like you have used a bit much. I use a hot air gun somtimes to speed things up. I find that the right amount is when you can just make out a slight colouration,

[Echd]

It takes very, very little. If you used too much it will feel tacky for pretty much ever.

[ACrowe25]

It takes very, very little. If you used too much it will feel tacky for pretty much ever.



This is also my experience. Basically how I found out if I used "enough"

[Socal147]

Place the bullets in a unwanted cookie sheet, insert into oven set at 220 for 30 minutes. They will dry. This is one one the main reasons I tumble lube my bullets after casting. Cast about 50 bullets, pour a quarter size puddle of 45-45/10 in a paper bowl, toss and toss to cover. Dry when the bullets are cool to touch.

[jonas302]

Heat them up set on top of the furnace for a few days
When I was using LLA cut it a little with paint thinner and used on hot boolits so it flowed nice VERY lighty like 2 drops per hundred if you can see brown on there you already have to much they always seemed to dry that way but I wasn't in to much of a hurry
Now I use the 45-45-10 same procedure just so much better

I think people here and rolled them in mica and maybe cornstarch? If nothing else dunk in some paint thinner and try again

[deerspy]

new to this lube if you don't mind what is 45-45-10 ?

[Dale53]

Here is the whole story or 45-45-10:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?67654-Tumble-Lubing-Made-Easy-amp-Mess-Free

FWIW
Dale53

[Garyshome]

:-DJust set up a box fan to blow on them. They will be dry in no time or less!http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[bangerjim]

"Till Hades freezes over"! That stuff is horrible. I just dumped out 6 bottles of the stuff. I powder coat everything now....no need for stinky greasy sticky lubes anymore.

bangerjim

[dragon813gt]

If they are taking that long to dry then you used to much. You need a very minimal amount to coat them properly. If you can see the Alox then you used to much. Either cut it or make up a batch of 45/45/10. No matter what it's better to start out w/ to little then to much as you have found out.

[geargnasher]

BangerJim, you wasted that stuff. It works great under your fenders.

Gear

[bangerjim]

BangerJim, you wasted that stuff. It works great under your fenders.

Gear

I did an "interweb" search for uses of "burnt mule snot" and found none.........other than boollit lube! :drinks:

banger

[geargnasher]

Here ya go, Banger: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/55651385/ALOX%C2%AE-606-55

The real truth about Liquid Alox.

Gear

[GabbyM]

Wonder how that allox would worked in a paint spray gun. Cut with thinner to coat my corn head gather chains, snap rolls and any bare metal sheeting. Maybe the grain head cycle bar too.

[geargnasher]

Amsoil makes an aerosol metal protectant and motorcycle chain lube that might work better.

Gear

[jonas302]

Deerspy you can purchase 45-45-10 pre made also if making your own doesn't appeal to you http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?56454-White-Label-Lube

[Lead Fred]

Sure glad I use X-lox, avoids all this messy fun.
Dippem, set them up on wax paper, next morning dry & ready to stuff in a case

[.5mv^2]

I water quench the boolits I cast. After pouring off the water I dump them into my Alox coffee can. And pour on a topping of Alox.

I mix the still wet boolits in Alox and usually just size them. The Alox/water mix forms a froth that remains in the groove of the sized bullet.

They shoot the same whether I let the water/Alox slurry, dry or not.

[BIGRED]

sometimes if i add just a tad too much lube i will warm the boolits up and add 50 - 100 more bullets and them tumble them again. this way i can get some of the excess lube to transfer over to the new boolits and when i am done they have a nice even coating. for 100-120 45 acp bullets i use an amount equal to the size of a small pea.

[mold maker]

Cut with MS 50/50 and it goes on thin and dries quick. If you can easily see it, your using too much. It should barely leave a little golden color.

[Casting_40S&W]

Dust the bullets with mica or powdered graphite after applying the mule snot. This will get rid of the tackiness.

[Shiloh]

You used way to much. Just a little is all you need. If you have humid weather in the summer, you will have a gummy mess.

Shiloh

[Shiloh]

You used way to much. Just a little is all you need. If you have humid weather in the summer, you will have a gummy mess. Put it on to thick and it never really dries.


Shiloh

[dromia]

Never got liquid alox or xlox to dry, if I wanted them unsticky then I would toss them in cornflour.

It needs to go on very thin I cut it 50/50 with white spirit, the should just be a light golden hue on the boolit.

I mainly use 45/45/10 now from White Lable as that dries nicely, best to heat up the boolits when using it as it helps it flow and dry.

[str8shot426]

I am glad I looked at this thread. My lla treated boolits are always tacky and brown. Going to adjust my tumble lube process now.

[rsrocket1]

Looks like you just made a mess with 500 bullets! That stuff is like cosmoline, it will never dry. It will simply get less messy over the years.

You can use oderless mineral spirits to clean them off and start over again with 45/45/10. Otherwise, you can simply bit the bullet and deal with the mess.

Never do a big batch of anything until you try out a small sample.

[.5mv^2]

Wonder how come your Lee Alox doesn't dry. I Alox mine when still wet from the water bath. They dry hard. I'm scratching my hesd.

[zuke]

I use 45/45/10, tumble them in an old margarine dish then pour onto wax paper sitting in front of a heating duct that has a 90 degree diverter so the hot furnace heat blow's over them the whole time.
Nothing like coming home from work and opening the door to that smell!!

[Hickok]

It is an added step, but I melt some Johnsons paste wax with a hairdryer and then tumble lube the "sticky LLA bullets". Lay them out to dry. Seems to get rid of any stickiness.

[sig2009]

In my experience that **** never dries. Even when cut. I stopped using it!

[N4AUD]

I use two VERY light coats, it dries hard, no mess. My first try I used too much and it didn't dry. Like the old commercial said "A little dab'l do ya."

[jonp]

Well i just used too much. One day and still tackey

[williamwaco]

I have used lots of LLA and Xlox.

I am completely convinced they are exactly the same stuff.

I believe most people use way too much.

I put a blob about the size of two asprin tablets into a one quart zip lock bag with around 300 150 grain handgun bullets.

If your asprin tablets are different, this is a blob about 3/8ths inch across.

I started out cutting it 30% with mineral spirits. I no longer do that. I get better coverage, faster drying, and less tackiness if I use it straight.

On a normal Texas summer day, I can put it on the back porch in the sun and they will be totally dry and completely tackless in a couple of hours.

When the weather is not cooperative, I place them on the floor in my shop and blow a 12 inch rotary fan set on medium across them over night. At this point If I squeeze them HARD between thumb and finger I can feel a very slight stickiness. Not enough to make it stick to a tissue paper but enough to feel.

In no way would powder stick to the base of the bullet.

You can see my test results here:

http://reloadingtips.com/pages/exp_111201a_lla_test.htm

In the photo of three bullets, I want my pistol bullets to look like the one in the middle and my rifle bullets to look like the one on the right.

The above posts are correct about brown bullets. If you apply enough to turn them brown, they will NEVER dry.

[FergusonTO35]

I normally pan lube but I tried dip lubing on my new Lee 356-95 boolits today. I put LLA into a small dish with mineral spirits about 60/40. I mixed it up thoroughly to about the consistency and appearance of chocolate syrup. I dipped the boolits to cover a little above the grooves and then let them dry. Being used to conventional lubes and smearing straight LLA on boolits I was a bit worried that the thin golden coating was too thin but I guess not. What I don't like about tumble lubing is getting lube all over the ogive of the boolit so hopefully this will work well.

[FergusonTO35]

Checked the Boolits after church today and found that the LLA was almost completely dry on them. Has sort of a gummy consistency which is just fine in my experience. Went ahead and loaded up a box of them in 9mm, hope to try 'em out soon.

[Buckshot Bill]

mine seem to have a waxy feel, almost like a candle not necessarily "tacky" just waxy feeling; am I using too much? I used way too much the first time I TL'd they turned out BROWN and stayed tacky forever, thank goodness they've all been shot up. They made a mess of everything.

[Love Life]

3,743 years.

[freebullet]

I've loaded some the next day.

[Aunegl]

3,743 years.

Did the Egyptians use this stuff to lube the stone slabs and build the pyramids? I learn something new everyday.

[William Yanda]

How about plowshares?

[cs86]

I don't know what I do wrong with tumble lubes, but It is something I wish I could get to work. Just yesterday I decided to try them with a .45 acp. probably a better cal. to use tumble lube in. I used a lee 230RN tumble lube slug and here are my results. I fired 10 rounds each.

1) 1 coat Alox: streaking towards the end of barrel
2) 2 coats Xlox: streaking towards the end of barrel
3) 1 heavy coat of 45-45-10: Minimal streaking towards end of barrel
4) dipped 45-45-10 (This is more of a liquid because I put to much mineral spirits in):No leading
5) 3 coats of 45-45-10 (This was in a different bottle that somehow thickened and was more on the runny side, but not liquid): streaking towards the end of barrel
6)Carnauba: No leading

Alox was flying all over the board and I almost took out a supporting wood leg of my target stand, so I didn't use a target for 1-5. I only tested for leading. #6 lubed with carnauba held a 2" group at 15 yds. But that's not tumble lube. I had to heat the LAM2 to get it to fill the little grooves on the TL designed boolit.

I wish I could get tumble lube to work successfully for me, but I haven't figured it out yet.

[John Boy]

How long for Lee liquid alox to dry?
It all depends! Temperature & humidity govern the drying time.
Me? I cheat ... 1st couple of hours in increments in the evening, warm the coated bullets up with a hair Dryer. Then in the morning - Done!

[Laredo]

I loaded some LLA tumble-lubed 9mm BOOLITS yesterday that I thought were dry or dry enough. I had problems with the LLA gathering up at the case mouth after seating the BOOLITS.
The LLA wouldn't let the case headspace in the chamber right and so the slide on my semi-otto wouldn't go all the way forward and close.
Had to take each and every case and wipe off the "gooooo" to get it all to work.
They shot good though...with NO lead-ing.
Or I should say the Lyman moulded BOOLITS shot good. The Lee cast BOOLITS didn't do as good accuracy wise.

[Echd]

I often load them the next day or so. Just make sure you aren't using too much.

Outside of heavy .44 mag or .357 loads the LLA hasn't ever disappointed me.

I will add that using recluse/ WLL 45-45-10 makes it worlds better- dries more quickly, with less tackiness, and lubricates just as well.

[runfiverun]

try adding about 20-25% bees wax to that 45/45/10 lube and heating everything up before lubing.
cut down how much you use.
add more mineral spirits [I use 50%]
get the boolits hot to the touch with a hair dryer and just put a small amount of the lube in a batch at a time.
I use a fork and let the lube drip on the boolits while shaking them around.
the lube will run right through and put a light coat on the boolits.
dry in front of a fan.
size.
do another coat.
I use this method in my 8 mauser and 45/70 rifles with no problems.
the lube dries in about 1/2 hour.

[madsenshooter]

BangerJim, you wasted that stuff. It works great under your fenders.

Gear

Good belt dressing too, stopped the squeal with just a few drops. I thin the stuff with mineral spirits if I'm going to use it on bullets, leaves a thinner coat and dries faster. I usually dip the shanks in it then set them on wax paper to dry.

[Flashbang]

No way would I use that LLA on my Boolits. I love it for Cosmoline coating of long storage steel parts. Thin it with odorless mineral spirits and I spray multiple coats. Works wonders.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[gwpercle]

I found out ( the hard way) that when the Lee Alox gets any age to it ...it thickens and getting a thin coat is nearly impossible .
I thinned my alox with Mineral Spirits ... this helped me get a thin coat that would actually dry ... Two super thin coats that dry are best .

If you have sticky lubed boolits ... dust them in Motor Mica or even Talcum Powder .
When push comes to shove ... Johnsons Baby Powder (now corn starch) will work ...
a light dusting is all it takes ! No longer sticky ... and ...They smell good too !
Gary

[Tall]

I tried Lee Alox too.......now I use Rooster Jacket. It dries in my shop in around 3 hours.

https://bernardlab.com/rooster-lab-premium-bullet-reloading-lubricant-and-brass-polish/

[higgins]

If I'm going to size the bullets I apply a thin coat first, size, then another thin coat. I believe years ago this is what the instructions suggested if bullets are to be sized.

[gwpercle]

try adding about 20-25% bees wax to that 45/45/10 lube and heating everything up before lubing.
cut down how much you use.
add more mineral spirits [I use 50%]
get the boolits hot to the touch with a hair dryer and just put a small amount of the lube in a batch at a time.
I use a fork and let the lube drip on the boolits while shaking them around.
the lube will run right through and put a light coat on the boolits.
dry in front of a fan.
size.
do another coat.
I use this method in my 8 mauser and 45/70 rifles with no problems.
the lube dries in about 1/2 hour.

:goodpost:
That beeswax addition is a great idea ... should help with both drying and leading !
ATTABOY !

Gary :drinks: