Boolit lube sticky! Literally!

[ThaDoubleJ]

I decided to try my hand at casting CF boolits. I've done RBs, REALs, and Lee keyed slugs for years, but never CF. Got me a Lee 358-125 two cavity, hit up Mr. Rat for some Tac 1, and pulled out my trusty Hot One melter thing and some blocks of old wheel weights. I cast 123 boolits. 122 of them look exactly like what the manuals say your boolits should not look like. About 100 of them went back in the pot. 1 of them is beautiful, but my stupid phone focuses three rooms away on macro, so you'll just have to imagine it. I tried to double boiler that pound of Tac 1, but I was using a pan and a Mason jar, and only the bottom half of the jar would stay melty, PITA. I pan-lubed the usable boolits, and discovered something that I've never encountered on the forum before. Home made boolits are sticky, I'm sticky, my clothes are sticky, my kitchen counter is sticky, my dies are sticky, and my press is sticky. At some point during my seating/crimping, my hairy cat climbed into the box I was putting the finished boolits in and had a nap, so now I have sticky/hairy boolits. I expect no effect on accuracy. I have to go blue-towel all my boolits now, have a good weekend.

[Hamish]

Partner, about I can say after,reading,all that, is, bless your pea picking heart! :bigsmyl2:

[Ben]

;) I guess I'll just " stick around here " for awhile. :-P

Ben

[tomme boy]

The lube will harden up a little in a couple of days. Just let them sit.

[randyrat]

I sell the Anti stick antidote for a nominal fee:kidding:

[ThaDoubleJ]

Rat, you mean Lava? Already got some! I'm supposed to let them sit before I load them? Missed that :( I also found it's not the best to put them in the fridge being all impatient and stuff. I'll get it figured out one day. I'm gonna need more wheel weights if this becomes a habit though.

[fryboy]

i believe the proper term is "tacky" which ( while on the boolits ) is a good thing ( not so much everywhere else lolz )

stickies/stikki/sticky etc are the threads that were deemed important enough to be marked and kept at the top of the pertinent sub forum

about that "more wheel weight" aspect .... one never finds themself with too much , it always seems that never enough is more apt
worse is the need for less heat with alloys as opposed to pure lead ,it's true that too cold of a melt can make it harder than hades to get good castings but too much heat can also do it as well ( rounded edges and heavy frosting comes to mind )
main thing is you got yer feets wet ! now just to learn best how to swim :P ( my fav for wiping lubed boolits is bounty paper towels ( the bases when still warm and the sides if needed after cooling/drying ) they're not quite as tough as the blue towels perhaps but are a wee bit more aggressive against wayward lube ,for most applications removing lube splatters/spills/etc heat is our friend

[randyrat]

I once had to prove to my wife that the Cat prowls the kitchen counters and all over the place. So I spread some flour on the counter top just before bed time, yep that little $%# climbs everywhere. This was after I used some butter and I asked; why is there little swirl marks in the butter.

I think Gear found a quick way to make lubes cool quicker or help eliminate or reduce the tackiness of lubes.. He spritzed Alcohol on the boolits and it helped

[Beagle333]

I think Gear found a quick way to make lubes cool quicker or help eliminate or reduce the tackiness of lubes.. He spritzed Alcohol on the boolits and it helped

I did a quick search and I found where R5R also either repeated it, or may have started it.... but I believe both of those guys. I might have to give that a test. 'First I've heard of it. :D

[ThaDoubleJ]

Fry, I can't call my boolits tacky, that would imply Mr. Rat's product is tacky. I still haven't shot said boolits, but shipping certainly was fast, so Mr. Rat is OK in my book. By the by, can I just microwave this lube? If not, what's a good temp to melt it to, thanks.

[randyrat]

Melts at about 140 F - 145F and here is how I DIP lube
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?189546-Dip-lubing-lead-boolits

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

...snip
I tried to double boiler that pound of Tac 1, but I was using a pan and a Mason jar, and only the bottom half of the jar would stay melty, PITA. I pan-lubed the usable boolits, and discovered something that I've never encountered on the forum before. Home made boolits are sticky, I'm sticky, my clothes are sticky, my kitchen counter is sticky, my dies are sticky, and my press is sticky. At some point during my seating/crimping, my hairy cat climbed into the box I was putting the finished boolits in and had a nap, so now I have sticky/hairy boolits.

After all that, Now imagine a Machine where you set your freshly cast boolit, you then lower the Handle, then raise it. Just that fast, then you remove that boolit from the same place where you set it. If everything is set up correctly, the boolit is sized to the perfect size and the perfect amount of Lube is applied into the lube grooves only...and your fingers, clothes, kitchen counter, dies, and press WON"T be sticky.
Good Luck


PS, now you can buy a NEW one, but I believe the older ones are actually better, if they aren't overly worn. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?166565-Lyman-45-buying-guide-and-cleanup-instructions

[randyrat]

JonB is the king of all gurus when it comes to Lyman 45......If have not seen his thread your missing some good stuff. Nice Job on cleaning those machines up and also some good advice given

[Beagle333]

Now imagine a Machine where you set your freshly cast boolit, you then lower the Handle, then raise it. Just that fast, then you remove that boolit from the same place where you set it.

Now you're talkin' my kinda lubing! :D

[500MAG]

Try Powder coating! Lol

[gwpercle]

I had the exact same experience with pan lubing as you. Had Lube on me, the floor, the cat, the table top, my clothes ...every thing I touched. That was it, went right out and bought Lyman 450 lube/sizer and a few hollow sticks of lube....That will solve the MESS problem. Pull the handle down, add lube via small pressure handle , raise handle up and out pops a sized, lubed and gas check seated boolit. No mess! Get one you will love it.
Gary

[ThaDoubleJ]

Shot up most of me reloaded boolits, no leading, they shoot great from both of my K frames.