Pan lubing for the first time ...

[wquiles]

Now that I have some of Ben's Red, I am going to try using it with pan lubing. I first tried the small hot plate, but again, it was wishful thinking on my part:
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_155346.jpg


I ended using the microwave (30-second intervals) until I got it melted:
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_161415.jpg


For this experiment I tried using a small mold, each one with a different bullet type: standard lube groves and the TL grooves:
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_161411.jpg


Next time I will use something like a turkey baster and will pre-warm the molds a little, but to try it out, this worked "OK" enough to try it out (better to start small, right?):
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_162203.jpg


Using my new custom kake kutter (with the 44Mag, .432" cutter) I got them out just fine:
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_163736.jpg


These are "before" cleaning up any excess, and obviously I will do better next time so that I get the right height:
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_163811.jpg


http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_163836.jpg

[wquiles]

These are the TL boolits:
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_172140.jpg


And once I cleaned the excess with a rag:
http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_183358.jpg

http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_183407.jpg

http://m3coupe.com/Firearms/casting/Lube/PanLubbing/20150222_183414.jpg



Will

[Minerat]

I set the boolits on a clean Teflon coated cake pan and poor the melted lube around them then take a heat gun and even it out adding lube until the depth is right. Then if lubing the same diameter or smaller boolits I set them in the holes and take the heat gun to the lube around them. If bigger then I use a narrow putty knife to scrape lines in the lube and sent the boolits in and the heat gun does it job. I use home made cake cutters to take them out. Your's look great just a liiiiiitttttttle deep in the lube, try taking some lube out of the pan before remelting. You should be able to gage how much when you insert the next round of boolits.

[JWFilips]

Actually for the first time with Ben's red you seem to do well. I have a pan that I fill..... Then on first cut... I then add new boolits The temps have to be below "Low" it takes time ...The really low setting lets the lube flow and the boolits pick up heat. Once surrounded by lube kill the heat! Take it off the burner!
If you ever heat too much and get a "burning tire Smell" you just trashed it!!! Clean it out an put in new lube and learn a big lesson!... Ben's red need only light heating so the alloy and the lube come up to temps slowly...when you see the lube seal the boolits Kill the heat! ( I also take it off the burner to cool) You can't not "RUSH" Ben's red otherwise you messed it up!

[Ben]

wquiles (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?36599-wquiles)

JWFilips offers great advice above
in post # 4 .
________________________

I have 2 observations :

( 1 ) Your choice of containers seems small to me, you can only get 8 or so bullets into that small area. An old aluminum flat bottom skillet from a thrift store seems to work great for what you're wanting to do. The old skillet has the added benefit of a handle that allows you to pick up the pan easily. A used one with scratches , etc. works just as well as a brand new one. Try to be certain that the bottom of the skillet is as flat as possible. You can usually pick one up for $ 3 - $4. I found that the thin aluminum cake pans like you see in my photos below really don't work that well as they often times will warp when heated. A thicker aluminum skillet won't do that.

( 2 )You obviously had your liquid lube level too high causing lube to end up on the nose requiring you to waste a lot of time cleaning the bullets prior to being able to load them.

Your final photos however show good looking cast bullets that should shoot great ! !

_________________________

This may be more than you want below, but it is an old photo tutorial on pan lubing that I've offered more than one beginning pan lube caster . I hope it is a help to you. I think you can see that the larger pan ( or even better a flat bottom skillet ) allows you to lube 50 - 70 bullets at a time :
___________________________

I have 3 different lubri-sizers. I have a friend that is beginning to take a real interest in cast bullets for his 03' Springfield.


Unfortunately he wasn't in the position to order a $114 Lyman lubri-sizer from Midway. So I introduced him to the " old way " of doing things.


I use a lot of .30 cal. cast bullets that are sized .310 dia. Unfortunately Lee doesn't offer a .310 " Push Thru " sizing die for .30 cal. cast rifle bullets. So I ordered a .309 and opened it up to .310.


Bought a hot plate for $10, my wife was about to throw away a metal pan , so I grabbed that and said.." Hey, I need that ."


The Sizing die was $12.29 from Midway :


http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=501819


For someone on a limited budget , this is still a very effective way to size and lube .30 cal. cast rifle bullets ( and by using a " parent " case like a 35 Rem, for .35 cal. cast bullets, or a 444 Marlin Case for a .44 pistol bullet the system can easily be adapted to many other calibers other than .30 cal ) . Assuming you already have a .30 cal. mold, some bullet lube, and some gas checks, this equipment cost the sum total of $23.00.


Mis-alignment of the nose punch and the sizing die has ruined many hundreds of groups for me until I really began to understand what a concentric bullet was. In my opinion , the nose 1st system of bullet sizing is " THE WAY " to size bullets concentrically .


Photos below.....


You'll need a FIRED 30 / 30 empty cartridge case that is a snug fit over your .310 bullet. Take a 16 penny nail and turn the head of the nail to about .295 dia. I then cut a piece of wood dowel and make me a " push rod " to eject the lubed bullet from the solidified lube. Drill out the flash hole in the 30 / 30 cartridge case so that the 16 penny nail will slide freely through the hole.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0001Small.jpg


The business end of the home made Kake cutter :


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0002Small.jpg


The $10 Elect. Hot Plate


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0004Small.jpg




The lube is melted in the metal pan and the bullets that have already been sized to .310 are placed in the pan of liquid lube :


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0008Small.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0009Small.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0010Small.jpg


Here is the finished product ready to load and shoot :


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0013Small.jpg




Here is what the bullets look like when they are removed from the cooled , solidified bullet lube with the " Kake Cutter " :


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0018Small.jpg


Next question is , will they shoot ? ?


I have a Custom Hvy. Barrel , A & B, F-54 contour , stainless fluted , VZ 24 Mauser bench rifle chambered in .308 Win. that really likes the Lee 155 gr. , CE Harris bullet sized .310 , with 17.5 grs. of 2400 and a Fed 210 primer. The bullet is seated into the lands so that light engraving occurs upon chambering . This group was fired at 50 yards with the bullets that you see , 5 shots with a .22 rim fire case for size comparison purposes :


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lube%20Size/PICT0015Small.jpg

[wquiles]

Wow, great tips everyone. Thanks much Ben for that post with the pictures - I will be trying it again soon :)

Will

[btroj]

I see a battle of photos coming soon. We now have two people who understand the value of images in telling a story.

Great work, both of you.

[Ben]

Show and tell Uhh ?

Ben

[btroj]

Pretty much. It works when done well. Ben, you may need to raise the bar a bit, he is good!

Photos aren't always a help but your guys understand what matters, how to show it, and how to describe it. No small feat.

Now to see if he can makes small groups with his bullets like Ben......

[Knarley]

How would dipping the boolits work? That's how I do my buff boolits with SPG...
Am thinking of tryin' this type of lube for the smoekless critters that live here.

Thanks,
Knarley

[dikman]

My wife was throwing out a small electric skillet pan, as the non-stick coating was pretty worn, so I grabbed it (I didn't have a use for it then, but you never know....). Anyhow, when I started casting for cartridge guns, I realised I needed to lube them. My first efforts were melting the lube in a saucepan and pouring around the boolits. It worked, but I figured there had to be a better way. There was. I stand the boolits in the skillet, add the wax in small chunks around the edge and turn on the pan. Doesn't take long to melt, turn it off and wait for it to cool. I find that cutting out the boolits while the wax is still warmish works well. Then I put more boolits in the holes left in the wax, turn on the pan and add more wax if needed.

Works for me :grin:.