Pan Lube

[chuck40219]

Good day all

Have read enough to get it done.

I have pan lube 3 batches of bullets so far.

The way I have heated my lube and bullets is in my wife's fairly new oven, it has great temp control.

Is there a problem with this method?

Been using 200*, is taking a while to melt the lube, let em cook for 1/2 hour or so. Leave in the oven to cool, with oven door open. Punch them out at room temp.

I have seen mention of burning the lube and should use double boiler.

To me the oven method is simpler. Should I go get a hot plate just to lube with?

chuck40219

[Bazoo]

That's how I do it, in the wife's oven,I use a little lower heat though at around 150. I push the bullets out of the cake when it's still warm, although I have used a cake cutter. I've never used a hot plate for pan lubing but I have melted beeswax, lube, and shoe polish on an electric range before. Start on the lowest setting and give it half an hour then turn the heat up just a little if you need more.

[toallmy]

It seems like a good way of doing it to me , as long as your wife doesn't mind .

[Captain*Kirk]

I've always used the double boiler method with my Emmert's. I had heard the same thing about burning the beeswax. Plus, using the DB/stovetop method doesn't give off the fumes that oven baking does (don't ask me how I know)

[country gent]

I use the double boiler method 1) to avoid scorching the beeswax and lanolin when heating, 2) I think I get a more even heat and transfer) 3) this was how I was taught to melt waxes to avoid flash fires and other issues. An oven should work if kept set low.

[TNsailorman]

Another double boiler user here. But I push the boolit out as soon as it is cool enough not to be uncomfortable, then let them cool for about a week before I put them in a container for loading. Of course the boolit I loaded most was the .43 Spanish and that brothers is a big slug of lead. Really empties a 20 lb. pot on a hurry. james

[RED BEAR]

I just use an old fry daddy to melt my lubes and waxes. Pretty good temp control so no scorching or flash fire.

[chuck40219]

Switching gears now, will come back to this after I can get some good bullets. Going to Cast Boolits sub forum for casting problem.

chuck40219

[mazo kid]

I use an old toaster oven (garage sale for $2.00) set at the lowest temp. I have never scorched any lube yet. For mixing a new batch of lube I use the double boiler method on an old porcelain hot plate. Pulled that from the curb-side trash 30+ years ago. For pan lubing I use a small shallow pan with the boolits set in place neatly. The lube is put into the pan to the level of the high point of the grooves. Boolits and lube are brought to temp together, then allowed to cool before punching the boolits out with a cutter. This way, it makes it very quick to load another pan full of boolits, using the vacant holes.

[indian joe]

then allowed to cool before punching the boolits out with a cutter. This way, it makes it very quick to load another pan full of boolits, using the vacant holes.

neat eh! when I refill the vacant holes in mine I reheat it with an electric heat gun (like some people use for stripping paint etc) only takes a couple of minutes - I sit the lube pan on a cork placemat for insulation - doin it this way I can lube small batches of boolits without slowing my loading process down much and at the end I dont have a bunch of lubed projectiles left over.

[Minerat]

+1 on the heat gun, using old holes and cake cutters made from old shells with the primer drilled out and a nail to push out the boolit.

[indian joe]

+1 on the heat gun, using old holes and cake cutters made from old shells with the primer drilled out and a nail to push out the boolit.

I take the cake cutter a bit further I make em so the boolits go clear through and out the top - fit the cutter with a wood T handle (a piece of broomstick or 1" dowell rod) with a hole through - just keep pushin down and take the lubed boolits as they come out the top. Got a lathe helps with this stuff. ;)

[oldracer]

I pan lube my grease groove muzzle loader bullets same as when I was shooting cartridges. I use Doug Knoell's lube, heated in a double boiler which I modified the top aluminum pot to have a sort of spout to make the lube easier to pour the lube. I line the large cake pan with wax paper and set the bullets about 1 inch apart. I push then out with my thumb from the nose.

[big bore 99]

I've found it much easier and faster to just dip them with a tweezer in a tuna fish can of melted lube. I then stand them up on the base and when cooled off push them thru a cake cutter.

[John Boy]

* Double boiler to melt the lube
* Fan the boiler to accelerate the hardening of the lube
* Put the lube tray in the freezer
* When the 'feel' of the lube is ready to punch out the bullets
* Turn the pan over and knock out the cake onto 2 half pieces of siding insulation foam (cake has a hard base for no cracking or breaking of the cake
* Nose push out bullets a piece of leather on thumb into a Styrofoam tray
Bing Badda Boom - Done

[rfd]

when and if i do greasers they're dip lubed and not pan lubed.

dipping is faster and easier for me, no waiting for a huge amount of lube to harden.

an expanded case with the primer hole enlarged for a pusher dowel makes up the cookie cutter.

https://i.imgur.com/tngVqPh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mFjY8fH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/k6rsL3p.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dqpaC9u.jpg

[Edward]

My 459 boolit gets run thru a 460 die Lyman 450 quik no mess238622

[yeahbub]

. . . Good lokking boolits. . .

Not all lubes are adversely affected by temperatures somewhat above the point at which they melt. Not knowing which ones, though, it's a general rule of thumb to not get them much over that, hence the double-boiler technique. I've noticed Emmert's Lube, aka 541, is one that will deteriorate when heated to where it exhibits a little smoke. It'll coagulate a little sticky varnish-like substance and when cool, will be brittle and lubricate less well than it did before. A water filled double-boiler prevents this for the various lube recipes I've tried.

[big bore 99]

when and if i do greasers they're dip lubed and not pan lubed.

dipping is faster and easier for me, no waiting for a huge amount of lube to harden.

an expanded case with the primer hole enlarged for a pusher dowel makes up the cookie cutter.

https://i.imgur.com/tngVqPh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mFjY8fH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/k6rsL3p.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dqpaC9u.jpg

That's what I do.

[Captain*Kirk]

https://i.imgur.com/tngVqPh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mFjY8fH.jpg



Rob, are the boolits just perched on that little rod? If so, seems like they would tend to fall off unless you dip real slow.

[rfd]

Rob, are the boolits just perched on that little rod? If so, seems like they would tend to fall off unless you dip real slow.

i rarely lose a bullet off the lift but ya can make other kinds of lifts that'll better keep a bullet from falling off and can do multiple bullets in a single dip.

https://i.imgur.com/rvI7vZX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jEUA9Lh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/97Gbv8L.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HFWVeDJ.jpg

[Captain*Kirk]

I like that little chicken wire basket! Think I will cobble me up one.

[Froogal]

neat eh! when I refill the vacant holes in mine I reheat it with an electric heat gun (like some people use for stripping paint etc) only takes a couple of minutes - I sit the lube pan on a cork placemat for insulation - doin it this way I can lube small batches of boolits without slowing my loading process down much and at the end I dont have a bunch of lubed projectiles left over.

That is how I do it.

[chuck40219]

i rarely lose a bullet off the lift but ya can make other kinds of lifts that'll better keep a bullet from falling off and can do multiple bullets in a single dip.

https://i.imgur.com/rvI7vZX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jEUA9Lh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/97Gbv8L.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HFWVeDJ.jpg

Great photos, looks like a good way to do things. I have a mild case of the shakes, this way is not very usable for me though. I have a problem with setting them upright in a pan. Seams all I have to do is look sideways at the pan and 1/2 of them fall on their side. I know, stop looking at the pan sideways.

chuck40219

[chuck40219]

Cookie cutter looks like a great ideal. I have been pushing them out after the lube cools. Just a thought, the cutter might compress the lube in the groves?

chuck40219

[greenjoytj]

Just a thought, the cutter might compress the lube in the groves?
chuck40219

Liquids cannot be compressed. The lube is a semi-liquid or semi-solid take your pick.

[rfd]

Cookie cutter looks like a great ideal. I have been pushing them out after the lube cools. Just a thought, the cutter might compress the lube in the groves?

chuck40219

no. doesn't work that way. i'm doing .410's right now, will take some pics.

[greenjoytj]

Emmert's Lube, aka 541

I’ve never read about Emmert’s Lube being referred to as 541.
Is the numerical designation a reference to the percentage of its ingredients?

[chuck40219]

Quote Originally Posted by chuck40219 View Post
Just a thought, the cutter might compress the lube in the groves?
chuck40219
Liquids cannot be compressed. The lube is a semi-liquid or semi-solid take your pick.


no. doesn't work that way. i'm doing .410's right now, will take some pics.

Look I am replying to 2 post at the same time.

Poor choice of words. I was thinking about some who complain about their lube not staying in the grease groves. Cookie cutter might press grease back in the groves instead of being pulled out when pushed out of lube cake.

I have not had that problem, yet! Apparently I chose a lube formula that worked the first time for the way I pan lube.

chuck40219

[redhawk0]

I use a cast iron pan and an old camp stove. I melt my lube and with tweezers stand up my boolits. Let it harden and use a cookie cutter made from whatever caliber (fired case not resized). It lifts them out of the lube and with a plunger (through the drilled out primer pocket) I punch them out on a piece of luan plywood. Then I resize them in a Lee push through die and put them in a plastic container with a small amount of mica powder to keep them from sticking together.

It works for me...the trick is to use the camp stove on a very low heat to just melt the lube without over heating it...but that's not a difficult step.

redhawk

[greenjoytj]

rfd
Is the cutting end of the cookie cutter blunted square like fresh off a case trimmer, or is the end sharpen with a deburring tool?
If its been sharpened which direction is the blade sloping?
Sharp edge towards the bullet might cut cleaner,
or
Sharp edge away from the bullet for a spatula like effect smoothing the lube into the grooves.

[rfd]

rfd
Is the cutting end of the cookie cutter blunted square like fresh off a case trimmer, or is the end sharpen with a deburring tool?
If its been sharpened which direction is the blade sloping?
Sharp edge towards the bullet might cut cleaner,
or
Sharp edge away from the bullet for a spatula like effect smoothing the lube into the grooves.

the inside mouth of the case is very lightly chamfered.

since i no longer use .45-70 grease groove bullets, i modified my .45-70 cookie cutter case by first lightly annealing it, the running through a .45 reforming die, then partially into a .40-65 sizing die. a light chamfer to the inside of the case mouth and it was ready to cookie cut gato feo lubed lyman 410663 1:30 alloy cast bullets that were first sized to .410 diameter.

https://i.imgur.com/tLooYEV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cyGCUAU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uJBsLNR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/feDnpgT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8VYsJW8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/T4Ncbf6.jpg

[rfd]

excess lube is scraped off the corian board and dumped back in the lube tin to melt and reuse.

https://i.imgur.com/2I6fhie.jpg

[JBinMN]

excess lube is scraped off the corian board and dumped back in the lube tin to melt and reuse.

https://i.imgur.com/2I6fhie.jpg

LOL I like the "divers weight belt" on the can. I call that "hillbilly ingenuity".

:)

[rfd]

LOL I like the "divers weight belt" on the can. I call that "hillbilly ingenuity".

:)

... and proud of my redneck heritage, too. :)

[guninhand]

I oven heat my boolits in the lube cake in a toaster oven and, when cooled back to room temp, break the seal with a nose punch in the chuck of a drill press (not turning, of course). In my experience it is important to get the push out from the cake perpendicular to the base of the cake. If not perpendicular, drag occurs on the side cocked towards the cake hole's inside so that the lube there can be dragged out to some extent giving incompletely filled lube grooves. So the drill press goes a long way to make sure there's 90 deg downward pressure where you want it be 90 deg at the start, the breaking of the seal, then the boolit is pushed out the rest of the way with fingers

[RogerDat]

I don't dip or pan lube stuff going into a brass cartridge but I use a wire dipper much as shown to dip Minnie balls. The lube is in a Mini Dipper which is essentially a really small crock pot, something like a potpourri pot. Gets wax/Crisco mix warm enough to melt and not hot enough to burn. I also use a Minnie Dipper pot with water in it to heat container of tumble lube. I have considered trying out straight Lee Alox (or white label Xalox) heated to dip rifle bullets in. Haven't done it because I'm mostly doing powder coat so not much need. With tumble lube along the lines of BLL or 45/45/10 sometimes being used for pistol calibers.

This is a Minnie Dipper. https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-16-Ounce-Little-Dipper-Chrome/dp/B0000CCY14 I found both of mine at salvation army for $4 not the $24 they sell for new. They are too small to easily be used as a double boiler with a can of lube. Slightly larger crock pot might fit that use. Larger would also offer a temperature controller. Little Dipper is one pre-set temp. Happens to work for my purposes. Might not for all pan lubes.