45-45-10 still sticky…..help.

[nagantino]

Just discovering 45 45 10. I used LLA for years but have been powder-coating with success for years now. I wanted to reload some .303 for my Lee Enfield using a cast bullet with greatly reduced powder loads…I’ll use Red Dot probably. I made up a small batch of 45… and lubed a few bullets last night but the result is still a little sticky. Not nearly as bad as LLA though. Can I revisit the mix by adding more wax or more spirit to get a non sticky finish on the bullets?

[Ben]

Most likely needs more mineral spirits.

[G W Wade]

How much are you using? I noticed that too much does not dry (sticky) If I can actuallysee bullets look brown , I have over coated. Generally I use 2 TBSP on 1500 38's Feel it but not see it. GW

[gwpercle]

Dust them with Motor Mica , a fine dry powdered lube , some say it is "white" graphite powder but it is actually Hexagonal Boron Nitride ... a dry high temperature lubricant used in the automotive industry .

If you don't have any lying about ... sprinkle the sticky boolits with a little "Baby Powder" and roll them around . If the powder is old it is Talcum powder ...the new stuff is cornstarch ...
either will eliminate the sticky and shouldn't harm the rifle barrel .

45-10-10 is best applied in extremely thin coats to dry ... due to the viscoscity of the alox you might need to thin the mix with additional mineral spirits .
The coating should be very thin and of a slight golden hue and they should dry to the touch .
Apply a thin coat and let dry ...if additional is required add another thin coat and let it dry .
Two thin coats will dry better than one thick coat .
Gary

[gwpercle]

Most likely needs more mineral spirits.

:goodpost:
LIKE

[popper]

Just make some Ben's Liquid Lube.

[gwpercle]

Just make some Ben's Liquid Lube.

Can you post the "New Improved" recipe ?

I have the old one calling for the discontinued Johnson's Liquid Wax ... I found a 22 oz. can ... but the price is $103.00 ...for one can ... That's a bit much ... has another product , of affordable cost , been found .

The old one was 60% LLA and 40% Johnson's One Step (#00125) ... but J. One Step ain't Happening at over a hundred bucks !
Gary

[centershot]

Just discovering 45 45 10. I used LLA for years but have been powder-coating with success for years now. I wanted to reload some .303 for my Lee Enfield using a cast bullet with greatly reduced powder loads…I’ll use Red Dot probably. I made up a small batch of 45… and lubed a few bullets last night but the result is still a little sticky. Not nearly as bad as LLA though. Can I revisit the mix by adding more wax or more spirit to get a non sticky finish on the bullets?

nagantino,
IF you mixed the 45-45-10 properly, and IF you didn't let it sit on the shelf for six months before you used it, and your bullets are now sticky, then you used too much lube! When properly applied, the lube should appear as a barely visible amber wash. That is, BARELY visible. It doesn't take much to properly lube a bullet! When you mix up a batch of 45-45-10, store it in an airtight container, like a small canning jar, the 1/2 pint size. Keep airspace to a minimum. The solvent, mineral spirits, will eventually evaporate so don't be afraid to add a little more if you've not used that bottle of lube in a while. As was mentioned, dust your bullets with a little motor mica to eliminate the stickiness.

[Divil]

You could always give your boolits a light final coat of Rooster Jacket. I use it as my final coat when I tumble lube. First somewhat heavy coat of LLA, drying, push through sizing, second lighter coat of LLA, drying, then a coat of Rooster Jacket to cancel out the tackiness of the LLA, drying, then non sticky tumble lubed boolits are ready to load. In your case a final light coat of Rooster Jacket on your 45-45-10 lubed boolits might remove the tackiness and while preserving the good properties of the lube.

[405grain]

When I'm swirl lubing with 45-45-10 I'll put about 100 boolits in a quart ziplok bag, then add two or three drops of lube. It doesn't take much. I'll swirl the boolits around inside the bag until everything has been coated, then dump the boolits into a paper bowl. I'll let them dry overnight and the next day they will be ready to load. If your 45-45-10 isn't drying it's usually because your using too much.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

it's so easy to apply too much alox. The thing about adding JPW and MS to LLA is to help you apply less. As Ben said, add more MS.
Another helpful hint, is to apply heat to the boolits and the bowl.

[GhostHawk]

A I'll bet on Ben, and I'll do it every time.

B 1-2 % Carnuba wax melted into the mix helps put a hard shell on it.

C Needs more drying time, or a bit warmer temp.

D Spread them on a cardboard flat and put the flat in front of a fan for an hour.
Can make a huge difference in drying time.

[GregLaROCHE]

You said you did them last night. They could just need a bit more time to dry. I put mine on waxed paper and forget about them for a week.

[Dusty Bannister]

For anyone interested in the new formula made with the Lundmark product look here.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?259285-NEW-!-!-T-L-Liquid-Lube/page58

post #1143

[gwpercle]

For anyone interested in the new formula made with the Lundmark product look here.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?259285-NEW-!-!-T-L-Liquid-Lube/page58

post #1143

:goodpost:
Thank You Dusty Bannister ...
post #1143 was very helpful !

I printed out the sheets with recipe and instructions , to keep and notice the drying rack / tray that Ben uses ... now that is a neat way to dry them .

A Big Thanks to Ben also :drinks:
Gary

[405grain]

It's been my experience that the Lundmark liquid paste wax never dries. I've swirl lubed boolits in a few drops of it, then left them to dry for three weeks in summertime temperatures, and they would still be wet to the touch. The only way I was able to dry the Lundmark was to bake the boolits in a toaster oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes - twice: because it didn't dry the first time. I no longer use that produce on anything. It didn't work out for me as a bullet lube ingredient, and is beyond me how it could ever be used for it's intended purpose as a floor or furniture wax. Johnson's paste wax, alox, and mineral spirits is much better.

[Shiloh]

Keep the lube on the bullets THIN!!
Doesn't take much at all.

Shiloh