Solvent for bullet lube?

[Dtdk]

So I melted down a bunch of lubed bullets I had and without going into to much detail I created an unbelievable mess. Any suggestions for cleaning up lube would be great. I think it was mostly standard lyman lube.

[BLAHUT]

hoppes #9 if its in your lead pot just fill up and melt. just like fluxing.

[M-Tecs]

The lube should have melted and burnt off when you melted it? What type of mess do you have and how large of an area?

Hoppes #9 is mostly kerosene and ethanol per the MSDS.

https://www.hoppes.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-HuntShootAccessoriesSharedLibrary/default/dwfbc7ef45/productPdfFiles/hoppesPdf/sds/04e3a446-2860-4fdd-9e91-49ea662e5830.pdf

[JimB..]

Lubes are mostly wax.
Hopefully you have a “smelting” pot separate from your casting pot, something like a cast iron dutch oven or stainless steel pot.
Working outdoors, get the lead melting and then toss in a match, when it lights it’ll burn off the wax so it doesn’t smoke so much. Face shield and a little distance.

[Dtdk]

Thanks, I will try the hoppes. The melted lube got all over the bench I cast on and the top of the furnace I use for lead. I have a second smaller furnace I use for pewter thankfully. My smelting pot is to big for the 20 lbs of bullets I had to melt down.

[pworley1]

Paint thinner works on most.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If it's Lyman Super Moly bullet lube ...Good Luck, you have stained your bench for the next couple lifetimes.

If it's a standard wax based lube like 50-50, I'd use MS, but if you want something a bit friendlier for use in the house, try LA's Awesome from the Dollar store. It's the only household liquid cleaner/degreaser that I've found to cut the Alox that's in most wax based lubes and tumble lubes, but it may need some time soaking to penetrate the mess...AND Bonus, it's real cheap.

[gwpercle]

If it's conventional beeswax and alox or lithium lube , Ed's Red Bore Solvent cleaned up my 450 sizer/lubricator . Probably straight mineral spirits would also work .
What kind of lube is it and where is the mess ... in or on what .

If it is some Super Moly stuff I'm not sure it has a solvent ... try Acetone !

PS - Ed's Red is equal parts : Kerosene - Acetone - Mineral Spirits - GM Dexron ATF (automatic transmission fluid)
not only good for cleaning guns but cleans just about everything not plastic !
Gary

[Dtdk]

Well mi eral spirits have been working. It was on my table, furnace, floor, tools, and all my trays. Thankfully trays were all from the dollar store so they are cheap to replace.

[alfadan]

A heat gun or hair drier and paper towels to soak it up work pretty well.