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View Full Version : How do you take the sticky out of liquid alox



seabat0603
03-11-2009, 11:00 PM
I am sizing bullet 358432 to .358 using a lee push through die. I lubed the bullets with the supplied liquid alox. That stuff is sticky to say the least. After I let it sit over night, what if anything is there to make the bullets less sticky? The lee die says I have to lube the bullet prier to sizing, is there any other lube suggestions out there if I decide not to use the lee alox? Thanks for your input-seabat0603

rockrat
03-12-2009, 08:30 AM
I have read about some people tumbling the boolits with powdered graphite to get rid of the stickiness, if you stick with the LLA. I usually move them aound and let dry a couple more days.

garandsrus
03-12-2009, 08:47 AM
I dust the boolits with powdered Mica after the lube has dried...

Also, make sure that you are putting on a thin coat of LLA. It doesn't take much! The most common cause for "sticky boolits" is too heave a coat of Alox.

John

45nut
03-12-2009, 11:33 AM
As shipped from lee the alox is too thick, thin it by half with mineral spirits then apply. You do not need to see a thick brown coat, all you need is a think "golden" look, better to apply two thin coats for both drying speed and to reduce the stickiness.
and yes,, powdered mica will do well to reduce it also, but the main problem is too much, too thick.

sqlbullet
03-12-2009, 11:43 AM
I don't lube mine prior to sizing. I use a cotton swab and apply a little of the LLA to the inside of the sizing die about every 10-15 bullets. I lube when I have completed the sizing.

I also size immediately after casting (no more than 12 hours). My allow age hardens, and the softer they are, the easier they size.

Agree with the above. Cut the lube with mineral spirits, dust with graphite or mica lightly. I think next time I lube I am going to try the 'dip' method where just the base gets dipped in thinned LLA. Being a little anal, I have to clean the nose of the bullet after I load up, and that is a pain. Also bugs me to through away a paper towed with enough LLA on it to lube 5 bullets. (Yes, that makes me a cheapskate.)

Nazgul
03-12-2009, 02:21 PM
I usa a light dusting of baby powder.

Don

turbo1889
03-12-2009, 08:38 PM
Yes, the dusting with Mica Powder, Graphite Powder, or Baby Powder all work to make the Lee tumble lube goo less sticky -- as well as thinning it.

In additon you can also use Johnson's Paste Wax (hardwood floor wax) and the various brands of car polish wax as alternate tumble lubes -- the JPW must be warmed up to "bath water temp" in a double boiler set-up, or if your careful and only do a few seconds at a time and work up to temp, in a microwave and then tumbled. Both produce a much harder and less sticky end result.

Best I have found so far for large batches is to use JPW with just a couple little squirts of the Lee goo added. Straight JPW leaves a slightly brittle coating that can flake off during sizing -- just a little bit of the Lee goo added and you have a hard non-sticky finish that sticks to the boolits really good and won't flake off. For small batches I use the Turtle brand wet/dry spray on car wax that comes in the spray bottle and apply it in a mist to warm bullets.

pjh421
04-08-2009, 10:55 PM
I was reading these posts and was reminded of the aluminum aerosol can I bought at Harbor Freight. I put some Shooter's Choice in mine with about 50psi. It works great so far, although I'm kind of surprised the bore cleaner hasn't eaten the plastic parts yet.

Anyway, I'll bet this would be pretty slick for keeping and applying mineral spirits mixed with LLA.

Paul

cwskirmisher
04-10-2009, 09:22 AM
I am sizing bullet 358432 to .358 using a lee push through die. I lubed the bullets with the supplied liquid alox. That stuff is sticky to say the least. After I let it sit over night, what if anything is there to make the bullets less sticky? The lee die says I have to lube the bullet prier to sizing, is there any other lube suggestions out there if I decide not to use the lee alox? Thanks for your input-seabat0603


Hey "SeaBat" from CVW-13 - you an old hummer (E-2C) guy from VAW-127 & Coral Sea?