Help!! Remove Bee /Alox from cast bullets

[Tom_et]

I cast about 400 Bullets in 45 (colt) and 357
and with a few Bumps all got done
I had a Guy make me some Bee's wax and Alox Mix in blocks
,I took the 2 Packages I had and set them in a Double cooker
I then Started My Problem ,I tend to get anxious and keeping
Going always thinking It'll work out well the darn Bwax /Alox was slow
Melting and my melt vessel was a bit small so (brain Storm) I poured
what was melted into my Pan full of Standing Defenders
UT Oh looks like when all is Melted I may not have enough to cover up to the
Lube Line ,But I kept going when all said and done I was low as I thought and
I also had poured on the tops of some of my Soldiers, it was late, I was beat, and new I could fix it.
WRONG
I got up this am went to the garage and got to my mess
I took the pan out side and pulled some and the Lube didn't stay in the Grove
SO between being low on most and the others Not sticking I just decided to
Rub them Roll /Pick what ever to Get them from the wax mix
Now I have 400 semi lubed and grossly Lubed Bullets
How do I remove this Nasty from them so I can just swirl them in some Liq.Alox
sorry for the winded post but I needed to tell it all
I have learned Never to Wax Lube again and to take time read more
I have thought about pouring Boiling water on them or Boiling the entire batch of Bullets,Please don't say I have to Melt um and re-cast
Thanks
Tommyt

[Casting Timmy]

I haven't ever done this, but I'd just put them in hot water or boil them. The wax will rise to the top and the bullets will stay on the bottom.

The thing I think you'll have to do is, let the whoel thing cool before rooming anything from the pot.

[giz189]

Yeah, just put them in hot enough water to melt the lube, then let it cool and you can lift the wax or lube sheet right out of the pot. Might not want to do it in the wifes' itchen or with one of he good pots either.

[Tom_et]

Ok guys sounds good enough but will it soften the Bullets
they a WW lead

Tommyt

[Blammer]

I'd not do that.

I'd scrap the lube off best I could, stand them up for the next pour of pan lubing.

Get the lube the way you want it and pour it in again, any little bit of lube left on the boolits will be melted and blend into the new hot lube coming in. Then peel out or better yet, Punch out with a caliber sized tube.

should be fine then.

If you're low on lube, just heat/melt more and add it to the ones already lubed, even if the lube has hardened, it'll work just fine.

if you do heat the water, you'll have to have it on simmer for about 20 - 30 min and probably stir vigorously to get the lube to come off the boolits. then let the whole mess sit till morning and let it cool and then skim the lube off the top then dump water and then dry your boolits.

[randyrat]

No water boils at 220 degs WWs melt at 500 degs All aprox

[ghh3rd]

Then peel out or better yet, Punch out with a caliber sized tube.
Put a hair blower on high and pass it back and forth over those boolits for a little bit, and I'll bet the lube will melt off. Melt some more lube and pour to fill the lube groove. Keep a little space between them.

Now go the the Goodwill store while it setting up, and find an old golf club with a tapered shank for $2. Cut the shank where the resulting hole will just fit over your boolits. May want to make some test cuts and move up until you hit just the right spot.

If you leave about a foot of shank, you'll have plenty to hold onto while cutting out boolits, and will only have to empty it perhaps every 25 boolits. Size them to remove excess lube, and perhaps to actually size them, and you're ready to go.

[Tom_et]

you know I don't own a Sizer .YET
I was wondering if I did in-fact size them if it would
clean the bullet then I could tumble in liquid Alox


Guys I'm a Bit concerned I melted the original 50/50 in my Kitchen
Did I risk my self and wifes Health

Tommyt

[Shiloh]

Ok guys sounds good enough but will it soften the Bullets
they a WW lead

Tommyt

No

Shiloh

[reloader28]

I wouldnt worry about any health risk at all in the kitchen. It might get smoky if you get it too hot.
I aint done alota pan lubing ,but I've done it a few times.

I had the same problem with the lube not staying in the groove, and I just put the bullets back in the hole and used a heat gun ( a hair drier should work) and melted it back down. You dont have to melt the hole block, just around the bullets, so it melts faster and cools faster. I think the groove actually fills out way better this way too. I've done it 4 or 5 times now this way and really like it.

BUT, dont let it be completely cold before you remove them tho. It seems to work better if its hard but still a little warm. Usually come out perfect that way. ( got that tip from someone on this forum) I also found out some bullets come out better backwards and some come out better forwards. Try both ways and see which works better for yours.

[Dan Cash]

you know I don't own a Sizer .YET
I was wondering if I did in-fact size them if it would
clean the bullet then I could tumble in liquid Alox


Guys I'm a Bit concerned I melted the original 50/50 in my Kitchen
Did I risk my self and wifes Health

Tommyt

Only if your wife caught you.

[Recluse]

Another good example of why I call it "pain lubing." :)

There's another thing to consider, here:

If you do not get all lube off the boolits, but then go ahead and swirl them in alox, you're going to have a funky mix of lube on the boolits--and, you'll still have an excess of lube on them. No telling how they'll shoot, plus you know they're dang well gonna smoke worse than a brush fire and they're going to gum things up.

Sorry, but I'd toss them back in the pot, smelt 'em and re-cast 'em and figure the lesson I learned was to take my time and never get in a hurry again.

Stings a little, but those are the best lessons.

:coffee:

[D Crockett]

tommt you should talk to your teacher he he he D Crockett

[ammohead]

Heat them slowly in an oven in a old cookie sheet with a throwaway cotton towel in the bottom. As the lube melts it will wick into the towel. Wearing oven mits you can shake the pan as to roll the boolits about. They come quite clean.

ammohead

[dmen]

Newspaper works as well as the towel and don't let the oven go over 300 deg F. dmen

[Lead Fred]

I just threw them back into the pot and melted them down.
Just do it outside so the smoke dont fill your garage like it did mine

[Wayne Smith]

Just pan lube again. If you don't have any more lube use a smaller pan.

[Tom_et]

OK
I am lucky enough where the Bride of 35+ doesn't mind what I do, so I put them standing back in the Oven at 260* and i have an oven with a Forced Fan heat option
I hit the fan Option and most all the Lube went to the bottom of the bullets
I took a old Glove and a Diaper picked them up a sm. handful at a time rubbed them in the Diaper I then while warm tumbled them in Liquid Alox ,not I have dried them in the Florida sunshine and I have a Nice Lightly discolored batch Bullets with a Hair of tack to them and I mean a Hair
So today i have #1 grandson(7mo's) and I can't get him to pull the Lever like his bigger sister so I'll wait till tomorrow to Load them up
I do think I may have a smoking gun ? :) but I'm not at all worried about them or the smoke

Do you folks think it will work ?

[giz189]

Who would have thought every one would do it so differently and each guy has a different way. I have done the same thing and have cleaned them at least two of the ways mentioned and either way is usually a bit of a mess. All part of a learning curve. Whichever way you end up doing it i'm sure you will be okay. Lucky for you your wife does not mind you using her stove. Mine was not quite so understanding.

[DLCTEX]

I'd boil them in water. The temp will not exceed 212 degrees at your elevation so no harm will be done to the boolits, and with boiling no stirring is necessary.

[Recluse]

OK
and I have a Nice Lightly discolored batch Bullets with a Hair of tack to them and I mean a Hair
So today i have #1 grandson(7mo's) and I can't get him to pull the Lever like his bigger sister so I'll wait till tomorrow to Load them up
I do think I may have a smoking gun ? :) but I'm not at all worried about them or the smoke

Do you folks think it will work ?

Reckon so. You'll get a little smoke regardless, what that is what LLA/alox does--it smokes.

In the meantime, enjoy #1 grandson and maybe get his arm flexing and building up the Reloading Maximum Pressus Leverus muscles in his arm in order to pull the lever when he gets older. :)

:coffee:

[Dale53]

Tom ET;
Send me your Email address in a PM. I'll send you my article on EXACTLY how to pan lube with success.

Dale53

[Tom_et]

Dale53
Email sent via PM

Thanks
Tommyt

[sheepdog]

I'd just stick them back in the pot and recast. About the same amount of effort as trying to clean them up.

[jcwit]

I've just always washed the lube off with gas. Use carefully and common sense, no problem.