freshly lubed boolits sticking together=mess!

[squid1230]

What do you guys do with your boolits once lubed? I lubed a whole bunch the other day with that freebie black lube that came with my lyman lubrisizer and tossed them into a container. Now when I try to take them out and use them, the lube from boolit sticks to the other. Some boolist now have no lube, and others have twice as much smeared all over it. [smilie=b:

[wiljen]

Gentle heat will melt that stuff off so you can re-lube them. I usually coat with a little motor mica on the gooey lubes to keep em from doing that.

[runfiverun]

i lube and throw in a box or 5 gal bucket.
all my lubes are on the harder side though,like carnuba red consistency.

[fredj338]

What do you guys do with your boolits once lubed? I lubed a whole bunch the other day with that freebie black lube that came with my lyman lubrisizer and tossed them into a container. Now when I try to take them out and use them, the lube from boolit sticks to the other. Some boolist now have no lube, and others have twice as much smeared all over it. [smilie=b:

Yeah, that is the problem w/ gooey lubes, most containing Alox or lithium grease, is they are messy to work with. I went to a solid lube that requires a little heat & much prefer it (carnuba red) to softer lubes. When I was using sticky lubes, I stacked the bullet neatly in boxes to keep them somewhat separate.

[canyon-ghost]

I used the Lyman Moly lube at one time, it's not a bad lube. When I size and lube, with a lyman lubersizer, I put the bullets in a coffee can. I put a couple of teaspoons of ground mica in the bottom and then a layer of bullets about 2" thick, then spoon in some more mica. When the bullets aren't all white and frosty-looking, I roll the coffee can around to spread the mica.

Here's the great thing about mica, it's a lubricant all by itself. But as a finely ground mineral, it seperates the bullets and absorbs extra moisture. I don't even wipe it off until after I seat the bullet. It does take care of the vacant spots if they are small.

[canyon-ghost]

This mica is available from Midway USA .com and comes in one pound tubs. I usually change containers and pick the bullets back up out of the mica once they are coated. If it's not too dirty, it goes back in the tub. I have yet to use up an entire pound, but keep two all the time.
You'll see a lot of really pretty pictures of cast bullets here and this stuff isn't pretty but, it does shoot really good. Reminds me of that white graphite the automotive stores used to sell.

Careful, don't breathe this stuff.

Ron

[squid1230]

Thanks guys, I am almost done the freebie stuff and have my own felix lube on the hard side. It forces me to either buy, or make a lube heater as it doesn't push through very easily. In the mean time, I'll pick up some mica.

[c.robertson]

Hey squid1230, I was REALLLY happy to see your post on the black Lyman lube not sticking to the boolits. Not glad that it happened, but that someone else had that problem also. I had EXACTLY the same thing happen back in 1969 or 70.
Obviously Lyman has not changed their formula in 40 years. I wrote Lyman and they basically blew me off with 'Gee, we donno."
I had 80% + seperation from .44 Keith SWC.
Only suggestion I have is just get a good lube and redo them and don't EVER get Lyman Lube again. I switched to the NRA Alox & Beeswax and it worked just fine.

[geargnasher]

Thanks guys, I am almost done the freebie stuff and have my own felix lube on the hard side. It forces me to either buy, or make a lube heater as it doesn't push through very easily. In the mean time, I'll pick up some mica.

Go get a cheap hair dryer or a high-wattage lightbulb and use that for a lube heater. The bulb takes longer but doesn't require babysitting if you put it a spot lamp holder with an aluminum reflector.

Gear

[geargnasher]

What do you guys do with your boolits once lubed? I lubed a whole bunch the other day with that freebie black lube that came with my lyman lubrisizer and tossed them into a container. Now when I try to take them out and use them, the lube from boolit sticks to the other. Some boolist now have no lube, and others have twice as much smeared all over it. [smilie=b:

I stack my lubed boolits in neat rows in cigar boxes, then put a layer of cardboard cut to size, another layer of boolits, etc.

The cardboard is used as a package backer in Carquest gasket sets and is coated with paint on both sides that doesn't leave fuzz on the boolits.

This is handy because I can count the exact number of boolits by rows, since I know how many of a caliber will fit in each row, and the bottoms of my PB boolts never get dinged.

Gear

[stubshaft]

I stack them in the rubbermaid trays (45cal and larger) for the others I use BAC or if TL use motor mica also.

[Bwana]

My lubed bullets go into Speer 40/45 plastic cartridge trays. There are always plenty in the range trashcans and can be used again and again.
Since I use a blend of bees wax and paraffin 44/44% with 2% vasoline my lube can be sticky and so I place the trays into the freezer prior to placing the bullets into the cases. I seat all my rounds with a Lee Hand Tool.

[Hopalong]

About lubed bullets sticking together: the best solution I know of is to dust the freshly-lubed bullets with white graphite (aka Motor Mica). This takes a little time, but it my opinion it's worth it. Another possibility is to go to a harder lube, but that opens another can of worms.

Good luck,
Hopalong

[DLCTEX]

I have used corn starch instead of Motor Mica, in a pinch.

[Snyd]

I do what Bwana does as well. I too mix up beeswax and vaseline. I call it Sticky Blue. I pan lube with a cutter which is a tube from a ski pole about 10 inches long. I just cut em out, fill up the tube and dump em out the other en nose first into the plastic trays. I then wipe off the bases. When loading I'll clean up the noses as needed.