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Thread: So you can't afford one ?

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master
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    So you can't afford one ?

    Maybe you can't afford a Lube- Sizer right now. Here is a way to get around spending that $150 +.

    There is a sticky on this , but here is a " refresher " for you.

    If you have a mold and some Hornady g/c's , the rest of this is pennies and you'll end up with bullets that shoot groups as well ( or possibly better ) than those from your $150 lube sizer. Here is a group fired with bullets using this system :

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d/IMG_1075.jpg

    My photos show a metal pan, after more work I've determined that isn't the best melting pan to use. Go to a thrift store and buy and old skillet. An old aluminum one will work just fine as long as the bottom is FLAT.

    If you go the fruit juice can route, cut the bottom out leaving about a 1.5 " rim around the bottom of the can ( see photos below). I'm using home made lube, you can use whatever bullet lube you have.

    This example is for .30 cal, but this process can easily be used for 8 mm, .35 cal, .41, .44 or .45 cal. cast bullets just as well.

    You'll need to determine the size of cast bullet you want to fire out of your rifle or pistol. In my case, I shoot an awful lot of .310" dia. cast bullets in my 06's and 308 Win. rifles. So I took a .310 dia. sized cast bullet and a a fired 30 / 06 case that would barely slide over the .310 dia. bullet with little or no resistance.

    Drill out the flash hole of the case and put a 20 penny nail through that hole. Turn the head of the nail to about .295 " , put a little wooden dowel on the end of the nail and your finished.

    See photos :





    It is interesting to note that a lot of lub sizers come from the factory with top punch / sizer die mis - alignment. The issue of mis - alignment can and will size one side of a bullet more than the other side of the bullet , wrecking accuracy. This system is free of that problem, a bullet is sized WITHOUT any mis - alignment.



    Melt your lube slowly and don't over heat the lube. Lube can and will be damaged if it gets too hot.





    In the photo below the bullets that have already been sized .310" and had their g/cs installed are placed in molten lube to the proper height and allowed to cool in the lube until the lube turns into a solid.





    Last edited by Ben; 12-09-2012 at 05:11 PM.

  2. #2
    Le Loup Solitaire
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    lubing & cake cutting

    That is an excellent tutorial on pan lubing and cake cutting. It is clearly written and well illustrated. I am sure that it will help many of our members both new and old to prepare their castings for their use. LLS

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
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    Thumbs up

    Very creative, Ben. And, once again, the photos are excellent!

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master







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    Reminds me of the good old days when all I could afford was pan lube and cake cutting. Works well, and there area some good memories of back then.
    1Shirt!
    "Common Sense Is An Uncommon Virtue" Ben Franklin

    "Ve got too soon old and too late smart" Pa.Dutch Saying

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    I like your concept on the Kake Cutter . Simple, well thought out. Will have to make up a couple to play with.
    Always trying to use the bullets "as cast". They always seem to work better.



  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Thanks fellows,

    Most of you understand ( and hence can appreciate what you are seeing ) the concept because you've done it before.

    My efforts above are really directed towards some of the young reloaders that may have been hedging a little bit on their commitment to casting. I'd hoped that they would read this and realize they don't have to have hundreds of $'s to get into casting, lubing and sizing their own bullets.

    I was an educator for 25 years, I guess a little bit of it is still in my blood.

    Ben
    Last edited by Ben; 06-11-2011 at 08:57 PM.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Today, I decided to step up production a little. I didn't like the bottom of the
    pan not being smooth, so I got a larger pan that had a smooth bottom .
    The bullets in the pan are Lyman .30 cal. 31141 g/c HP's.





    Here they are after using the " Kake Cutter " to remove them from the solidified lube .
    It is important to note that I made no attempt to clean the bullets, I simply held the Kake Cutter over the box and hit the ejector button.......this is what they looked like as they fell into the box :

    Last edited by Ben; 06-13-2011 at 09:01 PM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    and this is why i love it here

  9. #9
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    I have a Lyman 450, but I'm becoming a real fan of Lee push thru and a slightly modified "Recluse" tumble lube formula.

    I find it faster, minus the dry time of course, installs checks well and the lube works great.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Sweet. THanks, man–great tutorial.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master
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    This goes to show that you don't need lots of equipment to get good results. I bet Ben puts those pan lubed, low tech bullets into tiny little groups too. Amazing what you can do even when going low tech.
    Thanks for reminding us that it is the quality of the bullet and prep, not the equipment, that makes for good results. You don't need lots of "stuff" to make a good bullet.

    Thanks Ben.
    Last edited by btroj; 06-15-2011 at 08:00 AM. Reason: Ttpo

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
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    btroj :

    I bet Ben puts those pan lubed, low tech bullets into tiny little groups too.

    Interesting you should say that........

    This is an actual group that I fired with my hvy barrel stainless , 308 Win. with the above spire pt. bullets lubed and sized with the system as described . I'd like to include these photos so that you'll see you don't have to accept " sub par " performance if you choose to use this system to size and lube your bullets :

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d/IMG_1075.jpg

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...d/PICT0007.jpg
    Last edited by Ben; 06-15-2011 at 09:52 AM.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    Outstanding presentation !

    Good to see you found a "STAR" production grade pan !

    Jerry
    S&W .38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Jerry:

    I'm hoping that this article will get some young shooters interested in casting and lubing their own bullets. When we all started MANY yrs. ago, we had a lot of testosterone and a very little bit of money. Probably the same now for these young guys.

    If this article helps to get some young casters going and they enjoy the hobby and move forward with their shooting and casting, it will be well worth my efforts.

    BTW.... that Star production grade pan cost me a lot of money at the thrift store, ( .49 ).

    Best,

    Ben
    Last edited by Ben; 12-09-2012 at 05:15 PM.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Lee still offers (last time I checked) aluminum "cookie cutters" in a variety of calibers...I have purchased a few directly from them...I suggest you call them first should you want one. Mine are in the .22 & the .30 Calibers.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Top notch work Ben. One simple alternative to your elegant cake cutter is to just saw off
    the head, the boolits pop out of the top as you cut the next one.

    I think the lid from a cookie tin would be a good pan, too.

    Of course, the second set is done with the boolits set into the holes from the previous batch
    and then a heat gun makes quick work of reheating.

    Compared to the stink, stickness and common failures of LLA, I think I will send all
    the "I can't get my TL boolit to work in 9mm" guys here for the best alternative at a
    low cost.

    Bill
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  17. #17
    Boolit Mold
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    Wow that is pretty ingenious. Thank you for this method since it is going to be the way I have to do things for the near future. Great name for the device by the way.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    I have to try the lid from the cookie tin, never thought of that myself!

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  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master
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    The cookie tin may or may not work. Once you get that lube liquid, I usually feel a little better if there is 3/4 " or more of rim above the liquid. Don't know if the cookie tin lid will give you that or not ?

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Today I changed pans, I think I like this one the best. Here are SAECO 315's , g/c'd and sized .311" sitting in my " Ben's Blue Lube " waiting on the lube to solidify and then I'll cut them out with the " Kake Cutter".

    Here is a link on the " Blue Lube " :

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=118838

    It doesn't take long to accumulate some bullets with this system. There are about 50 bullets in the pan and there is room for quite a few more.

    Ben




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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check