Alox Group Buy Possibilities

[wiljen]

I have been watching the discussions of lubes on the boards and it seems that lee liquid alox (LLA) is amongst the most popular around.

I have done a little research and found that LLA is Lubrizol Alox 606-55 this means it is 55% Alox 606 /45% mineral Spirits. Lubrizol also sells Alox 606 straight and Alox 606-70 which might be the best mix yet.

My understanding is that the straight 606 is hard to cut/dilute as it requires boiling it with mineral spirits presenting a considerable fire hazard.

The other problem is that Lubrizol doesn't sell in less than 5 gallon volume. I have heard rumblings about it being $75 a bucket + shipping and currently have requested pricing for Alox 606-55 and Alox 606-70.

Would there be interest in buying 5-10 gallons and dividing it up or even a 55 gallon drum depending on interest/cost and doing this as a group buy kind of design?

[jwhite]

I would be interested in this as an option for cheap lube. I use Lee Alox for all my cast bullets and think it is great. I think gallon jugs would be just right, that would last quite a while.
Jerry

[btr-cj]

I would be interested also.

Alox 350 can be used for 50/50 mix but does anyone know if it can be used for making LLA?

Or maybe straight 606 can be used for making 50/50.

It would be nice to have one product to make both.

[Little Joe]

This Lee brown Alox is very good lube and I would be interested in some.

I will keep an eye on this one.

Little Joe

[njmj]

I'd be interested in a gallon also. One question while we're at it, these different numbers seem to be the concentration of the alox compared to the mineral spirits. Once it dries on the bullets isn't it all the same thing? It seems like the real problem is, if you were to get straight alox it might be too much of a pia to mix with mineral spirits. I swear this stuff smells like good ol'e cosmoline. NJMJ

[wiljen]

I tend to agree NJMJ that the pure 606 would probably create more hassles than it solves. I was thinking that the 606-70 might be the best fit as I've read many times of applying multiple applications of 606-55 to get the thickness/coverage people wanted. 606-70 might be a good compromise for 1 dip lubing. I will attempt to get a sample of 606-70 to coat a few bullets with as a test and report my findings.

[alamogunr]

I would be interested also.

Alox 350 can be used for 50/50 mix but does anyone know if it can be used for making LLA?

Or maybe straight 606 can be used for making 50/50.

It would be nice to have one product to make both.

I've got some of both. They are definitely different products. I have only diluted the 606-55 to use as a tumble lube. Have not tried this with the 350. The info I have on the 350(from other casters, not Lubrizol) says to mix it 50-50 with beeswax and a small amount of microcrystalline wax. I will do this as soon as I run out of the old Alox/beeswax concoction.

Before deciding to get a 55 gal drum, make sure that you have enough interest to dispose of it. The 5 gal buckets I have is a tremendous amount for an individual to use up, especially if you are mixing 50-50 with beeswax. Whoever is the volunteer distributer will have his hands full acquiring shippable containers and filling them. I have shipped some of each to one individual for trial after he expressed an interest. I don't know how it worked out for him, but it is messy to try to fill a quart can with either material. I'm not interested in doing it again.
John

[wiljen]

I would be interested also.

Alox 350 can be used for 50/50 mix but does anyone know if it can be used for making LLA?

Or maybe straight 606 can be used for making 50/50.

It would be nice to have one product to make both.

I recall reading the 350 was never intended to dry so I don't think it will work for making an LLA clone. Straight 606 is difficult to dissolve in boiling mineral spirits and I dont know about its solubility in beeswax so I am not sure it would work for 50/50.

I believe Whitelabellube (LAR45) sells alox 350 by the quart now for about $18 by the time its shipped (don't hold him to that price as its my memory - not his statement)

It might also be possible to do a group buy for some of both 350 and 606-55 or 606-70 depending on what people have a desire for.

[alamogunr]

Straight 606 is difficult to dissolve in boiling mineral spirits

If you are not in a hurry, I dissolved the 606 in a can with mineral spirits by setting it in the sun last summer. I actually used a clear plastic jar so I could see the progress. About 3 hours did the job by stirring about once an hour.

[wiljen]

If you are not in a hurry, I dissolved the 606 in a can with mineral spirits by setting it in the sun last summer. I actually used a clear plastic jar so I could see the progress. About 3 hours did the job by stirring about once an hour.

Ok, so straight 606 is a possibility. That sounds even better to me and let people cut it to the proportion they want. Have you tried to make 50/50 out of 606?

[trooperdan]

I'd be interested in a gallon just 'cause I like to experiment!

[alamogunr]

Ok, so straight 606 is a possibility. That sounds even better to me and let people cut it to the proportion they want. Have you tried to make 50/50 out of 606?

Sorry! In my hurry to post, I left the impression that I diluted straight 606. Not so. I started with 606-55. Even at that dilution it is still a glopy(?) solid. I can't imagine what straight 606 is like.

No, I have not tried to make 50/50 from the 606-55.

I'll try to be more careful in the future when talking about specific products.

John

[wiljen]

Ok so Straight 606 is probably not a good possibility then. I had heard that but was hoping your first hand experience was proving otherwise. We should probably stick with the 606-70 or 606-55 (pun intended).

[btr-cj]

I would be interested in a gallon of 350 and/or 606 of whatever mix we decide on.


My thoughts on diluting the 606 was to put it in a crock pot and let it cook. Using the crock would not expose any open flame when you add the mineral spirits. I see crock pots at garage sales around here for about $3 to $5. Seems like you should be able to add mineral spirits after awhile. This is pure speculation on my part as I have never seen any flavor of Alox in person. (Except LLA)


Maybe if we get enough people who are hard headed (like myself) and want to prove it to themselves that strait 606 is not easy to mix we can add a 5gal bucket to our order to divide up. No telling what kind of mischief we can get into with a little of that.

Thanks,
C.J.

[45nut]

Lar45..lsstuff from the link down below sells alox...FYI

"Alox 2138F is no longer being made, Alox 350 is the current replacement from Lubrizol.
This is the Alox used in our 50/50, Alox 2500+ and BAC lubes.
I now have Alox 350 for sale in 1 quart cans for $9.32. Holds aprox 2 lbs."

[njmj]

Well this last post sure quieted things down. Is everyone else here as confused as I am? I tried going to the link and searching for alox 350 but come up empty. njmj

[45nut]

http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/order.html

[44woody]

gentlemen I make alox350 and mineral spirits alot I also make alox/bees wax 50/50 to and have been shooting both for about 2 years now the way you mix the alox350 and mineral spirits is you put a contaner in a double bolier and just melt the alox then add the same amount of mineral spitits to it do your bullets the same way as lee liquid alox is a cool whip contaner the only drow back is it takes about 7 to 10 days to dry to make alox350 and bees wax melt the bees wax in a double bolier then melt the alox350 stir up real good pour into your moulds if any body has any quistons pm me and I will try to answer them 44Woody

[wiljen]

Ok, I have gotten all the material lined up and here is what I know at this point.

Lee liquid Alox is actually repackaged Alox-606-55-HF. The distinction from earlier is the HF which stands for high flash and moves the product into the class of combustible instead of flammable when considering shipping. This means it can be shipped without additional charges. Lubrizol does not currently offer a 606-70 HF formulation so our choice is made for us as I assume no one wants to pay more for shipping than for the product.

I can purchase Alox-606-55-HF from a local shop that specializes in making machine oils and cooling fluids (PM for details as he has surplus of some of his custom blends too). The shop owner is willing to sell it to us at his cost + a dinner I owe him if I will just pick the 55 gallon drum up from his dock upon arrival.

I have worked out the costs as follows: (Assuming 51 gallons worth of interest - I'll take the other 4)

1 gallon Alox-606-55-HF $24.00
Packaging $7.00
Shipping $8.10 (flat rate USPS box)
Total $39.10 per gallon


For comparison sake LLA is currently $3.49 + shipping for a 4oz bottle (midway price).
If we assume a gallon is on the light side of liquid measure (6lbs) that would bring the price of purchasing 1 gallon through midway to $83.76 + shipping. If we assume a gallon is on the heavier side (8lbs) the price jumps to $111.68 + shipping. Overall if we buy a 55 gallon drum we cut the price by at least half.

I will run this as a group buy if we have enough interest to make it viable. If we buy at quantities below the 55 gallon drum there are surcharges in addition to a higher price per gallon that very quickly bring the price back in line with LLA. (At 20 gallons purchased it runs $10 more per gallon compared to our 55 gallon price).

So based on the thread so far - I think we have about 8-10 gallons spoken for - chime in if you are interested and lets see.

Wiljen

[trooperdan]

I'd take a gallon, should be nearly a lifetime supply of LLA for me!