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Thread: Repeating lubed bullets

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Repeating lubed bullets

    So I have about 15 Or so pounds of of lubed cast bullets I would like to melt down. Can I Just put them all in my pot at the same time and let the lube burn off? I am nervous about adding them to a pot of molten lead incase the tinsel fairy visits. I would rather let them all heat up slowly.
    Last edited by Dtdk; 09-17-2022 at 02:18 AM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    Toss 'em in a cold pot and melt them down. I'd do it outdoors, you're gonna have a lot of smoke.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    yes, cold pot, out doors. then flux a couple of times?

  4. #4
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    I usually use a heatgun, to melt unwanted lube off of boolits.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
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  5. #5
    Boolit Bub
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    Thanks guys

  6. #6
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    stubshaft's Avatar
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    With all of that lube burning off you don't need to flux. When it starts to smoke heavily just light it with a match.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

  7. #7
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    Mr Peabody's Avatar
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    You might want some kitty litter to throw on top of the melt, soaks up the lube and kills the smoke

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by stubshaft View Post
    With all of that lube burning off you don't need to flux. When it starts to smoke heavily just light it with a match.
    Same here. I'll be doing that soon with some commercial .44 swc that I recieved.

    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Boolit Master WRideout's Avatar
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    If you really don't want all the smoke, you can easily boil off the lube (if it's conventional grease or wax based.) Just put them in an empty tin can with some water and boil them. As it cools, the lube will float to the top. After it hardens up a bit, just peel it off, then dump out the clean boolits.

    Wayne
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  10. #10
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    I have dropped a half handful of lubed bullets (mostly 44 250 gr.) into a pot with melted alloy. Nuttin' happened except smoke...
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  11. #11
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    No bad answers above, but I would do this: cold pot, outdoors and a thick layer of pine bedding shavings to help soak up the liquid lube. Same process I use for roofing joints with a lot of tar on them. works like a charm.
    Tony

  12. #12
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    Also ... just be aware , when beeswax reaches about 400 - 425 degrees it will flash and catch on fire ... be aware this will happen and not a bad idea to have a lid for the pot and a fire extinguisher in case things get out of hand . Don't spray the melt with fire extinguisher ...put lid on pot ... the flames will go out after the beeswax burns off ...
    If you don't know of beeswax's Flash and Fire point ... it can scare the Beejeezus out of you .
    Be careful and do it outdoors on concrete slab .
    Stirring the mix helps makes the fire go out ... but be careful when it's burning !
    Gary
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  13. #13
    Boolit Bub
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    I just dump a small handfull into my Lee bottom pour, works as flux for me. Large amount I'd do in a cold smelting pot outside. Since I switched to pc, I use my old wax type lube for flux

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
    Also ... just be aware , when beeswax reaches about 400 - 425 degrees it will flash and catch on fire ... be aware this will happen and not a bad idea to have a lid for the pot and a fire extinguisher in case things get out of hand . Don't spray the melt with fire extinguisher ...put lid on pot ... the flames will go out after the beeswax burns off ...
    If you don't know of beeswax's Flash and Fire point ... it can scare the Beejeezus out of you .
    Be careful and do it outdoors on concrete slab .
    Stirring the mix helps makes the fire go out ... but be careful when it's burning !
    Gary
    I prefer it to catch on fire. It greatly reduces the smoke. I add a match to the mix to help get the fire going.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by dondiego View Post
    I prefer it to catch on fire. It greatly reduces the smoke. I add a match to the mix to help get the fire going.
    Yeah ... Me Too , but if you aren't aware of what melted beeswax does when it reaches it's "Flash Point" and the pot all of a sudden bursts into flames ... it tends to un-nerve you !
    I was just warning the OP about that little thing that can happen !
    Gary
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
    Yeah ... Me Too , but if you aren't aware of what melted beeswax does when it reaches it's "Flash Point" and the pot all of a sudden bursts into flames ... it tends to un-nerve you !
    I was just warning the OP about that little thing that can happen !
    Gary
    I agree, it was kind of a surprise when it first happened to me!

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    When the 'flux' burns it is removing O2 from the immediate surface of the melt and 'reduces' the tin back into the alloy. What it is supposed to do. Just melting on the top does nothing but accumulate any trash that floated to the top.
    Whatever!

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