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Thread: Help needed

  1. #1
    Boolit Master ACC's Avatar
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    Help needed

    I am helping a young man get started in bullet casting and he cannot afford a lube sizer so he read about cookie cutters for lubing bullets in a cake pan. What size piece of pipe would be used to make one for .357 and .40?

    ACC

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    find a piece of rifle brass that will fit over the bullet closely, then you have the primer hole to use to push out the bullet.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    When I pan lube, I do so in a round 9” cake pan. I warm the bullets and pan in the oven, pour the melted lube over them for the first batch, then just place bullets in the holes and warm the pan for all the subsequent batches. When the cake is warm but not cold, you can dump it upside down and it’ll fall out of the pan. Then, you can push the bullets out of the cake base first and they will retain the lube. No cake cutter required. Tumble lube is also an option.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    Tumble lube --> think 22 LR projectiles; the boolit is completely emersed (or at least through the lube groove(s)), swizzled around in a solution of liquid lube (Alox or other), and set upright on its base to dry, wiping any excess from the boolit base (or not) before seating in the charged case.

    Pan lube --> Set individual boolits upright in a pan (cast iron, aluminum, heat tolerant). Slowly pour melted lube into the pan such that the lube groove(s) is covered. Cut/push boolits out when the lube cake solidifies. A run through the freezer solidifies the melt quickly. The ID of a "pipe" to cut boolits from the lube cake will equal boolit diameter plus 0.002" (+/-). YMMV. A fired case from that chamber might be sufficient. Punch out the primer so there is a hole through which to push out the lubed boolit [BLAHUT]. The closer the cutter fits the boolit diameter the less excess lube there will be on the perimeter of the cut boolit, which excess can lead to a mess when seating the boolit. Bazoo's way is another that works well too...
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  5. #5
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    My method is similar to that described in post #2. I find a piece of brass that closely fits the diameter of the bullet. It can be the neck or body. Cut off the case head so you're left with just a tube. When the lube dries around the bullet use the tube to cut the bullet out of the lube by just pushing down around the bullet. Then set it on top of the next one and push again. After 3 or 4 the first one will fall out into the palm of your hand. Just set it aside and continue on with the next one, etc.

    Depending on exactly what you're casting, Lee Tumble Lube remains an option. Not pretty, but effective.

    DG

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    I use a section of tapered golf shaft. Find t he section just large enough to let the bullet in and cut it the length you like. I champfer the inside and sharpen the outside. It cuts clean and easy, and the bullets are pushed out the top as you cut.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    Has he considered Powder coating? A $5.00 to $10.00 toaster oven from a yard sale and a pound of powder from Eastwood or one of the vendors here and he is in business.
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by ACC View Post
    I am helping a young man get started in bullet casting and he cannot afford a lube sizer so he read about cookie cutters for lubing bullets in a cake pan. What size piece of pipe would be used to make one for .357 and .40?

    ACC
    Here you go.

    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-a-Budget-quot
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  9. #9
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    Here's a thread explaining how to make them that may help.

    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-Cutter-Photos.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
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  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    My .357" cake cutter is made from an empty 35 Remington Case with the primer flash hole drilled out larger for a wooden skewer to push the boolits out with .
    Any 35 cal. rifle case can be used ... 358 Win. , 350 Remington Magmum , 35 - 06 .

    You can take a 308 Win. or 30-06 or 8 X 57 case and expand the neck with your .357" expander and use as cake cutter ... sharpen the mouth with de-burring tool to make cutting out easier . Clean sharp cuts let you place new boolits back in the holes and re-melt lube in pan .

    This was how I stated lubing boolits in 60's !
    Ask wife or mother to give you a old cake pan ... they get really mean when you use one of their good pans ... Trust Me , ask !
    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 09-19-2022 at 12:04 PM.
    Certified Cajun
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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