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Thread: How much alox?

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub qkdraw44's Avatar
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    How much alox?

    Hi all, i have been casting for many years using lee l alox. I read people saying a little goes a long way. I normaly lube about 50 to 70 heads at a time then size them then lube again. I use a glob of lube about the size of a small grape. Is this too much or too little? I also use it on all heads (lee micro band & standard lube groove).is that ok? Is that ok thanx lenny

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    Whatever it takes to cover them. When I use to use it I would lube size and lube again.
    "If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month."
    Theodore Roosevelt

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy

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    A glob the size of a grape is a lot more than I use.
    INFIDEL

  4. #4
    Boolit Master 1johnlb's Avatar
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    Just enough to coat each one. Use as little as possible alox builds up in the bore and causes flyers. Wet alox also causes flyers, so dry well.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    It is said that if you can see the Alox after tumbling your Boolits, you used too much. Two *light* coats are better than ones easy,,,,,,
    More "This is what happened when I,,,,," and less "What would happen if I,,,,"

    Last of the original Group Buy Honcho's.

    "Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by qkdraw44 View Post
    Hi all, i have been casting for many years using lee l alox. I read people saying a little goes a long way. I normaly lube about 50 to 70 heads at a time then size them then lube again. I use a glob of lube about the size of a small grape. Is this too much or too little? I also use it on all heads (lee micro band & standard lube groove).is that ok? Is that ok thanx lenny
    Don't use it on your head/heads, use Brylcreme.

  7. #7
    Boolit Bub
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    Whatever it takes to cover them, I agree

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    It usually depends on the thickness of the alox. I have bottles that are around the consistency of thick cream, and a bottle or two that is like chocolate pudding or peanut butter. If you are getting a lot of smoke or your seating dies are clogging up with alox, you're prolly using too much. Cut down the amount of alox and/or thin with mineral spirits. When I use alox I thin it to the consistency of whipping cream or a bit thinner and just use enough to give the bullets a light tan hue...

    I don't tumble as much as I once did, now I dip lube with alox or 45-45-10. No lube transfer onto my dies.
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Airman Basic's Avatar
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    Use half as much as you think you need, and you'll be close. Not kidding.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master trixter's Avatar
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    I have found that if you warm the Alox a little in the microwave ( just till you hear it slosh like water, Less than 14 sec for a full bottle but less as it gets used). YMMV And a little very little goes a long ways. If you think it is not enough it is probably too much.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master



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    I suggest that the 45/45/10 is a much better use of your Alox liquid lube:

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-amp-Mess-Free

    I mostly lube with my Star using Lars Carnauba Red. However, after my 45/45/10 is gone (I only tumble lube a couple of bullet designs) I will be trying Ben's Liquid Lube for tumble lubing. That looks easiest of all.

    Just a thought or two...

    Dale53

  12. #12
    Boolit Master


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    I read here - somewhere - where someone was using ballistol to cut their alox. I tried squirting a bit of ballistol in an alox bottle, not any specific amount but just enough to make the alox thinner. Squirt, shake, squirt again, after 3-4 short squirts the alox was slightly runny.

    I have lubed bullets with that, and with that same thinned alox with some JPW added to it, and a glob the size of a pea would do 20-25 bullets; a glob the size of a grape would do 250+, I imagine. Put them all in a jar, add lube, shake, spread on wax paper on sunny day, then store until needed.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    Shoot I bet I have 10 bottles i'll never use as I use hytek. Guess I should post em in S&S. That would last a lifetime for someone.
    Our house is protected by the Good Lord and a gun and you might meet them both if you show up here not welcome son!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master Garyshome's Avatar
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    crimping die clogging up with alox. I was using too much

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Ben's Liquid lube is a good potential replacer.

    Being 60% Johnson's liquid wax (One Step)
    And 40% Alox

    I used the liquid wax to wash the stiff sticky alox from the bottles, and I use a washed out Ragu jar to hold mine.

    I think it has the advantage over the alox and mineral spirits in that it incorporates another wax, along with the volitiles to spread out the alox and coat evenly.

    BE SPARING!

    Just takes a little, tumble them, set them out to dry.

    Been seeing some good results.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Ghosthawk,

    I think you have Bens LL ratio backwards. Its 60% LA and 40% JWP one step....

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    If You are set on just alox It is about the size of a pea per 100 heads ( Pistol) Yes that is all you need!
    " Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by DeadWoodDan View Post
    Ghosthawk,

    I think you have Bens LL ratio backwards. Its 60% LA and 40% Johnson's Liquid Wax ....

    YES ! ! .

    Ben's Liquid Lube

    60% Liquid Alox and 40% Johnson's Liquid Wax - one step - no buff .


    Ben
    Last edited by Ben; 01-23-2015 at 11:09 PM.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    My bad

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    If there is still lube in your pan after removing the boolits you used too much for sure. As far as boolit type goes, I have used Lee's A-Lox on all types of pistol and rifle boolits with acceptabe results. With some non-TL designs I have lubed them twice, as somebody else suggested, two thin coats.

    I also use it on a Lee 50cal 250gr REAL boolit. I use this boolit for a Pyrodex RS driven rifle load as cast AND sized down to .501" for a sub-sonic .500 S&W load that is an absolute tack driver.

    Motor

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