[Carroll B]

Got the remainder of my casting equipment today, my Lee production 4 furnace and Lee .429 sizer. I cast some bullets for my .44 mag this past Monday using my lead pot and camp stove. I tried several methods of lubing them with Alox. All were very messy even wearing latex gloves. I tried the Alox straight from the bottle and also tried it cut it about 30% with mineral spirits. I placed the lubed bullets on a piece of sheet metal to dry. Tried the same methods tonight without any improvement. I did place a small fan on the lubed bullets to aid in drying the Alox. How much is a drizzle of Alox on the bullets placed in a small plastic tub? Surely someone must have an easy way to cover the bullets without covering half of the garage in doing it. At the rate I have used the Alox I will be lucky to cover 400 bullets and the bottle says it should cover 1000.

 

[imashooter2]

Sounds to me like you are using way too much liquid alox. I use an old cool whip tub to swirl the bullets in just like it says on the bottle. A drizzle is not very much... a scant tablespoon maybe for 2 or 3 hundred bullets. You want a VERY thin coating on the bullets. If you want more lube, swirl them again after they dry overnight. Heck, once I ran out of lube and put the bullets in the tub with a couple tablespoons of mineral spirits and lubed them by dissolving old deposits off the side of the tub. They worked fine.

 

[Carroll B]

imashooter2: You're right I am using too much lube. I poured the Alox in a small plastic container and then cut it with the mineral spirits. The bullets are submerged in the Alox. I just figured you needed to get it into the lube groves like the commerical bullets I bought that were lubed with the blue or red hard lube. Without sites like this one the learning curve would be much longer.

 

[IDShooter]

I made the same mistake when I first used the Alox. But all you need is a little squirt. I lube my bullets in a coffee can, squirt in a little lube and slosh then around until they're coated. A VERY thin coat is all you need. Sometimes I can hardly see the Alox on some of the bullets, but if they are fit properly they won't lead.

Good Luck! IDShooter

 

[imashooter2]

I think one of the reasons the LA works so well is that it coats the bearing surfaces of the bullets instead of just the grooves.

 

[halfbreed]

Carrol B, also when i use the Alox lube, I use a pair of large tweezers to pick up the bullets with. It is a lot cleaner than using my fingers. Gloves or not. then I put them on a peice of wax paper to dry, then when they are dry as they are going to get. I lightly tumble them with generic baby powder.
This keeps them from sticking together as bad.

Halfbreed

 

[imashooter2]

There shouldn't be enough lube left in the container to pour out when you spill the bullets onto wax paper. Use less lube and stop handling bullets one at a time with tweezers.

 

[Carroll B]

Someone emailed me and said they use a small zip-lock bag to apply the lube. Saturday I dumped some bullets into a baggie, squirted in about 1/4 teaspoon of Alox and kneaded the bag for a minute. Dumped out the bullets and let them dry. I couldn't see the lube on the bullets but you could detect it by feeling them. Compared to my first experience I was using 50 times too much lube.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[BUFFALO BOB]

Carroll B

If you have a hot air paint stripper place your bullets in a qt. plastic container and blast them for a minute or so while shaking them every so often till they are quite warm to the touch. Then squeeze a little LA on them and shake them well then pour out on wax paper too dry.

I've used this method and found you will not have too cut it with anything and that bottle should last till the cows come home. Enjoy..............Bob

 

[Blackhawk44]

Here's the easy way. About a teaspoon of Alox in a ziplock freezer bag, then add couple tablespoons of 70% rubbing alcohol (doesn't attack the bag, mix not very exact just make it thin), squish around to mix, then add big handfull of bullets. Gently roll bullets around in bag, then gently sqeeze them out onto wax paper or tin foil to let dry. Add more bullets. When done, squeeze air out of bag and zip closed for next time, then just add a little alcohol to start. bag will last for years. No extra equipment that's not in the kitchen already and nothing on your hands. Bottle of Alox will easily do over a 1000. After shooting, you'll be suprised how little it takes and how easy.

 

[Mwk177]

I also use a ziplock baggie and pour out onto wax paper. I use alot more than most though.


I also came up with the only way I will ever use the Moly coating. I mix a very small amount with the LA and coat my bullets with them. I have yet to see signs of residue and I rarely ever see any real leading in the barrel of my .454.

Even when using hot loads. I should say that my bullets are gas check style. I know alot of people hate the Moly, but I hate scrubbing lead out of barrels worse


MK

 

[halfbreed]

mwk177,
Do you ever use copper chore boys to get the lead out? It only takes a little to get the job done. And very quickly at that.
How much leading do you get? are the bullets sized properly?
I get some leading, but my groups are very good, and it only takes a moment to remove the lead. .44 mag 255 grain hc, swc's.

 

[crookedshot]

Try covering them with baby powder when they dry. I put them in a small bowl and sprinkle the baby powder in and swirl it like I was lubing them. Lube won't stick to your finger or your equipment. I use the scented lube so my guns will be happy. They do not like the unscented powder.

 

[BUFFALO BOB]

crookedshot

I can tell you are a real mom to your firearms, as we all should be. Thanks for the tip...........Bob

 

[Jeff]

I put into a round, plastic bowl. Drizzle on a little thinned alox and swirl 'em around. They will pick up a nice coat. The spread out on a flat surface to dry (I use a tupperware cake container. After sizing, repeat the process.

 

[gbro]

I put into a round, plastic bowl. Drizzle on a little thinned alox and swirl 'em around. They will pick up a nice coat. The spread out on a flat surface to dry (I use a tupperware cake container. After sizing, repeat the process.

I have always stood them up for the drying process, It sounds like i am wasting my time?
I have had bad experences with aluminum foil and AL, too much AL settles on bullet base and fouls the powder.

Dose anyone out there clean the bullet of the exsess AL after its seated?

 

[kdub]

After swirling the bullets around in an old margerine or cottage cheese container, I set them base down on a sheet of waxed butcher paper lined cookie sheet and let dry.

After loading, I always wipe the excess Alox off the bullets protruding from the case. Collects less dirt and lint that way. Besides, they just look nicer!

 

[swifty]

Liquid alox-

Here is another one to consider.
Dip the bands into the LA. Keept the lube off the front of the bullet.Otherwise you get brown stuff inside of your seating and crimping die. Then after you load the bullet, you can dip the nose into the LA.
LA is cheap, it works, but its messy and is inconvient.
That is my experience with most of the stuff tha Lee makes.
I got bamboozled into buying the Lee Handbook for $27 and latter saw Midway sell it for $10. I guess I am still a little sore about that purchase.

 

[Jeffro426]

I just take a couple hundred bullets, stick em in a gladlock freezer bag, squeeze in about a teaspoon and a half of the alox(more or less as needed) and shake the bag for about 30 seconds. I lay my bullets in their sides on wax paper and let them dry in front of a fan for at least 6 or so hours before loading. Works well for me, is simple, and fairly clean.

 

[kiddekop]

When I was casting .458 bullets 30+ years ago I'd drop the hot bullets in javelina lube and use large tweezers to remove them,my bullets had a light coating of lube & they worked fine in my 45-70 rolling block.