Alox lube question

elpac3

elpac3

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Was just gifted #300; cast Lyman 429303 bullets. These are unsized, look to be about .433-.434.

Picked up a Lee push through .430 sizing die. Thinking on using Alox to lube them. Any Alox experience I should know about? Seems pretty straight forward but - -
 
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I cast my own rather soft .38 spl DEWC and use Lee alox to lube them unsized, using a plastic bowl and dumping bullets on way paper to dry. Don't use excessive alox. Works great.:)
If your bullets are cast super hard, that complicates things.
 
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Do you mean ... Tumble Lube them with Lee Liquid Alox ?
If so ... Two thin coats of LLA is better than one thick coat ...
I thin the LLA with mineral spirits , to maple syrup consistency .
First coat and let dry ... if the first coat is barely visable , a second thin coat can be added ... let dry on wax paper .
If the bullets are "sticky" too the touch ... your alox is too thick , add a bit more mineral spirits .
Practice doing a few bullets till you get the mix right ... the bullets should be covered all over but dry and not "tacky" .
If you do get tacky bullets , dust them with Motor Mica , cornstarch or baby powder ... just enough so they are no longer sticky .
I like Lee Liquid Alox but I'm not a Tumble Lube fan . You can "Dip" lube but I bought a Lyman 450 lube/sizer and use soft Lithi-Bee Lube ...
This works best for me . But do try tumble lube ... it will work .
Good Luck ,
Gary
 
elpac3 said:
Was just gifted #300; cast Lyman 429303 bullets. These are unsized, look to be about .433-.434.

Picked up a Lee push through .430 sizing die. Thinking on using Alox to lube them. Any Alox experience I should know about? Seems pretty straight forward but - -
Click to expand...

I'm not any help as regards liquid alox lube, but I did want to point out that those bullets are designed to be used with a gas check. As I'm sure you've noticed, that's an unusual bullet shape, it's a kind of pointed SWC. They're a hoot and always invite comments from other shooters when I use them to exercise any of my .44 Specials.
I cast that bullet, but attach GC's, size, & lube on a Lyman sizing machine.
If you load them without the GC's, accuracy may suffer if they're loaded very hot.
Just a thought.

WYT-P
Skyhunter
 
The original NRA-formula Alox lube was a 50/50 mixture of Alox (an industrial lubricant) and beeswax, sold in solid or hollow sticks for use in lubricator-sizer presses.

If your gift supply is Alox stick lube it can be used without the lubri-sizer. The lube will melt and flow at moderate temperatures so it can be cut into chunks and placed into a shallow container (large jar lid will work), then warmed until it flows.

CAUTION: Low heat only, apply gradually. If overheated the lube will vaporize into a smoky cloud that is potentially flammable.

Once the lube has flowed you can stand your bullets base-down in the container. Then allow the container to cool and lube to solidify. A simple tubular cutter with interior diameter at or close to bullet size will work like a cookie cutter to remove the bullets with lube grooves neatly filled. The lubed bullet can then be run through a sizer die pretty easily.

Lee Precision Products used to offer (perhaps still do) a kit to do exactly that. Pan, cutter, sizer die, punch, and stick of lube for a few bucks. I think I still have a couple of these laying around from ~50 years ago when I started casting my own. Simple and inexpensive, perfectly adequate for smaller quantity production.
 
Another thought:

If you are not intending to get into bullet casting, only using the small quantity of bullets given to you, there is no need to get into sizing and lubing equipment. Just stop by the auto parts store and pick up a tube of pure white lithium grease which can be easily applied to the lube grooves with your fingertips.

The lithium grease is an excellent bullet lube, retaining lubricity throughout temperatures ranging from well below 0F to well over 200F, Practically no melting point and (for our purposes anyway) no flammability.

I've used it in magnum handgun and rifle cartridges at velocities over 2000FPS with excellent accuracy and perfect bore performance.
 
Skyhunter said:
I'm not any help as regards liquid alox lube, but I did want to point out that those bullets are designed to be used with a gas check. As I'm sure you've noticed, that's an unusual bullet shape, it's a kind of pointed SWC. They're a hoot and always invite comments from other shooters when I use them to exercise any of my .44 Specials.
I cast that bullet, but attach GC's, size, & lube on a Lyman sizing machine.
If you load them without the GC's, accuracy may suffer if they're loaded very hot.
Just a thought.

WYT-P
Skyhunter
Click to expand...

These will be soft target loads. Was looking at gas checks but am thinking of giving a try without them. Going to be 25 yard practice loads. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Alox

I always get the best advice here and
at Cast Boolits.

My suggestion is go over to Cast Boolits
(gunloads com) and read the Boolit
Lube section there.

I have been using the formula posted
there for years and have had no ill effects
on my Revolver barrels.

The Best to you and your Endeavors.
 
The Norseman said:
I always get the best advice here and
at Cast Boolits.

My suggestion is go over to Cast Boolits
(gunloads com) and read the Boolit
Lube section there.

I have been using the formula posted
there for years and have had no ill effects
on my Revolver barrels.

The Best to you and your Endeavors.
Click to expand...

Lot of good reading there, but the various lube mixtures and can be a bit mind blowing. I'm getting ready to try the Alox and paste wax mixture listed there on some old lead bullets that have lost a lot of their lube.
 
I have use liquid alox for many years, but I don't like the brown noses from tumble lubing. I dip lube ala Ranch Dog. I either thin the alox or warm it and put it in a shallow container. Grab a bullet on the nose with tweezers of if the bullet is big enough with my fingers. I dip the bullet, base first, up beyond the lube groove and set on wax paper, base down, to dry. Less messy, good clean handling and no ugly brown noses.
 
mikld said:
I have use liquid alox for many years, but I don't like the brown noses from tumble lubing. I dip lube ala Ranch Dog. I either thin the alox or warm it and put it in a shallow container. Grab a bullet on the nose with tweezers of if the bullet is big enough with my fingers. I dip the bullet, base first, up beyond the lube groove and set on wax paper, base down, to dry. Less messy, good clean handling and no ugly brown noses.
Click to expand...

That's how I use liquid Alox also.
 
Put 50 or so in a plastic container. (I use butter tubs or whip cream tubs since they are free).

Squirt on a bit of Lee liquid alox and roll and tumble by hand. If all the surfaces are not coated, add a tiny bit more until they are. Avoid over-lubing.

Pour on a piece of wax paper and dry overnight. In the morning run thru the sizing die, with or without a GC. If you use a GC the die will seat them.

After sizing, if the lube grooves are all full (they usually are) you are finished. (I used to do a second coat but found out it is not necessary)

My brown noses work just fine and nobody even notices. For semis I use a rag soaked with acetone and the noses are clean and feed well. My revolver loads have character and the barrel is extra lubed.

Been doing this since the 1970's. The only negative is that I have to clean my bullet seating die after a session. (but shouldn't you do that anyway?)

Powder coating in a toaster oven is also a good method. But its more cumbersome and provides no improvement.
 
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OKFC05 said:
I cast my own rather soft .38 spl DEWC and use Lee alox to lube them unsized, using a plastic bowl and dumping bullets on way paper to dry. Don't use excessive alox. Works great.:)
If your bullets are cast super hard, that complicates things.
Click to expand...

This is the same process I use on swaged bullets I buy. I dump a quantity of bullets into an old Kool-Whip container, squirt some Liquid Alox on to the bullets straight from the bottle, shake them thoroughly so they're all coated, and then dump them on to a wax paper sheet to dry in a single layer. This works great, and I do it even with lead bullets that have a hard lube in a groove from the manufacturer. Little to no leading is the result.
 
No criticism intended as many of you seem to like the Lee liquid lube process. I tried it years ago; too messy for me. I don't know what a lubrisizer costs these days, but if you cast and do much shooting, it may be well worth the expense because of the convenience if for no other reason.

I've yet to find a need or see any advantage to going to coated bullets as conventional sizing and lubing work so well for my purposes. Good luck with sizing and lubing bullets, however you do it.
 
In my experience, it is not necessary to full the lube grooves with alox. A light coating, over the whole body of the bullet, or maybe two coats is all that is necessary. My method for many 38/357 and even some 44 Magnum loads; dip lube one or maybe two coats sufficient...
 
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