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Pan Lube Idea

1K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Travis 186 
#1 ·
I have been toying with getting back into casting here recently, and instead of tumble lubing, move onto pan lubing. One problem I had in the past with pan lubing was the temperature difference between the boolits and the lube itself, causing the lube to harden and pull away from the bullet due to moisture. The idea I have been toying around with in my head is to first take your silicone baking sheet, and fill it up with the amount of lube you will need, take a toaster oven that will fit your silicone baking sheet and set the temperature at say, 165F or around there, put your boolits and lube in the oven and allow them both to heat together to come to the same temperature. Once optimal temperature has been reached, remove and allow to harden then push your boolits out. Another variation is to heat your boolits in the silicone pan before pouring in lube.

Has anyone tried this or a similar method? Logic tells me this will avoid the separation issue.
 
#3 ·
I have been casting since the early 80s, I have pan lubed and tumble lubed, all a mess! years ago I bought a star lube sizer. it has heat and air. there is nothing better! a year ago I tried powder coating. it works but no thanks! I will take the star any day! I had a RCBS lube sizer, I did not like it. the star is pricey, but good stuff is,,,,,,,,,,
 
#4 ·
I've been casting for 60+ years and I pan lube exclusively. Tried a lube sizer many years ago (Lyman). It was slow & I did not get as good accuracy out of my bullets.
I have a $10 garage sale small microwave to heat the lube in next to my loading bench. I mostly shoot unsized unless I gas check them, then it is a Lee push thru sizer.
I don't have a problem with the lube falling off? My lube is on the soft side, as I shoot a lot of BP loads (use the same load for everything & get zero leading), maybe if it was harder it would be a problem?
 
#5 ·
I pan lube with Felix lube.

I use a coleman stove and a cast iron skillet. I stand up my boolits in the skillet add my melted lube until it reaches the top lube groove then turn off the coleman stove and let it cool. Before it has a chance to completely get to room temperature I start cutting them out with my cookie cutter. I drilled out the primer pocket of a "Fired" case (straight wall), inserted a large head nail in through the neck end and put a wooden ball on the point of the nail after it protrudes through the primer pocket. The nail acts as a punch to remove the boolits from the case. On 30 cal boolits I use a 30-06 case (Fired) but I have the base cut off completely. Then you just push the case over the boolits and it acts like the Lee Sizer...pushing out first boolit. (first in/first out)

A little hint....use a chamfering tool to make the case mouth sharp. It makes it easier to push over the boolits.

Is it messy?...sure...but its easy. It works for me.

Once I have all my boolits lubed, I throw them in a square nut canister with some mica powder and swirl a bit. It removes the stickiness for handling purposes.

redhawk
 
#7 ·
Well scratch the idea for now. Ordered some 45/45/10 from white label as well as some sticks of NRA 50/50. I figure for pistol boolits I will tumble lube like I used to, and for 45-70 and similar I will just smear the 50/50 into the grooves. Just going to stick with my old methods that worked.

While we are on the topic though, I used to tumble lube my regular lube groove boolits with LLA. I never had any issues. I just don't like the mess.
 
#9 · (Edited)
travis,

General mix guide for the bees wax, coconut oil, and ALOX combo. All by weight: 55%-60% bees wax, 35%-40% coconut oil, and the rest Lee ALOX that comes with the sizing die kit. You can melt in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. The range in mix is due to outside temps. In the winter I use the 55% bees wax and in the summer add a little bees wax to make sure the lube does not mix with the powder while storage in the garage. It gets hot in SoCal where i am.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Travis,

It all come down to tools and technique for easy pan lubing.

Heating to 165 degrees is a good thing. However, you should let the melt cool to around 150 before pouring. Then push the bullets out while the lube is warm, not cold or hot. You will get a feel with practice.

I use a blend of Bees Wax, Coconut Oil, and ALOX. It works for everything except BP loads. By everything I mean 25 cal 73gr and 30 cal 210gr moving at over 2,100 fps to 45 cal 45-70 smokeless loads. Softer is better. The lube used on retail cast bullets is hard to keep it in good shape during packaging and shipping. For BP I have a batch with more Coconut oil to make it a little softer.

Picking up a silicone bread loaf mold is also good. When the lube pulls away from the sides as it cools it is close to being ready. Depending on the temp in the room, 10-15 min is a good cool time before pushing out, nose to base.

After lube, i run through a Lee push through die. The last picture is after running through the Lee sizing die.

the key is pour temp. If you pour when the liquid is too hot, nothing from there works. Let it cool to 150 degrees.

Hope this helps

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#10 ·
Thought I would revisit this. Since this thread I went to powdercoating, and back to lubrisizing as well on an old No.55. I have also picked up pan lubing again since I have gotten into BPCR hot and heavy. I've found a perfect way to do this and thought I would share what I have been doing.

I stand my boolits up in a silicone baking tray inside of a pie pan, and set the burner on my stove to low. Once the bullets are warm to the touch, I begin to pour lubricant into the pan with a turkey baster. Once the grooves are full, I shut the burner off and wait. When the boolits are warm or even cool to the touch, I take a pair of needle nose pliers, gently grab the nose of the bullet, twist it slightly, and pull it straight up out of the lube. I get perfectly filled out grooves about 95% of the time. I have found if you wait until the grease cookie is completely cool, you won't get any shrinkage of the lube in the grooves as everything cools down.
 
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