Author Topic: Just tried pan lubing for the first time  (Read 506 times)

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Offline Flash

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Just tried pan lubing for the first time
« on: April 03, 2004, 01:18:03 PM »
Boy, what a successful attempt! I used to use Lee's liquid alox but I am pretty sure I've been converted. I have an RCBS sizer sitting in my basement collecting dust and didn't like how slow it was since I bought it. Prior to owning that, I had a Lyman that blew the "O" ring out of the bottom and lube squeezed out everywhere. I had thought that liquid alox was the answer for production until I started reading the recent posts. I remember the old Lee cake cutters and always felt that it was a nice idea but had no idea where to get decent lube. Well, I stumbled onto a old supply in a local hardware store and got a few pounds of bee's wax for under $3, mixed it with my liquid alox and voila! These bullets of mine press through the bottom of the lube like I would have never imagined and look great! Thanks guys!!!
What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger!

Offline Leftoverdj

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Just tried pan lubing for the first time
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2004, 01:58:49 PM »
Flash, any more cakecutters where those came from? I'd dearly love a .458.
It is the duty of the good citizen to love his country and hate his gubmint.

Offline Flash

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Just tried pan lubing for the first time
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2004, 02:03:06 PM »
Actually, after reading my post I admit it was a little misleading. The cake cutter isn't what I stumbled onto, it was the bee's wax. All I did is melt the lube in an aluminum pan and press the bullets out by hand when it cooled.
What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger!

Offline Leftoverdj

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Just tried pan lubing for the first time
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2004, 05:12:58 PM »
Flash, I'm partial to a concoction of 2 parts beeswax, 2 parts lithum based waterpump grease and 1/2 part paraffin. I've never pushed it real hard, but it works fine in pistol cartridges, even in rifle barrels. It's moderately soft and you could increase the paraffin a bit if you wanted it harder.

I cast it into some aluminum tubing I had around, and as it shrinks a little on cooling. the tubing only has to be heated slightly to push the stick out. Hardest part was getting the seam out of the tubing, but I did that with some sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.

My luber takes solid sticks, but if I needed to, I suspect I could make a core plug that would make hollow sticks. Mostly make it for pan lubing, anyway. Enough commercial lube for a decent sized pan costs more than something over two pounds of this concoction.

Btw, I make it up in a two pound coffee can with a V notched in the rim. A C clamp gives me a handle and I can snap the top back on to keep the dust out of what I don't cast into sticks.
It is the duty of the good citizen to love his country and hate his gubmint.