Lead basics

[41 Mag]

I cannot explain it any better than this this does,

The Simple Act Of Fluxing

I have used both sawdust and paraffin as flux along with the lube from bullets that managed to make it all the way to the lube before getting culled.

What I have found that works for me is to flux with sawdust in my bigger smelting pot twice, and then just before I am ready to pour my ingots I will flux once more with paraffin more or less to get any remaining crumbs or whatever out of the alloy before I began to pour ingots.

When I load my Lee 4-20, I only use paraffin in this stage as I usually don't have the alloy in there for very long. I also try my best to pour my bullets at the lowest temp I can to try and avoid the tin oxidizing out as well. I reflux the pot after I add more ingots, and usually after dumping in a can of cut sprues. This give me a good clean pot and clean alloy when I pour.

 

[DM~]

I use my thumbnail for a hardness tester. If I can make a pretty good scratch, it's pure lead. If I can just barely make a mark, it's hard lead.

I use my fingernail too... I make up "kettle full" batches of scrap lead/tin mix and keep the ingots from each batch separate. I don't care if they aren't exactly the same, just that all the bullets are the same from each batch.

I'd say from all the matches i've won doing it this way, proves that having every batch exactly the same isn't so important.

DM

 

[243winxb]

Flux

reference to sawdust fluxing

Never tried it. Read that it can remove zinc from the alloy. I dont see how the zinc would be removed?? When zinc, antimony, copper is blended, a home caster can not remove it. IMO. Bring the pot temperature up slowly, just so it liquid, will have oat meal type look to it. This lumpy stuff may be antimony, zinc or copper. We dont want to remove antimony. Antimony hardens the bullet & increases diameter as the bullet drops from the moulds. If there is a high content of zinc or copper in the alloy, i save the ingots and add 1 lb of it to 8 lbs of good alloy. This has worked so far with getting a good fill out of the bullet in the mould. For flux, i use bullet lube 50/50 or this old flux.

[/URL][/IMG] Vitaflux-The flux is inside a Tin tube. A piece was hacksawed off to flux and replenish the tin when remelting Linotype.

 

[whughett]

+ on RugerBob.

Also the scale is difficult to see/read. It takes a lot of effort.



In this order:
I mix my alloy, cast, size then tumble lube. I size all of my bullets. I do take random weights and record them. I rarely get them within 1 grain of each other. A five grain spread is not unheard of. I'm not a competition shooter.

Tumble lube? Is that with Lee liquid lox? Size before or after? I find myself shooting more and more 22s and C&B just to lessen bullet size lube chore. Maybe Lees tumble and shoot, no sizing required molds are the way to go. One hour on the firing line can mean
four hours at the bench.

 

[Elkins45]

Sawdust flux

 

[Elkins45]

Sawdust fluxing has completely broken me from using anything else.

About hardness: hardness is overrated. Proper fit is more

 

[Schwing]

I am pretty new so take this with a grain of salt but I have had good luck with sawdust and paraffin. I flux the first time with sawdust and paraffin on the second time around.

Another question for anyone still looking at this: Do you worry about zinc in your alloy? I have been able to find a ton of wheel weights and just cast my first batch of ingots today. I tried to keep the temp under 700 but I caught it up over 750 a couple of times so I am wondering if this is an issue or not.

 

[david bachelder]

"Tumble lube? Is that with Lee liquid lox? Size before or after?"

I size all of my cast bullets. If the bullets need lubed when I'm sizing I lube them lightly with RCBS case Lube-2 on the RCBS pad. Usually I only have to lube every third or fourth bullet.

Yes I use liquid Alox, right out of the bottle. I always tumble lube after sizing. I don't like the Alox in my dies. A little Alox goes a long way, I tumble lube the cast and sized bullet then set them out in the Texas sun to dry. Works for me.

 

[Springfield0612]

There is a recipie on the castboolits site about making a 45-45-10 lube. 45% Lee Liquid Alox(LLA) 45% Johnson Paste Wax (JPW) and 10% mineral spirits.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...Made-Easy-amp-Mess-Free&highlight=Tumble+lube

I use it and it's amazing. The difference how I make mine, is I have a glass jar from a spaghetti sauce that has 4 oz markings up the side and I make a double boiler out of it (put the jar in a pot of boiling water to melt the mixture using indirect heat), 1 bottle of Alox, then add the JPW until you get to 8 oz total, then add your MS. When I tumble lube my bullets, I make sure they are preheated with a blow dryer or a heat gun put them in a plastic peanut butter jar squirt a LITTLE 45-45-10 put the lid on and tumble away. If you apply cold lube to cold bullets your going to waste the lube and have a big sticky mess. A little goes a long way. If your bullets are brown or have thick clumpy brown lube you used way too much and your stufff was way too cold.

If you want to help support a small mom and pop business and save some money there is a vendor on the castboolits site named Lar45 site is http://www.lsstuff.com/ that sells Liquid Xlox. (Alox is trade marked by Lee).

 

[Jcinnb]

I saw on a crime show last night, in analyzing Nosler 308 bullets, that most lead in commercial bullets comes from auto batteries, and a lot can be told by the trace metals found in the lead of the bullet. That was cool, I thought.

 

[whughett]

I have been going the old fashion way, RCBs lube sizer/ heated with a blue hollow stick lube. Very time consuming. Been thinking of the lee sizing system and alox. If I can find a press and the dies that is. Like to find someone who uses their molds that cast a bullet made for their liquid alox, in .357/.358. Suppose to throw a bullett that does not require sizing. Just target shooting non competitive anyway.

 

[Schwing]

I have been going the old fashion way, RCBs lube sizer/ heated with a blue hollow stick lube. Very time consuming. Been thinking of the lee sizing system and alox. If I can find a press and the dies that is. Like to find someone who uses their molds that cast a bullet made for their liquid alox, in .357/.358. Suppose to throw a bullett that does not require sizing. Just target shooting non competitive anyway.

My lee 158 Grain SWC 6 cavity mold just arrived on Friday. I havn't used it yet but, if it is like the other lees I have used, I have never been able to use them without sizing them. My 148 Grain WC lee mold throws bullets that are .359. I know a lot of folks still don't bother sizing but they bulge the case out just a tad much for my taste.

 

[41 Mag]

Originally Posted by whughett View Post
I have been going the old fashion way, RCBs lube sizer/ heated with a blue hollow stick lube. Very time consuming. Been thinking of the lee sizing system and alox. If I can find a press and the dies that is. Like to find someone who uses their molds that cast a bullet made for their liquid alox, in .357/.358. Suppose to throw a bullett that does not require sizing. Just target shooting non competitive anyway.

Originally Posted by Schwing
My lee 158 Grain SWC 6 cavity mold just arrived on Friday. I havn't used it yet but, if it is like the other lees I have used, I have never been able to use them without sizing them. My 148 Grain WC lee mold throws bullets that are .359. I know a lot of folks still don't bother sizing but they bulge the case out just a tad much for my taste.

Schwing pretty much covered it on the size issues. Some work some don't. It will depend more no how much room you have to play with in your chambers. If they are tight, probably have to size, if they are loose you might squeeze them by.

That said your alloy and pouring temp will also play a role in the final size as well. If you can pour pretty hot, your bullets will be a bit smaller. If you use an alloy with a good amount of antimony in it they might be smaller as well.

The Lee tumble lube bullets have many little rings on them which is to help hold the Alox on better. However in most cases you can run ANY type bullet with the Alox with no issues. You might still be required to size them to fit though. If you already have a single stage press the Lee sizer will work just like any other reloading die. It has the 7/8 -14 threads and if you have the type ram which accepts the newer snap in type shell holders your set. All you need is the sizing kit. If you get the "KIT" verses just the die, you will also get a bottle of Alox in there with it. You can use it like it comes, or thin it with mineral spirits, or even mix it 50-50 with Johnson's Paste wax and then add in a little mineral spirits to thin that down. The instructions for doing that are over on Castboolits in the Lube section under a sticky titles Easy Tumble Lube or something similar. You can also search for Recluse Lube.

Of if you don't want to make it yourself, you can go over to White Label Lube and purchase it premixed and ready to use.

 

[Tommy Van Alen]

I check every wheel weight that goes into my turkey fryer. I use either kleins/lineman's pliers or an old carving/whittling knife.

My boolits get water dropped, right out of the mould. I give 'em the highly technical/scientific thumbnail test.