Casting - lube question

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Ysabel Kid
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Casting - lube question

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Well, there are several posts out now on casting. Must be the cooler weather coming in. :D

So, getting ready for the "casting season", I'm thinking about bullet lube. For my cap & ball paper cartridges, I use a mix of beeswax and lambs tallow. What is your favorite lube for smokeless powder loads? Thinking revolver loads, .38 Special, .44 Russian, and .45 Colt.

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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Walt »

Based upon Glen Fryxell's recommendation (the man who John Taffin says knows more about casting than anyone he's ever met) I use 50% beeswax, 50% Sta-lube automotive grease made up of moly, graphite and lithium, melted on a Coleman stove outside and poured into molds made of PVC tubing. It's the best bullet lube I have ever used in 48 years of casting. It's messy and it works great.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by JimT »

I have not used anything except Paco's Apache Blue bullet lube that he used to make ... for 30 years now. In fact, today I sized and lubedabout 1200 bullets. 700 or so were the Lyman 358665 the rest were split between 228 gr. 45 ACP roundnose and the Lyman 429421 Keith .44 SWC.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Griff »

Lyman's "ideal" bullet lube. I don't load anything to magnum velocities, so I don't really need the wax type lubes. And with both rifle & pistol loads, this has worked for me.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by ollogger »

Been using Lee liquid Alox for around 20 years, works for me




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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Walt »

Jim, you must have a heck of a strong arm. I don't believe I could cast even 350 bullets with those heavy 4 cavity Lyman molds in one session. I've pretty much given up on anything but 2 cavity iron molds and much prefer the aluminum mold blocks from Accurate Molds.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by JimT »

Walt wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:57 pm Jim, you must have a heck of a strong arm. I don't believe I could cast even 350 bullets with those heavy 4 cavity Lyman molds in one session. I've pretty much given up on anything but 2 cavity iron molds and much prefer the aluminum mold blocks from Accurate Molds.
I am not as strong as I once was, but I still enjoy casting. And I prefer the cast iron molds even though I have aluminum ones. I like the way they feel ... the way they retain heat ... and the way they work. Just a personal preference. My aluminum molds make wonderfully accurate bullets but I prefer the iron. Four cavity is as big as I want to go, though.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by weiler »

Walt wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:30 pm Based upon Glen Fryxell's recommendation (the man who John Taffin says knows more about casting than anyone he's ever met) I use 50% beeswax, 50% Sta-lube automotive grease made up of moly, graphite and lithium, melted on a Coleman stove outside and poured into molds made of PVC tubing. It's the best bullet lube I have ever used in 48 years of casting. It's messy and it works great.
That stuff’s great, had great luck with rifle and handgun loads, and it’s cheap!
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by 765x53 »

Liquid Alox works for everything I load including BP.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Ray »

I've posted this several times before. Bulk lubes of all kinds. Warning, they cite a significant price increase in their raw materials and passed on to customers.

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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by TedH »

Powder coat. :D
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Tycer »

I have a few sticks of Apache Blue I use for zippy loads and 50:50 Alox 2138F:beeswax for everything else.

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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by LeverGunner »

I have a goodly stash of White Label 50/50, which I use for everything. I have used his BAC and it was okay but 50/50 seems to give me less leading in guns that are a little bit problematic.

I've been wanting to make some Felix lube to try, but I got a passel of moulds to mess with.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Steve in MO »

I went to powder coating. Less mess and seems to work with plinking loads and heavy loads equally well.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by LeverGunner »

Steve in MO wrote: Sat Nov 02, 2024 9:38 am I went to powder coating. Less mess and seems to work with plinking loads and heavy loads equally well.
I'm going to get into powder coating also, I just haven't taken the plunge yet. I have about most everything though. I have a couple moulds that would benefit from an extra .001 diameter.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by marlinman93 »

I use Wind's Wonder Wax on everything from rifles to handguns with cast bullets. I mix it up, and pour it in my Lyman lubrisizer, or pan lube large rifle bullets.

50% bees wax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Vaseline by weight.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Shasta »

I will second Ray's endorsement of White Label lube products. I use their black powder lube and for smokeless loads I like either their BAC or their Blue Carnauba. They have great products and are very reasonably priced. You can even get a free sample if you just want to try try a certain lube.

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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by samsi »

With both Paco and Veral out of the game, is there any possibility that the Apache Blue recipe will turn up in the public domain?
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by JimT »

samsi wrote: Sat Nov 02, 2024 8:59 pm With both Paco and Veral out of the game, is there any possibility that the Apache Blue recipe will turn up in the public domain?
I might try and see if he will write out the formula for making it.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by 6pt-sika »

I usta have two Lyman 4500’s on the bench one held SPG lube and no need for a heater . Later I bought the second 4500 with the little electrode heater in the back , I tried a number of hard lubes and eventually settled on Thompsons Blue Magic I think it’s called .
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Rockrat »

Loved Paco's AB lube but since I can't get it anymore, I use White Label Caranuba Blue lube on pretty well all smokeless loads without any issues. I powder coat some Boolits and on some rifle slugs that I plan on going above 2000fps, I coat the boolit with a much thinned LLA before I run them thru the Star. That way the nose of the boolit that would ride on the rifling is lubed.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Wiresguy »

In the past I have used GAR 50/50, LBT Blue, and others before settling on Carnauba Red.

I recently mixed up a batch of Ben's Red and have loaded some into the Star, but need to cast some bullets to see how it compares to the previous lubes.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Ysabel Kid »

JimT wrote: Sat Nov 02, 2024 9:47 pm
samsi wrote: Sat Nov 02, 2024 8:59 pm With both Paco and Veral out of the game, is there any possibility that the Apache Blue recipe will turn up in the public domain?
I might try and see if he will write out the formula for making it.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by AJMD429 »

.
Lots of folks who I've talked to seem to like the Alox. It's pretty much all I've used, but I've done VERY little in terms of casting. I've loaded tons of bullets OTHERS have cast and lubed, and will say some of the harder stuff bullets I've bought had on them sometimes just falls off and makes a mess.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by 6pt-sika »

AJMD429 wrote: Sun Nov 03, 2024 9:32 pm .
Lots of folks who I've talked to seem to like the Alox. It's pretty much all I've used, but I've done VERY little in terms of casting. I've loaded tons of bullets OTHERS have cast and lubed, and will say some of the harder stuff bullets I've bought had on them sometimes just falls off and makes a mess.
I used to cast bullets in relatively large groups then lubrisize them and put them in plastic containers with tops . Anyway when lubed with SPG they most certainly will dry and start to crack and pop out as they loose moisture , the Thompson’s Blue Magic has never done that to me .
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Walt wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:30 pm Based upon Glen Fryxell's recommendation (the man who John Taffin says knows more about casting than anyone he's ever met) I use 50% beeswax, 50% Sta-lube automotive grease made up of moly, graphite and lithium, melted on a Coleman stove outside and poured into molds made of PVC tubing. It's the best bullet lube I have ever used in 48 years of casting. It's messy and it works great.
This mirrors my experience.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by JimT »

I talked with Paco and he said he would write out the formula and that I can share it here. He said it may take some time because he has to find his notes on what all he used, how much, etc. and he is not exactly sure where it's at. It's been more than 20 years since he has messed with it. If he gets it together and sends it to me I will post it here for anyone who is interested.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Thanks Jim. I still have a small tin of it. But I’ve been hesitant to use it.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by samsi »

That would be great if he can dig it up, thanks! I'm in a similar situation as Scott, having 2 sticks of LBT Blue in my stash for a rainy day.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by JB »

When I cast bullets, I used the Lyman Alox for years, but I once tried a mix of toilet ring wax and candle wax. I still have some bullets with that mix and it seems to work fine.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Ysabel Kid »

JimT wrote: Thu Nov 07, 2024 8:19 am I talked with Paco and he said he would write out the formula and that I can share it here. He said it may take some time because he has to find his notes on what all he used, how much, etc. and he is not exactly sure where it's at. It's been more than 20 years since he has messed with it. If he gets it together and sends it to me I will post it here for anyone who is interested.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Rockrat »

Probably some of the stuff he used in Apache Blue is no longer available. Was great stuff and was sad when I was about out.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by marlinman93 »

Some of the harder lubes don't come off the bullet and any recovered to inspect show a lot of lube left in the grooves. I like a softer lube that is firm enough to reach the muzzle, but pretty much all used up by the end of the bore. I look for a good lube star on the crown to tell me if the bullet still had some lube left when it exited. But don't want to see much lube left on recovered bullets.
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Re: Casting - lube question

Post by Greg S in AK »

Been using Ben's Red (Red n tacky grease, bees wax, atf, stp +... and another ho made concoction since I started casting 10 years ago. No complaints. Recipes on cast boolits.
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