Casting

[kjohn]

I fired up my Lee 10 lb. bottom pour yesterday afternoon and cast about 100 each of 185 gr. Lee .312 GC and 175 Lee .322 GC. These are for lighter loads, so I used pretty much straight WW with a few little pieces of linotype with each mini muffin size ingot into the pot. Although I realize Lee moulds are supposedly no good, I think I managed to cull maybe three bullets out of the whole works. Oh, and I noticed at least two drips from the pot. Awful I say!

I shoot these bullets out of my .303's, 8x57's and my dear old .32WS. I gas check them all, although probably not necessary with light loads. I give them a light tumble in a yogurt can with Lee Liquid Alox and when they dry a bit I run them through a Lee sizer die, gas checking at the same time, then give them another light dose of Alox and tumble.

If I do want to shoot some hotter loads, I'll pour a #2 mix, and in the final step apply a bit of blue lube to the grooves with my fingers. Then shoot 'em!

 

[bertn]

 

[yomomma]

Yes Lee sucks.

That's why 95% of my equipment is Lee.

Oh and what he ^^^^^^^ said

 

[freire]

We all know that Lee sucks.............BUT we all use it or have used it.
And we all know the reason we all use it or have used it me included.
Yes ...........don't forget the pictures otherwise people say it never happened

 

[kjohn]

Yeah. Bullets are safe down at my shop. Pics later!

Gotta love Lee moulds. Often, the first or second bullet is fit to use. I've been pouring with Lee moulds for a long time, probably thirty years.

 

[gnmontey]

All my reloading kit is Lee.

Dies
Presses
Molds
Priming tool
etc..etc

I'm fine with Lee products. Haven't failed me yet. Good value for the dollar.

Let's see some pics of this casting session.

M

 

[hatman1793]

That nasty alox lube never dries. It squeezes out of the cases when you seat bullets, gets distributed all throughout your reloading systems & dies, and is smoky when fired. Drop an alox treated bullet on the floor & everything there sticks to it. Yuck.

Rooster Jacket tumble lube dries better, or try powder coating. Alox is dinosaur lube.....

 

[Philthy1]

I use the Lee .324 but it does seem pretty useless without the GC even in plinker loads.

 

[Ridersfan]

Everyone seems to love to hate on Lee... works great on my bench

 

[kjohn]

Lee Liquid Alox has worked fine for me for a lot of years. If it is squeezing out when you seat a bullet, you must be using a way too much. Whatever rings your bell. I use Lee case lube exclusively as well. I suppose, to some, it is no good either.

Here's those wildly exciting pics of the bullets I cast the other day. They have the initial light application of Lee Alox, prior to crimping the gas check, final sizing, then last coat of Alox. They do look a bit dull now.

View attachment 230667View attachment 230668

 

[kjohn]

That nasty alox lube never dries. It squeezes out of the cases when you seat bullets, gets distributed all throughout your reloading systems & dies, and is smoky when fired. Drop an alox treated bullet on the floor & everything there sticks to it. Yuck.

Rooster Jacket tumble lube dries better, or try powder coating. Alox is dinosaur lube.....

It's okay. I'm a way behind on a lot of things, bullet lube being the least important

 

[Workin Man]

Lee Liquid Alox has worked fine for me for a lot of years. If it is squeezing out when you seat a bullet, you must be using a way too much. Whatever rings your bell. I use Lee case lube exclusively as well. I suppose, to some, it is no good either.

I just recently started casting. I started with Lee 1oz 12ga slugs. I am getting good slugs from my casts, but still looking for an accurate load. I decided to try casting some for my 45-70. I haven't loaded any yet, but I am suspecting I have used way too much alox on them (they are visibly brown in colour). Is there a way to remove the excess or should I toss them back in the pot and start over?

Thanks, Jim

 

[kjohn]

If you have some bullets that aren't lubed yet, you might try warming up the lubed ones, then tumble them with the unlubed ones. Might help a bit. I think I said above, if I'm shooting harder bullets at a faster speed, I usually put some blue lube in the grooves with my fingers. A bit tedious, but it works.

 

[gnmontey]

I've had good luck Aloxing HG boolits. Not messy in the least once they are dry.

M

 

[Ironheart]

My mistake I thought this thread was going to be about "casting couch"

 

[vagrantviking]

I used some Alox yesterday but I'm working at doing more powder coated or other alternatives.

My trick with Alox is to thin it a fair bit with mineral spirits or similar. It can be pretty thin and work fine. Or you can do a second coat if you want.

 

[Workin Man]

I have lubed all the ones I have cast so far, but I can cast some more and try that. These are not gas checked, so I am guessing I should keep the velocity down.

Thanks, Jim

 

[freire]

I just recently started casting. I started with Lee 1oz 12ga slugs. I am getting good slugs from my casts, but still looking for an accurate load. I decided to try casting some for my 45-70. I haven't loaded any yet, but I am suspecting I have used way too much alox on them (they are visibly brown in colour). Is there a way to remove the excess or should I toss them back in the pot and start over?

Thanks, Jim

You can use Acetone to clean them.

 

[fingers284]

Or use an old pot not used for food anymore & boil them in a pot of water. Give them a shake/roll in the pot a time or two while still boiling. Skim the wax off the water before pouring the slugs out or they will retain some of the alox when they pour thru it. I have done this to remove lube from commercial slugs before powder coating.

 

[Ridersfan]

My mistake I thought this thread was going to be about "casting couch"

But of course... there was no job