Lee Tumble Lube bullets: Seating Stem buildup tip

For those that are using Lee Tumble Lube bullets with Alox (Not the JPW blend) you may have noticed a build up when loading, on your seating stem. As you load the alox builds up in the seating stem and subsequent loaded bullets will gradually seat deeper, which is not good. I experimented and found a quick, easy solution that works. I use a single stage press and a 60 round loading block. I hand seat the bullets and place in the loading block. I then use a q-tip dipped in liquid car wax and "paint" the tip of the bullets with a light coating of the car wax. This solved the issue. For those that feel this is too much of a hassle; you can take the TL bullets, that already have been lubed with alox and are dry. Relube them adding a small amount of liquid car wax; just enough to lightly coat them. I use a small fan to dry them quickly. Loading these bullets, you will have no seating stem buildup and all rounds loaded will have teh same COL.

My seating die has a small hole in the middle I can run a piano wire through if needed but I've been there.

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Originally Posted by 45DUDE

My seating die has a small hole in the middle I can run a piano wire through if needed but I've been there.

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That would work nicely; but most seating stems don't have a weep hole. Yours is probably from Dillon.

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Originally Posted by Wally

That would work nicely; but most seating stems don't have a weep hole. Yours is probably from Dillon.

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All of mine are RCBS.

One has to take the die to and clean it from time to time. Alox build-up causes seating depth issues as well.

Shiloh

I periodically dis-assemble all of my dies and clean them brake cleaner.

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Originally Posted by Shiloh

One has to take the die to and clean it from time to time. Alox build-up causes seating depth issues as well.

Shiloh

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No arguement there. I did a test and loaded (seated/crimped) a few hundred .38 Spl w/ 158 Lee SWC-TL. I measured the COL between the first & last, after the Liquid car wax paint treatment--no difference. I removed the SS and is was clean.

I noticed this issue with normal application of LLA.

I like to pour the entire bottle out in a pan and warm it until all the solvent dries out of it. Alox is a byproduct that contains a mix of different length chains, some of which take a really long time to dry off. It could take weeks, if you use it normally. The pure alox will remain liquid when hot, but when cooled off will be very hard and difficult to use. If you see how hard and nontacky the cooked off alox is once cooled, you'll see how it would not build up in a die.

The solvent is enough gone when the smoking stops (but odor remains!) and the remaining alox will be maybe 1/4 to 1/2 the original volume, depending how old and dried out it was when you got it. Take care. You don't want to set it on fire, and you don't want to spill it!

So you can either add some mineral spirit while it's still warm, to keep it liquid, so it will dry completely in a reasonable amount of time. You could also add w/e other wax (like car wax or JPL) you want to make your own version of 45/45/10. Or you can melt in maybe half to 2/3's beeswax to make something like Borebutter, and just heat the bullets and a chunk of this lube a bit to apply it to the bullets. If you do the latter, the bullets will be ready to use as soon as they cool off. Nontacky and no build up in the dies.

If you add mineral spirit, notice that the original bottle won't keep solvent from evaporating out. You need to use a better container or add some solvent and stir it up on occasion.

I bought a jug of XLOX and after using a bit it was too thick to pour out of the sealed container. Carfeful use of a Microwave fixed that issue. Place the jug in a ziplock bag --just in case.

If you have a hot air gun, you might try this out. Just scoop a blob and put it in the pan with your bullets, then shoot it with hot air for a bit.

Every time you heat up the entire jug of Xlox, it'll evaporate the solvent a little faster. Even through the sealed plastic jug. Maybe pour some out into a tin with a wide mouth, so you can access it easier. Even completely dried out, it'll work fine with heat.

If I'm not mistaken, there are instructions on that bottle of LEE alox that tell you to immerse the bottle into HOT water to make it more applicable. Works pretty good if I do say so myself.

I’ve loaded lots and never had that problem. I was shooting bore riders, maybe that made a difference. I coated the boolits twice, once plain and then a second time after sizing and gas checking.

been using it for decades + never had that problem - peraps you are using too much, it only takes a thin coating to work properly -

I always add as much mineral spirits as a new bottle of liquid ALOX will hold and shake well. Add more as needed. you just need a very thin coating on your bullets. Non diluted ALOX is too thick.