First batch of 45-45-10

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  • Last Post 09 August 2015
pondercat posted this 07 August 2015

I made my first batch of 45-45-10 yesterday.  I could not for the life of me find an old pot to cook it up in so I used my solar oven and a plastic bucket.  It actually worked out good.  I vented the oven to hold the temp right at 250 degrees and mixed the melted wax and alox in the bucket, put it in the oven, and pretty much forgot about it for a few hours while I did some chores around the house.  When it cooled down enough I added the mineral spirits and bottled it up.  There was  tiny bit of residual in the bucket so I coated about a hundred or so bullets and let them dry. This stuff is amazing! My bullets actually feel smooth, soft, and silky--none of the typical LLA tackiness. They are a nice lead gray with just a hint of color instead of heavy LLA brown.  I can't wait to actually shoot them and see how they perform.   I started thinking about how nearly half of the lube is Johnson's wax, so just for fun I buffed  a couple of those bullets with a soft cloth. They really shined up beautifully! :D There is nothing like a showroom shine on your favorite bullet! :cool: Hopefully I can do a little shooting before work tomorrow. Terry

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gpidaho posted this 07 August 2015

I too tried my hand at making homemade 45-45-10 and found it to be a big improvement over the LLA without the JPW. Dries nice without tackiness. Some are making lube for handgun bullets using the liquid JPW without cooking. As I no longer lube handgun bullets I'll leave that experiment for others, it's said to work well without the mess of cooking up 45-45-10. Gp

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45ACPete posted this 08 August 2015

Just what ARE the ingredients in 45-45-10?

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onondaga posted this 08 August 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=9145>pondercat

I buff them sometimes too, a damp microfiber towel works well and doesn't rub any lube off because of the dampness, it just shines.

Gary

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onondaga posted this 08 August 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=5733>45ACPete

45% Johnson's Paste Wax 45% Lee LLA 10% Mineral spirits

More important than the formula is following the “Recluse” method of making it correctly. If you don't cook off the solvents correctly, your resultant product will not have an optimum viscosity for the tumble lube method.

The stuff can be thinned at any time by adding mineral spirits if it gets thick from evaporation. The correct viscosity at room temperature is like Hershey's Chocolate Syrup at room temperature. If it gets thicker, thin it to the correct viscosity at room temperature with Mineral Spirits.

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Duane Mellenbruch posted this 08 August 2015

An easier, safer no cook formula that is excellent and popular for tumble lube is 1 part Johnson's Liquid Floor Wax plus 1 Part Lee LLA. Mix cold and use.

Gary

Not exactly correct.   Here is the link from the member of another forum that originally posted on the lube and ratios of the mix.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?259285-NEW-!-!-T-L-Liquid-Lube>http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?259285-NEW-!-!-T-L-Liquid-Lube

 

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onondaga posted this 08 August 2015

so 60% Lee LLA + 40% Johnson's One Step floor wax = Ben's Liquid Lube

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oscarflytyer posted this 09 August 2015

Made my second batch of 45/45/10. Now have a big dishsoap bottle and alox bootle of it. Don't expect to have to make any more for a long time.

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pondercat posted this 09 August 2015

I ended up with eight Lee alox bottles filled, so that is about a quart.  Seeing as how it takes so very little to coat bullets I can't even estimate how many bullets that will treat.  Its going to last a long time I'm sure. I may, however make some of that Ben's liquid lube and do some experimenting trying them both side by side for comparison. I am wondering if the Ben's would hold up as well. It has no carnauba wax in it, but does have four other film formers (http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/en-us/products-by-brand/sc-johnson/sc-johnson-one-step-no-buff-wax.aspx) one of which is a proprietary formula.  Many of the posters at cast boolits forum are using Ben's as an overcoat to “lock in” Ben's Red lube. I've been working a lot of double shifts lately and it looks like I still won't be able to do any shooting till Wednesday (if the new hire shows up Monday) and it would be a nice relaxing way to spend a long awaited day off!

Terry

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