Lee Liquid Alox

[Scott Tschirhart]

Have any of you used this lube and do you have any observations to share?

[AmBraCol]

I've used it a lot (relatively speaking). I like it for handgun bullets loaded to midrange and lower (I don't do much if any high end stuff). When I could still find Hornady swaged bullets I'd tumble them in LLA and let them dry on a bit of wax paper before loading. I've also done a lot of cast to shoot as cast instead of sized prior to shooting. Never had any leading problems and decent accuracy. At Raton this year I shot some I loaded back on '06 and '12 (maybe other years as well) and they stood up well over time. Around 500 rounds of 38 spl over a couple days and no leading. The groups actually tightened up over the two days - but that was due to yours truly finally getting some trigger time and good coaching. When packing up prior to heading back south I saw we've got some in stock, which I like to see for next time I get a chance to cast or in case Hornady brings back those soft swaged bullets.

[JimT]

I use it for the 480 Achilles heel bullets .. especially the one with little bitty grease grooves. It works. I found with cheap .22 Long Rifle ammo .. plain lead bullet that tends to lead .22's ... a dab of it on the nose stops the leading. I have put it on jacketed bullets and gotten an increase of both accuracy and velocity over the same load without it. I mix it thin and let it dry. It does not need to be a heavy thick coating.

[Ray]

The Lee product is often mixed with paste wax and thinned with mineral spirits. Below is pre-mixed bulk amount.

https://www.lsstuff.com/store/index.php ... lfol981sv2

wax/grease too.....

https://www.lsstuff.com/

Straight allox.....

https://www.lsstuff.com/store/index.php ... ucts_id=11

[Bearskinner]

I use Alox on my rifle type cartridges, in single shot pistols, that are powder coated, gas checked. Once I run them thru (usually) a Lee sizer, I’ll lay them out on wax paper, lightly warm up the Lee Alox, and using a model brush, brush it on the lube grooves, then push thru the sizer die again.
I’m not sure it makes a lot of difference, but a little extra lube couldn’t hurt, especially on 300’s or 375’s moving along fast.

[Rockrat]

I use it some. Sometimes when a boolit casts a bit big, its tough to run it thru the Star sizer, so I put a very thin coat on, let dry, and then they are easier to size. For some rifle bullets, sometimes I coat with a thin film of LLA, let dry , and then run thru the Star and size and lube normally.
I have used LLA on some 9mm boolits of the tumble lube design, which works fine.

[ollogger]

I use it all the time for rifle or hand gun, plain base or gas check, use the lee sizer also for seating g.c.
i warm the LLA & then warm the bullets with a hair dryer & then tumble lube them
befor sizeing i use a bit of LlA

Brad

[blackhawk44]

I'm with Ray on the White Label Lube 45-45-10. It dries hard and is cleaner to handle. Performs well, have just never needed to push it past 1400fps.
I just take a handful of bullets, drop them in a freezer zip-loc bag with less that a teaspoon of lube, roll around in my hands until they are all coated, then pour them into parchment or waxed paper to dry and you are done.

[Bill in Oregon]

I've been using it for years with perfect satisfaction. As the others say, warm it in the microwave, drizzle some over your cast bullets in a cottage cheese tub, shake, rattle and roll out onto waxed paper and good to go in the morning.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Does Alox dry to a completely tack free state or will it pick up dust and dirt over time / handling. Is that the reason for the 45-45-10 stuff? To change the way it ends up in a dried state?

[Griff]

I haven't ever used it... I have a RCBS Lubri/Sizer set up to run smokeless and use Lyman's stick Alox lube and a Saeco Lubri/Sizer to use SPG for my BP loads.

[765x53]

Does Alox dry to a completely tack free state or will it pick up dust and dirt over time / handling. Is that the reason for the 45-45-10 stuff? To change the way it ends up in a dried state?

I use it for all my cast bullets, rifle, pistol and muzzleloader. No leading problems at all using published starting loads including fairly warm "Ranch Dog" bullet recommendations.
When thinning is needed, I like to use VM&P naphtha because it dries more quickly and thoroughly. I then dust with a little motor mica for any remaining tackiness. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2124290522/

[JimT]

Does Alox dry to a completely tack free state or will it pick up dust and dirt over time / handling. Is that the reason for the 45-45-10 stuff? To change the way it ends up in a dried state?

It seems to stay slightly tacky for some time. I use white powdered mica sometimes to counteract that.

[marlinman93]

I've found the Lee alox works best when used on Lee bullets designed with the many lube grooves their molds have to hold enough of the alox. In shooting some other bullets years ago in both rifles and pistols, I found the Lee alox works good in handguns, but runs out of lube in most rifle barrels, which results in barrel leading about halfway down the bores.

[Jeff H]

When LEE gave a bottle of it away for free with every sizing die you bought, I used it straight on commercially cast bullets, which were generally too hard and had a useless lube in the groove. It made a big difference but was associated with the numerous complaints of never drying, gunking up seating dies, collecting dust/dirt/pocket lint...

Once I cooked up my first batch of 45-45-10, I've pretty much used it exclusively, up to 1840 fps in the 222, 1800fps+ in the 357 Mag carbine, etc.

Not only is it DRY, it GETS dry in a very short time, like 20 minutes. You can't even see the stuff on the bullet. I have to SMELL the bullets I have cast up to see if they're lubed. Of course they are. I size and lube everything as soon as I can after casting and I can count on this stuff to work at the highest velocities I actually need. Why not?

I wish I had every partial bottle of this stuff someone has thrown away because of the common complaints!

Then again, what LARS offers makes it hard to justify cooking up a batch.

I'll never waste it using it full-strength again.

By the way, paste wax is a thing of the past now too. There is still some out there - on eBay and Amazon - for $100 and $200 per can, so making your own 45-45-10 is a bit less convenient than it was ten years ago.

[marlinman93]

When LEE gave a bottle of it away for free with every sizing die you bought, I used it straight on commercially cast bullets, which were generally too hard and had a useless lube in the groove. It made a big difference but was associated with the numerous complaints of never drying, gunking up seating dies, collecting dust/dirt/pocket lint...

Once I cooked up my first batch of 45-45-10, I've pretty much used it exclusively, up to 1840 fps in the 222, 1800fps+ in the 357 Mag carbine, etc.

Not only is it DRY, it GETS dry in a very short time, like 20 minutes. You can't even see the stuff on the bullet. I have to SMELL the bullets I have cast up to see if they're lubed. Of course they are. I size and lube everything as soon as I can after casting and I can count on this stuff to work at the highest velocities I actually need. Why not?

I wish I had every partial bottle of this stuff someone has thrown away because of the common complaints!

Then again, what LARS offers makes it hard to justify cooking up a batch.

I'll never waste it using it full-strength again.

By the way, paste wax is a thing of the past now too. There is still some out there - on eBay and Amazon - for $100 and $200 per can, so making your own 45-45-10 is a bit less convenient than it was ten years ago.

When you say "paste wax is a thing of the past" do you mean some kind of bullet lube that's a paste wax? Because Johnson's or Minn Wax paste wax is everywhere still, and easy to find.
I've got lots of bottles of Lee Liquid Alox, and some have gotten thick, so I pour a small amount of mineral spirits in the bottle, and then stir it with a bamboo stick to mix it. Then once it's stirred a bit I shake it to thoroughly mix it up. I've bought old bottles at our local gun show for $1 ea. when I see them, just because it's easy to rejuvenate.

[Jeff H]

My apologies for the late reply.

They quit making paste wax. Can't find it anywhere here and it's going for over a hundred bucks a can on eBay and Amazon.

If you're seeing it all over the place, it must be old stock and I'd surely love to wander into one of those stores myself.

[JimT]

My apologies for the late reply.

They quit making paste wax. Can't find it anywhere here and it's going for over a hundred bucks a can on eBay and Amazon.

If you're seeing it all over the place, it must be old stock and I'd surely love to wander into one of those stores myself.

It's for sale all over Amazon for $8 to $25 a can, depending on the type.
https://www.amazon.com/Simoniz-Applicab ... 267&sr=8-6

wax.JPG

Walmart has paste wax
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Turtle-Wax-5 ... om=/search

O'Reilly's has it
https://www.oreillyauto.com/shop/b/deta ... 1bd7bea73e

[GunnyMack]

I've been wondering, just EXACTLY what kind of paste wax are you looking for?

[junkbug]

I believe on the “Castboolit” forum, a certain brand was preferred. I don’t remember which. Obviously paste wax is still readily available fairly cheap. I don’t know about the unicorn snot brand.

[Rockrat]

paste wax--floor variety. Like Johnsons floor paste wax. Not car paste wax I am pretty sure.

[JimT]

paste wax--floor variety. Like Johnsons floor paste wax. Not car paste wax I am pretty sure.

the Johnson's floor paste wax is $138 for a 1 pound can!
https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Paste-Ca ... e904010ad0

There are other types of floor paste wax available at more "normal" prices .....

EDIT: Articles online confirm what JeffH posted ... Johnson's ceased production of their floor paste wax.

[765x53]

My apologies for the late reply.

They quit making paste wax. Can't find it anywhere here and it's going for over a hundred bucks a can on eBay and Amazon.

If you're seeing it all over the place, it must be old stock and I'd surely love to wander into one of those stores myself.

Here is a substitute that should work. https://www.minwax.com/en/products/spec ... ishing-wax

[Paul105]

Johnson liquid wax was the ingredient in the original BLL formula that was discontinued. A substitute has been identified and the formula updated. It is discussed here by the originator: https://artfulbullet.com/index.php?thre ... lube.6306/ . Probably a lot larger quantity than most will be willing to mess with.

[Jeff H]

...
Here is a substitute that should work. https://www.minwax.com/en/products/spec ... ishing-wax

That may be the same stuff I've used on furniture projects for years. If so, I think it should work. MAYBE better, but I won't repeat that on the forum where I learned about 45-45-10.

And, yes, JOHNSON'S was the one I have used in 45-45-10 and the one I was talking about being discontinued. Folks on castboolits were adamant that it had to be "JPW." I bought a can of JPW for the project and it was NOT what it was back when we went through cans and cans of it when I was in the Army, buffing floors. It was sort of greenish and gooey. One fella argued, who I don't think was even old enough to have used JPW back when I first used it, but that stuff happens on other forums.

My observation was that the Minwax I have was much stiffer, like the old JPW I remembered - more like wax than goop and was a creamy, light tan color. The JPW was gooey. I was pretty certain then that the Minwax brand probably had less solvent in it and would "cook" quicker. Maybe, maybe not - I wasn't going to mess with the recipe on my first go, nut I'd use the Minwax in a heartbeat now.

I went to my local ACE and to a sort of hardware/everything else store, both of which are very reliable and have people who know what things are and what they're called and asked for paste wax. I did not specify the brand. Both places looked and looked and came up with the same results - discontinued. If someone else is still making plain ol' paste wax, I'll jump on some.

Thanks for posting that link. I'm searching now to see if I can find some.

Side note: The Infantry is not known for drawing the most gifted crowd, but there's testosterone, diversity and adventuresome, free-thinking, open-minded creativity. I swear - every post I went to, some dipstick would set a can of JPW in the middle of the hall and light it on fire so he could drizzle it onto the floor. Never failed, something got ruined or someone got hurt. It was fun though.

[Jeff H]

A quick search says Lowe's carries the Minwax brand, but I was in there last week and didn't see it. I'll look again.

Apparently, Amazon has it and the price has nearly quadrupled since I bought my last can - some 30 years ago. Goes a long way on furniture. I suppose it's not a bad price these days.

https://www.amazon.com/Minwax-785004444 ... B000LNOZAW

I want to get my hands on a can so I can pop it open and smell it and touch it.

Appreciate the link. The cynical part of me (which has grown exponentially as I age) let me assume that this was another move to save the earth from ourselves and that it was discontinued entirely because of some feel-good regulatory maneuver.

[450 Fuller]

TreWax has carnauba wax in it. Rare now.
It will also serve to protect blued finishes. I use
it on Parker, Fox and LC Smith goose-turkey guns.

And on an 1885 HW SS in 45-60. It works better than imagined.

Do NOT use WD-40 on any firearms you respect or wish to keep.