Pan Lubing

[Biermeister]

Howdy,
    Looking for information on pan lubing. The temp. of oven and the time the pan is in the oven. I had a post saved on my computer or so I thought, but can't find it. Need to pan lube a bunch of EPP bullets. Thanks

                                                                                Biermeister

[Wills Point Pete]

 Pan lubing is easy. When we first pan lube it is best to melt the lube before putting the bullets in. I use a double boiler for that, I put the bullets into the pan and heat them up at the oven's lowest setting, about 200 degrees in our stove, this is not real critical. Just keep the temp low enough to where everything doesn't start filling the house with stinky smoke. Most lubes anything under 250 is fine.

Then I pour the lube in to just over the lube grooves and let it cool. as soon as the lube is solid I'll stick the pan into the refrigerator and let everything get good and cold. This helps keep the lube in the groove(s). Now depending on your own formula for lube you might prefer room temp, it varies.

It's not like rocket surgery or brain science, though. Put the tray of lube and bullets in the refrigerator and pull the first couple of bullets out. If the lube sticks, great. If it doesn't then back in the oven and try again at room temperature.

Of course, after the first bunch you have a pan full of lube with holes, just stick a bullet into each one, stick it in the oven and cool after all the lube is melted. After a couple of pans you will need to add some more lube. Do this a little bit at a time, too much lube in the pan is a PITA.

Hint, do the first pan while the wife is somewhere else. Just in case. Always start with the lowest temp that will melt the lube. Again, this temp will vary according to your formula.

I shoot .45 Colt, to pull the bullets out of the lube cake I use a pair of needlenose pliers. I tried all kinds of things, I cut the base off a .45-70 cartridge and poked it through the lube cake and it wasn't as easy of the pliers. Your mileage may well vary, depending on your secret formula. Some lubes work very well with using a cartridge case of the proper size. .38s work well with .35 Whelen, .358 Win or .35 Remingtons. .32s would work well with .32 Win Specials, .44s with .444 Marlin.

[Goatlips]

Howdy Biermeister,

Here's my pictorial take on the subject, have a look;

  http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/panlubing.html

Pitchers have always been a big help to me, maybe you too.

Pard,
Goatlips

[Biermeister]

Thanks, Goatlips & Wills Point Pete,
    That info is exactly what I was looking for. I think I will give it a try today while the wife is at work.

                                                                                          Biermeister

[sundance44`s]

Did I ever make a mess of the wife`s kitchen counter , lucky she wasn`t home first time I pan lubed ...I had placed my bullets up right in a pie pan and heated my lube on the stove in an old pot ......Sounded good to me ....Well the problem was when I went to pour the hot lube into the pie pan , I found out lube doesn`t pour very well out of a pot with round edges ...I got more on the counter than in the piepan ....I cleaned the mess off the kitchen counter before she got home , then I eyed an old copper tea kettle she keeps in the kitchen with a nice pour spout on it ...next time I lubed I put the hardeded pieces of lube in the tea pot heated it on the stove , and poured with no fuss no muss and no mess to clean up . The old tea pot was just there to look at , never used so now I have a use for it , and no one knows whats inside ...my secrete .