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The coffee mug warmer didn't work. It seems it is capable of keeping a mug warm but not really getting it warm from room temperature.
I stopped in at Wally World to look for a small (cheap) hot plate with no luck. As I was stumbling out of the appliance department I spotted a small end cap display of a Crock Pot brand "Little Dipper". It looks like a tiny crock pot and holds about 10-12oz. It is made to heat up or cook warm dips like artichoke dip, etc. and comes with a lid. With my 4oz bottle of LLA and a teaspoon of mineral spirits it was just deep enough to dip lube my Lee 452-300 bullets up to the top crimp groove. Works like a charm.
"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Willard Duncan Vandiver
Only have the 45/45/10 from white label so may give this a try next time I lube as all that lube on the nose likes to collect on the seating die and change the depth on the bullet.
It's sad about the fire at White Label but hopefully he can can make his shop even better than before.
I read about that when checking their website for lube options last week. Sounds like their shop was a total loss.
"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Willard Duncan Vandiver
My first attempt at dip lubing bullets wasn't as much of a charm as I had expected. When I started up to do some more tonight I found that the short extension cord I had plugged the crock into wasn't plugged into the wall the first time. DUH! After 24 hours the lube at the base of the first bullets is still sticky and the lube in the pan is too. I rolled the gas checks around on a paper towel to remove a large portion of the excess and ran them thru the sizer again anyway. They are still sticky but sitting on their nose to air dry again tonight.
The second batch I did tonight was done with a warm crock and it was noticeably better. Less lube on the bullets, drips fewer times, and leaves a very small ring of lube on the cookie sheet. They are already drying nicely.
Live and learn.
"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." Willard Duncan Vandiver
I have been following this thread so today I thought I would give it a try. I used a hot plate and a tuna can worked great. Now I have to get to the range to try them.
The right amount of heat did seem to be the trick. Not enough and they were way too goopy, too much and it was too thin, but once you get it just right you do start to get that brown varnish coating that is just right with little left over. I'm in the group that had goopy bullets until I figured this out. For my cheapy Taget small crock pot I think the medium setting worked best for me as long as it wasn't left on for too long. I bet a bean can over a hot plate would have worked just as well if not better.
RD, I just tried your method with of Lar's 50/50. I thought this would be very messy and it was.
On the other hand the finish product and the time saved was fantastic.
Need to pick up a paint scraper to clean up the cookie sheet. The first attempt I used waxed paper but the paper ripped when trying to salvage the 50/50 remaining on it. This cookie sheet will be see a lot of use from now on. Thanks for the pics and description!
An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out.
When setting a job up for myself it must be Idiot Proof as well, as I am a bigger idiot than most people I know, and I prove it to myself everyday.
Reading back through this and seeing the smoke comments made me think back a bit. When I tumble lubed in the beginning with the Lee Liquid Alox (LLA) I always seemed to get that little bit more than I really needed on them and that's when the smoke would be annoying. You wouldn't think such a thin varnish coating would work but it usually does unless you are pushing them too hard. When I moved to the 45/45/10 I noticed pretty much the same thing. So if you are doing this and getting smoke in an annoying way I would bet you are still using more than you need. Alox is one of those rare products that a little really does go a long way. Even the dipping method puts way too much on but once sized it has just the right amount. The worst smoke you get from that is when you still have a bit of lube on the bottom built up.
This cookie sheet will be see a lot of use from now on. Thanks for the pics and description!