Black Powder Lube Recipes
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Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« on: October 26, 2005, 07:33:25 PM »
Many recipes used by the BPCR folks …
Compliments of Gatofeo
Well, I have to disagree that, “… for the money, SPG can’t be beat.”
In a 1943 American Rifleman is a bullet lubricant recipe that I’ve used for about four years now. I feel it betters SPG in cost, and equals it in efficacy.
It was listed as the old factory recipe for outside lubricated bullets, such as the .32, .38 and .41 Colt cartridges. I use it to lubricate outside-lubricated bullets for the .32 Long Colt, which are fired in my Marlin Model 1892 rifle. Works great.
When it comes to lubricating stiff felt wads for cap and ball sixguns, black powder cartridge guns or muzzleloaders it beats SPG. This is due to the canning paraffin in it, which stiffens the wad a bit and makes it a more effective fouling scraper.
Though canning paraffin is a petroleum product, it does not cause the hard, tarry fouling associated with other petroleum products when used with black powder. I can’t explain it but canning paraffin is benign in that regard.
Now, let’s look at cost:
1 pound of canning paraffin, found at your grocery store’s cooking aisle, costs $3 or so.
Mutton tallow, sold by Dixie Gun Works, is $3.50 for 12 to 16 ounces.
Beeswax is not easily found cheaply anymore. Nearly all of the toilet seals sold at hardware stores are no longer real beeswax but synthetic. It makes a difference and real beeswax is required. A couple of years ago I paid $4 for 2 lb. block of beeswax at a Rendezvous.
Stony Mountain Botanicals, on the internet, sells five pounds of beeswax for $37.80.
The recipe listed in that old American Rifleman magazine calls for:
10 pounds paraffin
10 pounds tallow
5 pounds beeswax
I don’t need 25 pounds of lubricant, so I reduce it proportionately. I use a kitchen scale to measure 200/200/100 grams of ingredients. This amount fits nicely into a quart, widemouth Mason jar. The jar goes into a small pot of boiling water for a double-boiler effect.
When all ingredients are melted, mix well with a disposable chopstick or clean stick. Allow to cool at room temperature. Hastening cooling by placing in the fridge may cause the ingredients to separate.
For argument’s sake, let’s crunch the numbers between 25 pounds of this lubricant and 25 pounds of SPG.
10 pounds canning paraffin, at $3 a pound = $30
10 pounds mutton tallow, at $3.50 a pound = $35.00
5 pounds beeswax at $37.80 for 5 pounds = $37.80
TOTAL $102.80 for 25 pounds
SPG sells for about $4 per 1 oz. stick. You can find it a little cheaper, down to about $3.50 per stick, on the internet. But let’s use the more common price of about $4 a stick.
1 oz. SPG @ $4 a stick X 16 (16 ozs. to the pound) = $64 a pound
$64 X 25 pounds = $1,600.
The homemade lubricant, which works just as well or better than SPG in some applications, costs 15.5 times LESS than SPG!
Now, bear in mind that these are all worst-case figures.
Sometimes, you can find canning paraffin, mutton tallow or beeswax at much less, or even free for the taking. You may also save money buying SPG in bulk, of course. However, I think this clearly shows the savings to be made by making your own lubricant.
I used SPG until I found the above recipe. Now I use the old recipe for all black powder applications, even as a patch lube.
A few final notes:
Stick to the ingredients. I’ve tried Crisco and lard instead of mutton tallow and it creates an inferior lubricant. Mutton tallow is by far the best.
Canning paraffin is also the best because it is pure paraffin. Who knows what lurks in old cancles, especially the scednted variety?
Beeswax must also be real, not the synthetic stuff. And be wary of so-called “beeswax candles.” I’ve found some that I’m sure were mixed with modern paraffin, to make them more heat resistant. Use real beeswax.
With real mutton tallow, beeswax and canning paraffin, you can easily and cheaply create a lubricant with a variety of uses.
Compliments of Hooplehead
Historical Black Powder Bullet Lubricants
Composition of Extensively Used Bullet Lubricants
(E.H. Harrison: American Rifleman, Jul ’65)
- U.S. Army 1855 – 1 beeswax, 3 tallow.
- U.S. Army 1861 – 8 beeswax, 1 tallow.
- U.S. Army 1873 – 8 bayberry wax, 1 graphite.
- U.S. Army 1880 and thereafter – Japan wax.
- Sharps Rifle Co., 1878 – 1 beeswax, 2 sperm oil.
- Massachusetts Arms Co. (Maynard rifle), 1890 – 1 beeswax, 3 tallow.
- Marlin Firearms Co., 1891 – 1 beeswax, 4 tallow.
- Smith & Wesson, 1891 – tallow.
- H.M. Pope, about 1900 – 3 mutton tallow, 2 bay wax, 1 beeswax, 1 steam cylinder oil, .2 of 1 acheson graphite. The bay wax could be omitted.
- Automobile door latch stick lubricant, U.S. Patent 1,920,161
- (1931) – 5 paraffin wax, 3 petroleum jelly, 2 oil.
- A large police department, 1962 – 1 beeswax, 1 paraffin wax, 1 cosmoline. Notes: “Cosmolene” in this context refers to dark petrolatum with no anti-corrosion additives. Refined yellow petrolatum (petroleum jelly, Vaseline) may be substituted.
- Any mixture containing paraffin wax must include a plasticizer, such as petrolatum. Microcrystalline petroleum waxes may be used as-is.
- The 1:3 beeswax/tallow mixture (or any composition composed mainly of tallow) is probably the most traditional choice for “primitive” shooters. The 8:1 mixture is rather stiff, and better suited to conicals, paper cartridges, and the like. For paper-patched bullets, I’d be inclined to try the Sharps formula, substituting Dexron II/III automatic transmission fluid for the sperm oil.
Compliments of Dick Dastardly
I jest love the KISS system.
By WEIGHT,
One wax toilet bowl ring (cheep from Menards at $0.67ea.)
One part cheep store brand shortnin’ (I get mine at Aldis)
One part cheep container blend Soy Wax (my nearest wholesale candlemaker supplier)
Heat ’em up gentle, stir a bit, and pour ’em into yer molds or whatever.
It’s the cheepest there is. Many swear by at it. None swear at it. You saw it here first.
It’s called “Dick Dastardlys’ Pearl Lube”.
Compliments of Smokin’ Guns John
My home lube recipe:
By liquid volume –
50% beeswax
40% veggie shortnin’
10% peanut oil
This here is the secret part: Add lanolin – 1 rounded tablespoon per 2 cups of the 50-40-10 mix
Works quite well in the 38-55 & 45-70 at BPCRS shoots, .45 pistols and new model ’94. Summer as well as winter. Also like the way it handles in the RCBS lubrisizer. Got tired of pan lubing – took to long for me.
Compliments of El Paso Pete
I been using this in my Sharps, after 20 or so shots I just push a dry patch through the barrel and keep shootin. This stuff stays moist in the barrel and really works good.
El Paso Pete’s Magic Bullet Lube
8 oz. beeswax (Beehive)
8 oz. paraffin (Hardware store)
6 oz. mutton tallow (Dixie Gun Works)
3.5 oz. bar of Neutrogena facial soap. (Under the bathroom sink)
8 oz. olive oil, extra virgin, use less in hot weather (Kitchen, cupboard next to the stove) If yer unfortunate enough not to live on the Wisconsin glacier you might want to cut down on the olive oil or leave it out.
Melt in a double boiler!!!!!! (Don’t let yer wife see ya usin it or better yet go to the hardware store and buy yer own.)
Now that the moulds for the Big Lube Bullets (TM) are shipping I’m havin to increase my batch size. Usin a big cauldron in back of the barn (50 yards away at least) over a fire use the following for 1000 rounds.
20 lbs. beeswax
20 lbs. paraffin
15 lbs. mutton tallow
40 bars of Neutrogena facial soap
Olive oil to suit the glacier conditions
Compliments of John Boy
Modified Mathews Lube
50% Soy wax
25% Lanolin
25% Neatsfoot oil.
Measure all by weight
« Last Edit: September 26, 2007, 08:58:47 PM by John Boy » Logged
Regards
John
SASS ~ Darkside WartHog ~ SBSS (OGB, w/Star) ~ SCORRS
GAF Bvt 1st LT, Atlantic Division Scouts
Devote Convert to BPCR
Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Springfield Slim
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2005, 11:02:30 AM »
I used to go 50% beeswax and 50% crisco back when I panlubed, but that mix is way too stiff to use in a sizer. Now I use a 7 parts beeswax, 2.5 parts crisco, .5 part lanolin, and just a dab of citronella candle to make it smell nice. Soft enough for my Star sizers but not so soft that it can’t he handled. On a really cold day I have to aim my lightbulb heater at the sizer but only then. Really cold meaning anything under 60 degrees. This is California, after all.
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Smokin Gator
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2005, 08:22:31 PM »
Springfield Slim. Does the .5 part lanolin make that much difference as far as making a softer lube. I have used approximately the 50/50 beeswax/crisco or adding some olive oil. In the hot summers the 50/50 seems to work. I would figure that unless that lanolin really changes things the 70% beeswax would be harder. thanks, Smokin gator
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Carlos El Hombre
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2005, 05:27:56 PM »
I use two different lubes. For bullets I use Lyman Super Moly and for lubing my C&B Remmies I use 60% toilet seal wax mixed with 40% crisco. The 60/40 is soft enough on cold days to poke into the cylinder holes and doesn’t run on hot days.
works for me.
Carlos El Hombre
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Springfield Slim
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2005, 10:27:30 AM »
Smokin; I doubt the the lanolin makes much difference in hardness. But I have found that if I go with any less beeswax that the bullets are very difficult to handle, with the lube sticking to my fingers and generally making a mess. Maybe the Star sizer works the lube more than a Lyman or RCBS, don’t know for sure. The lanolin is stickier than Crisco and so I use it on the theory that it will stick in the lube groove better. There are no magic recipes that I know of and this one works for me in my particular application, so I stick with it. I’m always experimenting though.
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)John Boy
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2005, 08:07:53 PM »
Thank Ya Grizz for the World’s Longest List of Lube Recipes Grin
Grizz
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 87
Location: Loveland Colorado Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:54 am Post subject:
Jeff’s Favoriate Lube Formula
For bullet lube, mix 60% bees wax to 40% Olive oil by volume. Mix in a double boiler as the wax is flamable and can also scorch. Melt the bees wax first. Use some type of measuring device, I use a screw driver, to mark the depth of the wax. Now, pour in your olive oil to the desired depth on your measuring stick. Bring up to high heat and be sure everything is melted together (use your stick to stir…). I then drop in about 1 tblsp of Crisco (when making about 1/2 of a 1 lb coffee can full of lube, so figure out your own amount). The Crisco Shortening seems to keep it smooth and helps with the consistancy to keep it from becoming too hard. Pour into mould an allow to cool. That’s all.
I’ve shot many thousands of rounds with this formula. My friends use it and have also shot thousands of rounds. the stuff works. Add more Olive Oil and you can use it as a patch lube for your muzzleloaders. I use this in the muzzleloading silhouette competitions at Friendship (NMLRA) and have consistantly done well in both hot humid and cold and dry weather.
Dale’s Favorate Hot Weather Lube Formula
50% Beeswax (natural, unbleached from a beekeeper); 40% Crisco and 10% Canola Oil (I use Crisco Brand). Even though it is labeled as a hot weather formula, it can be used in all weather conditions.
Melt the same was as in Jeff’s formula.
Bill’s Lube
Original Receipt
1 cup bee’s wax
¾ cup Crisco
5 Tablespoons Neatsfoot oil
Variation 1
2 cups bee’s wax
1 tube of “Bore Butter” – equal to approx. ½-2/3 cup
10 tablespoons of Neatsfoot oil
3/4 cup Crisco
2 inches of a Blue Crayon (just to make it a different color)
Variation 2
1 cup bee’s wax
¾ cup lanolin
5 Tablespoons Neatsfoot oil
Tip on the neatsfoot oil. Bill gets his from a tack and/or feed store. Says it’s about the same price per gallon as the shoe stores charge for eight oz.
RECIPE 1
Originallly created for center-fire inside lubricated bullets, such as the .45-70, .44-40 and such.
1 part Japan Wax (I think this is available in furniture refinishing stores, or perhaps hardware stores).
1/2 part paraffin
1/2 part beeswax
RECIPE 2
Originally created for outside-lubricated bullets such as .22, .32, .38 and .41 caliber heeled bullets.
1 part paraffin (I use canning paraffin, found in grocery stores).
1 part tallow (I use Dixie Gun Works mutton tallow).
1/2 part beeswax.
(Remember, these amounts are by weight, not volume!)
Homemade Bullet Lube
SUPPLEMENT (2001) TO CAST BULLET LUBRICANTS (Revised edition of 1997)
Assembled and Written by Ralph Schneider
PART I: CAST BULLET LUBRICANTS
Alox 50-50—This continues to be a very popular lube among cast bullet shooters, but black powder enthusiasts may want to be aware of possible problems. One Pyrodex shooter found that it caused erratic grouping at the range. He was about to sell his rifle when he tried SPG lube and groups immediately shrank.
Alox, Liquid—this is available in bulk as “Alox 606-55, which is 55% calcium soap in an aliphatic mineral spirits carrier.” Minimum order is five gallons, from Alox Corporation, P.O. Box 517, Niagara Falls, NY 14302. Telephone (716) 282-1295 (FS 145 6). August Rubrecht notes that Lee Liquid Alox turned a marginal .45-70 load into an excellent one—particularly when the entire bullets (not just the rings) are coated. See also the entry under Action of Bullet Lubes in Part III.
Apache Blue Lube—Paco Kelly’s formula is once again available, now from The Hanned Line, P.O. Box 2387, Cupertino, CA 95015-2387 (FS 143 12).
Black Powder Moly Lube—this lube is advertised as able to render bore cleaning unnecessary during a full day’s shooting. I cannot attest to the validity of this particular claim, but I have found this lube to be the equal of any other black powder lube I’ve tried in terms of accuracy, preventing leading, and ease of cleaning at the end of a range session. Available from Lee Shaver, 559 NW 7th Rd., Iantha, MO 64759. Phone (417) 682-3330.
Bull-X—this cast bullet company is now making some of its bullets available with a moly coating. An article by Layne Simpson notes that such bullets do not lead, and that the coating they leave in the bore even prevents subsequently-fired naked bullets from leading for a time. They also cause less smoke than conventional grease-type lubricants—a particular advantage in competition pistol shooting (HL 189 14 and HL 193 26-29, 75). Available from Bull-X, P.O. Box 182, 520 N. Main, Farmer City, IL 61842.
Dow Corning #321 Dry Film Lubricant—this contains moly, and it can be used as a bullet lubricant (TCB 127 3 and TCB 130 6).
Dell’s #47 (Modified)—Bill McGraw has created several versions of this:
M-1 M-2 M-3 M-4
Beeswax 40 50 50 60
Castor Oil 24 10 20 10
Anhydrous Lanolin 16 10 28 25
Ivory Snow (grated bar) 20 30 2 5
Figures indicate % by weight. McGraw reports that M-1 is rather soft, and that M-2 is harder, but that both tend to dry on the bullet after several months.
El Gato Bullet Lube—see cat hair in Part II.
Emmert Lube—another formula for this make-it-yourself lube is as follows: 12 oz. beeswax, 9 oz. white Crisco shortening, 2 1/4 oz. Crisco or Wesson oil. Jim Luke warns that overheating the mix will ruin the lube; he uses it via pan lubing (Single Shot Exchange Compendium 2, page 266).
Gilligan’s Lube #1—an experimental lube composed of these ingredients in the indicated proportions: beeswax, 20 grams; lanolin, 5 grams; Castile soap, 2 grams; castor oil, 5 grams. Jim Gilligan reports that this lube performed well, but that the Castile soap required heating over 100° C, which created a fire hazard (FS 144 25-26).
Gilligan’s Lube #2—a replacement for #1 which worked well. Proportions are % by weight. Formulas are provided for both hard and soft versions (FS 144 25-26):
Hard Soft
beeswax 30 30
ozokerite wax 30 20
petroleum jelly 40 50
Homemade Lube—50% beeswax and 50% Penns-Oil (Pennzoil?) moly auto-chassis lube, used to lubricate bullets in .45 ACP target and plinking loads (TCB 129 16).
Matthews’ Black Powder Bullet Lube—Paul Matthews offers this lube formula, which I inadvertently omitted from the revised edition. Melt 1/2 pound of yellow beeswax, and mix with it 4 fluid ounces of pure neatsfoot oil (not neatsfoot compound) and 3.5 ounces of thin shavings from a bar of Neutrogena Facial Soap. Paul notes that this produces a somewhat sticky lube which shows excellent promise.
Meyers’ Best Lube # 2.1—George Arledge and Jim Meyers contribute this improved formula:
Powdered Rosin 8 oz.
10-10-80* 6 oz.
Beeswax 9 oz.
Paraffin 15 oz.
Mica 2 oz.
*10-10-80 is described as a general lubricant and penetrant; make it by mixing one part STP, one part Marvel Mystery Oil, and eight parts Dexron ATF (parts by volume).
Mix the #2.1 as follows: heat the 10-10-80 to about 250° (be alert to possible fire danger), turn off the heat and stir in the rosin; add beeswax (temperature will drop); add paraffin & stir to 170°; add mica & stir as temperature drops to 140°. Pour quickly into a mold to keep the mica from settling out.
PART II: CAST BULLET LUBRICANT INGREDIENTS
Cat hair—the key ingredient in El Gato Bullet Lube (TCB 138 15-17). Although it is claimed to have miraculous effects in many lubes in which it is an ingredient, this shooter has found that frog hair works just as well.
Neatsfoot Oil—used as a softener in a number of bullet lubricants, notably those created by Paul Matthews. Be aware that a product called neatsfoot compound is not an adequate substitute. Said to be available at saddle shops.
Rosin—Merrill Martin suggests that any lube that is slippery shoots poorly, and that using rosin as an ingredient can counter this effect (TCB 130 1
.
Lube Wads (grease cookies)—Steve Garbe mentions that he’s tried strips of dental wax for this purpose; this can work well, but this wax is sometimes not compatible with black powder fouling. He also cautions that a shooter should use some sort of thin paper or card wad between the lube wad and the bullet in order to keep the lube wad from adhering to the bullet’s base and affecting accuracy (Black Powder Cartridge News, Number 26, page 30). Shooter Henry Rudkin reports good results with a mixture of Ox Yoke’s Wonder Lube mixed with 30% beeswax to produce a .160″ grease cookie sandwiched between two wads. Another shooter recommends making lube wad “sandwiches” with thin paper on both wad surfaces. Shooters who want to know more on the subject of lube wads may want to read Chapter 3 in Paul Matthews’ book Loading the Black Powder Cartridge Rifle. I have experimented with lube wads, but found that they diminished accuracy somewhat in my rifle. It is possible that modern lubes are so good that additional lubricant in the form of a lube wad is not necessary or desirable; it may cause overlubrication and “lube-purging fliers.”
Lubricant Migration— shooter August Rubrecht reports that oil in the filler or straight lithium grease “will eventually bleed into the powder and primer, causing accuracy loss, velocity loss, hangfires, and misfires.” Apparently such lubricants may show good results initially, but storage for more than a week can create problems.
Lubricating the Bullet Nose—Henry Smid reports using a mix of paraffin wax, Alox, and moly (amounts not specified) to lubricate the noses of bullets with good effects but with some drawbacks (FS 146 16).
Mixtures of Lubricants—a number of shooters have experimented with mixtures of commercial lubricants, sometimes with good success.
• 25% Alox, 75% Bore Butter—this apparently makes lubed bullets less sticky to handle than straight Bore Butter and gives leading-free shooting and good accuracy.
• Dale Reifsnyder reports creating a “witch’s brew” of lubes, consisting of Lyman Ideal, Mirro, Alox 50-50, Ipco, and several others (unidentified). He notes that the mix is nonduplicatable, but that it is the “best damned lube” he’s tried. I note that there may be at least two lessons here: keep experimenting, and keep records.
• One toilet bowl wax ring, and one cake of Gulf paraffin—Jim Vaughn’s suggestion. The wax ring is a rather sticky and soft material which is hardened by the paraffin. I’ve used a similar mix (but with half this amount of paraffin) to make grease cookie material which extrudes well from a JRW extruder.
Homemade Lube Formulas and Notes:
From the Hoch custom bullet moulds catalog:
- Buck Emmert’s Lube Formula (makes 1/2 lb. of lube)
1750 grains of processed beeswax*
1368 grains of Crisco shortening (White — do not use butter flavor)
328 grains of Crisco oil (100% soybean) or Wesson vegetable oil - Barry Darr’s Lube Formula – A great lube for pan lubing bullets. See modified version below.
1 lb. paraffin, 1 lb. Vaseline, 2 tbsp. RCBS case lube (may also use STP)
From Barnett’s bullet mould catalog: - Dean Miller Lube (Dean Miller of Miller Arms, Onge, SD)
1/2 lb. of beef tallow
1/2 lb. processed beeswax*
1 tbsp. of high sulfur cutting oil. The oil is used by plumbers, is black in color and stinks. - Modified Darr lube- Excellent results up to 1500 fps, and near 90° temperature, with the only problem being that it melts in the sun or hot weather.
4-1/2 oz. paraffin, 4-1/2 oz. Vaseline, 2 oz. (2 tbsp.) RCBS case lube (can also use STP)
The following formula is from one of Paul A. Matthews’ book, How-To’s for the Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Shooter. He says it gives excellent results. Paul says “It will not melt in the sun, yet continues to give good performance when freezing temperatures are in the single digits. It is very soft and sticky and has a bad habit of sticking to your fingers instead of the bullet when you seat the bullet in the cartridge case. It also turns dark with exposure, but this in no way impairs its effectiveness. For my money, despite these few minor faults, it is one superb bullet lubricant for use in the black powder cartridge rifle.” This lubricant works great in a lubrisizer. It is not suitable for pan lubing. Probably the simplest way to make the lube is to mix an 8-ounce batch in a microwave oven.
Basic recipe:
Yellow beeswax 2 parts (ounces avdp.)
Pure neatsfoot oil 1 part (fluid ounces)
Murphy’s Oil Soap 1 part (fluid ounces)
- Fully melt 4 ounces of beeswax in a Pyrex measuring cup.
- Thoroughly stir in 2 fluid ounces of pure neatsfoot oil until there are no lumps. Do not use neatsfoot compound.
- Add 2 fluid ounces of Murphy’s Oil Soap and continue to stir until all lumps are gone.
- Pour into container and allow to harden.
- For 8 lbs. of lubricant use 4 lbs. of beeswax, 1 qt. each of Neetsfoot oil and Murphy’s Oil Soap.
Note: You may notice that as soon as the Murphy’s Oil Soap is added, the mixture turns a light cream color. It may also boil up violently when the soap is first added. This is caused by a chemical reaction of caustic soda in the soap, an action known as saponification, which significantly raises the melting point of the mixture and gives it a smooth, soapy texture. There are several other recipes that use soap such as Kirk’s Castile
*Removing impurities from raw or natural beeswax:
Raw, natural or unprocessed beeswax has impurities in it such as rosin, sugar (honey), dirt, etc., which must be carefully removed by straining and/or other methods. “Pure” beeswax, also referred to as processed beeswax or food-grade beeswax, has rosin and other impurities removed. Sometimes it is also referred to as commercial A-1 beeswax. Pure beeswax is a mixture of about 80% true wax; the balance is free fatty acids and alcohols.
Straining: Proper straining removes the majority of impurities. To strain raw beeswax, melt and pour it through fine woven cheesecloth type material or T-shirt material (if not woven too tightly to prevent wax from passing through).
Precipitation process: Additional impurities, too fine for straining to eliminate, can be removed using a precipitation process. After straining natural beeswax, but before using it to make lube, melt it in a pan of water (10% to 20% water) and add 2 tbsp. or so of vinegar per quart. Stir, cover, and allow to cool slowly. After it cools, run a knife around the top edges between the wax and pan. If you then refrigerate the wax, it will separate from the edge of the pan for easy removal. Remove and scrape off the crud from the bottom of the cake. Repeat if necessary to remove additional impurities.
Combining straining and precipitation: Another method is to combine the straining and precipitation process. Line the pan with the straining cloth before adding the raw wax. Add water and heat till wax is melted. Add 2 tbsp. or so of vinegar per quart and stir. Slowly lift and remove the straining cloth, allowing the hot wax solution to pass through it. Let the wax cool slowly and follow the rest of the steps in the precipitation process above. Logged Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)
John Boy
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Home Range: South Jersey – 39.3 N x 74.7 W
Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2005, 08:08:41 PM »
More from Grizz …
Taken from the Shilo Sharps site
2 – parts beeswax 8 oz
1 – part neatsfoot oil 4 oz.
1 – part Murphy’s oil soap 4 oz.
Making 16 oz. = 1 pound?
RECIPE
ONE PART = ¼ POUND BY WEIGHT. (I use a postage scale I bought at Office Depot)
6 Parts BeesWax
1 Part Murphie’s Oil Soap
1 Part Pure Neats Foot Oil
1 Medium sized eye dropper Peppermint Oil
Melt wax in double boiler, add other ingredients and mix well. Pour into mould (I use cheap flexible plastic ice cube trays). FOR DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED YOU GO TO WAL MART AND GET YOUR OWN DOUBLE BOILER.
Barnetts Lube
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
13 oz Beeswax
5 oz peanut oil
1/2 stick of 50/50 alox
1 oz of anahydrons lanolin
Buffalo Gold
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
8 oz. Purified Beeswax
4 oz. (1 stick) Coconut Oil Bar
4 oz. of Ballistol
I have used this in defferant weather conditions and this does real well
Cheap & Easy BP Lube
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
This is the easiest and cheapest lube I’ve made that worked well. Use refined beeswax and peanut oil in equal volumes. Melt the beeswax in a double boiler. When it is completely melted add an equal volume of peanut oil, then stir for a minute. Add 10 % anhydrous lanolin by volume to improve pan lubing when melting the beeswax if desired.
Emmert’s modified for hot weather
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
This lube works quite well in hot weather. I have used it up to 108 degrees in a 34″ barreled 45-100 without fouling the last several inches of the barrel:
All proportions are by volume.
50% beeswax
40% crisco
10% jojoba oil
melt everything together and stir well. Works very nicely as a pan lube.
Great For Hot, Dry Conditions
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
All measures are by volume. 4 parts refined beeswax, 2 parts LubeGard’s “Valve and Assembly Lubricant” and 2 parts anhydrous lanolin. LubeGard can be purchased from NAPA Auto Supply. Refined beeswax and anhydrous lanolin can be purchased online at http://www.from-nature-with-love.com/soap/.
Melt the beeswax and anhydrous lanolin in a double boiler. Once both are well melted add the LubeGard and stir for a minute. This lube works well for pan-lubing as well as through a lube-sizer.
Modified JS Wolf lube “Pink Stink”
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
JS Wolf recommended 50/50 beeswax and olive-oil for an ‘everyday’ lube in his book “Loading Cartridges for the original .45-70 Springfield Rifleand Carbine”. I’ve used it for years in Trapdoors, Browning .45-90, Military Rollers, etc. Lately I’ve been adding 10% Lubegard. The little .35 just loves it.
All measures by volume: I melt the beeswax in the microwave, making sure that I stop while there is some solid cake still floating in the container (not too hot now!!). I transfer the container to a hotplate (I use a coffee-mug warmer) and when completely liquid, add an equal volume of cheap Olive-Oil; virginity level optional. Stir until it is all liquid again. Top up with 10% Lubegard and let it liquify again. Done. Seems to be immune to reheating problems as I’ve been on the same batch for months now.
I used the 50/50 version in a lube-sizer but eventually it blew the bottom o-ring (Lyman 450). Nowdays, I dip lube and press the lubed bullets through a properly-sized (drilled and reamed, no less) hole in a piece of 3/4″ Poplar board. Simple, cheap, faster than the Lyman and less likely to damage the bullets.
No worries on this lube in 96 degree heat (and equivalent humidity) or freezing and very low humidity. Probably not the best for high heat and low-to-no humidity…but Mr. Theodore sez it worked on the left coast. Works for me!
Pope
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
6 oz. beef tallow all by weight
4 oz. baybarry was
2 oz beeswax
2 oz. synthetic sperm oil
1 heaping teaspoon of fine graphite powder
Rubles lube #1
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
This one is dirt simple. Just go down to the local Pepboys and buy some Ester based oil for an automobile air conditioner. Should be clearly marked “ESTER”. Melt up a quantity of beeswax that is about half the volume of lube you need to make up…. Start off by adding about the same volume of ester oil that you have in melted beeswax. If that is too thick too thin for you, then add a bit more beeswax to make it thicker, more ester oil to make it thinner. While you are at it, you can add a tablespoon of Lee Liquid Alox to the mix….this mix will hold up in pretty high temps. and has worked well in a variety of caliber
Rubles lube #2
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
200 ml beeswax 200 ml crisco 100 ml lecithin Melt beeswax and add crisco first…then slowly add lecithin. Stir often while adding lecithin or it will ball up and make a mess. Get the lecithin at a health food store….you can generally find a quart bottle fairly cheap. The lecithin is the same stuff as is used in Pam, the anti-stick spray that you put on frying pans. This lube is also pretty good at high temp.
Six Month Lube
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
4 parts beeswax : 1 part unsalted Crisco : 1 part Neetsfoot oil : 2 parts Neutrogena bar soap. Six months is not how often you needto use the lube, but how long it took me to develop a lube which will not bleed under the bullet in a lube/sizer. The Neetsfoot oil is available at tack shops.
Because I am a hard case, I feel that I need to make my own lube, therefore, I use a mixture of 100 percent natural, uncolored, unscented etc. beeswax obtained directly for a beekeeper, those guys wearing the white burqas, anhydrous lanolin obtained from any pharmacy, and a specific type of LubeGard ordered from NAPA Auto. I mix them together until I get the consistency I like, which gets hard enough during the winter months where I live to make me want to soften it up a little with my Lubrisizer heater
BPCR Lubes:
Home
“Great For Hot, Dry Conditions” – sourced from Dan Theodore
Ingredients, Procedures, Notes, etc.
All measures are by volume.
4 parts refined beeswax
2 parts LubeGard’s “Valve and Assembly Lubricant”
2 parts anhydrous lanolin.
OR
5 parts refined beeswax
3 parts LubeGard
2 parts anhydous lanolin. “This makes a dandy lube for dry, hot conditions.”
Note: LubeGard should be available at any NAPA Auto Supply store.
Note: Refined beeswax and anhydrous lanolin are available from: http://www.from-nature-with-love.com/soap/.
Melt the beeswax and anhydrous lanolin in a double boiler. Once both are well melted, add the LubeGard and stir for a minute. This lube works well for pan-lubing, as well as through a lube-sizer.
“Emmerts” – provided by Ken Hurst
This is an old lube but still has a following and has never failed me when using it for Black Powder. I understand it can be used for smokeless if you are using low-pressure loads.
50% bees wax
40% Crisco or lard
10% canola oil
I heat this in a dbl boiler to mix. Do not heat in a micro wave as it offers too much heat usually. I fill my lubasizer with the lube while it is hot and it works well. I have also pan lubed with good success.
“1995 Lube” – sourced from Paul Matthews
2 parts yellow beeswax
1 part Pure Neatsfoot Oil
1 part Murphy’s Oil Soap
(easy to make in 8-oz batches)
1) Melt 4 oz of beeswax in the microwave. Usually 6-8 minutes is about the right time.
2) Stir in 2 oz of Neatsfoot oil when beeswax is melted. Stir until the mixture is lumpfree.
3) Stir in 2 oz of Murphy’s Oil Soap, stirring continuously as the soap is added. Again, mix until there are no lumps.
4) Pour into storage containers as soon as batch is well mixed.
Very soft and sticky. Will not melt in the sun, but works well in the cold, too. NOT suitable for pan lubing.
“Shows Promise Lube” – sourced from Paul Matthews
8 oz Yellow Beeswax
4 fl oz Pure Neatsfoot Oil
1 cake (3 .5 oz) Neutrogena Facial Soap
1) melt the beeswax over a low fire
2) stir in the neatsfoot oil until lumpfree
3) cut the soap into fine peels, then add to the melted mixture.
Don’t boil the mixture. A very sticky bullet lube. Looks to be very good.
Here are some bullet lubes I have used with very good results in the hot shooting weather of the west. – Mystery Guest
13 oz of beeswax
5 oz of peanut oil
1/2 stick of 50/50 alox
1 oz of anhydrous lanolin
6 oz of beef tallow
4 oz bayberry wax
2 oz beeswax
2 oz synthetic sperm oil
1 heaping teaspoon of Moly
6 oz of beeswax
3 oz of bayberry wax
6 oz of bacon grease
1 tablespoon of Dawn soap
2 tablespoon of neatsfoot oil
40% beeswax
30% conola oil
30% lanolin
………………….this looks and feels a lot like SPG
70% Soywax
20% Avocado oil
10% lanolin
………………….this is good for cooler weather, spring/fall
Lead pots lube # 1
Ingredients, Procedure, Notes, etc.
Lead pots Lube. 6 cups unmelted soy wax. ½ cup Jojoba oil. ½ cup mutton tallow, or you can use beef tallow. I don’t like it as well. 1/3 cup unsalted lard. 1/3 cup liquid Bayberry wax. This is a good lube I made it for my knurled bullets. You can thin this out by adding soy or using less to thicken it or add more tallow. If it gets to hot add Palm Vegetable wax or use block Bayberry wax instead of liquid Bayberry wax. Palm wax melts at about 160* If you cant find Tallow it is easy enough to make. Go to a butcher shop and as for fat trimmings most will gladly give to you. Cut it in small chunks or better yet grind it. Put it in a large pot and ½ the amount of water and slow boil it at a low temp. Strain it out with a sieve or cheese cloth and cool it in the fridge. When solid take off the solid white top and scrape off the bottom till it is clean. By the way this stuff makes a darn good hand lotion for those bleeding fingers. This is a link for material. http://www.enchanted-lites.com/Contact.htm Kurt
Life is to short to shoot an ugly rifle.
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)John Boy
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2005, 08:12:47 PM »
Dick Dastardly’s Lube Tubes …
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Goatlips
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2005, 08:39:35 PM »
John Boy,
In answer to yer question, PRS Lube. For pan lubin’ my Snakebites so’s they snap out of the lube cakes. Recipe’s around someplace.
Good selection Grizz!
Goatlips
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The aesthetic problem with shootin’ Black Powder is that it’s like bein’ extraordinarily handsome – only the onlookers can fully appreciate it!
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Dick Dastardly
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2005, 03:08:57 PM »
When the day is done, the shootn’ over and cleanin’ ought to happen, it don’t make much nevermind whut yer lube was, unless ya couldn’t hit whut ya aimed at. . . . . .
Did yer irons keep runnin’Huh? How much did yer lube help/hurt???
Now, how easy do yer guns clean up? Mine clean up with a mere spritz of Moosemilk and a pull of the boresnake. Yup, that’s it. I’m done. I’m sittin’ on my butt enjoyin’ some great company whilst you. . . . . . . . are fightin’ yer guns, sayin’ “I’ll clean ’em at home”, puttin’ off a chore. . .?
Go back up and take another look at the recipe for Pearl Lube. It’s soft, it’s messy, it’s not a crayon or wax. Whut it is is a very soft BP lube that keeps the fouling soft, accuracy second shot accurate, yer guns runnin’ like new and makes cleanup a snap.
No, Pearl lube don’t like to stay where it’s put. It likes to migrate all over yer ammo, gum up yer dies and mess up yer hands. It also mixes with BP soot and keeps it from formin’ a hard cake. That means your second shot, and your last shot, all enjoy the same accuracy. It’s worth the extra bother.
Just messy ol me. . . .
DD-DLoS
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Smokin_Gun
“I’m an 1858 Rem .44 man, even if I’m shootin my Colts”
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Home Range: Mojave Desert, So. Califorina
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2005, 06:50:41 PM »
I try to keep it simple,
1)Heat a large frypan half full a water, place a shallow pan on top of heated water to melt the lube pancake ingrediance.
2)Mix to climatic hardness or softness using; T/C Natural lube 1000, beeswax(any form of it), parafin wax, a splash of olive oil is optional.
3)Place shallow pan in heated frypan with water and mix.
4) Should turn to a light to medium yellow in color.
5) Remove shallow pan let cool.
Punch out pills with tube according to caliber. These work Great.
Recipe is a friend of mine’s in another forum who perfers to remain anonymous.
Here’s a pic…
http://tinypic.com/igc2lj.jpg
« Last Edit: December 11, 2005, 06:53:01 PM by Smokin_Gun » Logged
“I SMOKE BLACK POWDER”
“Prefer an 1858 Remington Rev and a .54cal ’63 Sharps Cav Carbine”
Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Dakota Widowmaker
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2005, 07:13:55 PM »
Pearl Lube it is…
been using it with WONDERFUL succes on my 44-40 Henry, 56-50 Spencer, and 38-55 Win94.
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Cuts Crooked
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #12 on: December 25, 2005, 05:40:49 AM »
Some brief comments:
I noted some recipies with canoloa oil in them up above. I have had BAD luck with that stuff! Ruined a 5 pound batch of lube by using it instead of olive oil…got a granular consistancy to my lube that felt like sand in wax! Shocked I suspect that one has to watch the temprature VERY closely to keep that stuff from getting too hot, but I have no desire to experiment with it any more Angry
Also noted one post with a comment about “lube purging” in it. I, and others, have found that this is not always a bad thing. The new Big Lubetm designs are SUPPOSED to let their lube fly in a 360 degree radius upon exiting the bore. When using a soft lube, like DDs Pearl Lube, this happens instantly when the slug exits the muzzle and creates a very stabile trajectory. If yer lube is too hard, with these bullets, some of it will try to cling and cause unbalanced rotation……Not Good! (I don’t know about about this phenomenom with other stayles of bullets…never fooled with them much)
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)John Boy
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Home Range: South Jersey – 39.3 N x 74.7 W
Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2005, 09:08:24 PM »
Cuts, maybe the batch temperature was higher that the smoke point of canola? Here’s a link with many smoke points listed:
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/guides/143
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22444 times)Dick Dastardly
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Home Range: Beloit Gun Club
Big Lube boolit caster
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #14 on: January 05, 2006, 06:27:55 AM »
Snow’s gone here, for the time being, but it makes a great bullet stopper if you want to see what condition your fired bullets are in beyond the muzzle. I’ve done this for years and find a good snow bank, not a plowed up one, is a great media for stopping bullets without hurting them.
I’ve found that Big Lube™ bullets I’ve recovered this winter are completely empty of lube. This is good. The lube does NOTHING for the flight of the bullet beyond the barrel. I’m even thinkn’ that if some pards find instability questions with Big Lube™ bullets they might take a long hard look at the lube they are using. Too hard of a lube could fail to leave the bullet and hang on in flight. I can’t see that this would happen evenly all around the circumfrence of the lube riing. In other words, the bullet would be out of balance. Out of balance bullets don’t fly well.
So, if you live where you can shoot some snow banks and recover the bullets, it’s a cool way to spend a few minutes learnin’ how your bullets look, beyond the muzzle. . .
DD-DLoS
Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #15 on: March 10, 2006, 05:36:38 PM »
I’ve tried this lube, but I used lard because I did not have tallow. Tallow is on the list for the next time. I added a SMALL amount of lanolin and the lube adheres very well to the bullets. Question is: not having anything to compare it to, the lube I made was quite hard. Is this your experience?
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22439 times)Smokin_Gun
“I’m an 1858 Rem .44 man, even if I’m shootin my Colts”
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Home Range: Mojave Desert, So. Califorina
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2006, 11:41:21 PM »
My favorite for BP Revs is my home made Lube Pills … Beeswax or bolwax, parafin, and Olive oil or vegie oil of your choice. Olive oil is one on the oldest lubes next to tallow. The waxes hold the lube and the BP going off spreads it. Keeps fouling soft, act as a gas check for the ball in the grooves, and lube the forcing cone to cylinder face and splast down to the arbor/cylinder pin and helps to keep it lubed. I put them on top of the powder and a ball down on top.
I have cutters made from brass tubes for .44″ and .36″ calibers and make um about 1/8″ thick. I can shoot my Revs all day without tearin’ them down to clean um… that’s 60 – 100 shots.
I got pills that will be available commin’ soon…
Or if you the want a basic recipe, I got one.
Lube Pills are out and for sale, Pic below:
click on Pic
(Image is no longer available on Freehost)
« Last Edit: December 08, 2008, 09:56:53 PM by Hedley Lamarr » Logged
“I SMOKE BLACK POWDER”
“Prefer an 1858 Remington Rev and a .54cal ’63 Sharps Cav Carbine”
Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22439 times)Blue Mesa
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Home Range: Arkansas Leadslingers
Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #17 on: February 04, 2007, 05:28:43 AM »
Ok All,
Tell me if I’m crazy, but for BP lube in my ROAs, I don’t use anything. I use Goex Express (premium BP and costs a bit more). It stays very soft. I charge the cylinders, load a .457 round ball, and shoot.
No crisco, wonder wads, goop, etc… I have tested multiple times both free hand and off a rest with 100 rounds per gun and no fall off of accuracy at CAS distances (didn’t test farther). I’ve been doing this for a year with no change fire etc…
Thought people might want to know (for ROAs at least), this is an option.
tnx
Blue Mesa
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22439 times)4570Ranger
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #18 on: September 11, 2007, 09:46:54 PM »
This one is for beeswax and lard (pig fat):
http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com/2005/07/hog-lard.html
I’d say, this is just as good as with Crisco.
This guy does have a message for muzzies.
My comment is from anonymous, at the bottom.
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WARTHOG
The old calibers and guns got the job done
That’s why I shoot 45’s
Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22439 times)John Boy
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Home Range: South Jersey – 39.3 N x 74.7 W
Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #19 on: September 17, 2007, 07:01:26 PM »
A good read on Bullet Lubes by Jim Taylor
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John
SASS ~ Darkside WartHog ~ SBSS (OGB, w/Star) ~ SCORRS
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Author Topic: Black Powder Lubes ... What's Your Favorite?(Read 22439 times)John Boy
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Re: Black Powder Lubes … What’s Your Favorite?
« Reply #20 on: September 17, 2007, 07:08:24 PM »
Another excellent article that explains what lube ‘does’ in the bore of your firearm … Lubricating Cast Bullets by Glenn E Fryxell
In summary, bullet lube is pumped from the lube groove to the barrel surface by compression, linear acceleration and radial acceleration. In addition, lube is injected forward during the firing process, as the result of high-pressure gas leakage into the lube groove. This injection process forms a floating fluid gasket around the bullet, and serves to limit gas cutting and is a kind of ballistic stop-leak…
