Homemade Lube

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  • Last Post 14 November 2009
jimkim posted this 03 September 2008

I made some homemade bullet lube today. I used beeswax(12oz) paraffin(12oz), White lithium grease(4oz), Ed's Red(2 T), a jumbo red crayon and the carnuba wax from three pieces of baby bel cheese. I added the carnuba because it wasn't hard enough to begin with, and I needed an excuse for eating my daughters cheese. I couldn't find the ingredients I wanted to use, so I threw this together from memory. Do any of you use similar lube? Do you see any problems with this recipe? Thanks.

I cant find Anhydrous lanolin here in Eastman so the Ed's Red was made without it. I also let the acetone evaporate overnight before I added it. 

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bfrshooter posted this 03 September 2008

I don't know about that mix, way too much and complicated for me. I use Felix lube because it has proven to increase my accuracy a great deal. I never make a lube with the idea to prevent leading only because the lube also effects accuracy much more then you think it would.

I tried greases long ago and some would not even melt, some would just burn. Too hit and miss as to the grease tried.

Anyway, you can order lanolin on line at Majestic Mountain Sage or From Nature With Love. I think my last pound was $8. They also sell flaked carnauba cheap.

Felix takes baby oil, castor oil, ivory soap, bees wax and lanolin. You can harden with paraffin or carnauba.

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CB posted this 03 September 2008

Hi Jim

I'd drop the Ed's Red, too much solvents that you do not need. I find common paraffin is a poor choice for a wax in cb lube. I stick with bees wax and carnuba. For 1,600fps + smokeless loads I use bees wax/greases at 60/40 %. You can experiment with variances in ratios and with other additives at say 5% or 10% addition, say 2Tbsp ATF instead of Ed's Red.

For blackpowder to 1,400fps, bees wax and vegetable or animal fats, or Vasoline usually work best. Have fun!  :D..............Dan

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jimkim posted this 03 September 2008

Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

I combined two recipes. I didn't have enough lithium grease to make the equal parts beeswax,paraffin and lithium recipe. I didn't have any Hoppes 9 so I used evaporated Ed's Red in it's place. It was added to make up for being short on lithium. The carnuba was added to help temper the mix. I don't know if I'm right, but I think of mixing the lube in the same way as alloying metals. Each thing is added to give a different property to the alloy. What say you? (I always wanted to say that kool huh?) This will be used to lube some 429421's. They will be loaded to no more than 1300fps.

Heres another one. Have any of you ever heard of using Dove soap as a bullet lube? I have some bullets(six in all) with what appears to be soap in the grooves. It smells like Dove soap and if you wet it you can lather it up. It doesn't appear to be a mix. It looks like straight soap. How would you melt soap without diluting it too much? Would you use glycerin?

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CB posted this 07 September 2008

I did some plinking this last winter with my Springfield load just under 1,600fps. Up to that velocity and the low pressures with a 170gr cb,  just about anything pressed in the grooves will stop leading. Soap will work, glycerin soap, hand cream, chap stick, pomade, and like somebody mentioned on this forum even mayonnaise will work.

Getting up faster than that close to 2,000fps with heavier CBs of 200gr needs a good performing stiffer lube.  Bench rest accuracy is a different story, needing least amount of residue, a clean barrel after each shot.................Dan

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CB posted this 08 September 2008

Try this recipe for your bullet lube:

2 Pounds Beeswax

8 Ounces Carnuba Flakes

2 Ounces ATF

1 Tablespoon Synthetic automobile grease

Start melting the Carnuba flakes, then add the Beeswax, then the other stuff once the bees wax is liquid. Cook up for 20 or more minutes. I use a double boiler.

I don't use paraffin or Ed's Red in mine.

If you search the CBA you will find my lube molds and lube extrector.

 

Jerry

 

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PawPaw posted this 11 September 2008

For smokeless loads, I use LLA.  On everything.

For black powder loads, I use Junior Lube.  Link below.

http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/lube.htm

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Glenn R. Latham posted this 14 September 2008

PawPaw,

I see Junior used his lube with Pyrodex loads.  Do you use it for real black powder loads?

Glenn

 

 

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Nozzle Rag posted this 15 October 2008

For lubed wads for C & B pistols and for lubing 44-40 for rifle using only black I use 2 parts parafin, 2 parts mutton tallow(Dixie Gun Works) and 1 part beeswax.

Since posting this I have decided that the mixture is too stiff for what I like. Add vegetable shorting, tallow, olive oil etc to soften it a bit.

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hunterspistol posted this 17 October 2008

:armyhelmet:  I haven't yet tried my hand at mixing lubes.  Thought I'd drop in and ad for White Label Sales from Idaho. I ordered Carnuba Red (for high velocity) last Saturday. I recieved it this Friday Afternoon!  They ask 1.60 a tube so, for $16 on Paypay, I bought 10 tubes. This is hard lube for a heater, have that. They also sent a sample of BAC, Beeswax-Alox-Carnuba. BAC is soft, almost like alox mixes from RCBS and Lyman.  Neither of these lubes has much scent to them. Glenn and Leah are wonderful to deal with.   http://www.LsStuff.com/lube>http://www.LsStuff.com/lube

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Lar45 posted this 28 October 2008

Hi guys,

Just thought I'd drop a note in here.  For those that want to make a 50-50 lube, or similar, I have Alox 350 in 1 quart cans(about 2 lbs.).  http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/order.html>http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/order.html .  Our regular price is $9.50, CBA members price is $9.00.

Alox 2138F is no longer availible, Alox 350 is the current replacement from Lubrizol.  You may have to add more beeswax to get the same consistency as the old 50-50.

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CB posted this 28 October 2008

Glen

If you are giving a discount to CBA members, I can help you with some advertising.

Send me a PM and we can work something out.

Jeff

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codarnall posted this 03 January 2009

I'd forget about Pyrodex.  Its secret ingredient is potassium perchlorate per US Patent Office.  That chemical is extremely corrosive and hydroscopic.  Doesn't smell right either.  Anyone with soap and water cand get the H2 S out with soap and water (rotten egg smell).

Charlie

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burnout777 posted this 01 September 2009

I notice I see ATF fluid mentioned in some lube receipes.  I have also noticed Marvel's Mystery oil.  I wondered if this Marvel Mystery oil would be a good anti seizing agent in higher velocity rifle lubes?  Also Jerry's recipe looks interesting yet quite hard?  How do harder lubes like this fair for lower velocity pistol use?  Does the ATF fluid make the lube much softer that more wax is needed than the usual 60% 40% wax/lube receipes.

Thanks for everyones input,

New bullet caster

Giacomo Calabrese:cba:

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RicinYakima posted this 01 September 2009

7, MMO is basicly deoderized kerosene and a light petrolum oil. It was developed to remove sludge from engines prior to the common use of deterget motor oil, in the 1940's. It has little lube properties, however, it will modify the hard parifin waxes making them softer. HTH, Ric

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CB posted this 02 September 2009

Ric

I would add bees wax to my jacketed bullet lube. The mixture would then be 1 part vaseline 3 parts anhydrous lanolin and as much bees wax to make the mixture stay in the grooves. Simple but would work. Of coarse why not old fashioned water pump lubricant.

But I have 9 tubes tubes of Caranuba Red. Works well.

Stephen Perry

Angeles BR:fire

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JetMech posted this 02 September 2009

burnout777 wrote: I notice I see ATF fluid mentioned in some lube receipes. In Ed Harris's disertation on the developement of “Ed's Red", he mentions that ATF was developed as a replacement for sperm whale oil, I believe, which was used in the early automatic transmissions. Different animal oils are touted as the critical ingredient in many lubes, especially for black powder applications. Although I have not tested it myself, I believe it should work well in just about any bullet lube.

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Scotsman posted this 14 November 2009

Hi Guys...

I started working on guns (really working on them) when I was 14. I'll soon be 69. For some reason, I never got into casting and lubing. I just discovered this forum a couple of days ago. Thanks to everyone. You guys are indeed a blessing to someone like me. As is my custom, I sat down the other day and sprung for the full-meal-deal for casting my own when I saw just the bullets start going out of stock and being back-ordered. Figured I'd buy the books and chew on the covers while the stuff was on the way. Maybe I can get educated enough to contribute some day but for now, I'm just soakin' up your wisdom and knowledge. Thanks for bein' here!!!

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454PB posted this 14 November 2009

Marvel Mystery Oil makes a fairly good cleaning solvent. I've used it to clean my revolvers after shooting cast bullets.

My old recipe for bullet lube is 1 part beeswax, 1 part mineral oil, 1 part parafin wax, and a few ounces of either Hoppes #9 or MMO. I used this for many years with complete satisfaction before switching to 50/50 Alox Beeswax. Presently, I'm using lar45's BAC mainly because I can't buy the ingredients as cheaply as he sells the finished product!

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