Making Lubricant Sticks

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Last Post 09 August 2024
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Bud Hyett posted this 08 August 2024

Situation: I have several pounds of Javelina Schuetzen lubricant in solid pound tubes. In the past, the lubricants I have used were hard enough to cut bars that easily fit in the lubri-sizer to refill. This lubricant is far too soft to force feed into the lubri-sizer.

Target: Getting the pound lots into tubes.

Question: Does anyone have experience making a tool to form tubes - material and dimensions? My thought is melting the lubricant in a double boiler and pouring into this tool.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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OU812 posted this 08 August 2024

You can melt lube then pour it into lubri-sizer. Be careful and do not pour too much or you will make a mess.

BTW I made some hollow lube stick moulds using pvc pipe and dowel rod. It's laying back there somewhere. Cannot remember where I got plans. Google it

I used machined delrin plastic stops for each end. send me PM if interested

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Wilderness posted this 08 August 2024

I just melt the lube (double boiler system) and pour it in to the lubesizer. I find loading a lubesizer with sticks leaves a lot of air in there that has to be voided or compressed. When I pour the lube in liquid I know the reservoir is full - except for the significant contraction that occurs when the lube cools and sets.

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Eutectic posted this 09 August 2024

I use boiling water in a pot and melt the lube in a covered mason jar to avoid getting condensation in the lube.

I pour it into the lube-sizer and let it cool. Why go to the trouble of making lube sticks???

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OU812 posted this 08 August 2024

The mould works with soft lubes, but you will have to refrigerate or freeze mould after pouring. This hardens the lube for easier removal without deforming.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 08 August 2024

my unorganized first thought would be to make a split mold ... a lot like a very long bullet mold ... that fits a spare Lee big mold handles ... or even simply held in a bench vise . make from a couple 1 inch x 2 inch x (9 inch ? ) rectangular aluminum bar .. clamp them in a 4 jaw and bore your desired round hole right down the middle ... a couple or 3 alignment pins cross drilled .... clamp in vice, pour and let go solid .. pry mold halves apart ...

what could go wrong ?

ken

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OU812 posted this 08 August 2024

I wonder how Veral Smith of LBT did it? He is a smart man.

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OU812 posted this 08 August 2024

Yea just melt some lube in a small tin soup can and pour in libri-sizer. Cover soup can when cool not in use.

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Boschloper posted this 09 August 2024

I once made a very elaborate lube extruder from a 3” dia. air cylinder. I drilled a 1” hole in the end cap and attached a 1/4” rod to the piston that extended out thru the 1” hole. In use, I would fill the cylinder with melted lube and let it cool to the point of being solid, but still soft. I would then use the air cylinder shaft to force the lube out of the cylinder forming a 1” tube with a 1/4” hole down the center. It was very slow to use and didn’t work all that great. I gave up on it rather quickly. As noted above by Wilderness, there is a lot of shrinkage as lube solidifies. I was trying to form standard tubes without the shrinkage associated with using a mold. I think a better solution would have been to make an extra long mold and trim after the lube solidified.