Bees Wax uses and recipes

[Spikebuck]

Bees wax can also be used as a gunstock finish.

How timely this was for me! I was looking at Brant Selb's Hawken website the other day and he mentions his finish is linseed oil and beeswax. I love the look of the finish on his Hawken's and thought I'd give it a try but needed to ask how it's made. Thanks!

 

[rawhide]

My lube i use is 70 bee wax to 30 buffalo tallow or i use crisco.

 

[ZUG]

Beeswax & peanut oil works good also - adjust ratio to fit your needs. Peanut oil has a high "burn" temp.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

I recently acquired several pounds of bees wax from a co worker.

I could use some recipes for lubes and ideas for other uses.

Thanks

And of course, you can always melt it using a double boiler and pour it into a candle mold. I do that every year or so. I'll pour out about 3 batches of 6 candles each and use those in my lantern. It not only looks good, it smells good too.

Be sure you measure your lantern space before you buy the molds though. I had some long taper molds I had used before I got beeswax and had to turn around and buy shorter molds so the candles would fit in my lantern. Otherwise I was cutting almost 2" off each candle. Also, save the drippings when you clean the candle. Then you can re-melt them and use them again.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[Kapow]

Thanks for your post. I was wandering through the Sunday Street market and saw a beekeeper stand selling honey. He had these strange looking blocks. I asked him if it was pure beeswax and it was. So now I'm going to try a patch lube recipe, a bullet lube recipe and keep a little for fluxing lead.

I then came across a stand selling hard wood kitchen chopping blocks. They said to make a finish out of beeswax and Grape seed oil. I already have the wood. The left overs can go on my rifle stocks.

I have a feeling I'll 'bee' seeing the honey guy again soon! :thumbsup:

 

[M. De Land]

My favorite bullet lube recipe is 50 percent melted Bees wax, 25 percent Murphy's oil soap and 25 percent Neatsfoot oil.
I got it from Paul Mathews book and have been using it for all my black powder bullets.
It seems to work equally well with smokeless loaded lead bullets as well.
Once it is mixed and sponification occurs it won't melt any more so is particularly good to use in hot weather.
It can also be rubbed over the top of balls or bullets in percussion revolvers.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Once it is mixed and [strike]sponification[/strike] solidification occurs it won't melt any more so is particularly good to use in hot weather.

auto correct error? :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[M. De Land]

Ah no, I was after the right word although perhaps not spelling it correctly according to the Mathews book.
Sponification is a chemical reaction when the ingredients are mixed and a boiling/foaming up occurs.
When the minor eruption has culminated it settles down to the consistency of lard or a bit harder and is either wiped into the bullet grooves or as I do, used in a sizer luber pump.
It's a great lube for black powder use and works well with smokeless also.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Mathews book? do you have a link I am not familiar with that.
I thought saponification was the reaction between a fat or oil and a strong alkali resulting in soap.

And solidification of your concoction is simply the result of the freezing properties of the beeswax.
:hmm:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Been researching, but still don't have a definitive answer as to whether or not murphy's oil soap would be able to provide additional saponification to the neat's-foot oil or beeswax. Let alone contribute to it solidifying, since it is a potassium hydroxide liquid soap.

I did find some interesting things about murphy's oil soap though.....It is the preferred detergent for washing elephants, and it is listed on Wikipedia as being used to clean muzzleloaders.

If anyone has addition info, I'd love to hear it. :grin:

 

[eggwelder]

are your measurement by weight or volume?

 

[nkbj]

Paul Matthews' books are treasures. The go-to guy for paper patching 25 years ago. Starting out in the 70's with cigarette papers was really frustrating. There was very little info available beyond the fact that it worked before the pre-interseine civilization misplaced the technology. Then Matthews published his work and documented many do's and don'ts, many of which are directly applicable for diy muzzleloader shooters.
Good books.

 

[Robert Egler]

I recently acquired several pounds of bees wax from a co worker.

I could use some recipes for lubes and ideas for other uses.

Thanks

As far as other uses goes, I make holsters and other leather work and I use beeswax as a sealant on the edges. Rubbed in set in the sun a bit (hour) to get kinda melt-y and let soak in, then let harden out of the heat for a couple days, then another coat rubbed in and left to harden will make a hard smooth edge that won't soak up water.

 

[Billnpatti]

Mathews book? do you have a link I am not familiar with that.
I thought saponification was the reaction between a fat or oil and a strong alkali resulting in soap.

And solidification of your concoction is simply the result of the freezing properties of the beeswax.
:hmm:

You are dead nuts on, Clyde. Saponification is exactly what you said. The word saponification comes from the Latin word for soap, sapo. The solidification of M. D.'s recipe, or most all bullet lube recipes using bees wax as a thickener, is as a result of the bees wax re-solidifiying. Unless you are mixing a strong alkali such as lye with an animal or vegetable oil, you won't get saponification.

Saponification aside, M.D.'s recipe sounds like a good one and worthy of trying. :thumbsup:

 

[okawbow]

I often seal wood items with beeswax, melted into the wood with a heat gun. In tests, it performs better than any other finish in preventing moisture absorption.

I use it on selfbows and have finished a muzzleloader stock with it. Just be careful about using the heat gun. Too much heat can scorch the edges of the wood.

 

[dwr]

I often seal wood items with beeswax, melted into the wood with a heat gun. In tests, it performs better than any other finish in preventing moisture absorption.

I use it on selfbows and have finished a muzzleloader stock with it. Just be careful about using the heat gun. Too much heat can scorch the edges of the wood.

Hmmm...muzzleloader stock finish...I may have to give that a try :hmm:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Hmmm...muzzleloader stock finish

Doesn't it get tacky?

 

[Robert Egler]

Hmmm...muzzleloader stock finish

Doesn't it get tacky?

No, it is always quite sophisticated :haha: !

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'm sure I had that one coming.... :haha:

 

[FishDFly]

I did find some interesting things about murphy's oil soap though.....It is the preferred detergent for washing elephants, and it is listed on Wikipedia:

I sent the wife out into the field behind the house in search of an elephant in need of a bath. She has not returned so far, off to get a bottle of scotch and then to help her find one who needs a bath.