Lubing felt wads with olive oil

[joeboleo1]

To any of you that use olive oil to lube your felt wads in your guns.....how do you apply the oil? I am punching out wads from Durofelt and was thinking of putting a bunch into a mason jar and shaking them around a bit. Trying to get an idea of how long to "saturate" them. I would like them lubricated but not dripping wet so as to wet powder. Appreciate any tips on how you do it. Thanks.

 

[BrownBear]

I put the wads in a ziploc, pour in an excess of olive oil and slosh it around, then pull out the wads and lay them out flat to drain overnight. Into my wad pouch they go, and virtually no more drainage. Any little bit of olive oil that manages to come off them after that turns out to be pretty good treatment for that leather pouch. :wink:

 

[Canute Rex]

Hi Joe,

I mixed olive oil and melted beeswax until it made a paste when cooled. Dropped wads into it and fished them out with a fork. No drip in the bag and they compress in the barrel. Makes the shot really crack. Shooting at 25 yards I found that a few of them went through the target right behind the ball.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Several years ago I put some balls after casting into a jar that I had used for a varnish mixture. I did not clean it properly and enough residue was on some of the balls to "hold " the patches to the ball out past 25 yards. This was in my rifle and the group was BIG. having the patch stick to the ball does not improve accuracy! :idunno: :idunno:

 

[Canute Rex]

I don't think they actually stuck to the ball. I think they just followed it in. I found most a few feet in front of the target.

But yeah, you want that ball traveling all alone.

 

[JCB]

I use a 50/50 mix of olive oil and beeswax. I melt the wax in the microwave and then ad the oil. To lube the wads I have a stainless measuring cup on the stove set on low. I pour in the lube then ad the wads and stir them around for a few minutes. I then drain the excess lube back into the microwaveable container and store for later use. I then spread the wads out on a piece of tin foil and let them cool. I'm not using these wads for smoothbores but cap an ball revolvers. I Have shot well over eighty rounds at a time with no cleaning. It keeps the bore very clean. I also use the lube on patches in my rifles and I never clean between shots. You can also put the lube in a pan and soak a piece of felt in it before punching out the wads.

 

[joeboleo1]

BBear... I put some in a Baggie last night and am set to try them out!! Thanks.

 

[joeboleo1]

Hey Canute, how ya been? Do you mix your oil and wax 50/50 by liquid volume, or weight? Sounds like you are getting that .54 matchlock where you want it.

 

[joeboleo1]

JCB, thanks to you as well. I have some bees wax and will be mixing some up today. Great to hear about the no swabbing needed. I prefer to shoot that way.

 

[Canute Rex]

Hey Joeboleo

I didn't use a recipe, but it was probably about 50:50. I just kept mixing olive oil into the beeswax and spooning a dab of the melted stuff out onto a piece of foil and cooling it. When it reached the right consistency at room temperature I said "good enough."

Got a few days of sunshine coming up. Time to burn hemp and hurl leaden death.

 

[JCB]

Joeboelo
Replied to your pm. I'll also mention I measure the 50/50 oil and wax with a measuring cup

 

[joeboleo1]

Canute,
Great....50/50 seems to be the standard to go by. Time to shoot....they are saying spring is actually arriving!! :wink:

 

[azmntman]

You know how they lie :shake: