Patch Lube

[bwhoffman]

Last batch I cooked up was approx 80% oil and 20% wax by volume.

I put the ingredients in a small pan (read altoids tin), and melt slowly on stove or woodstove. Then once it's melted all trough it goes staight into the fridge for 30-60 minutes. It then is removed and allowed to return to room temp (24 hours). If it's too thin, add wax and remelt. If too hard add oil and remelt. then the fridge and the room.

This way you can keep using the same tin at 1/2 full, 1/4 full... whenever.

Works for me...

Legion

:thumbsup: you nailed the instructions perfectly Legion!

 

[hookie]

Thanks Legion from the land of the Kiwi and the long white cloud

 

[renovato]

I'll second Mowrey's suggestion of Hoppe's patch lube or Ballistol/water. I've used the Hoppe's for more than 30 years and it works great in everything I shoot. In the last couple years, I've switched to the Ballistol/water mix and it works even better, without all the mess. You soak the patches in it, then let them dry out. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind the perfect amount of Ballistol. You might try tinkering with the mixture to see what your gun prefers. The same mix also makes a great solvent and straight Ballistol makes a great gun lube and a pretty good rust protectant.

 

[Twice boom]

What is Bellistrol......

I been making my own lubed felt wads for hunting and for loading cartridges By melting in a FF two water closet Seals to one can of 8 oz Crisco Veg,oil. It has worked real well for me . But I also like the water/Bellistrol idea.

Where can a guy get some.......

 

[Legionair]

I think Dixie gunworks still sells it...

If not, check the forums Member Resources... I'm sure one of the sutlers listed will carry it.

Legion

 

[Twice boom]

Will do,thanks.......
Twice B.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Ballistol is a mineral oil based product that was invented in Austria, to be used in all temperatures to keep rifles lubricated, and to use to clean them. The rest of the contents are not disclosed on the can. check[url] www.ballistol.com[/url] for more information.

 

[Twice boom]

Thanks for the link.
Sounds like good stuff. My concern would be if it will migrate around the over powder card and spoil the shot,or worse yet, cause a misfire if the shots were few and far in between..

Twice B.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The reason that Ballistol is used in a 4:1` or 5:1 mix with water is so that the solution is evenly but THINLY distributed over patching material, when dried. Then it does not spoil your powder, but works under heat to lube the barrel, clean the crud when seating the ball, and help keep the patching from burning. If you used straight Ballistol, it would be too much oil, and like vegetable oil, or MINERAL OIL, it would bleed all over the place.

The men who mix ballistol with beeswax to make a soft lube change the percentage of each based on the temperature in which it will be used. In the Winter, you want it more oil than wax: in the summer, more wax than oil. The nice part about home brewed lubes is that you can marry them to your particular hunting conditions, and it doesn't take much work during an evening when you are watching TV to brew up a new batch. I know men who brew up thin and thick and put them in large canning, or mayonaise jars, for storage, and have their lubes for years of use. Their only problem is forgetting where they put the formula they used!

You don't have to buy a fancy double boiler at the Gourmet Cooking stores. Just put a frying pan with an inch of water in it on the stove to boil, and then put your wax, and oil mix in some kind of container that will sit inside the frying pan. The water will keep a temperature in the smaller pan from rising to the flash point of the oil and wax, while allowing them to be heated enough to blend together. Even this idiot can do this! :blah: :surrender: :rotf: