Patch Lube?

[RussB]

I never thought of mutton fat, but now that you bring it up has anybody tried straight lanolin? :hmm:

Anhydrous Lanolin is often used in lube. However, it's use is mostly in smokeless powder lubes.
I have used FWFL in BP projects with pretty good results but the rendered mutton, as mentioned in this string by gatofeo is much better IMHO.
Many of us shoot a lot of different things, and make our lubes for a lot of different things, however those who are very seriuos about lube making will nearly always at least try Lanolin in a lube mixture.

http://www.castpics.net/RandD/felix_lube/felix_lube.htm

Several years ago one of the most intensive internet "best homemade lube" searches was conducted by the "Cast Bullet" folks on the old[url] Shooters.Com[/url]. The above link is the entire story of how FWFL came about. Felix is a chemist, of sorts...not sure what his title is, but he is a past National Champion in Benchrest shooting.

Those interested in shooting cast bullets, and learning about lubes should visit Cast Boolits(notice the spelling)at... http://www.aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=514616
Felix is still active in shooting, and will help anyone just getting started in their own lube making.
Also, Ric Carter (Waksupi?) is a member of this forum, and will gladly help anyone too.

There is more to making your own lube than just making a patch slick with something you brew up. :results:

Russ

 

[foxy]

Russ,
Thanks for the info on lanolin. I'm pretty happy with my beeswax/castor oil/dishwash detergent concoction but will be trying different things from time to time just out of curiosity. :redthumb:

 

[RussB]

Russ,
Thanks for the info on lanolin. I'm pretty happy with my beeswax/castor oil/dishwash detergent concoction but will be trying different things from time to time just out of curiosity. :redthumb:

foxy...When you get right down to the nitty gritty, dirty, of all this, you're gonna find it's YOU... doing what YOU think is working best for YOU. And that is how it should be. :imo:

Russ

 

[brushbuster]

stumpy
i made your moose snot this weekend ,bees wax, castor oil,and murphys oil soap.i just melted the bees wax in a pot on low heat ,added the castor oil,then stirred in the murphys .once blended ,i put in my pillow tick strips and stirred them until saturated then laid them out on butcher paper until cool. i then scraped off the excess and rolled them up.i shot around thirty rounds this weekend and had no problems what so ever, the lancaster shot great(2" groupes @ 50 yards offhand ) :: :: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

:thumbsup:

You owe me a beer, sometime. Did you shoot the whole 30 without wiping between shots? That would be a record to my knowledge (with the Moose Snot, at least).

 

[sturgeon]

Hi Stumpkiller,

If I may ask, where do you get castor oil? I looked at my local supermarket (Giant Eagle) but to no avail. My next try will by wally world.

Thanks,

Tim Sturgeon
Irwin, PA

 

[Stumpkiller]

Wally World has it the cheapest at around $3.59/4 oz. (unless you buy bulk via the Internet/mail). I usually get mine from CVS as it is on my way home ($4.19/4 oz.). Ekerd, any other drug store. It's in the laxatives isle. Also, some hobby shops, but they usually charge premium $. It is used as an additive to model avaition fuel (mine is 67% mehthanol, 15% nitromethane & 18% castor oil). That's how I originally got the idea. It doesn't burn up in the combustion and lubricates the 2-stroke engines (and the plane downwind of the exhaust). But, it cleans up easy with alcohol based solvents and cleaners, like in moose milk. * lightbulb moment *

Motorcycle shops that cater to 2-stroke racing will have it, too. Probably health-food stores. The "for human consumption" grade is the cleanest. It is clear. The second-press lower grades are yellow. They would still work, but have stuff that could add to fouling.

You can get the Murphy's Oil at most drug stores, too.

I get my beeswax from "Beeswax From Beekepers"
http://www.beeswaxfrombeekeepers.com/
You can save $$$ by filtering the rough stuff, but I get their filtered & caked wax. Nice stuff.

 

[brushbuster]

stumpy

i went as far as a ten shot string and each ball loaded as easily as the first .the only reason i ran a cleaning patch down the barrel was to check for build up(very little ).after shooting i tried to find as many patches as i could ,the ones i could find showed no burning at all .if i wanted to i could have reused them.

when i got home i just used hot soapy water and let it stand for fifteen minuts then ran two patches soaked with old thunder then ten more patches until squeaky clean .
i was so impressed with this mix i ran another patch with this mix before hanging it back up. now what was your moose milk recipe? :haha: :haha: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

by the way i should be finishing my york rifle from jim chambers in the next week or two then i will try to post pics of both .hopefully mils comouter wont crash again :nono:

 

[Stumpkiller]

S t u m p k i l l e r ' s
MOOSE MILK
All Weather Enriched
Blackpowder Solvent & Body Wash

A general purpose blackpowder solvent and liquid patch lube. Shake well before using

Castor Oil 3 oz.
Murphy's Oil Soap 1 oz.
Witch Hazel 4 oz.
Isopropyl Alcohol (91%) 8 oz.
Water (non-chlorinated) 16 oz.


I've been soaking strips if cotton tick in this and letting them air-dry (two "dips", drying two days between dips). This has proved to be VERY accurate in my rifles. It means I only have to carry a roll of tick for wiping and a roll of lubed tick for patching. But, it does need to be wiped between shots for the best accuracy in my New Englander, but not my Renegade. The dry lubed patches are great in ball blocks. No mess, no fuss. Tests will continue when my new flintlock arrives.

I carry a one oz bottle of the m.milk as a clean-up solvent and patch lube if I run out of pre-treated.

 

[HardBall]

I've been acquiring the various ingredients but can't seem to find Castor Oil or 92% Isopropyl Alcohol, I've found 50% and 70% though.

My questions:

1) I've found "Mineral oil" in the drug dept. Is this the same as "Castor Oil"?

2) What's the point in having "92% Isopropyl Alcohol" as apposed to, say, 70%?

 

[Stumpkiller]

1) I've found "Mineral oil" in the drug dept. Is this the same as "Castor Oil"?

2) What's the point in having "92% Isopropyl Alcohol" as apposed to, say, 70%?

1.) No. Mineral oil is heavy petroleum oil and will form tar in the barrel. Castor oil is in every drug store. If you can't get castor, use olive oil. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay;jsessionid=0000jGw8RKMA5OYE75Oj8ejqkVg:-1?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&SourceCode=INTL071&productId=12993

The above address has castor oil at $4.99/16 ounces. That's the best price I've seen and is a good deal even with shipping.

2.) The only difference in the alcohol is the amount of water, but some of the lower grades also have odorants and denaturing additives. If you can get 70% Isopropyl, use 30% more (and proportionately less water). Be careful you don't get "Denatured" or ethyl rubbing alcohol. If it doesn't say "isopropyl" assume it is denatured ethyl. This has unwanted additives that will mess up the mixture, and all the additives add to the fouling. Ethyl has to have manure added to it so that it tastes bad (to avoid liquor tax) and any manure you put in your barrel you eventually have to scrub out. The point of having 91% isopropyl is that it is relatively additive free.

You can get 99% (or even 99.953 "Anhydrous"), which is tape head cleaner and a couple bucks more per pint. (1% is pure enough and still not too pricey.) Some liquor stores sell "pure" ethyl alcohol, which would be perfect. White Lightning would make a good patch lube alcohol, and you'd have a lot of fun working with it. ::

 

[HardBall]

I guess I should have looked in an actual drug store instead of the drug dept of a grocery store.

As I understand it; The Alcohol is so that the Murphy's oil soap and Castor oil with mix with water but I don't understand the purpose for the other ingredients?

Murphy's oil soap and Castor oil are for lubrication and fouling cleaning?

I found a bottle of Witch Hazel and on the label it lists uses as "applying to cuts and bug bites", what

 

[Stumpkiller]

Ah, now I've got to put on my pointy alchemist's hat and 'splain the intricacies of my devious design.

Castor oil - that's the key ingredient. I want a moose milk that didn't use a petroleum based (even water soluable) oil and I had that from my R/C engines. But, castor oil isn't water soluable. It is alcohol soluable. Alcohol is water soluable, and the Murphy's Oil, in addition to being a vegetable oil of itself, emulsifies the castor. But, when the alcohol evaporates, the castor tries to bead up and get away from the water and the Murphy's. The witch hazel, another vegetable oil (this one a volatile oil) and it is an astringent which helps to keep the castor from beading, and also helps evaporate the water. I did some smear tests on acetone cleaned sheet metal and found that the m.milk with the witch hazel smeared better and left a more even coating when applied with a rag.

Interesting side note. I coated the metal plates with different lubes and combinations and the only one that the blackpowder fouling just rinsed off of without scrubbing was the plain Murphy's Oil Soap panel. It also protected the metal from rust afterwards better than most others.

 

[HardBall]

I had to look up the definitions of emulsify and astringent- but after I did things started to make sense.

So... You didn't want a water soluble machinist oil because it IS petroleum based, hence the use of Castor and Murphy's because they are NOT petroleum based?

Castor mainly provides lubrication and Murphy's mainly does the cleaning?

The Alcohol and Witch Hazel are just there to make everybody get along, right?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Exactamundo!

And, everything is a component that was available in 1750. Oil soap is what you get if you don't add animal fat in the soapmaking process to turn it into cake soap. Whether something like this was actually used is doubtful, but I allow myself some concessions. They probably used spit & bear oil in their iron barrels.