Patch lube

[woodse guy]

I'm going to try some different patch lubes for my gun. Planning on a mix of bees wax and something else olive oil or something along those lines. Question is do I have to heat up the oil as well as the bees wax or just keep the bees wax warm after I add the oil while I mix them together.

 

[Semisane]

I've found the best and easiest way is to put your ingredients in a two-cup Pyrodex measuring cup and put the whole works in the microwave. Hit it for 30 seconds at a time until everything is melted together, then give is a stir. Pour it into containers of your choice and let it cool. I use old musket cap tins and bullet boxes.

Here's my mix of bees wax, Crisco, and olive oil and (vary the amount of oil to get softer or harder results).

 

[rafterob]

I recently made the same blend, didn't think of the microwave-good job keep it simple. It took a few tries to get the right consistency (a little bees wax goes a long way). I am very happy with the performance of the final product.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use a mix of 80%lard and 20% beeswax. I just put both in a pan and heat it until it all melts, stir it well,and then pour it into tins to cool. :hmm: :hmm:

 

[woodse guy]

I have read that your lube needs to change for the seasons (summer and winter). I,m guessing that this is done with more or less oil or wax. But do you have to change the mix and how do you change the mix.

 

[rabjr]

I have read that your lube needs to change for the seasons (summer and winter). I,m guessing that this is done with more or less oil or wax. But do you have to change the mix and how do you change the mix.

Oh no! I been doing it wrong all these years!? :shocked2:

 

[Semisane]

I don't change my mix for the seasons woodse guy. But a cold day for me in the grip of a bad winter is when the temperature is way down there in the mid-twenties.

I start off with approximately 1 part beeswax, 1 part Crisco, and two parts olive oil. I mix it and let it cool in the Pyrex measuring cup to test consistency. Then I can put it back in the microwave and add more wax or oil to adjust the consistency to my liking. I like it firm enough that a patch dragged lightly across the surface will just barely pick up a coating of lube without a lot of excess.

 

[Bill Hall]

I have a special small glass bowl I use. I get the mix about what I think is right, then microwave the beeswax and oil (bear oil or olive oil) together. I leave it in the microwave just long enough to be able to mix the two ingredients together. It takes a long time to cool, so that's why I use a minimum of heat. Sometimes I even put it in the freezer to cool faster. When it's stiffened up, I rub it between my fingers, or rub it into a patch to see if the ratio is what I like. If not, I mix in a little more of one of the ingredients and reheat until I like the result. I think I usually end up with a ratio of something like 3 oil to 1 beeswax. Bill

 

[ike1518]

I don't change my mix for the seasons woodse guy. But a cold day for me in the grip of a bad winter is when the temperature is way down there in the mid-twenties.

mid 20s ABOVE zero?

 

[William O.]

It doesn't need to change, but if you find it to be too stiff in cold temps then add some oil, too runny in the summer, add a bit of beeswax.

 

[Paul R]

Poor Semisane, you've never really lived till you've experienced a cold, snowy winter. Why, we even have tourists coming to Winnipeg in January, just for the experience.

Paul

 

[Semisane]

Yeah ike, above zero. :grin:

Down here around New Orleans our average low in January is around 42. But back in December 1950 it got down to 11 degrees one night, our all time record low.

Got no use for snow at all Paul. You can keep it. I don't even want to visit that stuff. :wink:

 

[nkbj]

My house concoction white stuff is Lanolin, Olive Oil and skimmed Beeswax: LOOB. Use it for patches and conicals, rifles and revolvers.

 

[woodse guy]

skimmed beeswax? I know it's going to be something simple but you never know until you ask.

 

[ike1518]

Semisane,

We really just jealous you know! ha ha ha

Our motto up here is, "20 below keeps out the riff-raff". (I know, I know, so then what am I doing here?)

Cheers.

P.S. Paul, since it wasn't cold enough in North Dakota my lovely wife and I honeymooned in Winnipeg many years ago. Apparently it worked for us, we're still together after all these years.

 

[nkbj]

skimmed beeswax? I know it's going to be something simple but you never know until you ask.

It has the body parts removed. Most sink to the bottom when you melt raw wax. Skim the top and pour off the good clear stuff, leaving the trash in the bottom.
A lot of keepers filter their wax and what you buy raw is clean as can be. From some you get raw wax with stuff in it. The last batch I got was filtered. Oughta go see them again and get more of that yummy honey.

 

[Tom Compton]

Got down to 18* F (yes that is 18 ABOVE zero) in Central Texas this past winter. You don't want our summers tho.

 

[napolean]

Yep. here in West TX we had some 7° days this winter, lots of days below freezing, Last Sunday and Monday was Spring, now it's Summer. 94° today.
I gave up on adjusting lube thickness.
Jon D

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Could you make Stumpy's lube in a microwave? Just wondering cause I want to make some and hadn't thought of doing it that way.

 

[woodse guy]

I know the feeling one day 65 the next 32 go figure and we wonder why the whole family was sick. :idunno: