Quick question about homemade bore butter consistency.

[Half-Cocked]

High gentleman quick question about butter consistency I am making my own butter.

It's a simple mix of Olive oil and beeswax. I'm making in small batches to play with the consistency and the melting point.

I think the best I've gotten is ChapStick like consistency is that what we're going for?

 

[Carbon 6]

I think the best I've gotten is ChapStick like consistency is that what we're going for?

That depends on what you want.
In winter I make it like peanut butter, summer like chap stick I guess, and I make it even stiffer for my gun with a grease hole.
That's the beauty of making it yourself, you can make it exactly the way you want it. There's no rule.

 

[dlidster]

High gentleman quick question about butter consistency I am making my own butter.

It's a simple mix of Olive oil and beeswax. I'm making in small batches to play with the consistency and the melting point.

I think the best I've gotten is ChapStick like consistency is that what we're going for?

I've settled on a 5:4 ratio of olive oil/beeswax. This gives me a ChapStick consistency that I'm happy with summer and winter. I don't use much; I just swipe a patch strip over the surface and cut at the muzzle. This is just the right amount of lube to let the patched ball slide down under reasonable pressure.

This works for me. Others will have other techniques that work for them.

 

[Half-Cocked]

Excellent thank you gentlemen looks like I’m on the right track.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Mine are a mix of either whale oil (purchased legally many years ago) with beeswax or peanut oil with beeswax. I don't pay attention to ratios. I just mix until I get a soft bar. Those are then rubbed onto the light side of washed pillow ticking and stored in zip lock bags until use. I tear off strips as needed and cut at muzzle. One could say the are about chap stick consistency. BTW, did you know commercial Bore Butter is just another form of Chap Stik? There is a link out there somewhere explaining how this came about.

 

[Half-Cocked]

Mine are a mix of either whale oil (purchased legally many years ago) with beeswax or peanut oil with beeswax. I don't pay attention to ratios. I just mix until I get a soft bar. Those are then rubbed onto the light side of washed pillow ticking and stored in zip lock bags until use. I tear off strips as needed and cut at muzzle. One could say the are about chap stick consistency. BTW, did you know commercial Bore Butter is just another form of Chap Stik? There is a link out there somewhere explaining how this came about.

I think I remember reading something about bore butter being some type of petroleum wax and olive oil. I seriously doubt they would use a quality material that has beeswax.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I've used bore butter for Chapstick. I know one thing when bore butter gets old it smells just like Crisco, so I think it's probably got animal fat in it.

Anyone mix beeswax with crisco? I'm going to be getting some beeswax from a friend of my wife who keeps her own honeybees and was going to try it. If not what is the best olive oil to use?

 

[Half-Cocked]

I've used bore butter for Chapstick. I know one thing when bore butter gets old it smells just like Crisco, so I think it's probably got animal fat in it.

Anyone mix beeswax with crisco? I'm going to be getting some beeswax from a friend of my wife who keeps her own honeybees and was going to try it. If not what is the best olive oil to use?

I honestly wouldn't mess with the Crisco. I bought a can myself and it's still sitting on the shelf I was going to use it as is but then I got beeswax and I already had olive oil so no reason to use it.

As far as what type of olive oil I don't think it matters. More important is the ratio that you mix it at. Try experimenting with a couple of different recipes. I made about three different consistencies to try out.

 

[nkbj]

Half-Cocked, Mine is basic beeswax and olive oil with some lanolin mixed in. The thickening beeswax is varied as needed. The stuff works for most all kinds of shooting with rare exceptions.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Anyone mix beeswax with crisco? I'm going to be getting some beeswax from a friend of my wife who keeps her own honeybees and was going to try it. If not what is the best olive oil to use?

The best olive oil is the cheapest in the store. More wax makes a stiffer lube for summer. Less wax makes a softer lube for cold weather applications.

 

[Kev308]

I've used bore butter for Chapstick. I know one thing when bore butter gets old it smells just like Crisco, so I think it's probably got animal fat in it.

Anyone mix beeswax with crisco? I'm going to be getting some beeswax from a friend of my wife who keeps her own honeybees and was going to try it. If not what is the best olive oil to use?

Years back I shot in the N-SSA and the beeswax and crisco lube was what most everyone used on their minie balls. 3:1 or 3:2 that and a dab of crisco in the cavity amd you could shoot that musket all day long with no loss of accuracy.

 

[Carbon 6]

If not what is the best olive oil to use?

Don't use the really expensive premium extra virgin stuff. Use the cheaper more refined "lighter" olive oil.

Adding bees wax to crisco is going to make the crisco even stiffer. I'd make a very small test batch first.

 

[Atticus69]

I make mine from a mixture of beeswax,murphy oil soap and beef tallow. About the same consistency as vasaline. It melts when rubbed into a patch. I also often just apply olive oil directly to a patch if range shooting.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I honestly wouldn't mess with the Crisco.

Good advice. In my early years in this game I tried many different lube types. IMHO, Crisco is awful. Dirty. Too hard in winter and too soft in summer. They on worster thing I tried was chicken fat. Yuk. Take my word on that. Don't try it.

 

[Half-Cocked]

Here is mine! Beeswax and olive oil and just a touch of red dye.

Homemade bore butter

 

[Atticus69]

Here is mine! Beeswax and olive oil and just a touch of red dye.

Homemade bore butter

What is the purpose of the dye?

 

[Half-Cocked]

What is the purpose of the dye?

None at all really just to add a bit of color. I thought it might be a little easier to see when it’s on top of the Balls in the cylinder. I also added some fragrance oil based as well.

 

[Atticus69]

None at all really just to add a bit of color. I thought it might be a little easier to see when it’s on top of the Balls in the cylinder. I also added some fragrance oil based as well.

Thanks for the reply--always looking to learn something.

 

[mooman76]

Some cheeses you buy are coated with beeswax and usually red in color. My wife loves cheese so I had her start saving be the wax.

 

[Howard Pippin]

I've settled on a 5:4 ratio of olive oil/beeswax. This gives me a ChapStick consistency that I'm happy with summer and winter. I don't use much; I just swipe a patch strip over the surface and cut at the muzzle. This is just the right amount of lube to let the patched ball slide down under reasonable pressure.

This works for me. Others will have other techniques that work for them.

I would like to try this again, I tried it once and wasn't that satisfied, could you tell me is your ratio figured on volume or weight? It's too hot here Montana to do it right now anyway, but I expected it to get better. I have plenty of each if it works out. Thanks,
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