Help- Higher melting point lube

[wcb_gabe]

Ok- I'm playing with lube recipes and need a higher melting point for one of my recipes.

One thing I need help on is what parafin wax can I get that has a very high melting point after adding oils(lube). It needs to be a wax that when crushed in your fingers doesn't turn into powder/grains but flattens out and remains flexible/pliable.(Like canning wax) Looking for a finished product(bullet lube) that has a melting point of 140-150+ degrees.

With beeswax, carnuaba, and canning wax parafin after adding "lube" get a melting point of around 110 degrees.

I've heard stearic acid will raise melting point and stiffen wax but do any of you have any idea of how much it will raise melting point?

I've heard microcrystalline waxes may be good for this but are they flexible/pliable or brittle?

I'm trying to make a lube that will stay in the groove while being shipped, not make a mess in packaging, and will survive in a USPS truck in temps of 100+ degrees while not losing too many of the benefits you get from softer lubes.

Looking for a bunch of things to try or maybe you have a recipe that will do what I need.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Gabe

[wcb_gabe]

No takers?

Have I stumped the board... surely not.

Yes, I knew when I posted some of you would be shaking your heads and muttering "heresy". But commercial bullets need to make it to there purchaser without looking like gooey lead cereal. Trying to get the benefits of both worlds soft and hard.... may not work but would like to try. Or come up with a lube that has more lube benefits that the mainly parafin commercial lubes out there.

So jump on board and lets figure this out.... :-D

and then much celebration with some brews :drinks: or we could have a drink and then work on this later.

Consider this a challenge to your manlyness... I'm calling you all out ... you bunch of panty waist... lead slingin.... varmits.... grrrrr

:Fire: And now it's time to duck and run...... away

[felix]

Gabe, you need to raise from 110 to 180 plus? Microcrystalline waxes are your best bet. You can purchase them with melting point minimums. When using, you can leave out your home canning paraffin, and replace it with a microwax flavor, which is a paraffin. No, the microwaxes are not brittle, but they are tough and have excessive viscosity for most applications. Higher the temp, higher the viscosity, so you might consider purchasing several flavors, and keep the percentage of any flavor as low as possible. ... felix

[Bass Ackward]

One thing I need help on is what parafin wax can I get that has a very high melting point after adding oils(lube).

It needs to be a wax that when crushed in your fingers doesn't turn into powder/grains but flattens out and remains flexible/pliable.(Like canning wax) Looking for a finished product(bullet lube) that has a melting point of 140-150+ degrees.


Gabe,

A lube .... that is solid as a rock, .... is impervious to heat, .... pliable under hydrolic pressure, .... and performs like soft lube!

Ahahahahah, ahahahaha, ROTFLMAO

Do you have good ventilation where you are casting fella? :grin:

Be origional. Send your bullets as a Do-It-Yourself Kit. Put the bullets in the box and chuck in a stick of soft lube and and a rubber glove.


:bigsmyl2:


Ahhhhh, .... gotta wipe the tears from my eyes on that one. Could have sworn you were serious for a minute there.

Welcome to the board.

[KYCaster]

So, Gabe, which of the "paraffin commercial lubes out there" have you tried? And what was the problem with them that you don't consider them acceptable?

Jerry

[Harry O]

You can raise the melting point of a lube quite a bit without increasing the stiffness (viscosity). I did it, but it did not do what I wanted.

Get a few tins of Plumber's Heat-Pruf Grease. It is used on pipe joints in powerplants (steam). It is the viscosity of ordinary grease, but has a much higher melting point. I know that it is over 212 degrees (by an easy test). From the looks, it was quite a bit over 212 degrees.

I mixed it in with some black powder lube. I did NOT stiffen the lube, but it did raise the melting point. I wanted that so I did not have to keep my BP cartridges chilled, in the shade, or in an insulated cooler. It worked for that, but I found out that it also did not soften BP fouling. I should have realized that it must melt to mix with the fouling to keep it soft. Anyway, it works OK for smokeless loads, but I did not have a problem with them melting anyway. It is a LOT less viscous than NRA (50-50) lube.

[wcb_gabe]

Felix- Thanks. I was thinking that was the way I was going to have to go with it. Just needed to know if they were brittle or not.


"Be origional. Send your bullets as a Do-It-Yourself Kit. Put the bullets in the box and chuck in a stick of soft lube and and a rubber glove. "

Bass Ackward - Yes, that would be a good idea and after there done the glove would allready be lubed and ready to self administer a proctal exam.... extra lube could be used as a suppository. (no charge) -can't believe I actually said that.... yuck. I'll also have you know that those fumes I'm suckin in... ahh forgot what I was going to say...


Kycaster - I had some old yellow lube(old magma or ballisticast) that was very temp sensitive- parafin would turn white(blister and expand) easily and make bullets look crappy. Am using Jakes Purple Ceresin now and really like it but in the commercial machines has a tendency to get knocked off them falling from machine into bullet bins(when lube still warm) and when bullets are still warm from coming out of the commercial machine they have a tendency to pull the lube off each another. After they cool down they ship and shoot great but really have to baby them coming out of the machines. You cast commercially too... who's lube you use? And what trouble if any are you having with there lube.

Harry 0- Thanks, I'll see if I can find some to play with.

Keep them coming... ya mangey lot of lead shootin rascapallians. Of which I'm honored to be among. Ain't I a stinker.... sounding like yosemite sam -yes I am...
oh, almost forgot.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[44man]

Harry, BP lube does not melt from firing although if the barrel gets real hot it will. What it must do is to mix chemically and physically with the fouling and to also allow the fouling to absorb moisture. Petoleum greases and oils do not do that and creat the "TAR" everyone talks about, some of which gets rock hard. Animal and vegetable oils, lanolin, Ballistol and the like are better for the purpose although the perfect lube probably will never be found.
A big problem is to have lubricating, softening and moisture absorbing qualities without having metal damage. Rust prevention is important.
Lar has sent me some great lube as has Mr. Stark which looks and feels good. A complete test will be done as soon as my new mould works out and I finish up deer season.
I am far behind so hang loose, I will post results.

[KYCaster]

Gabe: I've been using Thompson's Blue Angel for about fifteen years. I've tried a few others, but haven't found anything that works any better....and Dave's service is first rate.

I've used it in everything from 500 fps. 38's to 2100 fps. 35Rem. and so far the only complaint I have is it may have cold weather issues in the hi vel. rifle loads. I've only been loading those a short time and haven't had time to test it completely.

So far I get no leading at all in several rifles at widely varying velocities. In the .38's I've fired up to 1000 rounds with very little leading. On several occasions I've done "torture tests" with 1911 style .45's, firing up to 15,000 rounds without cleaning and getting very little leading, not enough to affect the practical accuracy of the guns.

I've seen the "sticking together" you mentioned, but it's rare.....not enough to be concerned about.

Here I am, giving away my secrets to a NEW GUY!!!! I hope you don't intend to compete with me. Where are you located, anyway?

I gotta be more careful.
Jerry

[wcb_gabe]

Jerry,
Secrets- what are those? In my opinion not many secrets in cast bullets left out there just preferences and ways to make things easier. LBT lube is probably as big a secret as your likely to find and even if everyone knew the recipe they'd still probably buy it from him as many people are not interested in making lube. (Some of you have probably have made lbt lube and just didn't know it.) Althought as good as felix lube is and some of the lubes you other fellows make a person really can't improve on your recipes too much and yet they still buy them instead of make them. Same as with cast bullets. Most people here on this board know how to make them but bunches of people buy cast bullets... hence still in business.

I won't be competing with you unless your at the same pistol match as I am and I won't be selling bullets... not intentionally anyway. ;) I've found in this business a person is generally his own toughest competition. The heavy lead part tends to make our line of work - WORK and not many people actually interested in that lately... if you know what I mean. That or they're not interested in the back pain and lead handling. I'm located in Wyoming. Your in Kentucky I'm guessing?

I'm actually pretty happy with the products I've used over the years but am always looking to improve. Doesn't mean I'll find something better but kind of fun trying every now and then. Without playing around with different ideas wouldn't see much improvement in anything and we'd all still all be shooting bows and arrows or rocks and slings. Not that thats not fun too.

Love those "torture" tests.... one of the perks of the biz.

Well now I've gotten all long winded again.
I gotta be more careful,
Gabe

p.s.- Thanks all. One of the reasons I enjoy casting so much is the people I get to shoot them with... namely the likes of you varmits.
:drinks: cheers- Heres to you guys.