It was like eating grapefruit!!

[DHurtig]

I had a batch of 44 caliber bullets that I ran backwards through a Lee sizer to apply the checks and size them. I then pan lubed with my first attempt at a home made lube. I wasn't happy with the lube as it came out real tacky and seemed to stick to everything but the lube grooves. In attempt to save the bullets, I put them in a pan of water and set them on the hot plate. After a bit of time at a rolling boil and a few stirrings, it seemed that all the lube had come to the surface. I let the water cool and the lube kind of solidified on top. I scooped off the lube, drained the pan and put the bullets in an old towel and worked them around some to get them dry and them put them aside for a few days.

I took the lube and mixed it with several sticks of commercial lube, melted it all down and stirred it up good. I filled up the lube sizer and poured the rest in a pan to cool. The lube came out pretty good I think. I like the consistency very much and it is just barely tacky to the touch. It is soft enough to run through the lube sizer with out heat. The home made lube was I believe an attempt at Darr's lube if I remember correctly. Anyway the mix was primarily vaseline and a red candle with some STP and some moly thrown in for good measure. With the red candle and the brown RCBS lube, my mix ended up being a lovely peach color. Anyway it should be a good lube but the proof will be in the testing.

On a side note, I will apologize for the way my mind wanders, but..... If home cast bullets are boolits, shouldn't home made lube be loob?

Well I got around to those bullets yesterday and ran them though the lube sizer to re-apply some lube. A few had a small bit off water trapped under the gas checks. When they were subjected to the pressure if the sizer that bit of water was expelled with some force. It really was like eating grape fruit !!!

Happy Easter everyone......Dale

[sthwestvictoria]

Likely the reason for the initial loob not working was the use of the 'red candle' rather than bee wax. Raw bee wax will really make a difference, it is likely your red candle stub is a normal paraffin wax.
My simple pan lube - raw bee wax, vaseline, lanolin, crayon. By weight, roughly 70%, 22.5%, 2.5%, 5%. Does solidify but this is require for me in the Australia heat. This mix did not melt, even when stored in my shed in 40 degree (Celsius) days.

[dancingbear41]

I recently made bullet lube for the first time. Although I probably have a lifetime supply of commercial lube I figured, "I make everything else, why not make lube?". I read a little around the subject and in the end plumped for something simple, grease and wax. I used 50% beeswax and 50% lithium grease. The grease I used was red and the results came out a very pleasing colour. So far I have not used too much of it but I did shoot an initial batch through my .30 Carbine with a reasonably hot load with no problem. I gave a stick to a friend who now swears by it. My brother gave me some more lithium grease and I made some more. The grease he gave me has sparkles in it. I haven't tried it yet but it sure does look pretty. I found a lot of information about how lubes work in the articles and book by Glen Fryxell, I would certainly recommend a read.

http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

Simon.

[williamwaco]

Next time that happens place the wet bullets on a cookie sheet in the oven set at the lowest temperature - 125 to 150.

Leave them there several hours, preferably while your wife is at work.

[Bwana]

Eating grapefruit is easy, you just have to not eat the skin on the sections. Now, the rest of that stuff is best avoided.

[Gtek]

I pay a little more per sheet with lotion enriched with Aloe and vitamin E, you may be on to something. Gtek

[fcvan]

Comercial lube is well lube. home made is in fact loob :) The stuff I made worked great but was a tad smokey - but it worked great! I started buying BAC from White Label and it is excellent. However, it is good to know that in a pinch a good loob is as close as the hardware store.