I made some "Paul Mathews" lube. Does this sound right?

[Wardo1974]

In the Paper Jacket, Paul Mathews talked about his best lube being 45% beeswax with 55% Vaseline - by weight.

I don't have a scale that would measure these amounts appropriately. So, I melted a quantity of wax and Vaseline, and measured the appropriate percentages by volume, not weight, and mixed together.

I'm left with a jar full of opaque, whitish-golden material that actually smells really good.

The lube itself is pretty hard - harder say than the consistency of shoepolish in a small tin. I can scrape an amount out with my fingertip, and kind of smooth it out on my fingers...it seems right, but I wonder if it's actually too dense/hard.

As a side note, this stuff looks to be a fantastic waterproofing material for leather boots.

[geargnasher]

Probably too hard. Either warm it up slightly to apply or add more Vaseline so it's more like chassis grease and will smear thinly on the finished jacket without damaging the paper. Use rendered bear oil on your boots, nothing better unless you're trying to get a date. I've had dogs snarl and bark at my boots before just from getting a whiff.

Gear

[Nobade]

I have been using the same mix for some time now and it works well. I make it up in a CCI percussion cap tin, which makes a nice handy size container. Last night I tried lubing patches with Pearl Lube - soy flakes, toilet bowl ring, and Crisco. That was a little softer and seemed to work very nicely. I use a lot of that lube in BP guns so have it sitting around.

-Nobade

[pdawg_shooter]

I have used just about anything i could smear on (even lard) and it all worked. Right now I use BAC cause that's what I use on "naked" bullets.

[Gtek]

I used the weight on the side of the PJ container for one number. Tare weight zero on your powder digital with small plastic drinking cup and a calculator for wax total. I cannot remember how many cups but that volume filled one of those small bread pans perfect 55/45. Double boiler your PJ container till liquid and dump in pan then add wax slowly melting/stirring not exceeding 150ish degrees. Good Stuff! Gtek

[Digital Dan]

Wardo, your lube description sounds like you're looking at my Matthews lube. It works great for paper patch applied per his instructions. My blend was by the book and weighed.

[Wardo1974]

This is good. I've smeared some on, and it seems to do the trick. Hard, but smooths on the paper well...probably what you want in a durable lube that will survive a trip down the bore.

[edwin41]

im using this lube too , but i mix 50/50 beeswax / vaseline by volume.
works great on my patched bullets , and for my .38 spec and my .357 mag.

[barrabruce]

Trying 50/50 mix as well but I found it a bit hard and sticky.
Decided to put some 2 stroke oil and eds red in it and re melt it all.
Seems to have made it softer and less sticky but still has that nice smell about it.
Read it some where and I use eds red for a cleaner so hopefully it will keep things cleaner.
Since I live in the hot climbs and don't need freezing proof I want it more not to melt in the heat /dash board with out going fluid.
Gunna try some gas checks as the lube as I have never really tried them before

Got some primer tins from the black powder people of a couple of sizes and they are a handy dandy size for this and one small primer tin lasts me 100's of rounds.

Maybe I'm too scungy with the stuff and should dollop on heaps.

[barrabruce]

Well I made some simple lube which has far less pj in it.
I can still roll/smear the lube on the patch but it is a bit harder.

The break through for me is heating the pp bullets up on a plate then rolling them on the lube.
The hot bullet melts the lube and soaks in.
I get a completely soaked patch that dries hard and doesn't melt in the summer heat.

The case necks seem to be all clean with to paper adhering and seated easy with several thou undersize necks.
Accuracy has been good so far but needs more work as usual.

Shot some out to 500 yrs and they hit the dirt pretty consistently in the same spot/general area(or so it looked like) and was well chuffed.
And no I didn't manage to hit what I intended to either :) but they seemed to be as consistent as I've ever had any way.
I done this a couple of years ago but forgot .. fell asleep on the dunny..hit me head and remembered.

Iv'e been hoping for a lube star on the muzzle as I think I wasn't getting enough lube and patch failure.
But forgot to look ..duhhh.
Hope it helps those with out fangled lube sizers and such.

I know...... I'm real slow to learn
Barra

[303Guy]

If it's a hard setting lube then it won't adhere to the boolit which is perfect. I must say I was under the impression that air trapped in the paper was beneficial. Perhaps not so much?

[Digital Dan]

Dunno about air under the patch. What I want is a patch that separates cleanly from the bullet as it exits the muzzle, preferably in the form of confetti.