WTK Old Dean Grennell lube recipe

Back in the '70s sometime , Dean Grennell wrote a collumn for some gun rag -Guns - Gun World ? Anyways he wrote about a lube that he made that was a blend of bees wax and moly disulfide grease and it was a real winner IMHO .

30 some years later I'm back to casting "boolits" ( I'd really rather have the rest of my teeth pulled out) and cant find the recipe that I thought I had saved .

Was wonderin if any of you gents would have that concoction mixture and be kind enough to share it with me ?

Thanks ......Bob

I think it is the same recipe as Lithi Bee and the old Choate recipe according to the ABC's of Reloading a book that Grennell had a lot to do with at least the info above is what he said in the article Choate which Choate quit making then the guys who formed Lithi-bee took over the formula.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=26524

Adrian's Goo ( AKA lithi-Bee)
1 part Beeswax
1 part Lithium auto lube cartridge
mix with heat do not exceed flashpoint labeled on cartridge (225degrees iirc) does not
require heat to lube bullets

Make your own lube according to any recipe, and use lithium stearate instead of sodium stearate. The more lithium stearate you add, the move viscosity the lube will be on a logarithmic scale. So, be somewhat conservative until experience is gained. Add no more than about 3 percent moly powder by weight, or until black enough. Stuff is expensive and too much does not add any lube value whatsoever. Thataway you have control over the constituents for BP or WP. ... felix

I was given a large quanity of lithium grease several years ago and I tried to make some lube using the formula above. It was of course no trouble melting the bees wax but the lithium just floated around the pan. I finally stirred the wax and grease together as much as I could. It did seem to work as a lube although it was a rather gay pink in color. It was lost in the move to Cherry Valley and I have not attempted to make it again. I still have lots of lithium and bees wax, so If someone knowes an easy way to blend the two I would like to hear about.

Melt the grease first since it requires a higher melting temp. then mix in the beeswax, which should melt in the residual heat from the grease. Then add in your mix-ins if desired.

It sounds like I'm baking a friggin' cake!!

Felix, (or anybody) Do you know where to get Lithium stearate? I googled it, but no luck, same on flea bay.

Ask these guys for a sample. You won't need much. Typically, you will get it in powder/flake form, ready to mix.

Polymer Additives Division
FERRO CORPORATION
7050 Krick Road - Walton Hills, Ohio 44146-4494
Phone (216) 641-8580 - Fax (216) 750-6729


... felix

I made a batch and it has worked excellant for what I've used it for.
The advice that Junior gives for his 411 lube applies,melt and cool. It seems it goes into solution better each time it melts. I believe I melted the batch about 5 times.
I used about a pound and a half of beeswax and a tube of Amsoil Multi Purpose grease. I tried one pound ,but it seemed a little too soft This stuff is not gay pink it is bright red. :-D

Thanks Felix.

I tried the Moly in my lube mix but did not have any luck in rifles. It worked in pretty much any pistol but over 1400 FPS it would lead.

My current recipe:

20 oz (melted / liquid) beeswax
4 oz Lithium wheel bearing grease
4 oz Lee Liquid Alox
2oz JPW
1 teaspoon Ivory (shaved from the bar)
1 oz STP

melt grease in double boiler, add in all other ingredients except beeswax. Set aside, melt beeswax and pour measured portion into melted grease mix. Let cool and 'flowers' usually develop embedded in the wax mix. Re-melt and cool and it will stay mixed. Good up to 2k in rifle.

I contacted that company about lithium stearate, and it doesn't seem real likely the sample will be approved. They do sell 25 pound bags for something like $80. Maybe a bunch of us could do a group buy on a bag.

Glen Fryxell makes his from half Sta-Lube Moly Grease and half beeswax.
Maybe this is where Glen got it, or given Glen's experience level - maybe
Dean got it from him! ;-)

Glen was generous enough to give me this recipe a while back.
I have purchased several cans of the grease, have not yet run out of my
current lube, so that project is in the future.

Bill