Lube Shrinkage? (In general, but Ben's Red in this case)

[Bigslug]

Ordinarily, I'd post this on one of the Ben's Red related threads, but as it seems like one of those topics that could be related to a common ingredient, I thought it best to throw it out for general consumption by the hive mind.

My first-ever batch of lube was about two quarts worth of Ben's Red mixed up about 3 weeks to a month ago at "The Laboratory" (AKA Dad's Place). The ingredients all mixed together easily at about 200F, and I took it off the heat shortly thereafter (about 220F). We filled the five lube stick molds we had, and left the rest in the saucepan with the lid on (glass lid with a hole for a steam vent) to sit until we need it again.

In talking with Dad a couple days ago, he said that the lube had shrunk away from the sides of the pan. This led me to a couple of questions:

1. Is this normal for cooked lubes? After all, hot stuff generally does expand, and cold stuff generally does contract. At the slightly increased temps of a lubrisizer, is this even a potential issue?

2. Is the lube in the pan still "cooking" even after the heat is removed? My thought a few days after making the lube was that even though the mix went easy, it might have gone on the heat a little while longer to cook out the solvents from the Johnson's Paste Wax or other ingredients. Ben himself has responded that I should be good to go with what I have, so I have no real worries, but I have to wonder if longer cooking would equate to more stability.

Keep in mind that this shrinkage is on a large "hockey puck" of lube 8" in diameter and about 2-3" thick, so. . .

3. Would it be likely to encounter significant shrinkage from "gassing off" on the lubed-boolit scale? Gaps in one's lube - obviously not good.

[geargnasher]

Waxes shrink drastically when they cool, that's why special micro-crystalline blends and additives are used in container candles to keep the wax from rattling around inside the containers. Beeswax continues to dry and shrink over a long period of time. The excess solvents going away tend to cause shrinkage too.

Do you have a problem? I'd advise you to worry less and enjoy shooting more. You won't have problems with your sizer unless you're planning to run it at 220F as well.

Gear

[Bigslug]

No, no problem. Just educating myself on the properties of my new media. Better to learn from those who have already crash-tested the car, after all.

Gear, with all the tireless work you've done, I think we in the peanut gallery need to debate on and bestow a title befitting your labors.

Geargnasher - Lord of Lube has a certain ring to it, though fraught with possible adult film references.

Prince of Polybutene - just too obscure.

Steward of Stearates - too lowly-sounding. Ivory soap being rather plain vanilla anyway.

Sultan of Sealants, perhaps?

King Slick just doesn't have the proper sense of majesty. . .

Maybe a long, drawn-out title containing all of the above?

[btroj]

I wouldn't sweat it a bit. Many lubes shrink some over time. In this case it may be a continued off basing of solvents in the original ingredients.

Bet it will shoot quite well and never be a problem.

And I like "Lord of Lubes" partially because of the overtones......

[Bigslug]

And I like "Lord of Lubes" partially because of the overtones......

And on further reflection, this would abbreviate to "LOL"

[runfiverun]

wanna.....push......sarcastic......comment.......b utton...........................
"lord of lubes" reminds me of the jeff foxworthy joke about the cadillac and the one car garage.

[geargnasher]

I still can't get that image of you dashing through the snow barefoot to carry a flaming cup of stinking goop to the trash can at two in the morning! Oh, the things we do for lube! I've gotten some pretty weird looks from grocery store clerks when all that's on the conveyor belt is four tubs of Vaseline and a bottle of laxative castor oil. Not as weird as the time in high school I showed up at the register with a 25-lb bag of Dog Chow, industrial-sized bucket of Crisco, 12-pack box of Trojans, 3-pack of Gillette Sensor razors, and a spatula. (long story, but not as strange as the clerk seemed to be imagining).

Sad truth is all this lube stuff has made me more like the Lord of the Mess. My loading room won't ever be the same after the past year of lube experiments. After recovering somewhat from my brine-turkey coma this afternoon I set about sorting through and clearing out the growing pile of boxes and baggies full of lube ingots and supplies. I have two, large plastic storage tubs of lube ingredients, and three of them full of, umm, "results". Some will make a casting oxide reducant, some firestarter, and some will be melted together for a pistol lube. The rest are to keep the trash nice and stuck together in the landfill.

Gear

[Elkins45]

I have found that adding 1/2 of a certain little blue tablet to most lubes keeps them from shrinking fairly well.

Hmmm...the software won't let me type the brand name of the well-known ED pill that starts with V

[geargnasher]

You don't see any SPAM here involving those products, either, thanks to the filters.

Gear

[waksupi]

You don't see any SPAM here involving those products, either, thanks to the filters.

Gear

The spam filter here is named "Trey". He welcomes spammers, as it gives him practice on insulting things to say when he bans them. You should see the hilarious things he sends as a ban message to them!

[btroj]

But if he showed them to us wouldn't he get banned? maybe we can give him a one time pass and he can let us all see?