Great results with Johnson Paste Wax

[captainkirk]

Hello guys,


I don't understand why you cannot find a supply of JPW in the US? Here, there's a lot in the supermarket, plain white and red floor waxes, although the packaging is in paper carton. When I read the label, it was manufactured locally but under licensed from SC Johnson of USA.

This thread is very helpful and informative, more power!

I've found it at Ace Hardware for 6.99 a can here in Spring (Houston) TX. I haven't used it for lube yet but intend to soon.

captainkirk

[HiVelocity]

Folks,

I too like to use JPW. In addition to using it for lubing [tumble lulbe design] bullets, I'll actually saturate a patch after thorough cleaning (shotgun and rifle both) and swab the bore a bit and let it dry. Then a clean cotton patch, usually a piece of old T-shirt, and polish the bore to a mirror finish.

The next time you go shooting/hunting, it will cut your cleaning time in half. Swabs right out in minutes. No mess, no fuss.

HiVelocity in SC

[kamikaze1a]

I've been experimenting with JPW too as a way to resolve the sticky finger problem when using Alox. I tried warming a batch of boolits in a sauce pan and then adding the JPW but I guess my temp was too high because there was visable amounts of Alox left behind in the pan and I could visably see less on the boolits. 2nd batch, warmed to lower temp and that worked better but still left behind some Alox.

Do you all think that it is the heat or the solvent (mineral spirits) in teh JPW that is causing the Alox to run off. Or am I not giving the Alox enough time to cure before the JPW treatment? I'm giving the Alox 18 hours dry time.

[Boerrancher]

Thin your alox a bit with mineral spirits so that it will dry better, and give it 24 to 36 hours depending on where you are located and what the relative humidity is. Also instead of heating your boolits before coating with JPW, you can toss half of them in an empty plastic peanut butter jar put in a spoon or two of JPW depending on how many boolits you have, and set them in the sun for a few min and tumble and repeat the process. You don't want your JPW to get runny, as that is when it will start washing off the alox. You want everything just warm enough that the paste starts to thin out. If it starts to get runny let everything cool. When the JPW starts clinging to the sides of the container really well then you know it is clinging to your boolits. Most times a temp of 90 to 100 degrees F is warm enough.

One of these days soon I am going to post photos here of how I apply JPW. I have great results with it in both rifles and pistols. My results are quarter sized groups at 75 and 100 yds with my open sighted 03A3 Springfield rifle you can see the load data and pics of the groups in the cast boolits section under the thread "More pics of Home grown Gas Checks Results." I was pushing close to 2000 fps and that was just with JPW as lube.

Best Wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[kamikaze1a]

After a couple of sessions at the range, I am impressed with Alox/JPW/spray Carnauba wax. My barrel bore is shiny and cleaner than after shooting conventional lube ring cast boolits. I don't get a lot of smoke either probably because I don't dip lube which I would say deposits more lube than necessary on the base.

I've just started casting so take this for what it is worth... I apply a light coat of Alox, dry overnight with a fan blowing on the drying tray, Apply 2nd light coat and again dry overnight with the fan and a final light coat of JPW or spray on Carnauba wax. Have not really decided yet whether I like the JPW or Carnauba wax finish coat better but the spray on wax is cleaner when handling and easier to apply.

One thing that I have observed when applying the JPW, I get better results by putting a dab of JPW in a sauce pan, lightly warm the pan on a burner/stove until the JPW starts to melt and then add the Alox coated bullets. I do not warm the boolits and also try to get all of them on their side so that the melted JPW is applied primarily to the bearing surface where it is needed instead of the base or ogive.

[Boerrancher]

I am glad you have found a method that works well for you. As I have said before with JPW, that there are as many ways to apply it as there are those of us who use it.

Best Wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[leadeye]

Where I used to work we used a powdered 5 micron carnauba wax. I have some of this coming home to dust LLA coated boolits with. Will let you all know what I find out.

[Duce]

All ACE Hardware stores have it. I use it all the time on restoring old funiture.

[mtnman31]

I get it at my base commissary for around $4.50 a can. Lowes and Home Depot stock it for around 5-6 bucks a can. It is versatile stuff. I haven't tried it yet, but plan on using it to lube up some minie balls in my Zouave replica. I plan on just using a small spatula or popsicle stick to spread it into the minie's lube grooves. Anyone else tried this approach to minies with success?

[legend]

when useing the jpw it flakes off mine and looks real bad.has anyone else had thiers look awfull?
i am going to try alox with it and im sure that the flakeing will clear up.just wondering.
legend

[Boerrancher]

If you don't bell the mouth of your casing enough it will get scraped off of the boolit during the seating process. Once I started belling out my case mouths a bit more I stopped having the flaking issues.

Best Wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[legend]

thanks,but,its after they dry.and before i try to load them they look like old paint peeling off.

legend

[Boerrancher]

Here is one of mine after it has been lubed, sized, and lubed again with JPW.




If you look real close you can see the heavier areas of JPW build up. I have never had them flake off, but I don't try to pack or cake it on to where it can crack as it dries. It only takes a couple of thin coats. If you are trying to fill the lube grooves you will never get it done with out it cracking and flaking as it dries. There is too much solvent in the wax and that is what causes the cracking and flaking as it dries. Several thin coats are better than one heavy coat that falls off.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Heavy lead]

This thread is sure long. Anyway I've jumped on this bandwagon. I've always liked plain old Javelina in a Keith style boolit for revolver loads. But I never liked using this or LLA in 45 acp (1911) and my Hornady LNL, because of the mess.
Anyway I aquired a Lyman 452460 4 hole mould and it casts right on 452, so I gave the JPW a try (I've always used this for lots of things, but never boolit lube) I casted 100 boolits dumped them right in a plastic coffee can with the lead still hot (but obviously not hot enough to melt the plastic) put about a large tablespoon of JPW. Now I have not shot them yet, but so far I'm impressed, not messy, the lube stays in place and is hard.

[kamikaze1a]

I read somewhere (here on this forum) about using a hair blow drier to warm the boolits for JPW applicaion and gave it a try. Worked really well and was done JPW'ing about 500 swc's in no time. I used to use a hot plate and a sauce pan but found that tumbling them in the metal sauce pan caused the boo's to have dents and dings. The dings didn't seem to affect anything but looked like cr@p...

Here's what I did. I dumped about 100 Alox lubed boo's into a plastic bowl, added two pea sized bits of JPW and turned the drier on. I warmed the boo's until I could feel the bottom of the bowl was getting warm and then it was Rock 'n Roll time. Using that small amount of JPW gave the hundred boo's a light coat and just enough to cover the two coats of Alox I had applied a few days earlier. I think my three coats (2 Alox, 1 JPW) is less than some of the one coat pics I have seen. And I get absolutely no leading.

[BUFFALOW RED]

ANY ONE tryed to use jpw with BP

[Doc Highwall]

BUFFALOW RED, I think it will work with black powder for exactly one shot, the first one. All of your shots after that will need something to keep the fouling soft.

[C1PNR]

I haven't tried it yet, but plan on using it to lube up some minie balls in my Zouave replica. I plan on just using a small spatula or popsicle stick to spread it into the minie's lube grooves. Anyone else tried this approach to minies with success?

To lube the minie balls for my Zouave and '63 Springfield, I used a mixture of 2 parts beef tallow that I rendered from fat (they used to give it away in the meat dept. of the local Grocery store) and 1 part canning paraffin.

Melt the two together and while still hot use a needle nose plier to grip the minie by the skirt and dip it into the lube. Hold it for a couple of seconds to allow to cool then lay it down on a paper towel. It takes longer to describe than it does to do it.

We always used the "Holy Black" and were able to get through a 60 shot match without cleaning the bore.

[bullet maker]

You guys are great, I`v learned more stuff on here than in the life time of loading bullets. Keep up the great work.

[David2011]

Jake's Products (jakesproducts) sells 2 pound cakes of Alox on Ebay for $12.50. I've bought bullet lubes from him many times. He's always been good to deal with and will answer all your questions.

David