The consistency does not seem correct?

[MOA]

Well I am needing some help on the lube makin project. I got it from a sticky.

Since this is the first batch, I don't know what the consistency of this lube stick is supposed to feel like. I know how the NRA/Alox feels like, and this is not that.

I double boiler'd the 2 lbs of beeswax, then added about 1 and a half pounds of salt free Crisco, and then added almost a half cup of olive oil and stirred and stirred till all blended. See image.
Poured into molds let cool and they slipped out easily. They did feel slick and almost a greasy feeling, but nothing to much show on your hands. It seemed to be a little bit brittle when one broke, BUT......that was when I pushed it out of the pvc right after taking it out of the freezer. So maybe that is normal. See image.

What should the texture be on this lube.......(60/40/10) typo error. 50/40/10 corrected
Any help would be appreciated. ratio used)

[Dusty Bannister]

Is this what you thought you were making?

"I use 60-40-10 the 10 being lanolin as my black-powder lube."

[MOA]

Dusty I was making the basic Emmert's lube, at least that was the name that was attached to that formula. Not the improved Emmert's lube, but the basic lube formula. My sticks are a slight off white color and very slick. But, since I have not ever made this lube before I don't know if my lube has turned out like it is supposed to or not.

[Messy bear]

Sounds right to me. About how mine is. It can be brittle when cold even though it's a soft lube.
Maybe others with more experience than me will chime in.

[MOA]

Thanks Messy bear. Does the color look right? My thinking is maybe I should have added more olive oil, but then again I've read where some have just mixed 50/50 beeswax and Crisco without the olive oil, so even if I was a little short with only a half cup of olive oil it should not make that much of a difference I would think. If I was short on the oil it was not by much, ten percent of three and a half pounds is 5.4oz's, and a half cup of oil is 4oz's so maybe I was off by 1.4 oz of olive oil.

[MOA]

Dusty, where do you get your lanolin from?

[Dusty Bannister]

That was copied from a sticky to see what formula you were using and it sounds like your ratios are off a bit. It is more like 50-40-10 from the references I read. Maybe just a bit more oil will soften things up, but might then be too soft for summer use.

Sorry, I do not use Lanolin, perhaps a quick net search will turn up a supply at a good price?

[MOA]

That was copied from a sticky to see what formula you were using and it sounds like your ratios are off a bit. It is more like 50-40-10 from the references I read. Maybe just a bit more oil will soften things up, but might then be too soft for summer use.

Sorry, I do not use Lanolin, perhaps a quick net search will turn up a supply at a good price?

Sorry Dusty, I did not realize that it was a quote and a copy and paste you had put in the post in reference to the lanolin. I thought that was your formula that you used for making this type of lube. Yes, I got my information from a sticky on Emmert's lube.

And yes, I typed in the incorrect percentage of the formula I meant to type in 50/40/10.

[Messy bear]

Thanks Messy bear. Does the color look right? My thinking is maybe I should have added more olive oil, but then again I've read where some have just mixed 50/50 beeswax and Crisco without the olive oil, so even if I was a little short with only a half cup of olive oil it should not make that much of a difference I would think. If I was short on the oil it was not by much, ten percent of three and a half pounds is 5.4oz's, and a half cup of oil is 4oz's so maybe I was off by 1.4 oz of olive oil.

I figgered you made close to 4 lbs. So at that maybe your Crisco should be 1.6 lbs and the oil at .4 lbs so you can't be off much. And you can remelt easily enough to add if you want something.

[MOA]

Well I started re-melting it. Have added a bit more oil and two green crayons along with a good squirt of LLA. I think this batch will be more tacky.

[odfairfaxsub]

That looks beautiful. Do you think the brittleness was helped by adding more olive oil?

[MOA]

That looks beautiful. Do you think the brittleness was helped by adding more olive oil?

Yup. With the re-melt and a bit more oil and some alox after it came to room temp the brittleness was gone. Was a fun as successful project that produced enough lube to last me a good while.

[odfairfaxsub]

Totally. I’m going to make some this weekend.

[toallmy]

Randy Rat a vendor here at cast boolits supplied me with a pound of lanolin that I have found useful in all sorts of stuff .

[MOA]

Randy Rat a vendor here at cast boolits supplied me with a pound of lanolin that I have found useful in all sorts of stuff .

Thanks. I'll remember to look him up when ready to do my next batch.