Alox ?

[C-dubb]

Thinking about trying to mix my own lube to save a little $. I see many recipes call for Alox.
Please school me. Is this referring to Lee Alox bullet lube or to something like Alox 350 which I understand used to be marketed as some kind of lubricant.

[Outpost75]

The liquid Alox is a dilute solution of calcium soap and aliphatic mineral spirits.

The Lee stick lube is a 50-50 blend of synthetic beeswax and calcium soap.

There are many different mixtures of "Alox," which were all variations of calcium soap.

Since Alox Corp. was bought by Lubrisol Corp. the product names and designators have changed and I would have no idea what type calcium soap base to ask for. I don't know if they can provide small samples, but they'd probably be happy to sell you a 5-gallon pail or a 55-gal. drum full...

https://www.lubrizol.com/Lubricant-a...dditives/Types

[C-dubb]

The liquid Alox is a dilute solution of calcium soap and aliphatic mineral spirits.

The Lee stick lube is a 50-50 blend of synthetic beeswax and calcium soap.

There are many different mixtures of "Alox," which were all variations of calcium soap.

Since Alox Corp. was bought by Lubrisol Corp. the product names and designators have changed and I would have no idea what type calcium soap base to ask for. I don't know if they can provide small samples, but they'd probably be happy to sell you a 5-gallon pail or a 55-gal. drum full...

https://www.lubrizol.com/Lubricant-a...dditives/Types

So what would I use to mix up some NRA lube ?
The Lee liquid would be pretty costly even if my beeswax is free.

[Outpost75]

So what would I use to mix up some NRA lube ?
The Lee liquid would be pretty costly even if my beeswax is free.

https://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?...&products_id=9

[toallmy]

Doesn't one of the lube suppliers sell gallon jugs of allox ?

[Froogal]

For tumble lubing, the Lee alox can be thinned considerably with mineral spirits and still gets the job done. ----Spg lube seems to be costly until you use it, and find out just how far a stick of it goes. I have found that buying beeswax and the other ingredients needed is not cheap, and may not work as well.

[C-dubb]

The beeswax is not a problem (I keep bees) just trying to find an easy to find, cheap ingredient to mix with it to make a decent lube.

[C-dubb]

https://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?...&products_id=9

Thanks

[alamogunr]

I would advise doing as Outpost 75 advised and contact:
https://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?...&products_id=9

Over 13 years ago, I bought a pail of Alox 350 and a pail of Alox 606-55. I know it was over 13 years ago because I retired almost 13 years ago and had to have it delivered to where I worked.

I have enough Alox to last several shooters several years. BTW, Alox 350 is not the Alox listed in recipes for NRA 50/50. You have to massage it a bit. There are instructions, at least there used to be, on the net.

NRA 50/50 used Alox 2138F which was discontinued by Lubrizol.

[Elkins45]

The beeswax is not a problem (I keep bees) just trying to find an easy to find, cheap ingredient to mix with it to make a decent lube.

Go to the closest place that sells auto parts and pick up a tube of lithium grease. Any brand will do. Mix somewhere around 33%-50% with your beeswax to make a well-regarded lube called lithibee.

Lithibee is probably a better general purpose lube than NRA Alox anyway, and much easier to get the ingredients for. I think 95% of the shooting I do could be handled very satisfactorily by lithibee.

[sghart3578]

I tumble lube with Lee Alox mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits.

The Alox runs about $6 the last time I bought a bottle. Mineral spirits are cheap.

I use one light coat. Something like 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon per 100 bullets.

Dries fast and hard.

A bottle of lube lasts forever.


Steve in N CA

[toallmy]

50/50 Crisco / bee's wax + .

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Beeswax and Vaseline mixed 50-50 is a pretty good Lube, mix 45-55 for cold weather and 55-45 for hot weather.

Beeswax, Vaseline, and Paraffin, equal parts is a bit better, it is the Old NRA formula.

Beeswax, Vaseline, Paraffin plus soap... 6 parts each plus one part soap (AKA:666+1) is even better yet.

So, there you have it, 3 simple Lube recipes using beeswax

[MTtimberline]

It is not cost effective to make my own with the prices that White Label Lubes charges for a high quality product that works so well. I just don’t bother with the mess of trying to find the ingredients and the mess of making the lube when it is so affordable and ready to go. This is also becoming my view on buying COWW already smelted in ingots.

[Froogal]

I have tried the beeswax and lithium grease blend. I have also tried the beeswax and lard blend. Neither of those would set up hard enough to stay in the lube grooves. Most of it wouldn't even stick to the bullet.

[yeahbub]

Like Froogal, I noticed that not staying in the grooves so well also happens with 541, aka Emmert's Lube, 5 parts beeswax, 4 parts vegetable shortening, 1 part canola oil by volume, but if you add 1/2 part anhydrous lanolin, it sticks in the lube grooves much better. Since the OP keeps bees, the rest of the ingredients are probably in the kitchen but for the lanolin. One thing about Emmerts: melt the stuff together in a double boiler to avoid scalding it. If overheated, it'll become harder when solid and will lose some efficacy as a boolit lube. It's BP compatible, easy to make and use. The ratios are easily adjusted for seasonal temperatures if desired and it's my favorite to make sheets of for lube cookies used with lube-shy boolits in long barrels.

[mdi]

The beeswax is not a problem (I keep bees) just trying to find an easy to find, cheap ingredient to mix with it to make a decent lube.

50/50, Lee alox to beeswax. White Label Lubes has excellent prices on lubes and supplies. A 16 oz bottle should last a very, very long time...
https://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?...gjaurvt0v1tcn3

FWIW; I have used bees wax thinned with Marvell's Mystery Oil, Vaseline, mineral, vegetable, and olive oils and of course alox. All worked, some better than others...

[Elkins45]

I have tried the beeswax and lithium grease blend. I have also tried the beeswax and lard blend. Neither of those would set up hard enough to stay in the lube grooves. Most of it wouldn't even stick to the bullet.

Increase the amount of beeswax in the mix if that’s the case. Lithibee shouldn’t have any problem staying in the grooves.

[Springfield]

9 parts beeswax, 4 parts paraffin and 3 parts 2-stroke oil. Adjust mix to the hardness you need. All easily available components and stick in the lube grooves.

[Alan in Vermont]

I have enough Alox to last several shooters several years. BTW, Alox 350 is not the Alox listed in recipes for NRA 50/50. You have to massage it a bit. There are instructions, at least there used to be, on the net.

NRA 50/50 used Alox 2138F which was discontinued by Lubrizol.

Here are some of the details, taken from White Label Lubes website, re; making a sorta substitute for "real" Alox 2138F. Micro-crystalline waxes are harder waxes, Carnauba comes to mind as does (IIRC) Paraffin. The 6-7% is by weight as is the 50-50 ratio of Alox to Beeswax.

"Alox 350 has the consistency of a light grease.
This is not a tumble lube. It can not be made into a tumble lube.

The traditional NRA forumula for 50-50 lube Is 50% BeesWax and 50% Alox 2138F.
Alox 2138F is no longer made. Alox 350 is the current replacement.
Alox 350 can be mixed with 6-7% Micro Wax to get an approximation of Alox 2138F.
Your mix of of Alox 350 and micro wax can now be mixed with 50% Beeswax to make 50-50 lube."