Does Emmerts lube dry out?

[greenjoytj]

If I lubri-size a bunch of boolits how long can they sit in a storage container?

I don’t what to discover bullets lubed in February had their lube dry out by September.

I keep the lube bullets in green MTM cast boolit storage containers. These square containers hold ~150 forty five caliber bullets stacked in 3 layers with a cereal box cardboard separator between the layers.

I would not say the lids on these boxes seal air tight but the do snap closed tightly and with two or 3 boxes stacked up the boxes on the lower rows get their lids press down tighter.

Maybe I should only lube what will get used 3 or 4 months?

[Kraschenbirn]

From my own experience, I'll say 'Yes, it does.' but I also believe it would take longer than "3 or 4 months." For the .45-70s and .38-55, I do most of my casting during the winter months, pan-lube with Emmert's, and store my boolits in plastic ammo trays kept inside a closed wall cabinet. This spring (2019), I had just a couple of the 50-round trays left from the previous winter's (2017) casting sessions and noticed that Emmert's in some of the lube grooves appeared dry and beginning to crack and fall out of the grooves. Solution: dumped those boolits into an aluminum cake pan, used an electric 'heat gun' to melt off the old lube, and applied (pan-lube) fresh Emmert's.

Bill

[country gent]

I don't know it "dries" out or if the oil is simply pulled away from the mix by the container the bullets are in. I have a pot of emmerts that's a couple years old and it looks good still. But have had bullets in Styrofoam trays that after awhile had a dry look to them and the Styrofoam looked oily. same with some cardboard trays boxes. I believe over time the oils ( both the added oil and or the natural oils from the beeswax and Crisco) leech or seep out of the mix.

One thing I have started doing is to add a very small amount of murphy oil soap to help bind blend the ingredients. By small amount a couple drops in a spoon then poured back into bottle, what sticks to spoon is it. It doesn't take much and seems to help make a better mix. I add this to the melted ingredients and stir for 5-8 mins with the spoon. I also work it in a double boiler to avoid scourching

[Kraschenbirn]

I don't know it "dries" out or if the oil is simply pulled away from the mix by the container the bullets are in. I have a pot of emmerts that's a couple years old and it looks good still.

Country Gent may have hit it right on the head. I mix my Emmert's a couple pounds at a time and, after reading his post, went out to my shop and checked the date on my working stock. How 'bout ' 12/14/16? Lube is stored in small, snap-top food storage containers kept in my workshop fridge until needed to refresh my lube pans.

Bill

[toallmy]

I have found after storing lubed boolits a year or so lubed with Emmerts loose in a coffee can - the lube sorta gets crumbly , but still works fine . I like to keep a good bunch stored in 38 brass in the closet under controlled temperature . I think I would be more concerned with the lube melting in the summer heat .

[beltfed]

Yes,Emmerts will "degrade" with time ON THE BULLETS, especially antimonial alloys.
Even tho I store mine in a refrig in pistol bullet boxes.
And the bullets get grey and tarnished looking.
But I shot some a couple days ago that had been lubed several years ago and they
shot just fine.
beltfed/arnie

[greenjoytj]

I think in the future I won’t lube more than a few months worth for immediate need.

Maybe re-melting my batch of Emmerts every couple of years and adding a few more drops of oil to compensate for what leeched out of the mix and got absorbed on to the plastic the sticks are wrapped in.
I like Country Gent’s idea of adding a bit of Murphy’s Oil Soap. Maybe a few drops Dawn detergent?

[country gent]

I would try the Dawn in a small batch and see what it does. Murphy's I've been fold is all natural ingredients. For one stick to test an ice pic or awl dipped in and allowed to drip off may be enough. Especially if using it with black powder. It doesn't take a lot to blend emulsify the ingredients. I look at the murphy's as a flux that ties everything together.

[Dale53]

Yes, Emmert's DOES degrade on the bullets.

Years ago, I found a good solution. Instead of the original Emmert's mix, 50% pure natural beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Canola Oil, I now (and for may years) use my modified Emmert's: 50% pure natural beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Anhydrous Lanolin. It handles and shoots the same. It seems to last "forever". Definite improvement and my "go to" formula for Black Powder Cartridge Rifles and Handguns as well as my Schuetzen lubricant.

Full disclosure - I no longer shoot long guns since losing most of the vision in my right eye.

Dale53

[yeahbub]

I have noticed that Emmert's benefits from a bit of anhydrous lanolin. To the 50, 40, 10 mix I add .5 part lanolin which keeps it in the lube grooves better. It improves pan lubing as well.

One characteristic about Emmert's is that it needs to not be overheated which causes it to become brittle. I can always tell when I'm trying to cut lube cookies from a sheet that got too hot, because it'll start cracking the sheet into pieces. It still lubes okay, but it's inconvenient. Emmert's that's been heated no more than is necessary to melt it, about 130 deg F or so, stays pliable. I have a block of it I made a couple of years ago and I can readily rub off a smear for lubing a few cases or for PP boolits.