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Thread: Preferred substitute for Johnson's Paste wax in Ben's Red Lube

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    Preferred substitute for Johnson's Paste wax in Ben's Red Lube

    Now that JPW is discontinued, what is the preferred substitute for it in Ben's Red Lube recipe?

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firephoto798 View Post
    Now that JPW is discontinued, what is the preferred substitute for it in Ben's Red Lube recipe?
    Available on Amazon for $88.00 a pound and up. That caused me to go look at the tin I have in the garage.
    Price tab was $1.39.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Major components appear to have been parrafin, carnuba, microcrystaline wax and stoddard solvent

  4. #4
    Boolit Mold
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    According to an LASC article, JPW consists of 75-85% isoparrafinic hydrocarbon solvent, 10-30% parafin, and 5-10% carnauba.
    If we assign it as 75% solvent, 15% parafin, and 10% carnauba we get:
    50% beeswax
    30% red and tacky
    5% Dexron
    5% STP
    7.5% solvent
    1.5% parafin
    1% carnauba
    If we assume that the smell you get is the volatile solvent doing what volatiles do and boils off, what you end up with is:
    54% beeswax
    32% red and tacky
    5.4% Dexron
    5.4% STP
    1.6% parafin
    1% carnauba (rounded out)
    I do not believe that the solvent has any catalytic action on the mix and simply evaporates (and stinks)
    Parafin can be found in different melting points.
    Flaked carnauba can be found from several sources.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master hc18flyer's Avatar
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    A few years ago, when I was looking to mix 'BLL lube' for my tumble lube pistol bullets. I found Lundmark liquid floor wax at an Ace Hardware store. It works fine in 'BLL'. I have since moved on to powder coating. BLL took longer to dry but works very well. hc18flyer

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy gumbo333's Avatar
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    Didn’t BLL use Johnson’s Liguid Floor wax in a yellow can, not paste wax? Wasn’t Lundmark Liquid Floor wax Ben’s suggested replacement?
    Never trade luck for skill.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Just as a guess, I used this in place of JPW for wood turnings.

    https://www.acehardware.com/departme...r-polish/10088


    I suspect it would work in Ben's Red if the original JPW is now unavailable.

    For the purists, I'd start haunting small town Ace/True Value/ DoIt hardware stores for new old stock.

    I was finding Johnson's Liquid Floor Wax several years after it was discontinued in backwoods hardware stores. I built up a lifetime supply before I ran out of hardware stores to troll.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

    Sig556r's Avatar
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    I knew JLW went extinct, but JPW too? What gives?
    Is it the ingredients or just Johnson’s?
    ...Speak softly & carry a big stick...

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy Sam Sackett's Avatar
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    JPW is available at Walmart in the cleaning/floor polish department.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/SC-Johnso...z-1lb/23142990


    Sam Sackett

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    BLL used Johnsons liquid wax. A recipe for using paste wax I've seen was 16 oz. paste wax, 4 oz. liquid alox, 4 oz. mineral spirits. I plan on trying this since by happenstance I have 2 1/2 cases of bowling alley wax under my reloading bench.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmark View Post
    BLL used Johnsons liquid wax. A recipe for using paste wax I've seen was 16 oz. paste wax, 4 oz. liquid alox, 4 oz. mineral spirits. I plan on trying this since by happenstance I have 2 1/2 cases of bowling alley wax under my reloading bench.
    The reference is to Ben's Red, a lube developed by Ben, here on Castboolits.

  12. #12
    Boolit Mold
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    $94. for one pound of JPW?
    If you're making Ben's Red that would 1.6 ounces of Carnauba and 2.4 ounces of parafin. The solvent is a volatile that boils off when the lube is heated and blended. It adds nothing except the stink.
    The ingredients in a one pound can of JPW that end up in the finished product costs a few dollars.
    Why not just add the carnauba and parafin and save the 90 bucks?

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy alfadan's Avatar
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    Ben's Red is a soft lube for pan lubing or a lubrisizer.

    Ben's Liquid Lube (BLL) is a liquid tumble lube.

  14. #14
    Boolit Mold
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    $94. for one pound of JPW?
    If you're making Ben's Red that would 1.6 ounces of Carnauba and 2.4 ounces of parafin. The solvent is a volatile that boils off when the lube is heated and blended. It adds nothing except the stink.
    The ingredients in a one pound can of JPW that end up in the finished product costs a few dollars.
    Why not just add the carnauba and parafin and save the 90 bucks?

  15. #15
    Boolit Mold
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    Double post.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    oops, my mistake. Probably shouldn't be posting after bedtime.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by gumbo333 View Post
    Didn’t BLL use Johnson’s Liguid Floor wax in a yellow can, not paste wax? Wasn’t Lundmark Liquid Floor wax Ben’s suggested replacement?
    Yes Lundmarks is the replacement! Great stuff Ben’s Red! Pretty much the only lube I use!
    Long, Wide, Deep, and Without Hesitation!

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Didn’t BLL use Johnson’s Liguid Floor wax in a yellow can, not paste wax? Wasn’t Lundmark Liquid Floor wax Ben’s suggested replacement?
    ------------------------

    Yes, yes .

  19. #19
    Boolit Mold
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    Thanks everyone for the great replies.

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