Made some bullet lube today...

[DragoonDrake]

I just made a batch of this and there were solids in the solution. Ben what did I do wrong?

Adam

[357maximum]

I just made a batch of this and there were solids in the solution. Ben what did I do wrong?

Adam

I am not Ben but I can tell you that you simply need to melt it longer and/or crank up the heat a bit more. Grease was designed to NOT MELT out of the equipment it was designed to go into/on and that is one of it's great qualities for our use . It can help to keep a lube soft without dropping the melt point. The fella that invented Lithi-Bee had a clue long ago and I suspect he was nowhere near the first to make the leap with grease in his lube.

One of my first batches of grease based lube was very very similar to Ben's RedRayGun Lube posted here and was with Lucas redNtacky. It worked just dandy but I set to "consolidate" the recipe for the sake of convenience and cost.

I found Mag1 lithium grease from WalO'CHINA Mart works just as well, does not stink as bad, and melts more completely faster / is a whole lot easier to work with and it is cheaper.

The one thing you need to watch with all grease based lubes regardless of whether it is micro or beeswax based is the total amount of "slickies" in the lube. You can take slick too far especially in hot weather. You will know when this happens by two ways....your rifle will start shooting wildly vertically when the barrel is warm and if you really take the idea too far you will get a lube blob instead of a star on the muzzle. On the positive side....if you go too far it can be fixed with more wax.

[DragoonDrake]

Thank you max. I had cooked it longer than any other lube before so I was getting worried what the swimbo would say.

[Big Country]

I made a batch about 2 days after seeing the 1st post. I used the Walmart lithium greese due to not finding any Lucus. I shot my 1st 20 rounds of .308 today and it seemed to do fine. I pan lubed the bullets and cut them out with a cutter. This stuff was sure messy to wwork with but I think I will like it.

[Ben]

Yes, I failed to mention that it takes time and heat to get the grease to melt. A few days ago when I made mine, I ( regardless of my efforts ) had a few globs of grease floating that just didn't seem to want to melt), so I took a clean white cotton " T - Shirt " and poured the molten lube through this " FILTER " into my mold pans. Worked perfectly. Chunked the " FILTER " into the dumpster when I was finished. This filtering process is a good idea to insure that there are no contaminants in your lube. My lube worked great.

If you find that your lube is a little bit too slick, add some paraffin or beeswax to the mix as 357maximum has suggested. Keep us posted on how your lube works out.

Ben

[DragoonDrake]

Well I heated the lube again in the oven at 325dF for three hours and still have some solids in it. Ben I missed the strain through a t-shirt in your first post and had already heated and cooled the lube by your second one. The lube is soft enough that I can use a spoon to get it out of my mason jars and the solids are at the bottom, so I will do that for a while.

I have a little bit of saeco green left in my sizer after that I am going to try your lube. Thank you for the recipe and I will keep you updated as to how it shoots.

Adam

[StarMetal]

Read the PDF on Lucas Red N Tacky the part about harzardous decomposition section:

http://www.lucasoil.ca/data/MSDS%202...0N%20Tacky.pdf

Most anything sulfur is corrosive, say like in black powder and the substitutes. You are burning that lube in the barrel to a degree. The Hydrogen is corrosive too.

Thought you'd like to know. I'd check the MSDS out on other lubes too. By the way the Lucas grease is polyurea based not lithium soap and some grease experts say that lots of times the two aren't compadible so might keep that in mine when you use greases on other things like your car or tractor, etc.

[357maximum]

The company I worked for used Lucas R&T on all the dirt movin iron and we never had an issue with corrosion....but then again we only burnt it one time and I do not think any grease choice would have mattered...it was one hot backhoe.

I switched grease in my lube to Mag1 lithium because of smell and cost. MML works, my version of Ben's red ray gun lube works, but the MML is a lot less smelly when making and is a bit more domestically diplomatic..........so basically it came down to cost and the simple fact that I happen to like my testicles attached.

[Ben]

I figure there are many things in our environment , on a daily basis, that pose a greater threat to me than Lucas Red and Tacky Grease.

I think I'll stay with my mixture.

Ben

[357maximum]

I figure there are many things in our environment , on a daily basis, that pose a greater threat to me than Lucas Red and Tacky Grease.

I think I'll stay with my mixture.

Ben

I agree with that statement Ben. I simply changed cause I am 1. cheap and 2. SWMBO did not like the lingering smell (I did not like the smell either...but do not tell the princess that I said that)

With a little common sense most stuff that the eco-terrorist, greeni meanies, and loofa loonies consider "bad" can be safely used. I still use really "BAD" chemicals on a daily basis and it ain't gave me drain bamage yet. I still use tri-chlor as a general solvent and none of my parts have fallen off......but then again I do not bathe in the stuff either. Common sense is not so common these days, but I still require no guvment agency to protect me....from me.

*caution*** the previous statement may cause mental issues and skin abnormalities in labratory animals somewhere in Kalifornia***

[StarMetal]

Ben,

I didn't write it as Lucas Red N Tacky was harmful to our bodies, it's not, it's that when it's burnt, which can happen with bullet lubes, it makes chemicals that are corrosive to steel. Heck I get reamed regularly for using aluminum gas checks and many hardcore black powder shooters here point out the bad things about Blackhorn 209 substitute. So I figured those type of folks on the forum may be concerned about what Red N Tacky can be changed into burning the lube with it's content in your bore. I wasn't knocking your lube as a bullet lube. I think I'll stay with the lithium soap based greased such as 357's Walmart cheapie as Red N Tacky is polyurea based and maybe that turns into nasty stuff when burnt.

[Ben]

No problem..............

[NoZombies]

Maybe should have mentioned " research for a new beauty product !! "

Just tell her you're saving money so she can go shopping more

[fstreed]

Sounds like a good reason to wipe out the bore after a shooting session.

I used this same grease in my last batch of lube and can vouch that it works well, but I clean my guns after shooting so haven't tested for corrosiveness.

The Lucas web site states "Lucas Red 'N' Tack Grease is a smooth, tacky, red lithium 12-OH grease fortified with rust and oxidation inhibitors." I assumed it was a lithium grease based on their advertising. I can see how this could be a problem if someone pumped it into a u-joint or something that had been previously lubed with a true lithium based grease. Of course it wouldn't make much difference in bullet lube, except perhaps the corrosiveness factor.

Read the PDF on Lucas Red N Tacky the part about harzardous decomposition section:

http://www.lucasoil.ca/data/MSDS%202...0N%20Tacky.pdf

Most anything sulfur is corrosive, say like in black powder and the substitutes. You are burning that lube in the barrel to a degree. The Hydrogen is corrosive too.

Thought you'd like to know. I'd check the MSDS out on other lubes too. By the way the Lucas grease is polyurea based not lithium soap and some grease experts say that lots of times the two aren't compadible so might keep that in mine when you use greases on other things like your car or tractor, etc.

[Ben]

50% beeswax
30% Red, Tacky Lucas High Temp Grease
10% Johnson's Paste Wax
5% Dexron II Trans. Fluid
5% STP

I've shot this lube in rifles and pistols for several yrs. now.
You'd think if I was going to have a corrosion problem, I'd have it by now.

My bores are spotless.

Life is full of choices..................

Ben

[fstreed]

I've shot the lube in rifles and pistols for several yrs. now.
You'd think if I was going to have a corrosion problem, I'd have it by now.

My bores are spotless.

Life is full of choices..................

Ben

That's good to hear, because I recently made up a batch of over 3 pounds of lube containing Lucas Red N Tacky, so it looks like I will also be shooting it for several years to come.

[Ben]

fstreed :

You may have to make slight adjustments to your lube by adding additional Beeswax or paraffin to stiffen the lube with increased summer heat right around the corner. Keep us posted on the lube's performance.
The composition listed above will often times make a fairly soft lube. Some prefer a harder lube which can easily be obtained by adding a higher % of Beeswax.

Ben

[StarMetal]

I'll take 357 maximum's experience and go with the Walmart lithium grease. Mike told me that fumes and smell from Red N Tacky were enough to turn him off to it.

Ben maybe you clean your guns well or don't let them set long after firing. I'd make darn sure I cleaned them and never let them set after using that grease. It's ordinary grease when used as grease. Like the PDF states when it's burnt there's some mighty bad chemical changes to it.

[Ben]

StarMetal

Thanks for your help, I'll keep an eye on that.

[fstreed]

fstreed :

You may have to make slight adjustments to your lube by adding additional Beeswax or paraffin to stiffen the lube with increased summer heat right around the corner. Keep us posted on the lube's performance.
The composition listed above will often times make a fairly soft lube. Some prefer a harder lube which can easily be obtained by adding a higher % of Beeswax.

Ben

My homebrewed lube is already fairly stiff. I used a little higher percentage of wax than your recipe, with both paraffin and carnauba added to the beeswax. Mine is about the consistency of the old Choate Lithi-Bee. I also used Ivory soap and lanolin so that probably also stiffened it up some. Always interesting to read other's results.